BOP Hydraulic Actuation with Vent-Based Partial Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Testing and maintaining the reliability of hydraulically-actuated blowout preventers (BOPs) is challenging due to the need for full system actuation, which is time- and cost-intensive, and existing safety systems lack sufficient fault-tolerance and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The system employs electrically-actuated valves and redundant sensors to selectively direct fluid from a pressure source to a BOP, allowing for component testing without full actuation, and includes a processor to manage valve positions based on sensor data to detect faults and maintain system reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full actuation of the BOP is performed for testing, then reliability of the system is improved, but time consumption and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic system is divided into multiple testable segments. The vent valve allows testing of the pressure source and upstream components independently by directing fluid to the vent rather than requiring full BOP actuation. This segmentation enables partial system testing that validates critical components without the time and cost of complete actuation.
2Reliability
If full actuation of the BOP is performed for testing, then reliability of the system is improved, but manufacturing and operational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vent valve extracts the testing function from the full actuation sequence. By providing a dedicated vent path, the system can isolate and test specific components (pressure source, valves, hydraulic lines) without requiring the expensive and time-consuming full BOP actuation procedure, thereby reducing testing costs while maintaining reliability validation.
3Reliability
If redundant sensors and electrically-actuated valves are added, then fault-tolerance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Redundant sensors and electrically-actuated valves are installed in advance as preliminary protective measures. These components remain dormant during normal operation but automatically activate to detect faults or provide alternative actuation paths when needed, improving fault-tolerance without significantly impacting day-to-day system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables efficient testing and increased fault-tolerance of BOPs, reducing the probability of failure when needed and enhancing overall system reliability without requiring full actuation, thus improving safety and reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
a valve configured to selectively direct fluid from a pressure source to the hydraulically-actuated device or to a vent
Implementation Method 2
sensor configured to detect at least one of: (i) loss of fluid communication between the blowout preventer stack and an above-sea control station; and (ii) disconnection of the lower marine riser package from the blowout preventer stack
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure includes systems and methods for actuating hydraulically-actuated devices.