A new underwater hydraulic connector

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of deepwater oil drilling and production, and particularly relates to a novel underwater hydraulic connector. The underwater hydraulic connector mainly comprises an outer cylinder, a piston, a lower shell and a lock block mechanism. In operation, the piston is connected to a control liquid, which controls the up-down movement of the piston, thereby forcing the lock block to contract inward and open outward, and completing the hydraulic locking and unlocking action of the connector. Moreover, the lock block mechanism is of an automatic return type, which ensures that the lock block will completely return and open from the wellhead when the connector is unlocked, and will not affect the unlocking of the connector due to the failure of the internal disc spring in the conventional structure. The utility model has a compact structure, high working efficiency, simple operation and high-reliability unlocking function, and can fully meet the working condition requirements of rapid automatic connection or disconnection of key parts during marine operations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of deep-water oil drilling and production technology, specifically to a novel underwater hydraulic connector. Background Technology

[0002] In offshore oil and gas exploration and production, subsea connectors are crucial connection devices between subsea production facilities. They are primarily used for rapid connection between subsea wellheads and subsea production trees, and for quick disconnection in emergencies.

[0003] Currently, the technology and market mainly focus on claw-type connectors and locking block connectors. Among them, locking block connectors use multiple sets of hydraulic cylinders for combined drive, resulting in poor synchronization. Furthermore, the opening and closing of the internal locking blocks in existing locking block connectors is achieved by disc springs between the locking blocks. However, after prolonged use, the disc springs between the locking blocks will fail, making it impossible to open the locking blocks and thus preventing the connector from disengaging from the wellhead, resulting in economic losses.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to study an underwater hydraulic connector with a highly reliable locking block mechanism and an automatic retraction function to address the existing problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a novel underwater hydraulic connector that enables rapid and automatic connection or disconnection of key components of underwater equipment.

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

[0007] A novel underwater hydraulic connector mainly includes: an outer cylinder, a lower housing, a piston, and a locking mechanism;

[0008] The connector's outer cylinder has an upper inner side threaded connection to the pre-works tree and a sealing ring; its lower inner side is threaded to the lower housing and also has a sealing ring. The piston is positioned within the cavity formed by the outer cylinder, the pre-works tree, and the lower housing, and has sealing rings on its inner side, outer side, and inner side, effectively dividing the large cavity into a locking chamber and an unlocking chamber. The upper inner surface of the lower housing supports the lower end face of the locking mechanism.

[0009] Furthermore, the outer cylinder body is designed as a shoulder-type rotating body, divided into upper and lower parts by the shoulder; the inner side of the upper part of the outer cylinder body is connected to the oil well tree body by threads, and other components and mechanisms are all enclosed inside the outer cylinder body; the upper part of the outer cylinder body is provided with a locking oil circuit, which is connected to a hydraulic pipeline and passes through the locking cavity to drive the piston movement; the lower part of the outer cylinder body is provided with an unlocking oil circuit, which is connected to a hydraulic pipeline and passes through the unlocking cavity to drive the piston movement; the inner side of the lower part of the outer cylinder body is threadedly connected to the lower housing.

[0010] Furthermore, the lower housing is designed as a rotating body with an "L"-shaped cross-section; the upper inner surface of the lower housing has a wedge-shaped groove to cooperate with the piston; the inner side of the lower housing is designed as a slope, i.e., a trumpet shape, so that the connector can guide the connection when docking with the underwater wellhead; the lower housing and the outer cylinder are connected by threads.

[0011] Furthermore, the piston, as the main moving part for locking and unlocking, is designed as a rotating body with an inverted "up" shaped cross-section. The inner surface of the lower end of the piston has a bevel, which cooperates with the outer bevel of the lock block during locking and unlocking to facilitate insertion. The inner side of the lower end of the piston has 12 evenly distributed threaded blind holes, which match the screws and are used to connect the support rod in the lock block mechanism.

[0012] The piston is the driving mechanism for the hydraulic locking and unlocking of the connector. Under hydraulic pressure, it moves up and down, thereby driving the locking block to complete the locking and unlocking functions of the connector. Seals are provided between the piston and the outer cylinder and the tree housing, forming a locking chamber. During locking, the upper inner surface of the piston moves downward under locking pressure to achieve the locking purpose. Seals are also provided between the piston and the outer cylinder and the lower housing, forming an unlocking chamber. During unlocking, the lower outer surface of the piston moves upward under unlocking pressure to achieve the unlocking purpose.

[0013] Furthermore, the locking mechanism includes: locking blocks, support rods, and screws. The locking block mechanism is the actuator for locking and unlocking the connector. Its lower end contacts and engages with the lower housing, its outer circumference contacts and engages with the piston, and its inner side engages with the wellhead. There are 12 locking blocks in total, connected in series to form a complete locking ring. The support rods are connected to the threaded blind holes on the inner side of the lower end of the piston via screws, with 12 evenly distributed connections between the locking blocks. The heads of the support rods respectively engage with the grooves between adjacent locking blocks.

[0014] Furthermore, the locking blocks are designed as 12 pieces, forming a cylindrical ring. Each locking block is fan-shaped, with flat, straight cuts at both ends. A certain gap exists between the blocks to accommodate the support rod. Each locking block has grooves on both ends, designed as irregularly shaped slots. The groove depth matches the embedding depth of the support rod head, and the groove's shape matches the locking block's movement trajectory during locking and unlocking. The lower end of the groove is open. The inner surface of the locking block has a raised, sloping shoulder to engage with the manhole head, its dimensions matching the manhole head's surface dimensions. The outer surface of the locking block has an angled bevel that matches the lower bevel of the piston. The outer surface of the locking block is designed with a boss, its size and shape matching the inner surface of the piston.

[0015] Furthermore, the support rod is designed in the shape of a hammerhead, consisting of a rod body and a rod head. It has an axial hexagonal socket head cap screw countersunk hole, designed as a through hole, with the countersunk hole located at one end of the support rod head. The cross-section of the support rod body is designed in a U-shape, with an arc shape on the top and flat surfaces on both sides. The dimensions and spacing of the flat surfaces on both sides match the spacing between the locking blocks. The rod head is designed as a square disc shape with smooth circular arc surfaces around it. Its shape and dimensions match the shape and depth of the irregular groove of the locking block.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0017] The underwater connector of this utility model adopts a large piston design to achieve single-cylinder hydraulic control, reducing unnecessary operations and improving efficiency; the locking block structure adopted by this utility model makes the connector structure compact and has strong load-bearing capacity; the locking block mechanism adopted by this utility model has an automatic retraction structure design to prevent the failure of the disc spring in the traditional structure from affecting the unlocking of the connector, which greatly improves reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model 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 only embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the locking block mechanism of this utility model in the locked state;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the locking block mechanism of this utility model in the unlocked state;

[0022] In the diagram: 1-locking oil inlet, 2-locking cavity, 3-outer cylinder, 4-piston, 5-lower housing, 6-wellhead, 7-locking block, 8-support rod, 9-screw, 10-unlocking cavity, 11-unlocking oil inlet, 12-earth tree body, 13-locking block groove, 14-piston inner inclined surface. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0024] The term "embodiment" used herein, as an example, is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or better than other embodiments. Performance testing in the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified, employs conventional testing methods in the art. It should be understood that the terminology used in this application is merely for describing particular implementations and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0025] Unless otherwise stated, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; other experimental methods and technical means not specifically mentioned herein refer to experimental methods and technical means commonly used by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0026] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "middle", "upper", "lower", "rise", "fall", "vertical", "surface", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0027] To better illustrate the content of this application, numerous specific details are provided in the following detailed embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application can be implemented even without certain specific details. In the embodiments, some methods, means, instruments, and devices well-known to those skilled in the art are not described in detail in order to highlight the main points of this application.

[0028] Without conflict, the technical features disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be combined arbitrarily, and the resulting technical solution belongs to the content disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0029] exist Figure 1 As shown in the schematic diagram of this utility model, a novel underwater hydraulic connector, during the locking action, controls the fluid to enter the locking chamber 2 from the locking oil port 1, pushing the piston 4 downward. During the downward movement of the piston 4, the inner inclined surface 14 of the piston squeezes the outer inclined surface of the locking block 7, thereby causing the locking block 7 to tighten inward and lock into the wellhead 6, thus realizing the locking action of the connector.

[0030] During the unlocking action, the control fluid enters the unlocking chamber 10 through the unlocking oil port 11, pushing the piston 4 to move upward. During the upward movement of the piston 4, the piston 4 is pulled out between the locking block 7 and the lower housing 5, and the locking block 7 opens outward, disengaging from the wellhead 6, thus realizing the connector unlocking action.

[0031] exist Figure 1As shown in the schematic diagram of this utility model, a novel underwater hydraulic connector uses a large integral piston for piston 4 during locking and unlocking, i.e., a single hydraulic cylinder is used to control the corresponding oil circuit.

[0032] exist Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown in the schematic diagram of this utility model, a novel underwater hydraulic connector, during the locking action, when the piston 4 moves downward, the inner inclined surface 14 of the piston will squeeze the 12 locking blocks 7 and retract inward at the same time, which will drive the support rod 8 connected to it to move downward together. At this time, the rod head of the support rod 8 moves in the locking block groove 13 until the bottom of the locking block groove 13.

[0033] When the connector is unlocked, the piston 4 moves upward and retracts, which will drive the support rod 8 upward as well. At this time, the rod head of the support rod 8 moves in the locking block groove 13 and gets stuck in the inner wall of the locking block groove 13, thereby pulling the locking block 7 outward and realizing the automatic retraction of the locking block, disengaging it from the wellhead 6, ensuring that the subsea production tree and the subsea wellhead can be quickly separated in an emergency.

[0034] exist Figure 2 , Figure 3 The schematic diagram of this utility model shows a new type of underwater hydraulic connector. This automatic retraction locking block mechanism ensures that when the connector is unlocked, the locking block 7 will completely retract and open from the wellhead 6. That is, during the service life of the connector, the failure of the internal disc spring in the traditional structure will not affect the unlocking of the connector.

[0035] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A new type of underwater hydraulic connector, characterized in that, The underwater hydraulic connector mainly includes: an outer cylinder, a lower housing, a piston, and a locking mechanism; wherein, The upper inner end of the outer cylinder is threaded to the oil well tree and is provided with a sealing ring; the lower inner end of the outer cylinder is threaded to the lower housing and is provided with a sealing ring. The piston is disposed between the outer cylinder, the tree trunk, and the lower housing. The piston is provided with sealing rings on the inner side of the outer cylinder, the outer side of the tree trunk, and the inner side of the lower housing, which divides the large cavity into a locking cavity and an unlocking cavity. The upper inner surface of the lower housing supports the lower end surface of the locking block mechanism; The locking mechanism includes: a locking block, a support rod, and screws; The lower end of the locking block contacts and engages with the lower housing, the outer circumference contacts and engages with the piston, and the inner side engages with the wellhead. There are a total of 12 locking blocks, which are connected in series to form a complete locking ring. The support rod is connected to the inner threaded blind hole at the lower end of the piston by screws, with a total of 12 evenly distributed connections, and is evenly distributed between the locking blocks. The head of the support rod is respectively inserted into the groove between two adjacent locking blocks.

2. The new underwater hydraulic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer cylinder is designed as a rotating body; the inner side of the upper part of the outer cylinder is threadedly connected to the oil well tree body; the upper part of the outer cylinder is provided with a locking oil passage, which connects to the locking cavity; the lower part of the outer cylinder is provided with an unlocking oil passage, which connects to the unlocking cavity; the inner side of the lower part of the outer cylinder is threadedly connected to the lower housing.

3. The new underwater hydraulic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower housing is designed as a rotating body with an "L"-shaped cross-section. The upper inner surface of the lower housing has a wedge-shaped groove to cooperate with the piston. The inner side of the lower housing is designed as a slope, i.e., a trumpet shape, so that the connector can guide the connection when docking with the underwater wellhead. The lower housing and the outer cylinder are connected by threads.

4. The new underwater hydraulic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The piston has an inverted "up" shaped cross-section; the lower end of the piston has an inner circumference with a beveled surface that matches the beveled surface of the locking block; the lower end of the piston has 12 evenly distributed threaded blind holes that match the screws and are used to connect the support rod in the locking block mechanism.

5. The new underwater hydraulic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking blocks are designed to consist of 12 blocks, which are arranged in a cylindrical ring. Each locking block is fan-shaped, and the two ends of each locking block are flat straight cuts. A certain gap is left between the blocks. Each lock block has a groove on both ends. The groove is designed as an irregular groove. The groove depth matches the embedding depth of the support rod head. The groove's shape and trajectory match the lock block's running trajectory when the connector is locking and unlocking. The lower end of the groove is open. The inner circular surface of the locking block is designed with a raised inclined shoulder, the size of which matches the size of the wellhead opening; the upper side of the outer circular surface of the locking block is designed with a certain angled slope, the size of which matches the size of the lower end of the piston's inclined slope; the outer circular surface of the locking block is designed with a boss, the size and shape of which match the inner circular surface of the piston.

6. The new underwater hydraulic connector according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that, The support rod is designed in the shape of a hammer, consisting of a rod body and a rod head. It has an axial hexagonal screw countersunk hole, designed as a through hole, with the countersunk hole located at one end of the rod head. The support rod has a U-shaped cross-section with an arc shape on the top and flat surfaces on both sides. The dimensions and spacing of the flat surfaces on both sides match the spacing between the locking blocks. The head of the support rod is designed as a square disc shape with smooth circular arc surfaces around it. Its shape and size match the shape and depth of the irregular groove of the lock block.

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