An umbilical cable reeling device and a reeling method

Abstract

This invention provides an umbilical cable winding and unwinding device and method, relating to the field of cable winding and unwinding technology. The umbilical cable winding and unwinding device includes a roller assembly comprising multiple coaxially arranged cell sections, each capable of independently winding different functional units. When releasing the umbilical cable, functional units can be flexibly selected. During manufacturing, it is not necessary to design and manufacture an umbilical cable with a single integrated structure, thus reducing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, if a functional unit in the umbilical cable is partially damaged, it can be easily repaired and replaced without replacing the entire umbilical cable, further reducing maintenance costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cable winding and unwinding technology, and in particular to an umbilical cable winding and unwinding device and method. Background Technology

[0002] During ocean exploration, various functional devices need to be placed in seawater to perform tasks. Most of these devices are electrically connected to external control equipment via umbilical cables. As human understanding of the ocean and technological levels continue to improve, ocean exploration activities have gradually shifted from shallow waters to deep waters, resulting in an increasing variety of functional devices. To meet the needs of these devices, the performance requirements for umbilical cables have also significantly increased.

[0003] For example, among many oilfields, shallow-water oil and gas fields are the easiest to develop. Due to equipment upgrades, the functional unit requirements and models of the IWOCS umbilical cable for workover wells are constantly changing. As the capabilities of subsea working units become more sophisticated, the functional units of the umbilical cable are increasing, and the combinations are becoming more complex. Moreover, the umbilical cable for workover wells is more prone to damage, easily leading to pipeline blockage and damage to the photoelectric unit.

[0004] However, existing umbilical cables are mostly monolithic structures. To meet the diverse operating conditions of different oil fields and water bodies, the design and manufacturing process must consider the capabilities of production equipment and the performance combinations of internal units. This necessitates different designs for the internal unit structures of the umbilical cables, resulting in high manufacturing costs and limited applications. Furthermore, during operation, functional units within the umbilical cable inevitably experience localized problems such as pipe blockage and failure, requiring the replacement of the entire cable, which is relatively expensive. In addition, the umbilical cable has a large overall stress surface during operation, and under the impact of ocean currents, it generates vortex-induced vibrations, easily causing damage to the lower end of the cable. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides an umbilical cable deployment and retrieval device and method to solve the defects of the prior art where the umbilical cable is an integral structure, which has high manufacturing cost, limited application, and relatively high maintenance and replacement costs during use.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an umbilical cable winding and unwinding device is provided, comprising: a roller assembly, the roller assembly including a plurality of coaxially arranged cell units, each cell being capable of independently winding up different functional units.

[0007] According to the present invention, an umbilical cable take-up and drop device is provided, wherein the roller assembly includes: a roller, two side baffles, and multiple isolation plates.

[0008] Two side baffles are respectively disposed on both sides of the roller along the axial direction of the roller, and a plurality of isolation plates are sequentially spaced along the axial direction of the roller and fixedly connected to the roller. The cell is formed between two adjacent isolation plates and between the side baffles and the adjacent isolation plates.

[0009] According to the present invention, an umbilical cable take-up and drop device is provided, wherein the roller assembly includes: a first rotating shaft, a second rotating shaft, a plurality of first rollers, and a plurality of second rollers.

[0010] The first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart. A plurality of first rollers are arranged spaced apart on the first rotating shaft along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft, and a plurality of second rollers are arranged spaced apart on the second rotating shaft along the axial direction of the second rotating shaft. Each first roller and each second roller is provided with the cell.

[0011] According to the present invention, an umbilical cable take-up and take-down device includes a plurality of first rollers, including a first fixed roller and a first movable roller. The first fixed roller is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft, and the first movable roller is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft.

[0012] According to the present invention, an umbilical cable take-up and drop device is provided, wherein the roller assembly further includes a first drive mechanism, the first drive mechanism being connected to the first movable roller and capable of driving the first movable roller to rotate.

[0013] According to the present invention, an umbilical cable take-up and drop device includes a first driving mechanism comprising a drive motor, a transmission belt, and a transmission wheel. The transmission wheel is rotatably mounted on a first rotating shaft and is fixedly connected to a first movable roller. The drive motor is connected to the transmission wheel via the transmission belt and is capable of driving the transmission wheel to rotate.

[0014] According to the present invention, an umbilical cable take-up and drop device is provided, wherein the roller assembly further includes: a third roller, the third roller being coaxially disposed on the side of the second rotating shaft, and the third roller being provided with the cell.

[0015] According to the present invention, an umbilical cable take-up and release device further includes: a line release guide wheel, wherein the line release guide wheel is configured in a one-to-one correspondence with the cell, and each line release guide wheel can support the functional unit in the cell.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for retrieving and deploying an umbilical cable using a retrieving and deploying device as described in any one of the first aspects of the present invention is provided, the method comprising:

[0017] Cable laying process: According to the usage requirements, release the functional units in multiple cells, place the multiple functional units in sequence on the outside of the wire rope, and use the binding device to fix and bind the multiple functional units to the wire rope. During the cable laying process, use the binding device to fix and bind the multiple functional units to the wire rope again at predetermined intervals.

[0018] According to a method for extending and retracting provided by the present invention, the method includes:

[0019] Rewinding process: Remove the bindings on the outside of the functional units one by one, rotate the roller assembly to rewind the functional units one by one into the cell.

[0020] The umbilical cable deployment and retraction device provided by this invention includes a roller assembly. The roller assembly is provided with multiple coaxial cells capable of winding different functional units. When releasing the umbilical cable, the functional unit can be flexibly selected. During manufacturing, it is not necessary to design and manufacture an umbilical cable with a single integrated structure, thus reducing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, if a functional unit in the umbilical cable is partially damaged, it can be easily repaired and replaced without replacing the entire umbilical cable, further reducing maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the umbilical cable take-up and drop device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the umbilical cable take-up and drop device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a retraction and extension method according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the umbilical cable integration structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure label:

[0027] 11. Roller; 12. Side baffle; 13. Isolation plate; 21. First rotating shaft; 22. Second rotating shaft; 23. First roller; 231. First fixed roller; 232. First movable roller; 24. Second roller; 25. Third roller; 30. Cell unit; 40. Wire rope; 50. Bundling component. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0029] In one embodiment of the present invention, an umbilical cable winding and unwinding device and method are provided. This umbilical cable winding and unwinding device can be used for split-type umbilical cables, and can independently wind up different functional units within the umbilical cable. The functional units can be flexibly adjusted according to different working conditions, and the winding and unwinding of the umbilical cable can be achieved. The following is in conjunction with... Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the umbilical cable take-up and take-up device and method in this embodiment are further described.

[0030] Specifically, the umbilical cable winding and unwinding device in this embodiment includes a roller assembly, which includes multiple coaxially arranged cell units, each of which can independently wind up different functional units.

[0031] For example, the roller assembly has a rotation axis, and multiple cells are coaxially arranged relative to the rotation axis. Each cell can rotate around the rotation axis, and different functional units can be rolled into the cells one by one.

[0032] For example, the functional unit includes optical, electrical, and liquid types.

[0033] The split-type umbilical cable comprises multiple functional units. In practical use, when deploying the split-type umbilical cable into seawater, the functional units within the cable are first identified. Then, the corresponding functional units are unwound and released from their respective cells, and these units are bundled and secured to achieve initial fixation of the umbilical cable. Subsequently, the roller assembly is rotated to release the umbilical cable.

[0034] Accordingly, when the umbilical cable needs to be retrieved from the seawater, since the multiple functional units in the umbilical cable are bundled together, in order to facilitate retrieval into the cell, these functional units can be separated one by one, and then the different cell can be used to reel in these functional units.

[0035] Compared to traditional one-piece umbilical cables, in this embodiment, the necessary functional units are stored individually in separate cells. When deploying the umbilical cable, the functional units can be flexibly selected according to underwater operational requirements, eliminating the need to design and manufacture a one-piece umbilical cable, thus reducing manufacturing costs and preventing delays in project progress. Furthermore, in actual use, if partial damage occurs to the umbilical cable, the fault point can be directly observed and accurately diagnosed, facilitating convenient repair and replacement without replacing the entire umbilical cable, thereby reducing maintenance costs.

[0036] In this embodiment, the roller assembly can adopt a grid design, allowing each cell to be formed independently with the help of the grid, or the roller assembly can adopt an integrated design, allowing each cell to be formed independently with the help of the rollers.

[0037] Exemplarily, in one specific embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the roller assembly includes: a roller 11, two side baffles 12 and multiple partition plates 13.

[0038] Two side baffles 12 are respectively arranged on both sides of the roller 11 along the axial direction of the roller 11. Multiple isolation plates 13 are arranged sequentially at intervals along the axial direction of the roller 11 and are fixedly connected to the roller 11. A cell 30 is formed between two adjacent isolation plates 13 and between the side baffles 12 and the adjacent isolation plates 13.

[0039] For example, the roller 11 can be constructed as a long cylindrical structure, with side baffles 12 provided at both ends in the axial direction of the roller 11. Meanwhile, between the two side baffles 12, a plurality of partition plates 13 are sequentially spaced along the axial direction of the roller 11. A cell 30 for placing functional units can be formed between two adjacent partition plates 13, and a cell 30 for placing functional units can also be formed between the side baffles 12 and adjacent partition plates 13.

[0040] For example, Figure 1 There are three isolation plates 13 in the middle. The three isolation plates 13 and two side baffles 12 together form four cells 30. Four different functional units can be placed in the four cells 30 respectively.

[0041] In practical use, roller 11 can be connected to a drive motor. When it is necessary to retract or extend the umbilical cable, the drive motor can drive roller 11 to rotate, thereby realizing the retraction or extension of the functional unit in cell 30.

[0042] It is understandable that since all four cells 30 are set on the same roller 11, the four cells 30 can rotate synchronously, and ultimately the synchronous expansion and contraction of four different functional units can be achieved.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to enable the four functional units to be retracted and extended synchronously, the outer sheath of the functional units can be extruded by an extruder so that the different functional units on the roller 11 have the same outer diameter.

[0044] For example, the outer sheath of the functional unit may be made of plastic material.

[0045] In yet another implementation, such as Figure 2 As shown, the roller assembly includes: a first rotating shaft 21, a second rotating shaft 22, a plurality of first rollers 23 and a plurality of second rollers 24.

[0046] The first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 are arranged in parallel and spaced apart. A plurality of first rollers 23 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 21 on the first rotating shaft 21. A plurality of second rollers 24 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the second rotating shaft 22 on the second rotating shaft 22. Each first roller 23 and each second roller 24 is provided with a cell 30.

[0047] For example, the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 can be arranged in parallel at intervals by means of an external support mechanism.

[0048] In this embodiment, a plurality of first rollers 23 are arranged sequentially at intervals along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 21, and each first roller 23 is provided with a cell 30 for placing functional units. Under the support of the first rotating shaft 21, the plurality of first rollers 23 can rotate synchronously, or they can rotate independently with the help of an external drive mechanism.

[0049] Similarly, multiple second rollers 24 are arranged sequentially at intervals along the axial direction of the second rotating shaft 22, and each second roller 24 is provided with a cell 30 for placing functional units. Under the support of the second rotating shaft 22, the multiple second rollers 24 can rotate synchronously, or they can rotate independently with the help of an external drive mechanism.

[0050] Compared to Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the functional units placed in all cells 30 can have different outer diameters.

[0051] For example, there are three first rollers 23 on the first rotating shaft. The functional unit on the first roller 23 located in the middle position has a larger outer diameter. In order to make the number of turns of each layer of functional unit on the three first rollers the same, the first roller located in the middle position can have a larger width.

[0052] In other words, the width of cell 30 can be set according to the outer diameter of the functional unit, so that the number of turns of each layer of functional unit in cell 30 is consistent.

[0053] In practical use, due to differences in outer diameter, different functional units may operate at different speeds during deployment and retraction. However, these functional units need to be released and ultimately bundled together at the same speed. To ensure that these functional units have the same deployment and retraction speed, in this embodiment, different rollers can be made to rotate at different speeds.

[0054] Specifically, taking the first roller 23 as an example, the plurality of first rollers 23 include a first fixed roller and a first movable roller. The first fixed roller is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft, and the first movable roller is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft 21.

[0055] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the first roller 23 located in the middle position is the first movable roller 232, and the first rollers 23 located on both sides are the first movable rollers 232.

[0056] During the rotation of the first rotating shaft 21, the first fixed roller 231 will rotate synchronously with the first rotating shaft 21, while the first movable roller 232 can rotate at a different speed than the first fixed roller 231 with the help of other mechanisms.

[0057] To achieve the above requirements, the first movable roller 232 can be connected to the first rotating shaft 21 by means of a gear structure, such as a planetary gear. During the rotation of the first rotating shaft 21, the first movable roller 232 can rotate at different speeds under the transmission of the gear structure. Alternatively, the first movable roller 232 can be rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft 21 by means of a bearing structure. At the same time, the first movable roller 232 is connected to an external drive mechanism. During the rotation of the first rotating shaft 21, the external drive mechanism can independently drive the first movable roller 232 to rotate at a speed different from that of the first rotating shaft 21.

[0058] In one implementation, the roller assembly further includes a first drive mechanism connected to the first movable roller 232 and capable of driving the first movable roller 232 to rotate.

[0059] For example, the first driving mechanism may include a drive motor, a transmission belt, and a transmission wheel. The transmission wheel is rotatably mounted on the first rotating shaft 21 and is fixedly connected to the first movable roller 232. The drive motor is connected to the transmission wheel via the transmission belt and can drive the transmission wheel to rotate. Correspondingly, the transmission wheel can be rotatably mounted on the first rotating shaft 21 by means of a bearing structure, and the transmission wheel can be fixedly connected to the first movable roller 232 by means of bolts or other structures.

[0060] In actual use, during the process of taking in and putting out the umbilical cable, the external drive mechanism can drive the first rotating shaft 21 to rotate, thereby driving the first fixed roller 231 to rotate, and the drive motor can also drive the first movable roller 232 to rotate.

[0061] Therefore, by setting up a first drive mechanism, the synchronous expansion and contraction of functional units of different sizes can be achieved.

[0062] Based on the same principle, the second roller 24 on the second rotating shaft 22 can also be configured in the same way, that is, some of the rollers in the second roller 24 can be fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft 22, while other rollers can rotate relative to the second rotating shaft with the help of other structures. For the sake of simplicity, this will not be elaborated here.

[0063] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the roller assembly further includes a third roller 25, which is coaxially disposed on the side of the second rotating shaft 22, and the third roller 25 is also provided with cells.

[0064] It is understood that the third roller 25 is independent of the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22, and the third roller 25 can rotate through the drive of other mechanisms.

[0065] In the actual process of releasing the umbilical cable, depending on different working conditions, additional functional units may need to be configured in the umbilical cable. When the first roller 23 and the second roller 24 cannot meet the corresponding assembly requirements in time, the third roller 25 can be used to release the corresponding functional units.

[0066] Furthermore, to facilitate the cell deployment and retraction of functional units, in this embodiment, the umbilical cable deployment and retraction device also includes a wire-feeding guide wheel. Each wire-feeding guide wheel is configured to correspond one-to-one with a cell, and each wire-feeding guide wheel can support the functional unit within the cell.

[0067] For example, the line-feeding guide rollers can be correspondingly installed in each cell using a support mechanism. During the cell's feed-and-drop function, the line-feeding guide rollers can support the function unit and rotate, guiding the movement of the function unit.

[0068] As described above, this embodiment also provides a method for retracting and extending the umbilical cable using the aforementioned umbilical cable retracting and extending device, which enables the retracting and extending of the umbilical cable.

[0069] Specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, the retraction and extension method includes:

[0070] Line laying process S1: According to the usage requirements, release the functional units in multiple cells, place the multiple functional units in sequence on the outside of the wire rope, and use the binding device to fix and bind the multiple functional units to the wire rope. During the line laying process, use the binding device to fix and bind the multiple functional units to the wire rope again at predetermined intervals.

[0071] For example, during the line laying process, it can be determined in advance which functional units need to be placed in the seawater based on the operational requirements of the working conditions; then, these functional units are pulled out from the cells.

[0072] In order to ensure that the umbilical cable has sufficient strength, steel wire ropes or other supporting components need to be installed in the umbilical cable. Therefore, a steel wire rope can be placed in one cell of the umbilical cable release and take-up device and released as a functional unit, or the steel wire rope can be released with the help of external cable release equipment during cable release.

[0073] It is understandable that by setting up steel wire ropes, the steel wire rope at the center bears the main force during the umbilical cable winding and unwinding process, while the outer functional units will not be subjected to axial tension.

[0074] Alternatively, the wire rope can be replaced with other types of tensile material ropes or structures.

[0075] Next, the functional units of the umbilical cable deployment and retrieval device are placed sequentially on the outside of the wire rope, for example, such as... Figure 4 As shown, when the number of functional units is six, the six functional units a, b, c, d, e, and f can be wound sequentially around the outside of the wire rope 40.

[0076] Next, these functional units are secured together with the wire rope 40 using the binding clips 50. For example, to ensure the binding effect, a binding clip can be added every 5 meters during the laying process. In this case, seawater can flow freely through the gaps, which can avoid stress concentration and vortex-induced vibration effects.

[0077] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, the retraction and extension method in this embodiment includes:

[0078] S2 winding process: Remove the bindings on the outside of the functional units one by one, rotate the roller assembly to wind up the functional units one by one into the cell.

[0079] It is understandable that when the umbilical cable is retrieved from the seawater into the umbilical cable deployment and retrieval device, the multiple functional units configured in the umbilical cable also need to be retrieved into their respective cells. Therefore, during the cable retrieval process, the bindings tied to the outside of the umbilical cable need to be removed one by one to separate the various functional components. Then, the functional components are wound into the cells by rotating the roller assembly.

[0080] Therefore, the umbilical cable take-up and drop device in this embodiment has the following advantages:

[0081] The umbilical cable deployment and retraction device in this embodiment includes a roller assembly. The roller assembly is provided with multiple coaxial cells capable of winding different functional units. When releasing the umbilical cable, the functional unit can be flexibly selected. During production, it is not necessary to design and manufacture an umbilical cable with a one-piece structure, which can reduce manufacturing costs. Moreover, if a functional unit in the umbilical cable is partially damaged, it can be easily repaired and replaced without replacing the entire umbilical cable, thus reducing maintenance costs.

[0082] The umbilical cable deployment and retrieval device in this embodiment can meet the needs of submarine cables for shallow-sea energy development, power transmission, and communication transmission, and can reduce the production, transportation, and maintenance costs of umbilical cables. Moreover, each functional unit in the umbilical cable can be stored separately, the bending radius requirement of each functional unit is reduced by more than 80%, and the drum diameter can be greatly reduced, realizing the miniaturization and weight reduction of the winch system.

[0083] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0084] 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 umbilical cable launch and recovery apparatus, characterized by, include: Separate umbilical cable and roller assembly; The split-type umbilical cable includes multiple different functional units; The roller assembly includes multiple coaxially arranged cell units, each of which can independently wind up different functional units; the functional units include optical, electrical, and hydraulic units. The roller assembly includes: a first rotating shaft, a second rotating shaft, a plurality of first rollers, and a plurality of second rollers. The first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart. A plurality of first rollers are arranged spaced apart on the first rotating shaft along the axial direction of the first rotating shaft, and a plurality of second rollers are arranged spaced apart on the second rotating shaft along the axial direction of the second rotating shaft. Each first roller and each second roller is provided with the cell. The plurality of first rollers include a first fixed roller and a first movable roller, the first fixed roller being fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft, and the first movable roller being rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft; The first movable roller rotates at a different speed than the first fixed roller.

2. The umbilical reel apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The roller assembly includes: a roller, two side baffles, and multiple partition plates. Two side baffles are respectively disposed on both sides of the roller along the axial direction of the roller, and a plurality of isolation plates are sequentially spaced along the axial direction of the roller and fixedly connected to the roller. The cell is formed between two adjacent isolation plates and between the side baffles and the adjacent isolation plates.

3. The umbilical reel apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The roller assembly further includes a first drive mechanism, which is connected to the first movable roller and is capable of driving the first movable roller to rotate.

4. The umbilical cable take-up and drop device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first driving mechanism includes a drive motor, a transmission belt, and a transmission wheel. The transmission wheel is rotatably mounted on the first rotating shaft and is fixedly connected to the first movable roller. The drive motor is connected to the transmission wheel via the transmission belt and is capable of driving the transmission wheel to rotate.

5. The umbilical cable take-up and drop device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The roller assembly further includes a third roller, which is coaxially disposed on the side of the second rotating shaft, and the third roller is provided with the cell.

6. The umbilical cable take-up and drop device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The line-feeding guide rollers are configured in a one-to-one correspondence with the cell, and each line-feeding guide roller can support the functional unit in the cell.

7. A method for deploying or retrieving an umbilical cable using the device for deploying or retrieving a cable as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The retraction and release method includes: Cable laying process: According to the usage requirements, release the functional units in multiple cells, place the multiple functional units in sequence on the outside of the wire rope, and use the binding device to fix and bind the multiple functional units to the wire rope. During the cable laying process, use the binding device to fix and bind the multiple functional units to the wire rope again at predetermined intervals.

8. The retraction and extension method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The retraction and release method includes: Rewinding process: Remove the bindings on the outside of the functional units one by one, rotate the roller assembly to rewind the functional units one by one into the cell.

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