Underwater umbilical terminal docking device and docking method

Abstract

The application relates to an umbilical cable underwater terminal docking device and a docking method. The device comprises: a first docking panel, which is provided with a plurality of male connectors; a second docking panel, which is provided with a plurality of female connectors, and the female connectors are connected with the male connectors when the second docking panel is docked with the first docking panel; a locking mechanism, which is used for locking the first docking panel and the second docking panel; an umbilical cable terminal main structure, which is arranged below the locking mechanism; an umbilical cable flexible-rigid connection conversion structure, which is arranged at the tail end of the umbilical cable terminal main structure and is used for realizing connection conversion from an umbilical cable flexible structure to a rigid structure of the umbilical cable terminal docking device; an umbilical cable, which extends into the umbilical cable flexible-rigid connection conversion structure and is divided into a plurality of connecting pipes in the umbilical cable flexible-rigid connection conversion structure, and the plurality of connecting pipes are connected with the plurality of female connectors; and a bending limiter, which is arranged at the tail end of the umbilical cable flexible-rigid connection conversion structure and is used for realizing over-bending protection of the umbilical cable at the tail end of the rigid structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine oil equipment technology, specifically to an underwater terminal docking device and docking method for an umbilical cable. Background Technology

[0002] Umbilical cables are used to transmit hydraulic signals, chemical agents, and photoelectric signals from the platform to the underwater production system, and to connect with underwater equipment via an underwater terminal docking device.

[0003] Depending on the production needs of the underwater production system, the umbilical cable typically carries high and low pressure pipelines, methanol, scale inhibitors, anti-marine organism agents, and other chemical agents, as well as backup pipelines. Therefore, the underwater terminal docking device of the umbilical cable also needs to be designed with a corresponding number of hydraulic joints to realize the transmission of hydraulic fluid and chemical agents. Achieving a reliable connection between the umbilical cable and the underwater terminal equipment, while also considering the convenience and operability of offshore construction and installation, is a key technology in the design of the underwater umbilical cable terminal.

[0004] Currently, there is a lack of relevant technologies for the design of underwater umbilical cable terminals, or only partial structural designs exist. The connection scheme between the underwater umbilical cable terminal and the umbilical cable is not considered as a whole, so it cannot be directly applied in engineering. Moreover, the existing design structure is complex, difficult to process and manufacture, has a large number of parts, complex assembly relationships, and a high risk of failure during in-situ operation. Furthermore, it does not take into account the actual offshore hoisting and construction operations and the corrosion protection design for the long-term in-situ operation of the underwater umbilical cable terminal. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, the purpose of this invention is to provide an underwater terminal docking device and method for umbilical cables. This invention realizes the connection transformation from a flexible structure like the umbilical cable to a rigid structure connected to underwater docking equipment, enabling simultaneous and rapid docking of multiple hydraulic joints underwater. Furthermore, this invention considers emergency withdrawal when multiple hydraulic joints cannot be properly withdrawn due to marine organisms, sediment deposition, etc., after long-term service. It also considers the operability and convenience of actual offshore hoisting operations, as well as corrosion prevention during long-term underwater operation. A complete underwater terminal docking design scheme for umbilical cables is provided. This invention can be directly applied in engineering without any additional design, exhibiting greater practicality and operability.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] The underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables of the present invention includes:

[0008] A first mating panel, wherein a plurality of male connectors are provided on the first mating panel;

[0009] The second docking panel is provided with a plurality of female connectors. When the second docking panel is docked with the first docking panel, the female connectors are connected to the male connectors.

[0010] A locking mechanism is used to lock the first and second mating panels together when they are mated.

[0011] The main structure of the umbilical cable terminal is located below the locking mechanism and connected to the locking mechanism;

[0012] A flexible-rigid connection conversion structure for umbilical cables is provided at the tail end of the main body structure of the umbilical cable terminal, and is used to realize the connection conversion from the flexible structure of the umbilical cable to the rigid structure of the umbilical cable terminal docking device;

[0013] The umbilical cable extends into the flexible-rigid connection conversion structure of the umbilical cable and is divided into several connecting tubes inside it. The several connecting tubes are connected to several female connectors.

[0014] A bend limiter is installed at the tail end of the flexible-rigid connection conversion structure of the umbilical cable to protect the umbilical cable from bending at the tail end of the rigid structure.

[0015] Preferably, the locking mechanism of the underwater umbilical cable terminal docking device includes:

[0016] Nuts are used to fix the first mating panel in place.

[0017] A rotating sleeve is a cylindrical structure with a stepped inner cavity. A spring is installed in the first cavity of the stepped inner cavity. A flange is fixedly installed at the first end of the rotating sleeve, and the flange is used to limit the spring. A square head is installed at the second end of the rotating sleeve.

[0018] A screw is inserted through the second mating panel, with its first end for screwing with a nut and its second end located in the second cavity of the stepped inner cavity, and one end of the spring is sleeved on the second end of the screw.

[0019] The locking mechanism further includes a first outer sleeve, a connecting ring, and a second outer sleeve;

[0020] The first outer sleeve, the connecting ring, and the second outer sleeve are sequentially fitted onto the rotating sleeve from front to back, and the first outer sleeve and the second outer sleeve are connected by the connecting ring; the whole formed by the first outer sleeve, the connecting ring, and the second outer sleeve is connected to the second mating panel;

[0021] The screw is equipped with an emergency exit groove, and the screw has a hollow structure.

[0022] Preferably, the top of the second outer sleeve of the umbilical cable underwater terminal docking device is provided with a top lifting lug, which is used to lift the second docking panel and the locking mechanism;

[0023] The front end of the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal is provided with a main lifting lug.

[0024] The underwater terminal docking device for the umbilical cable, preferably, the flexible-rigid connection conversion structure of the umbilical cable includes a frame shell, a load-bearing ring, and resin;

[0025] The connecting pipe includes a flexible protruding pipe and a rigid three-dimensional bend.

[0026] The first end of the flexible part of the protruding tube and the rigid part of the three-dimensional bend are connected by the load-bearing ring, and the second end of the three-dimensional bend is connected to the female connector on the second mating panel.

[0027] The frame housing covers the protruding tube, which is disposed on the flexible portion with a load-bearing ring, and the resin is poured into the frame housing.

[0028] Preferably, the male or female connector of the umbilical cable underwater terminal docking device is provided with an adaptive self-aligning structure, which is used to adjust the radial clearance and axial deflection when the male or female connector is docked.

[0029] The adaptive self-aligning structure includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a radial adjusting pin, and an adjusting spring;

[0030] The outer ring is fitted over the inner ring, and the inner ring has a spherical groove.

[0031] The radial adjusting pin has two spherical structures at both ends. The spherical structure at the first end is embedded in the spherical groove of the inner ring body, and the spherical structure at the second end abuts against the inner wall of the outer ring body. The inner wall of the outer ring body is spherical.

[0032] The adjusting spring is sleeved on the straight section of the radial adjusting pin;

[0033] The outer ring body mates with the hydraulic connector mounting hole on the first or second docking panel, and the inner ring body mates with the male or female connector.

[0034] Preferably, the umbilical cable underwater terminal docking device includes two overlapping sub-panels, the first sub-panel being provided with a bolt and the second sub-panel being provided with an arc-shaped hole, the bolt passing through the arc-shaped hole so that the two sub-panels can rotate relative to each other;

[0035] The two sub-panels are respectively provided with "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting holes horizontally, and the direction of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting holes of the first sub-panel is opposite to the direction of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting holes of the second sub-panel;

[0036] When the large-diameter hole of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting hole on the first sub-panel corresponds to the large-diameter hole of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting hole on the second sub-panel, the large-size male or female connector is installed on the corresponding large-diameter hole.

[0037] When the small diameter hole of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting hole on the first sub-panel corresponds to the small diameter hole of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting hole on the second sub-panel, the small-sized male or female connector is installed on the corresponding small diameter hole.

[0038] The underwater terminal docking device for the umbilical cable preferably further includes a coarse guide positioning device and a fine guide positioning device;

[0039] The coarse guide positioning device includes a positioning groove disposed on the first docking panel and a positioning pin disposed on the second docking panel; when the first docking panel and the second docking panel are docked, the positioning groove cooperates with the positioning pin.

[0040] The precision guiding and positioning device includes a positioning pin rod disposed on the first docking panel and a positioning hole disposed on the second docking panel;

[0041] When the first docking panel and the second docking panel are docked, the positioning pin engages with the positioning hole;

[0042] The positioning pin is provided with at least two indicator strips of different colors.

[0043] The underwater terminal docking device for the umbilical cable preferably further includes a sacrificial anode, a gravity balance structure, and an underwater robot operating interface;

[0044] The sacrificial anode is disposed on one side of the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal;

[0045] The gravity balance structure is disposed on the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal;

[0046] The underwater robot operation interface is located on the second outer sleeve of the locking mechanism and is used to enable underwater robot operation during deep-water installation.

[0047] The present invention also provides a docking method for an underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables, comprising the following steps:

[0048] The umbilical cable is inserted into the flexible-rigid connection conversion structure, and several protruding tubes inside the umbilical cable are spread out and bent. Then, several load-bearing rings are welded on the protruding tubes, and resin is poured into the frame shell of the flexible-rigid connection conversion structure of the umbilical cable to realize the connection conversion of the umbilical cable from flexible to rigid. Then, it is connected to several female joints on the second docking panel through several three-dimensional bent tube structures in the main body structure of the umbilical cable terminal.

[0049] The diver or ROV gradually moves the second docking panel closer to the first docking panel and mates several female connectors with connecting pipes with male connectors.

[0050] The rotating sleeve in the rotary locking mechanism drives the screw to rotate and tighten with the nut, thereby locking the first mating panel and the second mating panel.

[0051] The bending limiter prevents the umbilical cable from bending too much at the flexible-rigid connection transition structure.

[0052] Preferably, the docking method further includes the following steps:

[0053] During the docking process, the first stage of coarse positioning is achieved by the positioning groove engaging with the positioning pin block, followed by the second stage of fine positioning by the positioning pin rod and the positioning pin hole, and docking is performed by the first stage of coarse positioning and the second stage of fine positioning.

[0054] When the screw and nut are not concentric, a spring is used to retract the screw to buffer and adjust the centering position, thus achieving spring buffering of the third-stage locking mechanism. Through the adaptive self-aligning structure, the radial clearance and shaft deflection are adjusted to make the shafts of the male connector and the corresponding female connector coincide, thus achieving radial automatic self-aligning of the fourth-stage multi-hydraulic connector. The first-stage coarse positioning, the second-stage fine positioning, the third-stage locking mechanism spring buffering, and the fourth-stage multi-hydraulic connector radial automatic self-aligning are used in conjunction for docking.

[0055] The size of the male or female connector mounting holes can be adjusted by the interaction of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting holes on the first and second sub-panels to accommodate male or female connectors of different sizes and specifications.

[0056] When the first docking panel and the second docking panel are docked, two different colored indicator strips are designed on the positioning pin. When the first indicator strip is fully visible, it indicates that the first docking process of the first docking panel and the second docking panel has been completed. The diver or ROV then operates the tightening wrench to lock the two panels. When the second indicator strip is fully visible and the torque is tightened to the required level, it indicates that the two panels have been docked and the diver or ROV can then exit the operation.

[0057] The screw is designed with a pressure relief hole to achieve internal and external pressure balance during the docking process. When the underwater terminal docking device of the umbilical cable is recovered after long-term service, due to factors such as marine organism growth, when the screw and nut are locked, the tightening torque is increased to reach the breaking torque at the emergency exit slot position, causing the screw to break and realizing the emergency exit of the second docking panel.

[0058] A gravity balance structure is used to reduce the resistance as the second docking panel and the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal move closer to the first docking panel.

[0059] The main structure of the umbilical cable terminal is protected by sacrificing the anode.

[0060] The present invention has the following advantages due to the adoption of the above technical solutions:

[0061] (1) This invention provides a method for connecting and converting a flexible structure, the umbilical cable, to a rigid underwater device, thereby realizing the connection conversion of the umbilical cable from flexible to rigid. At the same time, a limited bending device is designed behind the terminal shell to effectively protect the transition section of the umbilical cable from flexible to rigid connection, and to prevent the umbilical cable from failing due to excessive bending at this rigid connection conversion section. This connection conversion device has the advantages of high load-bearing capacity and reliable connection.

[0062] (2) Since multiple hydraulic joints are arranged on a panel, the present invention can realize the male and female docking of multiple hydraulic joints in one connection. The docking process is achieved by a docking method that combines primary coarse positioning, secondary fine positioning, tertiary locking mechanism spring buffer, and quaternary multi-hydraulic joint radial automatic self-alignment. This method balances docking efficiency and docking reliability. After docking, the hydraulic joints have reliable sealing due to the locking action of the locking mechanism. The equipment can also be completely recycled after service.

[0063] (3) The screw spring buffer retraction structure of the present invention can realize the buffer retraction when the two panels are misaligned during docking, avoid forced docking under misalignment, and make the screw and nut threaded together. Combined with the self-adjusting structure on the hydraulic joint, after the concentricity is readjusted, the docking is re-docked, ensuring the safety and reliability of docking.

[0064] (4) By designing a hollow cylindrical hole on the screw, the present invention achieves pressure balance between the inner and outer cavities of the locking mechanism during the locking process, thereby ensuring the smooth progress of the underwater docking process;

[0065] (5) The present invention designs an emergency exit groove in a local section of the screw. When normal unlocking and recovery are not possible, the locking mechanism is operated by a diver or underwater robot until the breaking torque of the locking mechanism is reached (the breaking torque is greater than the normal locking torque, and a safety margin is taken into account). Then the stress intensity of the locking screw weakens and the groove section breaks, thereby separating the second docking panel from the first docking panel for recovery.

[0066] (6) The present invention, through its adaptive self-aligning structure, can adjust the radial clearance and shaft deflection when the hydraulic male and female connectors are connected;

[0067] (7) In view of the problem of inconsistent functional specifications of hydraulic pipelines in different umbilical cables, the present invention designs a universal multi-hydraulic connector docking panel. By adjusting the adaptation installation angle of the hydraulic connector panel, it is possible to assemble a larger hydraulic connector and a smaller hydraulic connector at the same hydraulic connector installation position, so as to realize the selection as needed and realize the universal design of the hydraulic panel.

[0068] (8) The present invention provides a docking progress indicator device on the docking panel at the same time, which indicates several key stages in the docking process and provides clear indication of the progress of the diver or ROV in the installation and docking process, so as to remind the diver or ROV when to proceed to the next step, thus ensuring the reliability of the docking process.

[0069] (9) The second outer sleeve of the locking mechanism of the present invention is designed with an underwater robot operation interface, which is used to realize underwater robot operation in deep water environments that divers cannot reach.

[0070] (10) This invention has greater practicality and operability by designing top lifting lugs for horizontal hoisting and installation, and main body lifting lugs for deep-water vertical hoisting.

[0071] (11) The present invention uses the buoyancy generated by the gravity balance structure installed thereon to reduce the resistance of umbilical cable terminal docking, thereby facilitating the installation and in-situ operation of the umbilical cable underwater terminal. Attached Figure Description

[0072] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same parts. In the drawings:

[0073] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables before docking, as described in this invention.

[0074] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables described in this invention after docking;

[0075] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the locking mechanism in the middle;

[0076] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the screw structure in the diagram;

[0077] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the flexible-rigid connection conversion structure of the umbilical cable of the present invention;

[0078] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the male or female connector with the self-aligning structure in this invention;

[0079] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the adaptive center-aligning structure in this invention;

[0080] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first docking panel in this invention, which includes two sub-panels;

[0081] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one of the sub-panels in this invention;

[0082] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first docking panel in this invention, which shows the structure of the positioning groove;

[0083] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the docking device in this invention before docking.

[0084] The markings in the attached diagram are as follows:

[0085] 1-First mating panel; 101-Male connector; 2-Second mating panel; 201-Female connector; 3-Locking mechanism; 301-Nut; 302-Rotating sleeve; 303-Spring; 304-Flange; 305-Square head; 306-Screw; 307-First outer sleeve; 308-Connecting ring; 309-Second outer sleeve; 4-Umbilical cable terminal main structure; 5-Umbilical cable; 501-Connecting pipe; 5011-Extending pipe; 5012-Three-dimensional bend pipe; 6-Emergency withdrawal slot; 7-Top lifting lug; 8-Main lifting lug; 9- 10-Sacrificial anode; 11-Gravity balance structure; 12-Umbilical cable flexible-rigid connection conversion structure; 13-Frame shell; 14-Bend limiter; 15-Adaptive self-aligning structure; 16-Inner ring body; 17-Outer ring body; 18-Radial adjustment pin; 19-Adjusting spring; 10-Sub-panel; 10-Bolt; 11-Arc hole; 12-Figure-8 gourd shaped mounting hole; 13-Positioning groove; 14-Positioning pin block; 15-Positioning pin rod; 16-Positioning hole; 17-Positioning pin rod; 18-Positioning hole. Detailed Implementation

[0086] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the invention and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0087] This invention provides an underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables. Considering the operability of actual offshore hoisting construction, it presents an overall underwater terminal design scheme for umbilical cables, which has greater practicality and operability.

[0088] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables provided by the present invention includes: a first docking panel 1, on which a plurality of male connectors 101 are provided; a second docking panel 2, on which a plurality of female connectors 201 are provided, wherein when the second docking panel 2 docks with the first docking panel 1, the female connectors 201 are connected to the male connectors 101; a locking mechanism 3, used to lock the first docking panel 1 and the second docking panel 2 together when they dock; an umbilical cable terminal body structure 4, disposed below the locking mechanism 3 and connected to the tail end of the locking mechanism 3; an umbilical cable flexible-rigid connection conversion structure 11, disposed at the tail end of the umbilical cable terminal body structure 4, used to realize the connection conversion from the flexible structure of the umbilical cable to the rigid structure of the umbilical cable terminal docking device; an umbilical cable 5, extending into the interior of the umbilical cable flexible-rigid connection conversion structure, and divided into a plurality of connecting tubes 501 inside it, wherein the plurality of connecting tubes 501 are connected to the plurality of female connectors 201; and a bend limiter 12 (see Figure 5 The flexible-rigid connection conversion structure 11 of the umbilical cable is set at the tail end to protect the umbilical cable from bending at the tail end of the rigid structure.

[0089] In the above embodiments, preferably, as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the locking mechanism 3 includes: a nut 301, which is fixedly connected to the first docking panel 1, specifically, by screws; a rotating sleeve 302, which is a cylindrical structure with a stepped inner cavity, in which a spring 303 is provided; a flange 304 is fixedly provided at the first end of the rotating sleeve 302, specifically, the first end of the rotating sleeve 302 is connected to the flange 304 by screws, the flange 304 is used to limit the spring 303; a square head 305 is provided at the second end of the rotating sleeve 302, which is used to facilitate the rotation of the rotating sleeve 302; and a screw 306, which passes through the second docking panel 2, with its first end used to screw onto the nut 301, its second end located in the second cavity of the stepped inner cavity, and one end of the spring 303 sleeved on the second end of the screw 306.

[0090] It should be noted that during the docking process, the diver or ROV docks the second docking panel along with the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal and the umbilical cable to the first docking panel. After docking, the locking mechanism is tightened by a locking wrench. The locking mechanism is designed with a locking screw on the second docking panel and a locking nut on the first docking panel. When the two panels are initially docked, due to processing and assembly errors or other influencing factors, there may be a slight misalignment between the locking screw and the nut. By designing a buffer spring after the locking screw, the screw can be retracted to adjust the centering position when the screw and nut are misaligned, thereby achieving docking with the locking nut.

[0091] In the above embodiment, preferably, the locking mechanism 3 further includes a first outer sleeve 307, a connecting ring 308, and a second outer sleeve 309; the first outer sleeve 307, the connecting ring 308, and the second outer sleeve 309 are sequentially sleeved on the outside of the rotating sleeve 302 from front to back, and the first outer sleeve 307 and the second outer sleeve 309 are connected by the connecting ring 308; the whole formed by the first outer sleeve 307, the connecting ring 308, and the second outer sleeve 309 is connected to the second docking panel 2.

[0092] In the above embodiments, preferably, as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the screw 306 is provided with an emergency exit groove 6, and the screw 306 is a hollow structure.

[0093] It should be noted that an emergency withdrawal groove is designed on the screw. After the underwater umbilical cable terminal has been in place for a long time, due to silt, marine organisms, or other influencing factors, the screw and nut may become stuck, causing the second docking panel to be unable to retract during umbilical cable retrieval. In this case, by increasing the tightening torque, the emergency withdrawal groove will reach the breaking torque and break, thus enabling the emergency retraction of the second docking panel. In addition, the screw is designed with a hollow structure to avoid waterlocking of the locking mechanism during underwater docking, which could prevent the underwater umbilical cable terminal docking device from docking.

[0094] In the above embodiment, preferably, the top of the second outer sleeve 309 is provided with a top lifting lug 7, which is used to lift the whole consisting of the second docking panel 2, the locking mechanism 3, the umbilical cable terminal main structure 4 and the umbilical cable 5, and the top lifting lug is suitable for shallow water installation environment.

[0095] In the above embodiments, preferably, the front end of the umbilical cable terminal main structure 4 is provided with a main lifting lug 8. The main lifting lug 8 is used to lift the entire assembly consisting of the second docking panel 2, the locking mechanism 3, the umbilical cable terminal main structure 4 and the umbilical cable 5, and the main lifting lug is suitable for deep water installation environments.

[0096] In the above embodiments, preferably, as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the flexible-to-rigid connection conversion structure 11 for the umbilical cable includes a frame housing 1101, a load-bearing ring 1102, and resin (not shown in the figure); the connecting pipe 501 includes a flexible protruding pipe 5011 and a rigid three-dimensional bend 5012; the first ends of the flexible protruding pipe 5011 and the rigid three-dimensional bend 5012 are connected by the load-bearing ring 1102, and the second end of the three-dimensional bend 5012 is connected to the female connector 201 on the second docking panel 2; the frame housing 1101 covers the flexible protruding pipe 5011 with the load-bearing ring 1102, and the frame housing 1101 is filled with resin (not shown in the figure). Thus, the connection conversion of the umbilical cable from flexible to rigid is achieved.

[0097] In the above embodiments, preferably, as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the male connector 101 or the female connector 201 is provided with an adaptive self-aligning structure 13, which is used to adjust the radial clearance and axial deflection when the male connector 101 or the female connector 201 is mated.

[0098] Among them, such as Figure 7 As shown, the self-aligning structure 13 includes an inner ring 1301, an outer ring 1302, a radial adjusting pin 1303, and an adjusting spring 1304. The outer ring 1302 is sleeved on the outer ring 1301, and the inner ring 1301 has a spherical groove. The radial adjusting pin 1303 has two spherical structures at both ends. The spherical structure at the first end is embedded in the spherical groove of the inner ring 1301, and the spherical structure at the second end abuts against the inner wall of the outer ring 1302. The inner wall of the outer ring 1302 is spherical. The adjusting spring 1304 is sleeved on the straight section of the radial adjusting pin 1303. The outer ring 1302 mates with the hydraulic connector mounting hole on the first mating panel 1 or the second mating panel 2, and the inner ring 1301 mates with the male connector 101 or the female connector 201.

[0099] In the above embodiments, preferably, as follows: Figure 8 As shown, the first docking panel 1 and the second docking panel 2 each include two overlapping sub-panels 14. The first sub-panel 14 is provided with a bolt 1401, and the second sub-panel 14 is provided with an arc-shaped hole 1402. The bolt 1401 passes through the arc-shaped hole 1402 so that the two sub-panels 14 can rotate relative to each other.

[0100] In the above embodiments, preferably, as follows: Figure 9 As shown, two sub-panels 14 are respectively provided with horizontally arranged "figure-eight" shaped mounting holes 1403, and the direction of the "figure-eight" shaped mounting holes 1403 on the first sub-panel is opposite to the direction of the "figure-eight" shaped mounting holes 1403 on the second sub-panel; when the large diameter hole of the "figure-eight" shaped mounting hole 1403 on the first sub-panel corresponds to the large diameter hole of the "figure-eight" shaped mounting hole 1403 on the second sub-panel, the large-size male or female connector is installed on the corresponding large diameter hole; when the small diameter hole of the "figure-eight" shaped mounting hole 1403 on the first sub-panel corresponds to the small diameter hole of the "figure-eight" shaped mounting hole 1403 on the second sub-panel, the small-size male or female connector is installed on the corresponding small diameter hole.

[0101] In the above embodiments, preferably, as follows: Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the present invention also includes a coarse guiding positioning device and a fine guiding positioning device; the coarse guiding positioning device includes a positioning groove 15 disposed on the first docking panel 1 and a positioning pin 16 disposed on the second docking panel 2 (see...). Figure 11When the first docking panel 1 and the second docking panel 2 are docked, the positioning groove 15 cooperates with the positioning pin block 16.

[0102] The precision guiding and positioning device includes a positioning pin 17 disposed on the first docking panel 1 and a positioning hole 18 disposed on the second docking panel 2; when the first docking panel 1 and the second docking panel 2 are docked, the positioning pin 17 cooperates with the positioning hole 18.

[0103] The positioning pin 17 is equipped with at least two indicator strips of different colors. When the first and second docking panels are docked, the positioning pin 17 has two indicator strips of different colors. When the first indicator strip fully appears, it indicates that the first docking step of the first and second docking panels has been completed. The diver or ROV then uses the tightening wrench to lock the two panels. When the second indicator strip fully appears and the torque is tightened to the correct position, it indicates that the two panels have been successfully docked, and the diver or ROV can then exit the operation.

[0104] In the above embodiments, preferably, the present invention further includes a sacrificial anode 9, which is disposed on one side of the main structure 4 of the umbilical cable terminal to achieve corrosion protection of the overall structure of the underwater umbilical cable terminal.

[0105] In the above embodiments, preferably, the present invention further includes a gravity balancing structure 10, which is disposed on the main body structure 4 of the umbilical cable terminal and close to the tail end of the main body structure 4 of the umbilical cable terminal, so as to reduce the gravity load on the underwater umbilical cable terminal during installation and in-situ operation.

[0106] In addition, it should be noted that during the installation and operation of the umbilical cable and underwater equipment connection conversion structure, due to its large self-weight, it is very difficult for divers to drag the UTH (including the second docking panel, locking mechanism and umbilical cable terminal main structure) close to the first docking panel during the installation and docking process. Therefore, to address this problem, the present invention provides a gravity balancing mechanism for the umbilical cable underwater terminal. By installing a gravity balancing mechanism on the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal, the gravity of the umbilical cable terminal is reduced, which helps the installation and in-situ operation of the umbilical cable underwater terminal.

[0107] For umbilical cable underwater terminals used in shallow water, divers can install them. However, for deep and ultra-deep water, installation can only be done by an underwater robot. Therefore, the umbilical cable underwater terminal device of this invention is designed with an underwater robot operation interface, which enables installation by a deep-water robot and ensures the smooth progress of umbilical cable installation.

[0108] In the above embodiments, preferably, the present invention also includes an underwater robot operation interface, which is disposed on the second outer sleeve of the locking mechanism and is used to realize the operation of the underwater robot during deep-water installation.

[0109] The present invention also provides a method for underwater terminal docking of umbilical cables, comprising the following steps:

[0110] (1) Insert the umbilical cable into the flexible-rigid connection conversion structure of the umbilical cable, spread out and bend the several protruding tubes inside the umbilical cable, then weld several load-bearing rings on the several protruding tubes, and inject resin into the frame shell of the flexible-rigid connection conversion structure of the umbilical cable to realize the connection conversion of the umbilical cable from flexible to rigid, and then connect it to several female joints on the second docking panel through several three-dimensional bent tube structures in the main body structure of the umbilical cable terminal.

[0111] Specifically, the steel pipe inside the umbilical cable spreads out and bends within the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal. A load-bearing ring is then welded to the end of the bend. Multiple female connectors are installed on the second mating panel, with three-dimensional bends welded to the ends of the female connectors to connect them to the load-bearing rings. Finally, resin is injected into the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal, integrating the umbilical cable with the terminal structure. This transfers the installation load and in-situ operating load from the umbilical cable to the main structure of the terminal, achieving a transition from flexible to rigid connection. A bend preventer or bend limiter is designed behind the main structure of the terminal to effectively protect the transition section from flexible to rigid connection, preventing over-bending failure at this rigid connection section. This connection conversion device has the advantages of high load-bearing capacity and reliable connection.

[0112] (2) The diver or ROV gradually moves the second docking panel closer to the first docking panel and connects several female connectors with connecting pipes to the male connectors.

[0113] (3) Rotate the rotating sleeve in the locking mechanism so that the rotating sleeve drives the screw to rotate and tightens with the nut, thereby locking the first mating panel and the second mating panel;

[0114] Specifically, the first docking panel is equipped with multiple male connectors and is pre-installed on the underwater equipment, then hoisted to the seabed and secured along with the equipment. During construction, a shipboard crane hoists the UTH (including the second docking panel, locking mechanism, and umbilical cable terminal structure) along with the umbilical cable to a position close to the seabed. Divers or an underwater robot then push the second docking panel onto the first docking panel. The locking mechanism on the second docking panel is then manipulated to lock it onto the first docking panel, establishing communication between the male and female connectors and enabling the transfer of hydraulic fluid from the umbilical cable to the underwater equipment. When the underwater equipment reaches the end of its service life and needs to be recovered, simply reversing the locking mechanism unlocks and recovers the UTH. This connection structure between the first docking panel and the UTH, with multiple hydraulic connectors arranged on a single panel, offers advantages such as allowing for the connection of multiple hydraulic connectors in a single setup, reliable sealing of the hydraulic connectors after docking, and complete recovery of the equipment after service completion.

[0115] (4) Avoid bending of the umbilical cable at the flexible-rigid connection conversion structure by using a bend limiter.

[0116] In the above embodiments, preferably, the following steps are also included:

[0117] (5) During the docking process, the first stage of coarse positioning is achieved by the positioning groove cooperating with the positioning pin block, followed by the second stage of fine positioning by the positioning pin rod and the positioning pin hole, and docking is achieved by the first stage of coarse positioning and the second stage of fine positioning.

[0118] (6) When the screw and nut are not concentric, the screw is retracted and buffered by the spring to adjust the centering position; so as to realize the spring buffer of the third-stage locking mechanism; through the adaptive self-aligning structure, the radial clearance and shaft deflection are adjusted so that the shafts of the male connector and the corresponding female connector are coincident, so as to realize the radial automatic self-aligning of the fourth-stage multi-hydraulic connector. The overall docking method is: docking is carried out by coarse positioning of the first stage, fine positioning of the second stage, spring buffer of the third-stage locking mechanism and radial automatic self-aligning of the fourth-stage multi-hydraulic connector.

[0119] (7) Adjust the size of the male or female connector mounting hole by the mutual cooperation of the “figure-eight gourd” shaped mounting holes on the first and second sub-panels to accommodate male or female connectors of different sizes and specifications.

[0120] (8) When the first docking panel and the second docking panel are docked, two different colored indicator strips are designed on the positioning pin. When the first indicator strip appears completely, it indicates that the first docking process of the first docking panel and the second docking panel has been completed. The diver or ROV operates the tightening wrench behind the operation to lock the two panels. When the second indicator strip appears completely and the torque is tightened to the required level, it indicates that the two panels have been docked and the diver or ROV exits the operation.

[0121] (9) A pressure relief hole is designed on the screw to achieve internal and external pressure balance during the docking process. When the underwater terminal docking device of the umbilical cable is recovered after long-term service, due to factors such as marine organism growth, when the screw and nut are locked, the torque is increased to reach the breaking torque at the emergency exit slot position and cause the screw to break, thus realizing the emergency exit of the second docking panel.

[0122] (10) The gravity balance structure is used to reduce the resistance of the second docking panel and the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal approaching the first docking panel;

[0123] (11) The main structure of the umbilical cable terminal is protected by sacrificial anode.

[0124] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables, characterized in that, include: A first mating panel, wherein a plurality of male connectors are provided on the first mating panel; The second docking panel is provided with a plurality of female connectors. When the second docking panel is docked with the first docking panel, the female connectors are connected to the male connectors. A locking mechanism is used to lock the first and second mating panels together when they are mated. The main structure of the umbilical cable terminal is located below the locking mechanism and connected to the locking mechanism; A flexible-rigid connection conversion structure for umbilical cables is provided at the tail end of the main body structure of the umbilical cable terminal, and is used to realize the connection conversion from the flexible structure of the umbilical cable to the rigid structure of the umbilical cable terminal docking device; The umbilical cable extends into the flexible-rigid connection conversion structure of the umbilical cable and is divided into several connecting tubes inside it. The several connecting tubes are connected to several female connectors. A bend limiter is installed at the tail end of the umbilical cable flexible-rigid connection conversion structure to protect the umbilical cable from bending at the tail end of the rigid structure. The umbilical cable flexible-rigid connection conversion structure includes a frame shell, a load-bearing ring, and resin; The connecting pipe includes a flexible protruding pipe and a rigid three-dimensional bend. The first end of the flexible part of the protruding tube and the rigid part of the three-dimensional bend are connected by the load-bearing ring, and the second end of the three-dimensional bend is connected to the female connector on the second mating panel. The frame housing covers the protruding tube, which is disposed on the flexible portion with a load-bearing ring, and the resin is poured into the frame housing.

2. The underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking mechanism includes: Nuts are used to fix the first mating panel in place. A rotating sleeve is a cylindrical structure with a stepped inner cavity. A spring is installed in the first cavity of the stepped inner cavity. A flange is fixedly installed at the first end of the rotating sleeve, and the flange is used to limit the spring. A square head is installed at the second end of the rotating sleeve. A screw is inserted through the second mating panel, with its first end for screwing with a nut and its second end located in the second cavity of the stepped inner cavity, and one end of the spring is sleeved on the second end of the screw. The locking mechanism further includes a first outer sleeve, a connecting ring, and a second outer sleeve; The first outer sleeve, the connecting ring, and the second outer sleeve are sequentially fitted onto the rotating sleeve from front to back, and the first outer sleeve and the second outer sleeve are connected by the connecting ring; the whole formed by the first outer sleeve, the connecting ring, and the second outer sleeve is connected to the second mating panel; The screw is equipped with an emergency exit groove, and the screw has a hollow structure.

3. The underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables according to claim 2, characterized in that, The top of the second outer sleeve is provided with a top lifting lug, which is used to lift the second docking panel and the locking mechanism; The front end of the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal is provided with a main lifting lug.

4. The underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables according to claim 1, characterized in that, The male connector or the female connector is provided with an adaptive self-aligning structure, which is used to adjust the radial clearance and axial deflection when the male connector or the female connector is mated. The adaptive self-aligning structure includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a radial adjusting pin, and an adjusting spring; The outer ring is fitted over the inner ring, and the inner ring has a spherical groove. The radial adjusting pin has two spherical structures at both ends. The spherical structure at the first end is embedded in the spherical groove of the inner ring body, and the spherical structure at the second end abuts against the inner wall of the outer ring body. The inner wall of the outer ring body is spherical. The adjusting spring is sleeved on the straight section of the radial adjusting pin; The outer ring body mates with the hydraulic connector mounting hole on the first or second docking panel, and the inner ring body mates with the male or female connector.

5. The underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first docking panel and the second docking panel each include two overlapping sub-panels. The first sub-panel is provided with a bolt, and the second sub-panel is provided with an arc-shaped hole. The bolt passes through the arc-shaped hole so that the two sub-panels can rotate relative to each other. The two sub-panels are respectively provided with "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting holes horizontally, and the direction of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting holes of the first sub-panel is opposite to the direction of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting holes of the second sub-panel. When the large-diameter hole of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting hole on the first sub-panel corresponds to the large-diameter hole of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting hole on the second sub-panel, the large-size male or female connector is installed on the corresponding large-diameter hole. When the small diameter hole of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting hole on the first sub-panel corresponds to the small diameter hole of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting hole on the second sub-panel, the small-sized male or female connector is installed on the corresponding small diameter hole.

6. The underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes coarse guide positioning devices and fine guide positioning devices; The coarse guide positioning device includes a positioning groove disposed on the first docking panel and a positioning pin disposed on the second docking panel; when the first docking panel and the second docking panel are docked, the positioning groove cooperates with the positioning pin. The precision guiding and positioning device includes a positioning pin rod disposed on the first docking panel and a positioning hole disposed on the second docking panel; When the first docking panel and the second docking panel are docked, the positioning pin engages with the positioning hole; The positioning pin is provided with at least two indicator strips of different colors.

7. The underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes sacrificial anodes, gravity balance structures, and underwater robot operating interfaces; The sacrificial anode is disposed on one side of the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal; The gravity balance structure is disposed on the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal; The underwater robot operation interface is located on the second outer sleeve of the locking mechanism and is used to enable underwater robot operation during deep-water installation.

8. A docking method based on the underwater terminal docking device for umbilical cables as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The umbilical cable is inserted into the flexible-rigid connection conversion structure, and several protruding tubes inside the umbilical cable are spread out and bent. Then, several load-bearing rings are welded on the protruding tubes, and resin is poured into the frame shell of the flexible-rigid connection conversion structure of the umbilical cable to realize the connection conversion of the umbilical cable from flexible to rigid. Then, it is connected to several female joints on the second docking panel through several three-dimensional bent tube structures in the main body structure of the umbilical cable terminal. The diver or ROV gradually moves the second docking panel closer to the first docking panel and mates several female connectors with connecting pipes with male connectors. The rotating sleeve in the rotary locking mechanism drives the screw to rotate and tighten with the nut, thereby locking the first mating panel and the second mating panel. The bending limiter prevents the umbilical cable from bending too much at the flexible-rigid connection transition structure.

9. The docking method according to claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes the following steps: During the docking process, the first stage of coarse positioning is achieved by the positioning groove engaging with the positioning pin block, followed by the second stage of fine positioning by the positioning pin rod and the positioning hole, and docking is performed by the first stage of coarse positioning and the second stage of fine positioning. When the screw and nut are not concentric, a spring is used to retract the screw to buffer and adjust the centering position, thus achieving spring buffering of the third-stage locking mechanism. Through the adaptive self-aligning structure, the radial clearance and shaft deflection are adjusted to make the shafts of the male connector and the corresponding female connector coincide, thus achieving radial automatic self-aligning of the fourth-stage multi-hydraulic connector. The first-stage coarse positioning, the second-stage fine positioning, the third-stage locking mechanism spring buffering, and the fourth-stage multi-hydraulic connector radial automatic self-aligning work together for docking. The size of the male or female connector mounting holes can be adjusted by the interaction of the "figure-eight gourd" shaped mounting holes on the first and second sub-panels to accommodate male or female connectors of different sizes and specifications. When the first docking panel and the second docking panel are docked, two different colored indicator bars are designed on the positioning pin. When the first indicator bar is fully visible, it indicates that the first docking process of the first docking panel and the second docking panel has been completed. The diver or ROV operates the locking wrench at the back to lock the two panels. When the second indicator bar is fully visible and the torque is tightened to the correct position, it indicates that the two panels have been docked and the diver or ROV can exit the operation. The screw is designed with a pressure relief hole to achieve internal and external pressure balance during the docking process. When the umbilical cable underwater terminal docking device is recovered after long-term service, the screw and nut are locked. By increasing the tightening torque, the breaking torque is reached at the emergency exit slot position, and the screw breaks, so as to realize the emergency exit of the second docking panel. A gravity balance structure is used to reduce the resistance as the second docking panel and the main structure of the umbilical cable terminal move closer to the first docking panel. The main structure of the umbilical cable terminal is protected by sacrificing the anode.

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