Remote monitoring of subsea umbilicals

Abstract

A system includes: a tube coupled to a topside structure at a surface location, wherein the tube is an I-Tube or a J-Tube; a subsea umbilical extending from the surface location to an underwater location, wherein the subsea umbilical is supported by the tube and a portion of the subsea umbilical extends through the tube; a sensor disposed within an annulus between an inner wall of the tube and an outer surface of the subsea umbilical, the sensor configured to take sensor measurements from a location in the annulus; and a communication system communicatively coupled to the sensor and configured to transmit data indicative of the sensor measurements to a remote location.

Description

REMOTE MONITORING OF SUBSEA UMBILICALSFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present disclosure is directed generally to subsea umbilicals and, more particularly, to techniques for monitoring properties of such subsea umbilicals for purposes of umbilical integrity management.BACKGROUND

[0002] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and / or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0003] Subsea umbilicals are used in offshore oil and gas operations to deliver power, controls, signals and / or communications between topside equipment at the water’s surface and subsea equipment at the seafloor. Subsea umbilicals often rise above the water surface through a metallic tube (e.g., an I-Tube, a J-Tube) onto a topside host facility. The I-Tube or J-Tube is a flanged tube that protects and holds the dynamic subsea umbilical in place, with a section of dry air in the tube surrounding the umbilical. The above-water section of umbilical extending through the flanged tube can heat up for various reasons (e.g., high outdoor air temperatures, radiative heating of the tube by the sun or flare, high voltage carried through power cables, etc.). The temperature of these systems can become very high and if outside of the umbilical design performance range, it can degrade the system performance, specifically those of electrical cables and other internal components in the umbilicals; ultimately, this can reduce the design life. The range of temperatures encountered in the above-water umbilical / tube area can be hard to model and predict, and so it would be beneficial to monitor the temperature of the above-water portion of the umbilicals for integrity management purposes.

[0004] Unfortunately, existing methods for monitoring temperature and other parameters along this section of umbilicals are limited. A user can manually take temperature readings of an outside temperature of the tube using a hand-held, laser-based temperature sensing device. As another example, a user can periodically drop a thermocouple into the tube through an openingin a flange at the top of the I-Tube or J-Tube to sense internal I-Tube / J-Tube temperature using a multimeter attached to the thermocouple. In both existing methods, the measurements provide infrequent snapshots of temperature behavior of the umbilical, not a comprehensive history of temperature effects, which can change frequently due to outside temperature fluctuations, sun exposure, operational flaring conditions, and variations in subsea operations powered by the umbilical.

[0005] It is now recognized that a need exists for systems and methods to continuously monitor, store, process, transmit and display temperature and / or other parameters of the upper portions of subsea umbilicals for purposes of integrity management and life extension.SUMMARY

[0006] A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

[0007] In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a system includes: a tube coupled to a topside structure at a surface location, wherein the tube is an I-Tube or a J-Tube; a subsea umbilical extending from the surface location to an underwater location, wherein the subsea umbilical is supported by the tube and a portion of the subsea umbilical extends through the tube; a sensor disposed within an annulus between an inner wall of the tube and an outer surface of the subsea umbilical, the sensor configured to take sensor measurements from a location in the annulus; and a communication system communicatively coupled to the sensor and configured to transmit data indicative of the sensor measurements to a remote location.

[0008] In accordance with other aspects of the disclosure, a method for monitoring conditions of a subsea umbilical extending from a surface location to a subsea location is provided. A portion of the subsea umbilical extending through a tube that is coupled to a topside structure at the surface location. The method includes: sensing one or more parameters from a location in an annulus between an inner wall of the tube and an outer surface of the subsea umbilical, via one or more sensors disposed in the annulus; and transmitting data indicative of the one or more parameters to a remote monitoring system via a communication system communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors.

[0009] In accordance with other aspects of the disclosure, a system for monitoring a subsea umbilical includes: a housing configured to be mounted to a flange coupled to a tube surrounding a portion of the subsea umbilical, the tube being an I-Tube or a J-Tube; a data acquisition component disposed inside the housing; a sensor located outside of the housing and coupled to the data acquisition component in the housing via a cable extending from the housing, the sensor configured to be positioned in an annulus between the subsea umbilical and the tube by extending the cable through an aperture in the flange; and a communication system disposed at least partially inside the housing and having a wireless transmitter for transmitting data indicative of the sensor measurements to a remote location.

[0010] In accordance with other aspects of the disclosure, a method of assembling an umbilical monitoring system includes: disposing a data acquisition component and at least part of a communication system inside a housing; coupling a sensor to the data acquisition component via a cable that extends outside of the housing such that the sensor is located outside of the housing; extending the cable through an aperture in a flange such that the sensor is on an opposite side of the flange from the housing; and securing the housing to the flange.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] The drawings illustrate only example embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting in scope, as the example embodiments may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The elements and features shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the example embodiments. Additionally, certain dimensions or positions may be exaggerated to help visually convey such principles. In the drawings, reference numerals designate like or corresponding, but not necessarily identical, elements.

[0012] FIG. 1 is schematic illustration of a subsea umbilical extending through an I-tube with a sensor disposed in an annulus between the umbilical and the tube, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating components of an umbilical sensor system and a remote monitoring system, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a subsea umbilical extending through an I-Tube with a sensor disposed on a surface of the umbilical, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a subsea umbilical extending through an I-Tube with a sensor having a remote communication system coupled thereto, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a subsea umbilical extending through an I-Tube with a sensor receiving power / communication from the umbilical disposed in the tube, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a subsea umbilical extending through an I-Tube and an umbilical sensor system having a power generation component located proximate the umbilical, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an umbilical sensor system embedded into a flange on an I-Tube through which an umbilical is installed, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a subsea umbilical extending through an I-Tube and an umbilical sensor system having a secondary communication system, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an umbilical sensor system mounted on a flange on an I-Tube through which an umbilical is installed, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the umbilical sensor system, flange, I-Tube, and umbilical of FIG. 9, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram illustrating internal components of the umbilical sensor system of FIG. 9, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIGS. 12A-12C are perspective views illustrating the installation process of the umbilical sensor system of FIG. 9, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 13 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method for monitoring conditions of a subsea umbilical, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for monitoring certain parameters of an above-water portion of a subsea umbilical located inside an I-Tube or a J- tube. The monitored parameters may be used for integrity management of the umbilical. Sensor measurements may be tracked continuously to provide an indication of whether theparameters inside the flanged are within design thresholds of certain components of the umbilical. The subsea umbilicals being monitored may include power umbilicals, control umbilicals, or a combination thereof.

[0026] The disclosed systems and methods use a sensor probe extending into the flanged tube (e.g., a metallic I-tube or J-tube) and a communication system to communicate the sensor measurements to a remote monitoring system. The remote monitoring system may determine temperature and / or other parameters at specified depths within the I-Tube / J-Tube based on the sensor measurements. The disclosed systems may be small, battery powered, and low cost to enable monitoring on equipment. Sensor measurements may be collected at specified intervals, transmitted wirelessly (e.g., over a Wi-Fi network) or via a wired connection, and visualized in real time or near-real time on a dashboard displayed at the remote monitoring system and / or elsewhere. The disclosed systems and methods may be used at any location where umbilicals are mounted onto a platform.

[0027] The disclosed systems and methods for remote umbilical monitoring provide numerous benefits over existing techniques for detecting temperature or other relevant parameters. The disclosed systems and methods may provide enhanced integrity management for subsea oil and gas assets. The disclosed systems and methods may enable internal I-tube parameter monitoring via access holes that are already available in the umbilical hang-off flange. The disclosed systems and methods may provide useful information that can help evaluate the integrity of the umbilical. The disclosed systems and methods may eliminate the need for manual, periodic inspection, since they can provide continuous automatic data gathering. The disclosed systems and methods may enable data to be 1) monitored alongside other facilities in a deepwater support center website; and 2) used for calibration and improvement of thermal modeling software for future projects.

[0028] The disclosed methodology may be incorporated into new umbilicals and I-Tubes / J- Tubes prior to or during their deployment. In addition, the disclosed methodology may be retrofittable to older umbilicals / tubes that are already deployed and in use, bringing benefits in integrity management of existing equipment.

[0029] The use of the terms "about", “approximately”, and similar terms applies to all numeric values, whether or not explicitly indicated. These terms generally refer to a range of numbers that one of ordinary skill in the art would consider as a reasonable amount of deviation to the recited numeric values (i.e., having the equivalent function or result). For example, this term may be construed as including a deviation of ±10 percent of the given numeric value provided such a deviation does not alter the end function or result of the value. Therefore, a value ofabout 1% may be construed to be a range from 0.9% to 1.1%. Furthermore, a range may be construed to include the start and the end of the range. For example, a range of 10% to 20% (i.e., range of 10%-20%) includes 10% and also includes 20%, and includes percentages in between 10% and 20%, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. Similarly, a range of between 10% and 20% (i.e., range between 10% - 20%) includes 10% and also includes 20%, and includes percentages in between 10% and 20%, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein.

[0030] Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 including a topside structure 102, a subsea umbilical 104, a tube 106, and a sensor 108. The umbilical 104 may be a power umbilical, a control umbilical, or a combination thereof. Umbilicals (e.g., umbilical 104) typically contain a set of tubes, electrical cables, and / or fiber optic cables that are bundled together to supply control and / or power from a power source to subsea oil and gas operations and transmit information between a control station and subsea oil and gas operations. Umbilicals are characteristically very long, and can connect a surface level substation to electrical machines or another undersea substation. Umbilical tubes (e.g., tube 106) can be used for injection of fluid, such as hydraulic fluid or chemical inhibitors, to operate subsea equipment and improve flow assurance for oil and gas applications. Umbilicals often include cables which conduct electricity over long distances. Umbilicals also often include fiber-optic cables for transmitting data, control signals, sensing signals, and / or sensing temperature profiles.

[0031] The umbilical 104 interfaces with the topside structure 102 through a tube 106. In the figures, the tube 106 is shown as being a straight, vertical tube (called an I-Tube). The disclosed systems and methods may be similarly used with a tube 106 having a curved shaped (e.g., a J-Tube) and / or a non-vertical orientation. As shown, the tube 106 is coupled to a topside structure 102 at a surface location 110 above the surface of water.

[0032] The subsea umbilical 104 is supported by the tube 106, and a portion of the subsea umbilical 104 extends through the tube 106, as shown. The umbilical 104 extends from the surface location 110 above the surface of water to a subsea location. The surface location 110 may include a portion of the topside structure 102 at or above a surface of the water. The topside structure 102 can be, for example, a floating vessel, a floating platform, a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) installation, a semi-submersible vessel, or a fixed platform. The subsea location may be the location of a subsea component (not shown) to which the umbilical 104 is coupled. The subsea component can be, for example, a subsea fluid handling component (e.g., an umbilical termination assembly) or other subsea operation equipment (e.g., a subsea pump, a subsea compressor, a control or distribution module, anelectrically submersible pump, a subsea separator, or various types of sensors and communication devices), as will be understood by a person of skill in the art.

[0033] Although only the portion of the umbilical 104 located within the tube 106 is shown in the figures of this application, a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the umbilical 104 extends below the end termination 112 of the tube toward the subsea location. An outer diameter of the umbilical 104 is smaller than an inner diameter of the bore through the tube 106, and the space in the annulus 116 between the outer surface of the umbilical and the inner surface of the tube is an ambient air gap.

[0034] As shown, both the umbilical 104 and the tube 106 cross the water line 118 to reach the topside structure 102. The tube 106, which interfaces with the topside structure 102, is designed to protect the umbilical 104 against waves in the splash zone (e.g., at water line 118). An upper portion 120 of the tube 106 may sit outside of the topside structure 102 and above the water line 118, exposed to air and sunlight. As such, this portion 120 of the tube 106 may be exposed to various external heat sources, such as hot air temperatures, solar radiation, or radiation from a flare. In addition, in some embodiments the umbilical 104 may include power cables carrying high voltage, high current, etc. therethrough, which can generate heat from inside the umbilical 104. These external and / or internal heat sources can increase the ambient air temperature in the space of the annulus 116 between the outer surface 122 of the umbilical 104 and the inner surface 124 of the tube 106. Temperature increases occurring during normal operations of the system 100 can become a hazard to the integrity of the umbilical 104 and / or the tube 106 protecting the umbilical 104. The disclosed sensor system (including sensor 108) enables continuous monitoring of temperature fluctuations in the annulus 116 throughout these operations to support integrity management of the umbilical 104 and the tube 106.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1, the system 100 includes a sensor 108 disposed within the annulus 116 between the inner surface 124 of the tube 116 and the outer surface 122 of the subsea umbilical 104. The sensor 108 is configured to take sensor measurements from a location in the annulus 116. The sensor 108 may enable monitoring of temperature inside the tube 106. The monitored temperatures of the annular environment can be compared to a threshold maximum temperature that the umbilical 104 can sustain (in any environment, but particularly in this confined space within the tube 106). Continuous monitoring of the annular temperature can enable an operations team to predict when a failure of the umbilical 104 may occur and to provide a mitigation in advance of failure, thus avoiding production downtime. In addition, the continuous monitoring of annular temperature may allow for verification of thermal analysis software models. Still further, the continuous monitoring of annular temperature mayprovide data to inform planning decisions for where to place umbilicals and tubes relative to the topside structure in future offshore projects to ensure that the temperature limit of the umbilicals / tubes is maintained.

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates an example umbilical sensor system 200 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The sensor system 200 may be used with an umbilical 104 extending through a tube 106, as described at length in reference to FIG. 1. The umbilical sensor system 200 includes at least the sensor 108 (positioned in the annulus 116 between the umbilical 104 and the tube 106) and a communication system 202, although several other components may be present as well. FIG. 2 shows only one example of components that could make up the disclosed sensor system 200. In other embodiments, certain components shown in FIG. 2 may be eliminated or additional components added. Several alternative arrangements of certain components of the sensor system 200 will be described as well, referencing FIGS. 3- 8. Each of these alternative sensor systems 200 shown in FIGS. 3-8 may be used to communicate sensor signals to a monitoring system 208 with a similar structure and function as described at length herein with reference to FIG. 2.

[0037] In some embodiments, the sensor 108 may include a temperature sensor for measuring ambient air temperature in the annulus 116, umbilical outer wall temperature, or tube inner wall temperature. These temperature measurements may be used to evaluate the integrity of the umbilical 104 and / or the tube 106 as described above. In other embodiments, the sensor 108 may include a magnetic field sensor for measuring a magnetic field emitted by a power cable (not shown) in the umbilical 104, which may be a power umbilical. Changes in the detected magnetic field could provide an early indication of problems with the umbilical 104. The current flowing through the umbilical 104 and each of its electrical components has its own magnetic signature, and deviations from this magnetic signature may indicate integrity issues with the umbilical 104. In other embodiments, the sensor 108 may include a vibration sensor, a combination of any of the above described sensors, and / or any other desired sensors that may be placed in the annulus 116. As shown in FIG. 2, one or more sensors 108 may be suspended from a cable 204 within the annulus 116. Although not illustrated in FIG. 2, multiple sensors 108 may be positioned along the length of the cable 204 extending downward into the annulus 116. These sensors 108 may include multiple of the same or different types of sensors 108 positioned at different locations along the length of the umbilical 104.

[0038] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the sensor 108 may be coupled directly to the outer surface 122 of the umbilical 104. The sensor 108 may still be connected to other components of a sensor system 200 through a cable 204 extending into the annulus 116, asshown. In other embodiments, the sensor 108 may be integrated into the umbilical 104 without an external cable extending through the annulus 116 in the tube 106, such as shown in FIG. 5. Although not shown, different measurements may be taken at different locations along the length of the umbilical 104 via a plurality of sensors 108 coupled directly to the outer surface 122 of the umbilical 104.

[0039] Turning back to FIG. 2, a communication system 202 is communicatively coupled to the sensor 108 and configured to transmit data indicative of the sensor measurements to a remote location 206 (e.g., a remote monitoring system 208). The communication system 202 may be a wireless communication system. The communication system 202 may include an electronic board with an antenna configured to connect automatically to Wi-Fi or some other wireless network 210. The communication system 202 may be configured to periodically transmit data indicative of the sensor measurements to the remote location 206. For example, the communication system 202 may transmit measurements taken at regular intervals (e.g., 1 second, 5 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, etc.). The communication system 202 may be located above the tube 106. For example, the communication system 202 may be mounted (alone or packaged with other components) on an upper surface of a flange 214 of the tube 106 (or a flange 215 connected to the top of the tube 106).

[0040] In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the communication system 202 may include a wireless transmitter 400 coupled to or integrated with the sensor 108 and located with the sensor 108 in the annulus 116. As such, the communication system 202 can output the measurement from the sensor 108 remotely, rather than communicating through a cable to a topsides location.

[0041] In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the communication system 202 may include a communication line 500 located within the umbilical 104. The sensor 108 may be positioned directly on an outer surface 122 of the umbilical 104 and coupled through the umbilical 104 to a monitoring system 502 at the topside structure. The sensor signals may be communicated through the umbilical 104 via Ethernet. The monitoring system 502 may function as the data acquisition component 216, the communication system 202, and / or any one or more components of the monitoring system 208 of FIG. 2.

[0042] Turning back to FIG. 2, the sensor 108 may measure any parameter that affects the integrity of the umbilical system in critical locations (e.g., an upper portion of the tube 106 in the annular air gap (116) above the sea water (118), where heat is concentrated). The communication system 202 may receive data indicative of the sensor measurements in realtime or near-real time and transmit the information through a wireless network 210 to a remote monitoring system 208. The communication system 202 may transmit the sensor measurement data from a location near or on the umbilical / tube 104 / 106 directly to the monitoring system 208, which may be located in a control room of the topside structure 102.

[0043] As illustrated, the sensor system 200 may include additional components than those described above. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the sensor system 200 may include a data acquisition component 216 coupled between the sensor 108 and the communication system 202. A cable 204 connects the sensor 108 to the data acquisition component 216, and the cable 204 extends from a location above the tube 106 to the location of the sensor 108 in the annulus 116. The sensor system 200 may also include a power source 218 for operating the sensor system components. As shown in FIG. 2, the power source 218 may be a battery that is packaged with the communication system 202 and / or data acquisition component 216 and located above the tube 106.

[0044] In other embodiments, as shown for example in FIG. 6, the power source 218 may include a generator source 600 that is located outside the housing 220 of the sensor system 200. The generator source 600 may include, for example, a thermoelectric generator (TEG), a magnetic field based generator, or a wave variation generator. A TEG may be located within the annulus 116, in the air gap or directly against a surface of the umbilical 104, to generate power from heat of the umbilical 104 (e.g., power umbilical). A magnetic field based generator may be located within the annulus 116, e.g., in the air gap, to generate power from a magnetic field from the umbilical 104 (e.g., power umbilical). A wave variation generator may be located on the water (118) outside of the tube 106. The TEG, magnetic field based generator, or wave variation generator may communicate generated power to one or more components of the sensor system 200 to operate the sensor system 200. In still other embodiments, the power source 218 may include solar panels.

[0045] In still other embodiments, for example as shown in FIG. 5, the sensor 108 may be operably coupled to the umbilical 104 and configured to receive operating power from a power line 504 in the umbilical. In some embodiments, the sensor 108 may be positioned directly on an outer surface 122 of the umbilical 104 and coupled through the umbilical 104 to a remote power source (not shown) at the topside structure 102. The electrical power for operating the sensor 108 may be communicated through the umbilical 104, e.g., via power over Ethernet.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 2, the system 200 may include a flange 215 coupled to the tube 106 (e.g., a split flange coupled to an upper flange 214 of the tube 106). The data acquisition component 216 and the communication system 202 may be disposed on this flange 215, withthe cable 204 extending through an aperture in the flange 215 into the annulus 116 between the umbilical 104 and the tube 106. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8-11, the system 200 may include a housing 220 in which the data acquisition component 216 and at least part of the communication system 202 are located, and this housing 220 is coupled to the flange 215.

[0047] In another embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the data acquisition component 216 and the communication system 202 may be coupled directly to a surface 700 of the flange 215 and / or embedded into the flange 215. For example, the data acquisition component 216 and communication system 202 may be miniaturized onto a chip 702 that is built into the flange 215. As such, the sensor system 200 may be configured as a “smart flange” to be connected to the tube 106 with a cable 204 extending down into the annulus 216.

[0048] Turning back to FIG. 2, the remote monitoring system 208 will now be described. The monitoring system 208 may include a communication interface 222 for receiving information from the network 210, including data indicative of measurements taken by the sensor 108. The communication system 202 of the sensor system 200 may transmit sensor measurement data over the network 210 to the communication interface 222 of the monitoring system 208. The monitoring system 208 may be an information handling system that includes at least one processor 224 and memory 226. The information handling system may include many other features as well, such as a display 228, other input / output devices, storage components, and others. The memory 226 may store instructions that, upon execution by the processor 224, cause the processor 224 to perform certain tasks in accordance with the present disclosure. These instructions may include, for example, instructions to receive data indicative of sensor measurements at the communication interface 202, analyze the measurement data (e.g., comparing to predetermined threshold values), store the measurement data and track its history, output alerts, calculate an integrity status for the umbilical 104 and / or tube 106, display measurement data and / or integrity statuses on display 228, etc.

[0049] The monitoring system 208 may provide a dashboard in which threshold temperature values are set. The processor 224 may cause the dashboard to notify a user when an issue is noted, such as temperatures detected by the sensor 108 showing an internal temperature in the annulus 116 has become too high (or too high for too long). The dashboard may display measured temperatures or other measured data collected by the sensor system 200 and communicated to the monitoring system 208 at regular intervals. The monitoring system 208 may be part of a support center used to provide monitoring of various parameters (e.g., metocean forecast, mooring line tension, mooring line fatigue damage, platform motions, umbilical monitoring, etc.) across one or more offshore assets.

[0050] The sensor system 200 may be used to monitor the integrity of the umbilical / tube system in the confined annular space 116 in an effective manner. Previously, an operator would have to manually drop a sensor into the annulus at irregular intervals (e.g., once every several months). The disclosed sensor 108 may be installed once and used continuously to take measurements at regular frequency intervals (e.g., every 30 minutes) to provide a fuller picture of temperature fluctuations encountered by the umbilical / tube system. The sensor system 200 may provide real time or near-real time data to the monitoring system 208, which can then detect an issue as soon as it is first noticed. Another benefit of continuous temperature monitoring is that it can capture the seasonal, operational, and weather impacts on thermal loading and other parameters of the umbilical 104 and / or tube 106. With measurement data being continuously received, the monitoring system 208 can capture peaks and troughs of the measured parameters and track a history of the parameter values over time. This is important because degradation of the umbilical 104 and / or tube 106 is a cumulative process that happens with continued exposure to parameters outside of acceptable design thresholds. By tracking a history of the measured parameters, it is possible to calculate an integrity status of the system and identify appropriate mitigations for the level of degradation. The monitoring system 208 may display both sensor measurements and current integrity status of the umbilical 104 and / or tube 106 throughout operations.

[0051] In some embodiments, the monitoring system 208 may output recommendation(s) for mitigations to perform based on a pre-selected integrity management plan for the umbilical 104 and / or tube 106. The integrity management plan may be stored in memory 226 of the monitoring system 208. The integrity management plan may include a plan for actions to take when the measured parameters (e.g., temperatures) exceed certain thresholds for certain amounts of time, tracking the cumulative effect of the impact of these parameters. For example, the integrity management plan may have different recommendations for when temperatures exceed certain thresholds intermittently vs. continuously. The monitoring system 208 may recommend temporary or more permanent solutions to mitigate integrity issues and / or a plan in advance for replacement of the umbilical 104 and / or tube 106, etc. Table 1 below shows an example integrity management plan that may be used by a monitoring system 208 monitoring tube internal temperature.Table 1

[0052] According to the integrity management plan illustrated in Table 1, for example: for an inspection result indicating a Low Temperature sensor reading, no action is required; for an inspection result indicating intermittent exposure to Medium-High Temperature sensor readings, the system would log temperature and duration of the Medium-High temperature readings and continue monitoring; for inspection results indicating continuous exposure to Medium-High Temperature sensor readings or any amount of Very High temperature sensor readings, the system would log temperature and duration of the Medium-High or Very High temperature readings, continue monitoring, and output an alert to an operator to consider implementing mitigation alternatives.

[0053] Other arrangements of a sensor system 200 packaged together and located above the tube 106 (e.g., mounted to a flange 215 above the tube 106) may be used in other embodiments. FIG. 8 shows a sensor system 200 having a secondary communication system 800, in additionto the communication system 202 used to output sensor measurement data to the remote monitoring system 208. The secondary communication system 800 may be communicatively coupled to the sensor 108 and configured to output optical signals alerting the integrity status of the umbilical 104 and / or tube 106. For example, the secondary communication system 800 may include light indicators 802 (e.g., green / yellow / red lights) to provide an indication that is visible to workers on the topside structure 102 regarding the integrity status and / or the real time sensor measurements. Operation of the green light indicator (G) may represent that the sensed parameters of the system are within normal design constraints. Operation of the yellow light indicator (Y) may represent that the sensed parameters of the system are intermittently or more continuously a low level outside the design constraints. Operation of the red light indicator (R) may represent that the sensed parameters of the system are a high level outside the design constraints or a lower level outside the design constraints for an extended time period. As such, the secondary communication system 800 may alert workers to a changing integrity status. In other instances, the green, yellow, and red indications may each correspond to a pre-selected temperature (or other sensed parameter) range. The sensor system package 200 may further include an on-board processor 804 and memory 806, the memory 806 storing instructions that when executed by the processor 804 cause the processor 804 to receive the sensor measurements from the data acquisition component 216, analyze the data, and output a signal to the secondary communication system 800 for outputting the appropriate optical indication.

[0054] Other arrangements of light indicators 802 may be used for the secondary communication system 800. For example, the secondary communication system 800 may include a single light (red or another color) that turns on to indicate compromised integrity of the umbilical 104 and / or tube 106. As another example, the secondary communication system 800 may include yellow and red lights only, such that no light coming from the secondary communication system 800 indicates normal operating conditions and / or no action required based on the integrity status.

[0055] A detailed description of an example embodiment of the sensor system 200 will now be provided. As discussed at length above, several variations of the sensor system 200 are possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and the embodiment shown and described with reference to FIGS. 9-12C is one example of many possible designs. FIGS. 9 and 10 show the sensor system 200 fully installed with respect to an umbilical 104, tube 106, and flange 215. FIG. 11 illustrates certain internal components that may be present in the sensor system 200. FIGS. 12A-12C illustrate the steps for installing the sensor system 200.

[0056] The illustrated sensor system 200 may be a tube temperature monitoring system used to measure the temperature of air in the annulus 116 between an umbilical 104 and a tube 106. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the sensor system 200 may include a housing 220 mounted to a flange 215 coupled to the tube 106. The flange 215 may include a split flange that is coupled to the top flange 214 of the tube 106, for example, via bolts 900. The flange 215 may include an aperture 902 formed therein through which a sensor probe 904 can extend downward into the annulus 116 between the umbilical 104 and the tube 106.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 11, an internal enclosure 1100 may be disposed within the housing 220, and this enclosure 1100 houses the electronics of the sensor system 200. The internal enclosure 1100 may be constructed from stainless steel and is waterproof to protect the electronics from the environment. The outer housing 220 may be constructed from polyurethane, providing a further protective shield (e.g., for UV protection) over the internal enclosure 1100, keeping the temperature within the enclosure 1100 lower. The outer housing 220 (and the entire sensor system 200) may also be impact / explosion resistant.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 9-11, the housing 220 may be mechanically fastened (e.g., via bolts) to a top surface 700 of the split flange 215. One or more sensor probes 904 may be attached to the internal electronics through one or more cable attachments (not shown). Each sensor probe 904 may include one or more sensors 108 and a cable 204. The sensor 108 is located outside of the housing 220 and coupled to the electronics in the housing 220 via the cable 204 extending from the housing 220. As shown, one or more sensors 108 are located along the cable 204, which is extended through the aperture 902 in the flange 215 to position the sensor 108 in the annulus 116 between the umbilical 104 and the tube 106.

[0059] An example of the electronics 1100 of the sensor system of FIGS. 9 and 10 are shown in FIG. 11. These electronics disposed in the internal enclosure 1102 form the data acquisition component (216 of FIG. 2) and the communication system (202 of FIG. 2) described above. The data acquisition and communication functions may be performed by separate modules (communication module 1104 and data acquisition module 1106) that are operably connected to one another, as shown in FIG. 11, or these functions may be incorporated into a single electronics module or spread out in other ways across different electronics modules within the internal enclosure 1102. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 11, the communication system 202 may include both the enclosed communication module 1104 and an external antenna 1108 disposed on an outside of the housing 220. The communication system 202 acts as a wireless transmitter for transmitting data indicative of the sensor measurements to a remote location (e.g., 206 of FIG. 2). In some embodiments, the communication system 202 may connectautomatically to Wi-Fi or another network (e.g., 210 of FIG. 2). The electronics 1100 may be configured to wake up at regular intervals (e.g., every 30 minutes), sample sensor data, and transmit the data via the communication system 202.

[0060] The internal electronics 1100 in FIG. 11 may be battery powered, and both electronics modules 1102 / 1104 (e.g., electronics boards) may be powered by their own dedicated battery 1110 / 1112 as shown. The batteries 1110 / 1112 may have a battery life of over 2 years, meaning that the sensor system 200 requires very little maintenance. In some embodiments, the sensor system 200 (including the housing 220 and / or the internal enclosure 1100) may be configured such that the batteries 1110 / 1112 can be easily removed and replaced with new batteries.

[0061] One or more cables 204 may be run inside the tube annulus to take sensor measurements that are then received by the electronics 1100. The sensor(s) may be a commercially available package including a cable 204 with a sensor probe 108 on the end. The cable 204 may be in stainless steel tubing that is gas proof. Multiple sensors 108 may be located at different positions along a length of cable 204 extending through the annulus, as illustrated. Some sensor(s) 108 may be positioned along the cable 204 so that they are located toward the top of the tube, just through the hole of the flange 215, while other sensors 108 further down the cable 204 may be positioned so they capture measurements at a predetermined critical location in the annulus. Such location(s) may be predetermined, for example, based on prior thermal analysis indicating that location is expected to have the highest annulus temperatures.

[0062] A method of assembling an umbilical monitoring system will now be described with reference to FIGS. 12A-12C. At FIG. 12A, the method may begin with disposing a data acquisition component (216) and at least part of a communication system (202) inside a housing 220. The data acquisition component (216) and communication system (202) may be electronics modules (1104 / 1106) that are first disposed in an internal enclosure (1100) that is then positioned in the housing 220. The device may be enclosed in the protective housing 220, ready to install. The method may further include coupling a sensor (108) to the data acquisition component (202) via a cable 204 that extends outside of the housing 220 such that the sensor 108 is located outside of the housing 220. The flexible sensor probe lead (cable 204), which is shown truncated in FIG. 12A, may be supplied in a coiled fashion that is first unwrapped and extended. At FIG. 12B, the method includes extending the cable 204 through an aperture 902 in the flange 215 such that the sensor (108) is on an opposite side of the flange 215 from the housing 220. The sensor (108) is thus placed into the annulus (116) between the tube 106 and the umbilical (104). The length of cable 204 holding the sensor (108) may be fed into the aperture 902 in the flange 215 until it reaches the desired depth in the annulus (e.g.,corresponding to a critical sensing location). At FIG. 12C, the method includes securing the housing 220 to the flange 215. The sensor system in the housing 220 is brought into position above the flange 215 in FIG. 12C as the sensor (108) is lowered until a probe stop (e.g., 1000 shown in FIG. 10) on the cable 204 is fully inserted in an entry hole (aperture 902) of the flange. Then, the housing 220 is affixed to the split flange 215, e.g., using bolts. Once assembled, the sensor system may record and send data automatically via a network without intervention. It does not require maintenance during operation and is capable of 2 years or more battery operation. To remove the sensor system, the bolts may be removed and the sensor device in the housing 220 lifted off the flange 215, with the cable 204 removed.

[0063] FIG. 13 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method 1300 for monitoring conditions of a subsea umbilical, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. A portion of the subsea umbilical extends through a tube that is coupled to an offshore structure at a surface location, and the umbilical extends from the surface location to a subsea location, as described above. It should be noted that the method 1300 shown in FIG. 13 is merely an example and other embodiments may include additional steps not shown, have one or more illustrated steps removed, or have certain illustrated steps performed in different orders than shown, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Certain steps may be performed by a sensor system that is installed at a location proximate the umbilical / tube, while other steps may be performed by a remote monitoring system communicatively coupled to the sensor system.

[0064] The steps shown at blocks 1302-1306 may be performed by the sensor system. At block 1302, the method 1300 includes sensing one or more parameters from a location in an annulus between an inner wall of the tube and an outer surface of the subsea umbilical, via one or more sensors disposed in the annulus. At block 1304, the method 1300 may include collecting data indicative of the one or more parameters at a data acquisition component coupled between the one or more sensors and the communication system. At block 1306, the method 1300 includes transmitting the data indicative of the one or more parameters to a remote monitoring system via a communication system. This transmission may be performed in real time or near-real time upon sensing the one or more parameters.

[0065] The steps shown at blocks 1308-1316 may be performed by the remote monitoring system. At block 1308, the method 1300 may include comparing the data indicative of the one or more parameters with one or more threshold values. If the data exceeds a corresponding threshold value, the remote monitoring system may output an alert at block 1310. At block 1312, the method 1300 may include storing the transmitted data in the remote monitoringsystem with a time stamp and tracking a history of the one or more parameters. At block 1314, the method 1300 may include calculating an integrity status of the umbilical (and / or tube) based on the history of the one or more parameters. At block 1316, the method 1300 may include displaying the data indicative of the one or more parameters and the integrity status of the umbilical (and / or tube).

[0066] As discussed at length above, offshore system monitoring using the disclosed sensor systems and methods allow for asset integrity management and production performance improvement.

[0067] The following are illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure:

[0068] Embodiment 1 : A system, including: a tube coupled to a topside structure at a surface location, wherein the tube is an I-Tube or a J-Tube; a subsea umbilical extending from the surface location to an underwater location, wherein the subsea umbilical is supported by the tube and a portion of the subsea umbilical extends through the tube; a sensor disposed within an annulus between an inner wall of the tube and an outer surface of the subsea umbilical, the sensor configured to take sensor measurements from a location in the annulus; and a communication system communicatively coupled to the sensor and configured to transmit data indicative of the sensor measurements to a remote location.

[0069] Embodiment 2: The system of Embodiment 1, wherein the sensor includes a temperature sensor, a magnetic field sensor, a vibration sensor, or a combination thereof.

[0070] Embodiment 3: The system of Embodiment 1, further including: a data acquisition component coupled between the sensor and the communication system; and a cable connecting the sensor to the data acquisition component, wherein the cable is extending from a location above the tube to the location in the annulus.

[0071] Embodiment 4: The system of Embodiment 3, wherein multiple sensors are located at different positions along a length of the cable extending through the annulus.

[0072] Embodiment 5: The system of Embodiment 3, further including a flange coupled to an upper part of the tube, wherein the data acquisition component and the communication system are disposed on the flange and the cable extends through an aperture in the flange into the annulus.

[0073] Embodiment 6: The system of Embodiment 5, further including a housing in which the data acquisition component and at least part of the communication system are located, the housing being coupled to the flange.

[0074] Embodiment 7: The system of Embodiment 6, wherein the communication system includes an antenna disposed on an outside of the housing.

[0075] Embodiment 8: The system of Embodiment 6, wherein light indicators are coupled to the housing to provide local alerts of levels of risk to the umbilical.

[0076] Embodiment 9: The system of Embodiment 6, further including an internal enclosure housing the data acquisition component and at least part of the communication system, the internal enclosure being disposed within the housing.

[0077] Embodiment 10: The system of Embodiment 5, wherein the data acquisition component and the communication system are coupled directly to or embedded into the flange.

[0078] Embodiment 11 : The system of Embodiment 1, wherein the sensor is coupled directly to the outer surface of the umbilical.

[0079] Embodiment 12: The system of Embodiment 1, wherein the communication system includes a wireless transmitter coupled to or integrated into the sensor and located within the annulus.

[0080] Embodiment 13: The system of Embodiment 1, wherein the communication system includes an electronic board with an antenna configured to connect automatically to Wi-Fi.

[0081] Embodiment 14: The system of Embodiment 1, wherein the communication system is configured to periodically transmit data indicative of the sensor measurements to the remote location.

[0082] Embodiment 15: The system of Embodiment 1, further including a power source for operating the sensor and the communication system, the power source including a battery, a thermoelectric generator (TEG), a magnetic field based generator, a wave variation generator, or a combination thereof.

[0083] Embodiment 16: The system of Embodiment 1, wherein the communication system includes a communication line in the umbilical.

[0084] Embodiment 17: The system of Embodiment 1, wherein the sensor is operably coupled to the umbilical and configured to receive operating power from a power line in the umbilical.

[0085] Embodiment 18: The system of Embodiment 1, further including a secondary communication system communicatively coupled to the sensor and configured to output optical signals.

[0086] Embodiment 19: A method for monitoring conditions of a subsea umbilical extending from a surface location to a subsea location, a portion of the subsea umbilical extending through a tube that is coupled to a topside structure at the surface location, the method including: sensing one or more parameters from a location in an annulus between an inner wall of the tube and an outer surface of the subsea umbilical, via one or more sensors disposed in the annulus;and transmitting data indicative of the one or more parameters to a remote monitoring system via a communication system communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors.

[0087] Embodiment 20: The method of Embodiment 19, further including collecting data indicative of the one or more parameters at a data acquisition component coupled between the one or more sensors and the communication system.

[0088] Embodiment 21 : The method of Embodiment 19, wherein transmitting the data indicative of the one or more parameters is performed in real time or near-real time upon sensing the one or more parameters.

[0089] Embodiment 22: The method of Embodiment 19, further including, via the remote monitoring system: comparing the data indicative of the one or more parameters with one or more threshold values; and outputting an alert upon the data exceeding a corresponding threshold value.

[0090] Embodiment 23: The method of Embodiment 19, further including storing the transmitted data in the remote monitoring system with a time stamp and tracking a history of the one or more parameters.

[0091] Embodiment 24: The method of Embodiment 23, further including, via the remote monitoring system: calculating an integrity status of the umbilical based on the history of the one or more parameters; and displaying the data indicative of the one or more parameters and the integrity status of the umbilical.

[0092] Embodiment 25: A system for monitoring a subsea umbilical, including: a housing configured to be mounted to a flange coupled to a tube surrounding a portion of the subsea umbilical, the tube being an I-Tube or a J-Tube; a data acquisition component disposed inside the housing; a sensor located outside of the housing and coupled to the data acquisition component in the housing via a cable extending from the housing, the sensor configured to be positioned in an annulus between the subsea umbilical and the tube by extending the cable through an aperture in the flange; and a communication system disposed at least partially inside the housing and having a wireless transmitter for transmitting data indicative of the sensor measurements to a remote location.

[0093] Embodiment 26: The system of Embodiment 25, the system is high-temperature resistant, UV resistant, and explosion resistant.

[0094] Embodiment 27: A method of assembling an umbilical monitoring system, the method including: disposing a data acquisition component and at least part of a communication system inside a housing; coupling a sensor to the data acquisition component via a cable that extends outside of the housing such that the sensor is located outside of the housing; extending thecable through an aperture in a flange such that the sensor is on an opposite side of the flange from the housing; and securing the housing to the flange.

[0095] It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of example embodiments. For example, the functions described above and implemented as the best mode for operating the present invention are for illustration purposes only. Other arrangements and methods may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. Moreover, those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising: a tube coupled to a topside structure at a surface location, wherein the tube is an I-Tube or a J-Tube; a subsea umbilical extending from the surface location to an underwater location, wherein the subsea umbilical is supported by the tube and a portion of the subsea umbilical extends through the tube; a sensor disposed within an annulus between an inner wall of the tube and an outer surface of the subsea umbilical, the sensor configured to take sensor measurements from a location in the annulus; and a communication system communicatively coupled to the sensor and configured to transmit data indicative of the sensor measurements to a remote location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor, a magnetic field sensor, a vibration sensor, or a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a data acquisition component coupled between the sensor and the communication system; and a cable connecting the sensor to the data acquisition component, wherein the cable is extending from a location above the tube to the location in the annulus.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein multiple sensors are located at different positions along a length of the cable extending through the annulus.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising a flange coupled to an upper part of the tube, wherein the data acquisition component and the communication system are disposed on the flange and the cable extends through an aperture in the flange into the annulus.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a housing in which the data acquisition component and at least part of the communication system are located, the housing being coupled to the flange.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the communication system comprises an antenna disposed on an outside of the housing.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein light indicators are coupled to the housing to provide local alerts of levels of risk to the umbilical.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising an internal enclosure housing the data acquisition component and at least part of the communication system, the internal enclosure being disposed within the housing.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the data acquisition component and the communication system are coupled directly to or embedded into the flange.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is coupled directly to the outer surface of the umbilical.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system comprises a wireless transmitter coupled to or integrated into the sensor and located within the annulus.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system comprises an electronic board with an antenna configured to connect automatically to Wi-Fi.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system is configured to periodically transmit data indicative of the sensor measurements to the remote location.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power source for operating the sensor and the communication system, the power source comprising a battery, a thermoelectric generator (TEG), a magnetic field based generator, a wave variation generator, one or more solar panels, or a combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication system comprises a communication line in the umbilical.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is operably coupled to the umbilical and configured to receive operating power from a power line in the umbilical.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a secondary communication system communicatively coupled to the sensor and configured to output optical signals.

19. A method for monitoring conditions of a subsea umbilical extending from a surface location to a subsea location, a portion of the subsea umbilical extending through a tube that is coupled to a topside structure at the surface location, the method comprising: sensing one or more parameters from a location in an annulus between an inner wall of the tube and an outer surface of the subsea umbilical, via one or more sensors disposed in the annulus; and transmitting data indicative of the one or more parameters to a remote monitoring system via a communication system communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising collecting data indicative of the one or more parameters at a data acquisition component coupled between the one or more sensors and the communication system.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting the data indicative of the one or more parameters is performed in real time or near-real time upon sensing the one or more parameters.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising, via the remote monitoring system: comparing the data indicative of the one or more parameters with one or more threshold values; and outputting an alert upon the data exceeding a corresponding threshold value.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing the transmitted data in the remote monitoring system with a time stamp and tracking a history of the one or more parameters.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising, via the remote monitoring system:calculating an integrity status of the umbilical based on the history of the one or more parameters; and displaying the data indicative of the one or more parameters and the integrity status of the umbilical.

25. A system for monitoring a subsea umbilical, comprising: a housing configured to be mounted to a flange coupled to a tube surrounding a portion of the subsea umbilical, the tube being an I-Tube or a J-Tube; a data acquisition component disposed inside the housing; a sensor located outside of the housing and coupled to the data acquisition component in the housing via a cable extending from the housing, the sensor configured to be positioned in an annulus between the subsea umbilical and the tube by extending the cable through an aperture in the flange; and a communication system disposed at least partially inside the housing and having a wireless transmitter for transmitting data indicative of the sensor measurements to a remote location.

26. The system of claim 25, the system is high-temperature resistant, UV resistant, and explosion resistant.

27. A method of assembling an umbilical monitoring system, the method comprising: disposing a data acquisition component and at least part of a communication system inside a housing; coupling a sensor to the data acquisition component via a cable that extends outside of the housing such that the sensor is located outside of the housing; extending the cable through an aperture in a flange such that the sensor is on an opposite side of the flange from the housing; and securing the housing to the flange.

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