A deep-water buoy based on S-Lay installation technology

Abstract

This invention discloses a deep-water buoy based on S-Lay installation technology, comprising a buoy body and a clamp. The buoy body consists of two semi-circular shells hinged together, with the overall shape of the buoy body being eccentrically cylindrical. The geometric center of the buoy body is offset towards the bottom of the buoy body, and the bottom cross-section of the buoy body is trapezoidal. A lifting point is provided on the back of the buoy body. A spiral plate vortex-induced vibration suppression device is fixed to the outer surface of the buoy body. The interior of the buoy body has an annular groove. The clamp is annular in shape with multiple hinged sections, one of which can be opened. When the buoy body is closed, the clamp is embedded in the groove. In use, the clamp is opened to hold the riser, then the clamp is placed in the groove, and then the buoy body is closed. Finally, the entire assembly is placed on the S-Lay pipelaying vessel operation line for installation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine engineering technology, and in particular to a deep-water buoy based on the S-Lay installation process. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of offshore oil development, offshore oil extraction is gradually moving from deep water to ultra-deep water. Deep-water and ultra-deep-water floating production platforms have become key offshore equipment, and the installation of matching deep-water risers has become a technology that must be mastered. Floating production platforms in deep-water environments, especially turret-moored floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) systems or semi-submersible platforms, experience greater amplitudes of hull motion than other shallow-water platforms. Conventional steel catenary risers (SCRs) installed on these platforms are prone to buckling at the mud contact point (TDP), resulting in greater fatigue damage and shorter service life. Simultaneously, the increased water depth requires longer suspension lengths and thicker pipe walls, significantly increasing the load on the floating platform. The design of conventional SCRs faces numerous challenges in ultra-deep-water applications. Among various deep-water risers, the gently sloping steel catenary riser (SLWR) has received increasing attention in recent years and is one of the more commonly used forms of deep-water risers, having been adopted by several ultra-deep-water oilfield development projects. This type of riser is characterized by a float section several hundred meters long. This float section provides buoyancy, causing the riser to arch upwards in this area. The float section effectively isolates the dynamic response of the TDP (Top Pressure Device) from the suspension point, mitigating the coupling effect of the floating platform's motion on the riser's TDP, thereby improving the riser's fatigue life and effectively reducing the top tension of the deep-water riser.

[0003] Due to the presence of the float section, this type of riser is mostly installed using the Reel-Lay or J-Lay process, which is also the method used by most SLWRs already in service internationally. However, in special circumstances, such as when the resources or technology for Reel-Lay or J-Lay installation are lacking, the S-Lay process must be used. The float section is an inline structure, and installing it using the S-Lay process is quite difficult. The float's strength and shape design must meet the requirements of the S-Lay process; however, there are currently no deep-water floats specifically designed for S-Lay installation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned technical problems to a certain extent.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a deep-water buoy based on the S-Lay installation process, which can smoothly and safely pass through the rollers of the S-Lay pipelaying vessel, achieving quick and safe installation.

[0006] A deep-water float based on S-Lay installation technology is characterized by comprising a float body and a clamp. The float body consists of two semi-circular shells hinged together. The float body is generally eccentrically cylindrical, with its geometric center offset towards the bottom. The bottom cross-section of the float body is trapezoidal. A lifting point is provided on the back of the float body. A helical plate vortex-induced vibration suppression device is fixed to the outer surface of the float body. The interior of the float body has an annular groove. The clamp is generally a multi-segment hinged ring, with one hinge point that can be opened. When the float body is closed, the clamp is embedded in the groove. In use, the clamp is opened to hold the riser, then the clamp is placed in the groove, and then the float body is closed.

[0007] Furthermore, the clip comprises three arc-shaped housing segments hinged together, one of which uses bolts and nuts, and a high-friction pad is attached to the inside of the clip.

[0008] Furthermore, the float body is also provided with a cable tie groove on its exterior for installing packing straps.

[0009] Furthermore, the upper half of the float body is made of a material with high buoyancy, and the lower half of the float body is made of a material with strong pressure resistance.

[0010] Furthermore, force-applying devices are symmetrically arranged on the outside of the bottom of the float body. When installing on the work line, the construction workers can grab the force-applying devices by hand and open the float outward.

[0011] Furthermore, the top of the float body has a positioning protrusion, and correspondingly, the outer ring of the clip has a positioning groove that matches it, and the inner ring of the clip is provided with a rigging groove.

[0012] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention provides a deep-water buoy based on S-Lay installation technology, comprising a buoy body and a clamp. The buoy body consists of two semi-circular shells hinged together, with an overall eccentric cylindrical shape. The geometric center of the buoy body is offset towards its bottom, and the bottom cross-section of the buoy body is trapezoidal. A lifting point is provided on the back of the buoy body. A helical plate vortex-induced vibration suppression device is fixed to the outer surface of the buoy body. The interior of the buoy body has an annular groove. The clamp is an overall multi-segment hinged annular shape, with one hinge point that can be opened. When the buoy body is in the closed state, the clamp is embedded in the groove. In use, the clamp is opened to secure the riser, then placed back into the groove, and then the buoy body is closed. The eccentric design of the buoy body, combined with the trapezoidal bottom cross-section, ensures surface contact between the rollers on the S-Lay pipelaying vessel and the buoy body, effectively reducing the load on the buoy from the rollers and also reducing the risk of the buoy getting stuck on other structures. The float is fixed to the riser by a clamp, which restricts the float's lateral and longitudinal movement, ensuring the float's relative stability on the riser. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional view of the overall appearance of a deep-water buoy based on the S-Lay installation process according to the present invention in its working state;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the hoisting and opening state of a deep-water buoy based on the S-Lay installation process of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a front view of a deep-water buoy based on the S-Lay installation process of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a deep-water buoy based on the S-Lay installation process on the rollers of an S-Lay pipelaying vessel according to the present invention.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a clip for a deep-water float based on the S-Lay installation process of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a deep-water buoy based on the S-Lay installation process of the present invention with the clips in the open state;

[0019] In the figure, 1-float body; 2-rise pipe; 3-roller; 4-spiral plate vortex-induced vibration suppression device; 5-clamp; 6-force application device; 7-lifting point; 8-bottom section; 9-friction pad; 10-hinge; 11-positioning groove; 12-bolt and nut; 13-cable tie groove; 14-rigging groove. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a deep-water buoy based on the S-Lay installation process, such as... Figures 1-6 As shown, the system includes a float body 1 and a clamp 5. The float body 1 consists of two semi-circular shells hinged together. The float body 1 is eccentrically cylindrical, with its geometric center offset towards the bottom. The bottom cross-section 8 of the float body 1 is trapezoidal. A lifting point 7 is provided on the back of the float body 1. A spiral plate vortex-induced vibration suppression device 4 is fixed to the outer surface of the float body 1. The interior of the float body 1 has an annular groove. The clamp 5 is a multi-segment hinged ring, with one hinge point that can be opened. When the float body 1 is closed, the clamp 5 is embedded in the groove. In use, the clamp 5 is opened to hold the riser 2, then the clamp 5 is placed in the groove, and the float body 1 is closed. Finally, the entire system is placed on the S-Lay pipelaying vessel work line for installation. The bottom section 8 of the float body 1 is designed as a trapezoidal shape rather than a circular arc in contact with the rollers 3 of the S-Lay pipelaying vessel. This design ensures that the float makes surface contact with the rollers 3 on the work line and support frame, rather than line contact, increasing the contact area and reducing local stress. The geometric center of the float body 1 is biased towards the bottom of the float body 1, which reduces the torque between the riser 2 and the rollers 3 of the S-Lay pipelaying vessel, effectively reducing the load of the rollers 3 of the S-Lay pipelaying vessel on the float as a whole, and also reducing the risk of the float getting stuck on other structures. The float body 1 is fixed to the riser 2 by clamps 5, which are embedded in the grooves of the float body 1, constraining the lateral and longitudinal movement of the float body 1 and ensuring the relative stability of the float body 1 on the riser 2. At the same time, the outer surface of the float is designed with a spiral plate vortex-induced vibration suppression device 4 (VIV strakes), which can meet the requirements of vortex-induced vibration suppression for deep-water risers.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a deep-water buoy based on the S-Lay installation process, such as... Figures 1-6 As shown, the clip 5 comprises three arc-shaped housing segments hinged together. One segment is connected using a bolt and nut 12, while the other two segments are connected using hinges 10. A friction pad 9 is attached to the inside of the clip 5. The clip 5's three-segment hinged arc-shaped housing design provides high flexibility. It is used to secure the main riser 2, and the bolt and nut 12 work together to lock the clip 5 securely when it is closed and locked onto the riser 2. The locking method is reliable. The friction pad 9 inside the clip 5 increases the friction between the clip 5 and the riser 2, while also reducing wear and increasing its service life.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a deep-water buoy based on the S-Lay installation process, such as... Figures 1-6 As shown, the float body 1 is also provided with a cable tie groove 13 for installing the packing strap. In this embodiment, the cable tie groove 13 is set to three. Installing the packing strap can firmly close the float body 1, fix the clip 5 and the riser 2, and at the same time prevent the packing strap from getting caught on other structures on the work line and causing damage.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a deep-water buoy based on the S-Lay installation process, such as... Figures 1-6 As shown, the upper half of the float body 1 is made of a material with high buoyancy, while the lower half is made of a material with strong pressure resistance. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a deep-water float based on the S-Lay installation process is provided, such as... Figures 1-6 As shown, force-applying devices 6 are symmetrically arranged on the outside of the bottom of the float body 1. When installing on the work line, the construction worker can grab the force-applying device 6 by hand and open the float outward. In this embodiment, the force-applying device 6 is a concave handle set on the cut surface of the bottom side of the float body 1. When it is necessary to open, simply pull the handle outward by hand.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a deep-water buoy based on the S-Lay installation process, such as... Figures 1-6 As shown, the top of the float body 1 has a positioning protrusion, and correspondingly, the outer ring of the clamp 5 has a positioning groove 11 that matches it, and the inner ring of the clamp 5 is provided with a rigging groove 14. The positioning protrusion and the positioning groove 11 cooperate to prevent the clamp 5 from rotating, and the rigging groove 14 on the inner ring of the clamp 5 can facilitate the passage of rigging, which is convenient for subsequent lifting.

[0026] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments provided to fully illustrate the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the present invention are all within the scope of protection of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A deep-water buoy based on S-Lay installation technology, characterized in that, The device includes a float body and a clamp. The float body consists of two semi-circular shells hinged together. The float body is generally eccentrically cylindrical, with its geometric center offset towards the bottom. The bottom cross-section of the float body is trapezoidal. A lifting point is provided on the back of the float body. A spiral plate vortex-induced vibration suppression device is fixed to the outer surface of the float body. The interior of the float body has an annular groove. The clamp is generally a multi-segment hinged ring, with one hinge point that can be opened. When the float body is closed, the clamp is embedded in the groove. In use, the clamp is opened to lock the riser, then the clamp is placed in the groove, and then the float body is closed.

2. A deep-water buoy based on S-Lay installation technology according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clip comprises three arc-shaped housing segments hinged together, one of which uses bolts and nuts, and the interior of the clip is fitted with a high-friction pad.

3. A deep-water buoy based on S-Lay installation technology according to claim 1, characterized in that, The float body is also provided with a cable tie slot for installing packing straps.

4. A deep-water buoy based on S-Lay installation technology according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper half of the float body is made of a material with high buoyancy, while the lower half of the float body is made of a material with high pressure resistance.

5. A deep-water buoy based on S-Lay installation technology according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the float body is symmetrically equipped with force-applying devices. When the float is installed on the work line, the construction workers can grab the force-applying devices by hand and open the float outward.

6. A deep-water buoy based on S-Lay installation technology according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the float body has a positioning protrusion, and correspondingly, the outer ring of the clip has a positioning groove that matches it, and the inner ring of the clip is provided with a rigging groove.

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