• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    Lock and disconnection mechanism for flexible pipe product with endfitting, used as part of pull-in ofi.e. flexible riser or umbilical to floating or fixed structures in the offshore oil/gas/windfarm sector, inorder to establish structural support of the flexible pipe for bending and shear loads at the transition tothe hull or platform structure. In this application, the invention allows for embedment of the endfitting/pull head inside a steel male part with bending stiffener attached. The endfitting is disconnected from the male part once the male part has been latched. The disconnection is achieved automatically controlled by the pull-in movement of the flexible pipe with endfitting. An automatic re
    公开号:DK201700209A1
    申请号:DKP201700209
    申请日:2017-03-24
    公开日:2018-12-13
    发明作者:Fog Gjersøe Nils
    申请人:Lic Engineering A/S；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    Description
    Lock mechanism with torus shaped contact surface for lock and automatic release of endfitting.
    Field of Application for the Invention
    The invention is typically used for vertical or inclined pull-in of flexible pipe products such as flexible risers, cables or umbilicals to floating or fixed installations for oil/gas or windpower development.
    The invention is then part of a system for pull-in and support of the flexible pipe product, providing permanent support at the transition from the free dynamic configuration in the water column to the fixed configuration inside the offshore installation. Support is established to a bending stiffener as part of the pull-in operation. The system protects the flexible pipe product in the transition area by take up of the externally applied bending moments and shear forces.
    The system is not restricted to the specifically listed applications but can be applied generally where locking and automatic release of system parts are wanted during a pull-in operation for a flexible pipe product.
    The system is also applicable in a planar version.
    Position
    The flexible pipe product is pulled-in by direct force applied to the endfitting. The endfitting is placed inside a male part with bending stiffener. The male part is locked to the endfitting during the first pullin phase. The Male part is centrered by the pull in cone. The male part is then automatically locked to the female part during pull-in by the upper automatic lock mechanism. At this stage the endfitting shall be released automatically in order to achieve the final pull-in of flexible pipe with endfitting.
    In known systems, the endfitting is typically locked to the male part by use of lock and release pins with linear movement perpendicular to the main pull-in direction. The pins are activated to release by external intervention.
    The invention differs from known techniques, as described in the following patents: US005947642A
    a) The new invention applies rotating lock piece contrary to shear pins for lock and release of the endfitting
    b) Re-locking is possible
    US008573305B2
    a) The new invention applies rotating lock piece contrary to transversely placed linear pins for lock and release of the endfitting
    b) Automatic re-locking is possible
    US008931807B2
    a) The new invention applies rotating lock piece contrary to spherical balls for lock and release of the endfitting.
    By the invention, the endfitting has a torus shaped contact surface placed self-locking relative to the lock piece in the male part, achieving lock of the male part with bending stiffener to the endfitting
    DK 2017 00209 A1
    -2during the initial stage of pull-in. Release of the endfitting is accomplished automatically after the male part has been locked automatically to the female part in the upper lock mechanism. Release is accomplished automatically by forced rotation of the lock piece, due to contact between conical contact surfaces on lock piece and on the inside of the pull-in cone respectively, controlled by the pull-in movement. The release is relying on the torus geometry, which enables rotation of the lock piece without any movement of the male part in the pull-in direction. Torus geometry in combination with selection of friction coefficients ensure that sufficient force is available to achieve automatic rotation of the lock piece, resulting in release of the endfitting, this is achieved solely due to the pull-in force.
    By the Invention is Achieved
    Lock of the male part to the endfitting during pull-in of the flexible pipe product. Automatic release of the endfitting as a part of the pull-in operation. Simplification and increased reliability for release of the endfitting. Time savings during installation works. The invention allows for a simplified pull-out operation, because the endfitting can be automatically re-latched by lowering it into the male part. In the circular cylindrical version the system is independent of relative orientation of female part, male part and endfitting.
    Resources
    Cylindrical female part with pull-in cone and upper lock mechanism for pull-in and permanent support of male part.
    Cylindrical male part with horizontal shaft supporting a lock piece for lock and release of endfitting during pull-in.
    Flexible pipe product with endfitting.
    Lock piece supported for rotation on horisontal shaft in male part and with cylindrical contact surface for interaction with torus shaped contact surface on the endfitting and with conical contact surface for interaction with conical contact surface on the female part.
    Endfitting with torus shaped contact surface for lock and release of the endfitting relative to the male part.
    Compression spring for securing the lock function.
    In the planar version of the system the torus contact surface on the endfitting is replaced by a circular cylindrical contact surface and the conical contact surfaces on lock piece and female part respectively are replaced with planar contact surfaces.
    Function
    The function of the invention is illustrated by the main parts shown in Figures 1-3 and in step-by-step sequences showing the main pull-in stages, Figures 4-8. Furthermore, Figures 9-12 show 3D views of selected parts. Figure 13 illustrates the flow of structural forces in the system.
    The functionality of the invention is described by going through the step-by step sequence below.
    DK 2017 00209 A1
    -3Figures:
    Figure 1 Main parts of the system in 3D view
    Figure 2 System shown in 3 positions during pull-in, 3D view
    Figure 3 Male part and lock piece as individual parts, in 3D view
    Figure 4 Position just before the conical contact surface of the lock piece starts interaction with the conical contact surface of the female part
    Figure 5 Interaction between the conical contact surfaces occur, thereby initiating rotation of the lock piece
    Figure 6 Release of the endfitting is half way achieved
    Figure 7 endfitting is released as the cylindrical contact surface of the lock piece goes out of interaction with the torus shaped contact surface of the endfitting
    Figure 8 The endfitting and the flexible pipe product starts the final pull-in phase. The male part moves downwards and achieves permanent support by the upper lock mechanism
    Figure 9 Situation as in Figure 5 in partly transparent 3D view
    Figure 10 Situation as in Figure 7 in partly transparent 3D view
    Figure 11 Situation as in Figure 5 in partly transparent 3D view
    Figure 12 Situation as in Figure 7 in partly transparent 3D view
    Figure 13 Principal structural forces during pull-in corresponding to situation in Figure 5
    Figures
    Nomenclature:
    1) Female part with pull-in cone in the lower end
    2) Male part
    3) Flexible pipe product
    4) Endfitting
    5) Lock piece, supported for rotation
    6) Horisontal shaft, support for lock piece
    7) Torus shaped contact surface of the endfitting
    8) Cylindrical contact surface of the lock piece
    9) Conical contact surface of the lock piece
    10) Conical contact surface of the female part
    11) Compression spring
    12) Upper lock mechanism for support of male part in female part
    13) Bending stiffener or bending restrictor
    14) Pull-in wire
    15) Direction of pull-in
    Figure 1
    Female part (1) with upper lock mechanism (12) and pull-in cone. Male part (2) with lock piece (5) and flange for bending stiffener (13) or bending restrictor. Flexible pipe product (3) and endfitting (4). Figure 2
    The system is shown in 3 positions.
    Left: Flexible pipe (3) with endfitting (4) placed embedded inside the male part (2), male part (2) locked to endfitting (4), bend stiffener (13) connected to male part (2), is pulled-in towards female part (1) by use of pull-in wire (14).
    DK 2017 00209 A1
    -4Middle: Male part (2) pulled-in to female part (1) and locked by upper lock mechanism (12)
    Right: Endfitting (4) with flexible pipe (3) is disconnected from the male part (2) and the final pull-in has commenced.
    Figure 3
    Male part (2) and rotating lock piece (5) shown separately.
    Figure 4
    Male part (2) locked by the upper lock mechanism (12) during pull-in of flexible pipe (3) with endfitting (4). Endfitting (4) is locked to the male part (2) due to contact between torus shaped contact surface (7) on endfitting (4) and cylindrical contact surface (8) on lock piece (5). The shown situation is just before contact is established between the conical contact surface (9) on lock piece (5) and the conical contact surface (10) on female part (1). The compression spring (11) is not activated but provides a passive resistance to ensure the endfitting (4) remains locked to the male part (2).
    Figure 5
    The conical contact surface (9) of the lock piece (5) starts interacting with the conical contact surface (10) on the pull-in cone placed lower end of the female part (1). This is due to the movement of endfitting (4) and male part (2) in the pull-in direction (15). The lock piece (5) is thereby forced to start rotation about the horizontal shaft (6) initiating the separation between endfitting (4) and male part (2).
    Figure 6
    The situations show pull-in movement (15) progressed to a state where the lock piece (5) is half way disconnected from the endfitting (4). The disconnection is achieved as a forced rotation in the friction connection between the contact surfaces (7) and (8). The compression spring (11) is activated.
    Figure 7
    The pull-in has now reach the stage where the endfitting (4) is disconnected from the male part (2), due to the torus shaped contact surface (7) of the endfitting (4) goes out of contact with the cylindrical contact surface (8) on the lock piece (5). The disconnection is geometrically determined by the position of the male part (2) with endfitting (4). The disconnection is achieved due to the pull-in movement (15) causing rotation of the lock piece (5) due to contact between the conical contact surface (9) of the lock piece (5) and the conical contact surface (10) of the female part (1).
    Figure 8
    The final pull-in (15) of the flexible pipe (3) with endfitting (4) has commenced. The male part (2) will fall back to achieve the permanent support condition in the upper lock mechanism (12).
    Figure 9
    The main parts are shown in 3D view in a situation where interaction between the conical contact surface (9) of the lock piece (5) and the conical contact surface (10) of the female part (1) is just starting. This corresponds to Figure 5 in the step-by step sequence. The flexible pipe (3) and the bending stiffener (13) are shown dashed, the female part (1) and male part (2) are shown transparent, the lock piece (5) is shown in full line and the torus shaped contact surface (7) is shown with thick line. Figure 10
    Situation where the endfitting (4) has been disconnected, corresponding to situation shown in Figure 7.
    Figure 11
    The same situation as in Figure 5, but now in a view from below, the cylindrical contact surface (8) of the lock piece (5) is shown in thick line.
    DK 2017 00209 A1
    -5Figure 12
    The same situation as in Figure 7, but now in a view from below, the cylindrical contact surface (8) and generally the lock piece (5) are shown in thick line.
    Figure 13
    The figure illustrates the principal flow of forces in the system during automatic disconnection of the endfitting (4) from the male part (2).
    The pull-in force (A) is opposed by reaction forces from the contact between the conical contact surface (10) of the female part (1) and the conical contact surface (9) of the lock piece (5), respectively normal force (D) and friction force (E). Resulting reaction forces from the torus shaped contact surface (7) of the endftiing (4) and the cylindrical contact surface (8) of the lock piece (5), respectively normal force (B) and friction force (C). Furthermore, normal force (B) result in friction force (F) in contact surface of lock piece (5) with horizontal shaft (6) and spring force (G) due to compression spring (11). Due to moment about horizontal shaft axis (6) of (C), (E), (F) and (G) is smaller than moment of (D), the lock piece (5) is forced to rotate around the shaft (6) causing automatic disconnection of the endfitting (4) due to pull-in movement (15) resulting from the pull-in force (A).
    Force surplus is obtained by selection of friction coefficients in the contact surfaces in combination with the spring characteristic of compression spring (11).
    Re-connection of the endfitting can be achieved by reversing the pull-in movement (15), by lowering of the endfitting into the male part (2), resulting in automatic re-latching of the endfitting (4) then being locked to the male part (2) as part of a preparation for a pull-out operation of the flexible pipe product (3).
    权利要求:
    Claims (3)
    [1] 1. Endfitting (4) with torus shaped contact surface (7) locked to male part (2) by use of lock piece (5) with rotation around horisontal shaft (6) in male part (2) and with cylindrical contact surface (8), endfitting (4) secured in locked position by compression spring (11), endfitting (4) is disconnected from the male part (2) by forced rotation of lock piece (5) around horisontal shaft (6), caused by contact between the conical contact surface (10) of the female part (1) and the conical contact surface (9) of the lock piece (5), whereby the endfitting (4) is disconnected from the male part (2) and the final pull-in of the flexible pipe (3) with endfitting (4) is enabled.
    [2] 2. Planar version, as the torus shaped contact surface (7) of the endfitting (4) is replaced by a cylindrical contact surface and the conical contact surfaces (9) and (10) are replaced by planar surfaces.
    [3] 3. Endfitting (4) with torus shaped contact surface (7) locked to male part (2) by use of lock piece (5) with rotation around horisontal shaft (6) in male part (2) and with cylindrical contact surface (8), endfitting (4) secured in locked position by compression spring (11), endfitting (4) is disconnected from the male part (2) by forced rotation of lock piece (5) around horisontal shaft (6).
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    DK180095B1|2020-04-27|
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    法律状态:
    2018-12-13| PAT| Application published|Effective date: 20180925 |
    2020-04-27| PME| Patent granted|Effective date: 20200427 |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    DKPA201700209A|DK180095B1|2017-03-24|2017-03-24|Lock mechanism with torus shaped surface for lock and automatic release of endfitting|DKPA201700209A| DK180095B1|2017-03-24|2017-03-24|Lock mechanism with torus shaped surface for lock and automatic release of endfitting|
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