Coiled Tubing Bend Limiter

Abstract

The present invention discloses a continuous tubing bend limiter, comprising a variable diameter tube body, a flange arranged on the first end of the variable diameter tube body for connecting to an injection head tower, and at least one pipe clamp clamped on the outer periphery of the variable diameter tube body; a through hole is arranged in the middle of the flange, and the through hole is connected to the internal channel of the variable diameter tube body to form a bend limiter channel for the continuous tubing to pass through. The continuous tubing bend limiter of the present invention is installed on the injection head tower and is used for the continuous tubing to pass through, and limits the bending and other deformations of the continuous tubing, thereby reducing the bending radius and fatigue life of the continuous tubing; it is not limited by the height of the injection head tower during installation, and is convenient for on-site installation, which reduces the construction cost; it can meet the needs of continuous construction at sea, and is of great significance for the deepwater pre-commissioning construction of continuous tubing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a bend limiter, in particular to a coiled tubing bend limiter. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of offshore oil, deepwater oilfield development has become the main battlefield for major oil companies. The pre-commissioning of deepwater facilities is a key operation step before the deepwater subsea pipeline is put into production. The purpose is to inject chemical agents to verify the various performance of the laid subsea pipeline, as well as to clean and dry the subsea pipeline before production.

[0003] Due to the special circumstances and construction period requirements of some projects, the construction needs to use multi-functional ships to carry out the pre-commissioning of deepwater subsea pipelines. As the water depth increases, the diameter of traditional hoses is required to be larger, and the weight increases accordingly. More buoys need to be installed to operate, which not only takes a lot of ship days, but also has a high project construction risk. Therefore, due to the advantages of relatively large diameter and weight, fast lowering and recovery speed, and self-contained equipment, continuous tubing has gradually begun to be used in the pre-commissioning of deepwater oil and gas fields.

[0004] When offshore construction vessels use continuous tubing for deepwater pre-commissioning operations, the mechanical properties of the continuous tubing need to be considered, among which fatigue life has a great impact on the continuous tubing. The impact of wind, waves, currents, and ship movement on the fatigue of the continuous tubing also needs to be considered, which also affects the demand for continuous construction at sea. Summary of the invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a coiled tubing bend limiter for reducing the fatigue life of the coiled tubing.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem is: to provide a coiled tubing bend limiter, comprising a variable diameter pipe body, a flange arranged on the first end of the variable diameter pipe body for connecting with the injection head tower, and at least one pipe clamp clamped on the outer periphery of the variable diameter pipe body;

[0007] A through hole is provided in the middle of the flange, and the through hole is communicated with the internal channel of the variable diameter pipe body to form a bending-limiting channel for the continuous oil pipe to pass flexibly.

[0008] Preferably, the variable diameter tube body comprises at least two matching tube petals;

[0009] The flange includes at least two matching flange petals, and each of the flange petals is arranged on the end of one of the tube petals.

[0010] Preferably, the pipe clamp comprises at least two clamping plates matched on the periphery of the reducer pipe body, and a plurality of connection components connecting adjacent clamping plates;

[0011] Connecting plates are respectively extended from both ends of the card board; the connecting plate at one end of one card board cooperates with the connecting plate at the corresponding end of another adjacent card board, and the connecting component is passed through the relatively matched connecting plates to connect the connecting plates of the two card boards.

[0012] Preferably, the pipe clamp further comprises a baffle for limiting the axial movement of the pipe clamp along the variable diameter pipe body;

[0013] The baffle is arranged on one side of each of the clamping plates and is fixed on the outer periphery of the variable diameter tube body.

[0014] Preferably, the variable diameter tube body comprises two relatively matched tube petals;

[0015] The tube clamp comprises two clamping plates, which are respectively fitted on the outer peripheries of the two tube petals and are relatively connected.

[0016] Preferably, the inner diameter of the variable diameter tube gradually decreases from the first end to the opposite second end.

[0017] Preferably, the coiled tubing bend limiter comprises three of the pipe clamps;

[0018] The three pipe clamps are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the reducer pipe body, and one of the pipe clamps is located on the second end of the reducer pipe body opposite to the flange.

[0019] Preferably, the flange is provided with a plurality of fastening holes spaced apart along its circumference.

[0020] Preferably, the coiled tubing bend limiter further comprises a fastener penetrating through the fastening hole and fixing the flange on the injection head tower.

[0021] Preferably, the coiled tubing bend limiter further comprises at least one reinforcing rib plate connected between the flange and the reducer pipe body.

[0022] The coiled tubing bend limiter of the present invention is installed on the injection head tower and is used for the movable passage of the coiled tubing, which limits the bending and other deformations of the coiled tubing, reduces the bending radius and fatigue life of the coiled tubing; it is not restricted by the height of the injection head tower during installation, is convenient for on-site installation, and reduces the construction cost; it can meet the needs of continuous construction at sea, and is of great significance for the deepwater pre-commissioning construction of the coiled tubing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, in which:

[0024] Figure 1 2 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a coiled tubing bend limiter according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a side view of a coiled tubing bend limiter according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to have a clearer understanding of the technical features, purposes and effects of the present invention, specific embodiments of the present invention are now described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, a coiled tubing bend limiter according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a reducer pipe body 10 , a flange 20 and at least one pipe clamp 30 .

[0028] The variable diameter pipe body 10 includes a first end and a second end opposite to each other. The flange 20 is arranged on the first end of the variable diameter pipe body 10 for connecting with the injection head tower. The second end of the variable diameter pipe body 10 faces downward, so that the variable diameter pipe body 10 is suspended on the injection head tower. A through hole 200 is arranged in the middle of the flange 20, and the through hole 200 is connected with the internal channel of the variable diameter pipe body 10 to form a bend-limiting channel for the continuous oil pipe to pass through. The pipe clamp 30 is clamped on the outer periphery of the variable diameter pipe body 10 to position the diameter of the variable diameter pipe body 10, so that it can be flexibly applied to continuous oil pipes of different diameters.

[0029] Specifically, the variable diameter pipe body 10 includes at least two matching pipe petals 11. The arrangement of at least two pipe petals 11 allows the variable diameter pipe body 10 to be disassembled, which is convenient for installation and use. The pipe petals 11 are all arc-shaped and arranged corresponding to the circumference of the coiled tubing.

[0030] When the tube petals 11 are relatively matched, they can be butted together to form a reducer tube body 10 that is seamless in the axial direction, or they can be relatively matched at intervals to form a reducer tube body 10 that has a butt joint in the axial direction.

[0031] The flange 20 is fixedly connected to one end of the reducer pipe body 10 and is relatively perpendicular to the reducer pipe body 10. The flange 20 is provided with a plurality of fastening holes 22 spaced along its circumference for fasteners to pass through and be locked on the injection head tower.

[0032] According to needs, the coiled tubing bend limiter of the present invention may further include a fastener (not shown) for passing through the fastening hole to fix the flange 20 on the injection head tower. The fastener may be a bolt or the like.

[0033] Corresponding to the variable diameter pipe body 10, the flange 20 includes at least two matching flange petals 21, each flange petal 21 is arranged on the end of a pipe petal 11. In addition, each flange petal 21 is provided with a plurality of fastening holes 22.

[0034] The pipe clamp 30 includes at least two clamping plates 31 that fit on the outer periphery of the variable diameter pipe body 10, and a plurality of connecting components 32 that connect adjacent clamping plates 31. Connecting plates 33 are respectively extended from both ends of the clamping plates 31, and the connecting plates 33 extend away from the variable diameter pipe body 10 at the ends of the clamping plates 31. The connecting plate 33 at one end of a clamping plate 31 is matched with the connecting plate 33 at the corresponding end of another adjacent clamping plate 31, and the connecting components 32 are inserted into the matching connecting plates 33, connecting the connecting plates 33 of the two clamping plates 31 to form the pipe clamp 30, and also connecting the pipe petals 11 of the variable diameter pipe body 10.

[0035] The connecting assembly 32 includes matching bolts and nuts, and is easy and quick to install.

[0036] Due to the effect of wind, waves and currents during the operation of offshore continuous oil pipes, the continuous oil pipes are in a state of constant movement, so that the bend limiter is constantly moving, and the pipe clamp 30 may become loose after being subjected to force. In order to ensure that the pipe clamp 30 does not slip, the pipe clamp 30 also includes a baffle 34 that limits the axial movement of the pipe clamp 30 along the variable diameter pipe body 10, providing positioning and anti-slip functions for the installation of the pipe clamp 30. The baffle 34 is arranged on one side of each clamp 31 and is fixed on the outer periphery of the variable diameter pipe body 10 by welding or the like. The baffle 34 on each clamp 31 can be in a strip shape and extend along the circumference of the clamp 31, or it can be composed of a plurality of spaced baffles. The arrangement of the baffle 34 enables the clamp 31 to be fixed on the tube petal 11 of the variable diameter pipe body 10, and when the tube petal 11 is relatively matched, it also drives the clamp 31 thereon to be relatively matched.

[0037] In this embodiment, Figure 1 , 2 As shown, the reducer pipe body 10 includes two relatively matched pipe petals 11, and the pipe petals 11 are semicircular. Correspondingly, the flange 20 includes two flange petals 21, which are respectively connected to the ends of the two pipe petals 11. The pipe clamp 30 includes two clamping plates 31, which are respectively matched on the outer circumference of the two pipe petals 11 and are relatively connected.

[0038] Each clamping plate 31 is integrated with the tube flap 11 where it is located, and when the two tube flaps 11 are relatively matched, the two clamping plates 31 are also relatively matched. When the two clamping plates 31 are relatively matched at the outer periphery of the tube flap 11, the connecting plates 33 at both ends of the two clamping plates 31 are also relatively fitted or spaced relative to each other, and the two clamping plates 31 are connected together to form a tube clamp 30 after the connecting components 32 are inserted through the opposite connecting plates 33.

[0039] Further, in this embodiment, the coiled tubing bend limiter includes three pipe clamps 30. The three pipe clamps 30 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the reducer pipe body 10, wherein one pipe clamp 30 is located on the second end of the reducer pipe body 10 opposite to the flange 20, and the other two pipe clamps 10 are arranged at intervals between the previous pipe clamp 30 and the flange 20. It can be understood that the number of the pipe clamps 30 can be increased or decreased according to the axial length of the reducer pipe body 10.

[0040] Furthermore, the coiled tubing bend limiter of the present invention is mainly connected to the injection head tower through the flange 20. When the bend limiter is subjected to force, the moment received at the flange 20 is the largest. Therefore, the coiled tubing bend limiter of the present invention further includes at least one reinforcing rib plate 40 connected between the flange 20 and the reducer pipe body 10. The reinforcing rib plate 40 can be fixed between the flange 20 and the end of the reducer pipe body 10 by welding or the like, and mainly plays the role of strengthening the structural strength of the flange root and the connection.

[0041] The inner diameter of the variable diameter pipe body 10 gradually decreases from the first end to the second end. In order to meet the characteristics of the bend limiter, the rigidity of the variable diameter pipe body 10 increases along its axial length. When the coiled tubing force acts on the end (second end) of the variable diameter pipe body 10, the variable diameter pipe body 10 slowly bends, which not only limits the radius of the coiled tubing, but also prevents the coiled tubing from being broken by sudden force, and at the same time increases the fatigue life of the coiled tubing.

[0042] In response to the change in the inner diameter of the variable diameter pipe body 10 , the inner diameters of the three pipe clamps 30 are different according to their positions.

[0043] When the bend limiter of the present invention is installed offshore, the flange 20 is first fastened to the injection head tower by bolts, and then the tube petals 11 are combined into a reducer pipe body 10 by docking the tube sheets 31 in the pipe clamp 30. The coiled tubing is inserted from above the injection head tower, enters the reducer pipe body 10 through the through hole 200 of the flange 20, and is lowered along the bend limit passage.

[0044] When the end of the bend limiter of the present invention is subjected to force, the pipe clamp 30 can prevent the reducer pipe body 10 from separating, thereby ensuring the overall effectiveness of the bend limiter.

[0045] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A coiled tubing bend limiter, characterized in that: The invention comprises a variable diameter pipe body, a flange arranged on the first end of the variable diameter pipe body for connecting with the injection head tower, and at least one pipe clamp clamped on the outer periphery of the variable diameter pipe body; the second end of the variable diameter pipe body faces downward, so that the variable diameter pipe body is suspended on the injection head tower; A through hole is provided in the middle of the flange, and the through hole is connected to the internal channel of the variable diameter pipe body to form a bend-limited channel for the coiled tubing to pass through; The variable diameter pipe body includes at least two matching pipe petals; the flange includes at least two matching flange petals, each of which is arranged at the end of one of the pipe petals; The pipe clamp comprises at least two clamping plates matched on the outer periphery of the reducer pipe body, and a plurality of connecting components connecting the adjacent clamping plates; connecting plates are respectively extended at both ends of the clamping plates; the connecting plate at one end of one clamping plate is matched with the connecting plate at the corresponding end of another adjacent clamping plate, and the connecting components are inserted into the matching connecting plates to connect the connecting plates of the two clamping plates; The pipe clamp also includes a baffle plate for limiting the axial movement of the pipe clamp along the reducer pipe body; the baffle plate is arranged on one side of each clamp plate and fixed on the outer periphery of the reducer pipe body.

2. The coiled tubing bend limiter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The variable diameter pipe body comprises two relatively matched pipe petals; The tube clamp comprises two clamping plates, which are respectively fitted on the outer peripheries of the two tube petals and are relatively connected.

3. The coiled tubing bend limiter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the variable diameter tube gradually decreases from the first end to the opposite second end.

4. The coiled tubing bend limiter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The coiled tubing bend limiter comprises three pipe clamps; The three pipe clamps are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the reducer pipe body, and one of the pipe clamps is located on the second end of the reducer pipe body opposite to the flange.

5. The coiled tubing bend limiter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The flange is provided with a plurality of fastening holes which are distributed at intervals along the circumference thereof.

6. The coiled tubing bend limiter according to claim 5, characterized in that: The coiled tubing bend limiter also includes a fastener that is penetrated through the fastening hole and fixes the flange on the injection head tower.

7. The coiled tubing bend limiter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The coiled tubing bend limiter further comprises at least one reinforcing rib plate connected between the flange and the reducer pipe body.

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