Composite Jumper Conduit for Riser Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing drilling riser systems face challenges with high weight, corrosion, and poor reliability of flexible jumpers due to their metallic composition, which limits their pressure rating, causes fatigue, and complicates handling and maintenance, especially under high temperature and sour fluid conditions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a composite jumper conduit made from a polymer matrix with reinforcing elements such as carbon fibers, which exhibits higher strain rates and deformation capabilities than metallic components, allowing for more flexible and durable connections between the vessel and subsea equipment, reducing the need for multiple seals and simplifying handling and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metallic flexible jumpers are used to accommodate relative motion and high pressure, then pressure rating and flexibility are improved, but weight, corrosion susceptibility, and fatigue damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by replacing traditional metallic flexible jumpers with composite conduits that combine polymer matrices with reinforcing elements such as carbon fibers, glass fibers, or aramid fibers. This composite construction provides high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and fatigue durability while maintaining the necessary flexibility through controlled strain rates (up to 6% axial strain, 4% bending strain). The composite structure eliminates corrosion issues inherent in metallic jumpers and significantly reduces weight, addressing both reliability improvement and weight reduction goals.
2Adaptability or versatility
If metallic flexible jumpers are used to accommodate relative motion, then flexibility and motion accommodation are improved, but fatigue damage and operational downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The composite conduit maintains flexibility to accommodate relative motion through its material properties, allowing axial strains up to 6% and bending strains up to 4%, while the composite structure's inherent fatigue resistance eliminates the progressive degradation seen in metallic jumpers. The polymer matrix combined with high-strength reinforcing fibers creates a material that can repeatedly flex and bend without accumulating fatigue damage, thereby extending operational duration and eliminating unplanned downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters from metallic to composite, fundamentally altering the strain behavior and fatigue characteristics. The composite material exhibits non-linear elastic behavior with controlled strain rates that accommodate motion while preventing the fatigue crack propagation typical of metallic materials. This parameter change transforms the durability profile from finite-life metallic components to potentially infinite-life composite components under operational conditions.
3Stress or pressure
If multiple seals are used in metallic flexible jumpers to ensure fluid tightness, then pressure containment is improved, but reliability and maintenance complexity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the seal components from the flexible jumper system by using a continuous composite conduit construction. Instead of assembling multiple metallic sections with seals between them, the composite conduit is provided as a continuous, sealed structure that inherently maintains fluid tightness throughout its length. This extraction of seals removes the primary failure point in traditional jumper systems, significantly improving reliability while maintaining full pressure containment capability.
4Force
If buoyancy is added to reduce in-water weight, then riser top tension is reduced, but joint outside diameter and in-air weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The composite conduit material provides inherently low density (typically 1.5-2.0 g/cm³ compared to steel's 7.8 g/cm³), eliminating the need for additional buoyancy modules. The composite structure achieves negative buoyancy or near-neutral buoyancy through material selection alone, without adding external volume-increasing buoyancy elements. This reduces the joint outside diameter while simultaneously reducing in-air weight, as the composite material itself provides the weight reduction rather than requiring separate buoyancy compensation.
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
The composite jumper conduit enhances the system's ability to accommodate relative motion and high pressures, reduces the risk of damage and downtime, and minimizes hydrodynamic drag, while providing a more reliable and efficient fluid communication system.
Implementation Method 1
the composite conduit collectively defines a composite auxiliary conduit section which extends adjacent the primary conduit and a composite jumper conduit section which extends from the auxiliary conduit section to the vessel... wherein the composite material exhibits a higher strain rate to specific stress than an equivalent metallic component
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A riser system (10) comprises a primary conduit (20, 120) extending between a surface vessel (12) and a subsea location and an auxiliary conduit (22, 122) extending adjacent the primary conduit. In one example a composite jumper (40, 140) conduit extends from the surface vessel and is fluidly connected to the auxiliary conduit, said jumper conduit comprising a composite material formed of at least a matrix and one or more reinforcing elements embedded within the matrix. In one example a subsea composite jumper conduit (52) extends from subsea infrastructure and is fluidly connected to the auxiliary conduit, said subsea jumper conduit comprising a composite material formed of at least a matrix and one or more reinforcing elements embedded within the matrix.