Segmented bend restrictor system with full disassembly capability

Abstract

To provide a segmented bend restrictor system and a method for installing such a segmented bend restrictor system.SOLUTION: There are provided a segmented bend restrictor system and a method for installing such a segmented bend restrictor system that is configured to be disassembled at discrete locations to minimize unnecessary disassembly. The disclosed segmented bend restrictor system offers a more efficient disassembly operation, while also providing an easy and efficient installation operation.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 624,876, filed January 25, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present application relates to the field of subsea cable protection equipment, and more particularly to a segmented bend limiter system configured to be disassembled along any particular location. [Background technology]

[0003] Offshore energy production has existed for decades and, until recently, was primarily oil and gas production. In recent years, renewable energy sources have become more common, and offshore facilities are common in areas where available land is too expensive or unavailable. Regardless of the type of offshore facility, power and data transmission is required, and cables are used to transmit power and data. Cables used in offshore facilities need to be protected from abrasion, sharp objects, kinks, and excessive underwater movement caused by waves.

[0004] The style and complexity of abrasion protection varies depending on the application. One common type of abrasion protection is bend limiting. Abrasion protection systems are made from many types of materials, including cast iron and ranging from more flexible polyurethane materials. Traditional designs have been simplified to include only a single-piece design consisting of a male connecting end that fits and secures within a female connecting end. Such designs are simple and do not require installers to consider different design components. However, when repairs are required to a section along the bend limiting system, disassembly becomes problematic because disassembly must begin at the free end and work toward the section requiring repair. In other words, such single-piece bend limiter systems cannot be disassembled at the repair site, but rather require more extensive disassembly to reach the free end, which may be far away. This process is therefore costly and time-consuming, especially when the cable is used submerged in the ocean. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Disclosed herein are segmented bend limiter systems and methods for installing such segmented bend limiter systems. The segmented bend limiter systems are configured to be disassembled at discrete locations to minimize unnecessary disassembly. Thus, the disclosed segmented bend limiter systems provide for a more efficient disassembly operation while also providing for an easy and efficient installation operation.

[0006] A bend limiter system is disclosed, the system including: a female half collar including an upper female half collar and a lower female half collar, the female half collar including an internal cavity when the upper female half collar and the lower female half collar are assembled; a male half collar including an upper male half collar and a lower female half collar, the male half collar including a first raised collar at a first end and a second raised collar at a second end; and a weighted stability collar positioned inside the internal cavity of the male half collar.

[0007] Detailed descriptions of these and other non-limiting exemplary embodiments of segmented bend limiter systems are provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1A] 1 shows a side view of an exemplary bend limiter system, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] 1B illustrates a side view of the exemplary bend limiter system shown in FIG. 1A, where the bend limiter system is rotated compared to the view shown in FIG. 1A, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2A shows a cross-sectional view of the bend limiter system shown in FIG. 1A taken along line 2-2, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 2A shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the bend limiter system shown in FIG. 1A taken along line 2-2, according to some embodiments. [Figure 4] 2A shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the bend limiter system shown in FIG. 1A taken along line 2-2, according to some embodiments. [Figure 5] 1B shows a perspective view of a male collar included in the bend limiter system shown in FIG. 1A, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6] 6 illustrates a perspective view of the top half of the male collar shown in FIG. 5 according to some embodiments. [Figure 7] 6 illustrates a perspective view of the bottom half of the male collar shown in FIG. 5 according to some embodiments. [Figure 8] 1B shows a perspective view of a female collar included in the bend limiter system shown in FIG. 1A, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9] 9 illustrates a perspective view of the top half of the female collar shown in FIG. 8 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 9 illustrates a perspective view of the bottom half of the female collar shown in FIG. 8 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 11]1 shows a perspective view of an assembled bend limiter system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Where necessary, detailed, non-limiting embodiments are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary and may take various alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art.

[0010] Disclosed herein is a segmented bend limiter system and method of installing such a segmented bend limiter system that is configured to be disassembled at discrete locations to minimize unnecessary disassembly. Accordingly, the disclosed segmented bend limiter system provides for a more efficient disassembly operation while also providing for an easy and efficient installation operation.

[0011] 1A and 1B show a portion of an exemplary bend limiter system 100 including a female half collar 110 between a first male half collar 120 and a second male half collar 130. The first male half collar 120 and the second male half collar 130 are constructed of the same components and design. The female half collar 110 is configured to overlap portions of the first male half collar 120 and the second male half collar 130 to create a secure bond for mechanically attaching the three components together, as described in more detail herein. The bend limiter system 100 is designed to cover subsea cables (e.g., fiber optic cables, power cables, copper cables, etc.) and be installed underwater to limit the bending of the cables installed therein.

[0012] The description will focus on the components of the first male half collar 120 (hereinafter referred to as "male half collar 120"), although the same components may also be provided on the second male half collar 130. Figure 2 shows the internal components of the bend limiter system 100 by taking a cross-sectional view along line 2-2 from the bend limiter system 100 shown in Figure 1A. The male half collar 120 is composed of an upper male half collar 121t and a lower male half collar 121b. The female half collar 110 is composed of an upper female half collar 111t and a lower female half collar 111b.

[0013] The cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 shows that the bend limiter system 100 can include load stability collars 150t, 150b inside the male half collars 120, 130. The load stability collars 150t, 150b are comprised of an upper load stability collar 150t and a lower load stability collar 150b, which are housed within the internal cavities of the male half collars 120. The load stability collars 150t, 150b may be made from a metallic material, such as stainless steel, and may be included in one or more of the male half collars 120 included in the entire length of the bend limiter system 100. The upper load stability collar 150t may be factory-installed within the upper cavity 122t of the upper male half collar 121t, and the lower load stability collar 150b may be factory-installed within the lower cavity 122b of the lower male half collar 121b. Alternatively, upper load stability collar 150t and / or lower load stability collar 150b may be installed at the installation site as needed. Load stability collars 150t, 150b help provide stability to bend limiter system 100 when bend limiter system 100 is part of a subsea or subsea installation.

[0014] To secure the upper load stability collar 150t onto the upper male half collar 121t, a pair of upper fasteners 123t are fastened through a pair of upper holes 125t in the upper male half collar 121t and secured to a pair of screw holes 124t in the upper load stability collar 150t, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Similarly, to secure the lower load stability collar 150b onto the lower male half collar 121b, a pair of lower fasteners 123b are fastened through a pair of lower holes 125b in the lower male half collar 121b and secured to a pair of screw holes 124b in the lower load stability collar 150b, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0015] 3 and 4 show close-up views of the internal workings of the male half collar 120 and female half collar 110, providing a more detailed view of the mechanical bond created to secure the male half collar 120 to the female half collar 110. The ends of the male half collar 120 include raised collars 128t, 128b configured to fit inside the internal cavity 112 of the female half collar 110. When assembled, the male half collar 120 forms a cable tunnel 140 to enclose the cable assembly to be protected, which extends the length of the bend limiter system 100 and covers the cable assembly of the subsea installation. The cable assembly may include one or more cables protected by a protective covering, such as a polyurethane shell.

[0016] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the male half collar 120 in an assembled state by mating the upper male half collar 121t with the lower male half collar 121b, according to some embodiments. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the underside of the upper male half collar 121t, showing the inside of the upper male half collar 121t, and Figure 7 is a perspective view of the underside of the lower male half collar 121b. The upper male half collar 121t includes a male alignment disc protrusion 141t configured to fit into a female alignment recess 142b of the lower male half collar 121b, and the lower male half collar 121b includes a male alignment disc protrusion 141b configured to fit into a female alignment recess 142t of the upper male half collar 121t, thereby achieving alignment when the upper male half collar 121t and the lower male half collar 121b are mated and assembled.

[0017] The raised collars 128t, 128b of the male half collar 120 are composed of an upper raised collar 128t and a lower raised collar 128b. The upper raised collar 128t includes a through-hole 129t, and the lower raised collar 128b includes a through-hole 129b, which align with each other when the upper male half collar 121t and the lower male half collar 121b are aligned together in an assembled state. Fasteners are then placed through the through-holes 129t, 129b to help secure the upper male half collar 121t and the lower male half collar 121b together in an assembled state. The upper male half collar 121t includes screw holes 143t (e.g., four) that are used to lift the upper male half collar 121t during the manufacturing process. Similarly, the lower male half-collar 121b includes screw holes 143b (eg, four) that are used to lift the lower male half-collar 121b during the manufacturing process.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 5 , the male half collar 120 includes grooves 126t, 126b, into which bands, clamps, or cable ties can be placed to further secure the attachment between the upper male half collar 121t and the lower male half collar 121b. The upper male half collar 121t includes an upper groove 126t, and the lower male half collar 121b includes a lower groove 126b. The male half collar 120 also includes mating grooves 127t, 127b, which allow spacing for the female half collar 110 to be secured onto the raised collars 128t, 128b of the male half collar 120. The upper male half collar 121t includes an upper mating groove 127t, and the lower male half collar 121b includes a lower mating groove 127b.

[0019] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the female half collar 110 in an assembled state by mating the upper female half collar 111t with the lower female half collar 111b, according to some embodiments. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the underside of the upper female half collar 111t, showing the inside of the upper female half collar 111t, and Figure 10 is a perspective view of the underside of the lower female half collar 111b. The upper female half collar 111t includes a male alignment disc protrusion 115t configured to fit into the female alignment recess 114b of the lower female half collar 111b, and the lower female half collar 111b includes a male alignment disc protrusion 115b configured to fit into the female alignment recess 114t of the upper female half collar 111t, thereby achieving alignment when the upper female half collar 111t and the lower female half collar 111b are mated and assembled.

[0020] The female half collar 110 includes an internal cavity 112 that is comprised of an upper internal cavity 112t and a lower internal cavity 112b when the upper female half collar 111t is assembled with the lower female half collar 111b. The raised collars 128t, 128b from the male half collar 120 are configured to fit inside the internal cavity 112 of the female half collar 110 to form a secure mating attachment.

[0021] The upper female half-collar 111t includes through-holes 119t, and the lower female half-collar 111b includes through-holes 119b, which align with each other when the upper female half-collar 111t and the lower female half-collar 111b are aligned together in an assembled state. Fasteners are then placed through the through-holes 119t, 119b to help secure the upper female half-collar 111t and the lower female half-collar 111b together in an assembled state. The upper female half-collar 111t includes screw holes 113t (e.g., four) that are used to lift the upper female half-collar 111t during the manufacturing process. Similarly, the lower female half-collar 111b includes screw holes 113b (e.g., four) that are used to lift the lower female half-collar 111b during the manufacturing process.

[0022] 8, the female half-collar 110 includes grooves 116t, 116b, in which bands, clamps, or cable ties may be installed to further secure the attachment between the upper female half-collar 111t and the lower female half-collar 111b. The upper female half-collar 111t includes an upper groove 116t, and the lower female half-collar 111b includes a lower groove 116b.

[0023] 11 is a perspective view of the bend limiter system 100 in an assembled state, with the securing bands 170 installed in their respective grooves on the female half collar 110 and male half collars 120, 130. The bend limiter system is advantageous for allowing spot disassembly of any section, allowing for controlled bending of the cable without excessive bending or kinking. The female half collar 110 and male half collars 120, 130 may be made from an abrasion-resistant polyurethane material, while the fastener and / or band components may be made from a corrosion-resistant material.

[0024] The installation process of the bend limiter system 100 may begin with the installation of the male half collar 120. The load stability collars 150t, 150b may be installed inside the male half collar 120. The upper and lower male half collars 121t, 121b are installed around the cable and secured with the provided fasteners to create the first male half collar 120. The second male half collar 130 is installed adjacent to the first male half collar 120 in the same manner. The female half collar 110 is installed by securing the upper and lower female half collars 110t, 111b over the raised collars 128t, 128b of the adjacent male half collars 120, 130 using the provided fasteners. If additional securement is required, bands 170 may be installed over the respective grooves 126, 116.

[0025] The present disclosure thus describes systems, devices, and methods for implementing bend limiter systems, as well as methods for disassembly utilizing the current techniques described above. As is readily apparent from the foregoing, various non-limiting embodiments of systems, devices, and methods for utilizing bend limiter systems have been described. While various embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, they are merely exemplary and are not intended to illustrate and describe all that these embodiments are possible. Instead, the words used herein are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various modifications to these embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A bend limiter system comprising: a female half collar including an upper female half collar and a lower female half collar, the female half collar including an internal cavity when the upper female half collar and the lower female half collar are assembled; a male half collar including an upper male half collar and a lower female half collar, the male half collar including a first raised collar at a first end and a second raised collar at a second end; a weighted stability collar mounted inside the internal cavity of the male half collar; 10. The bend limiter system comprising:

2. The bend limiter system of claim 1 , wherein the load stability collar is made from stainless steel.

3. The bend limiter system of claim 1 , wherein the weight stability collar includes an upper weight mounted on the upper male half collar, the upper weight including at least one threaded hole.

4. 4. The bend limiter system of claim 3, wherein the upper male half collar includes at least one upper hole configured to receive a fastener that threads into the threaded hole of the upper weight to secure the upper weight to the upper male half collar.

5. The bend limiter system of claim 1 , wherein the weight stability collar includes a lower weight mounted on the lower male half collar, the lower weight including at least one threaded hole.

6. 6. The bend limiter system of claim 5, wherein the lower male half collar includes at least one upper hole configured to receive a fastener that threads into the threaded hole of the lower weight to secure the lower weight to the lower male half collar.

7. The bend limiter system of claim 1 , wherein the female half collar and the male half collar are made from a polyurethane material.

8. The bend limiter system of claim 1 , wherein the female half collar further comprises a groove channel configured to receive a clamping band.

9. The bend limiter system of claim 1 , wherein the male half collar further includes at least one groove channel configured to respectively receive a fastening band.

10. The bend limiter system of claim 1 , wherein the upper male half collar includes at least two alignment protrusions and at least two alignment recesses, and the lower male half collar includes at least two alignment protrusions and at least two alignment recesses.

11. The bend limiter system of claim 1 , wherein the upper female half collar includes at least two alignment protrusions and at least two alignment recesses, and the lower female half collar includes at least two alignment protrusions and at least two alignment recesses.

12. The bend limiter system of claim 1 , wherein the male half collar further comprises an inner portion including a cable tunnel configured to route a protected cable through the male half collar.

13. The bend limiter system of claim 1 , wherein the female half collar further comprises an inner portion including a cable tunnel configured to route a protected cable through the female half collar.

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