Heave Compensation Apparatus with Backup Hydraulic Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heave compensation systems on floating drilling vessels face challenges in maintaining stability during wave motion, leading to potential safety issues and operational inefficiencies, particularly during 'locked-to-bottom' operations, as they often require additional safety measures that constrain productivity and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A heave compensation and tensioning apparatus comprising hydraulic cylinders, piston accumulators, and a control valve assembly with bypass fluid flowpaths, allowing the system to automatically compensate for vessel heave and lock the piston rods at any point, ensuring continuous operation even if the primary compensator fails, and reducing the need for additional safety measures like inline tensioners or weak links.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional safety measures like inline tensioners or weak links are implemented, then system reliability improves, but device complexity and operational constraints increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a backup heave compensation system that is pre-configured and ready to activate automatically if the primary system fails. This beforehand cushioning approach ensures system reliability without requiring complex additional safety measures during operation, as the backup system provides the necessary safety margin in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a backup heave compensation system that replicates the primary system's functionality. This copying approach provides redundancy and reliability without significantly increasing overall system complexity, as the backup system uses similar components and mechanisms to the primary system.
2Reliability
If additional safety measures like inline tensioners are added, then system reliability improves, but ease of operation and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The backup heave compensation system is designed to activate automatically without requiring manual intervention or additional operational procedures. The system self-regulates and maintains heave compensation functionality, ensuring reliability while preserving ease of operation and productivity by eliminating the need for operators to manage complex additional safety measures.
3Productivity
If the primary compensator fails, then operational downtime increases, but implementing a backup system increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a backup heave compensation system that is pre-configured and ready to activate automatically if the primary system fails. This beforehand cushioning approach ensures operational continuity without requiring complex additional safety measures during operation, as the backup system provides the necessary safety margin in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a backup heave compensation system that replicates the primary system's functionality. This copying approach provides redundancy and operational continuity without significantly increasing overall system complexity, as the backup system uses similar components and mechanisms to the primary system.
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 apparatus provides reliable heave compensation, reducing the risk of equipment failure and downtime by automatically activating as a backup or primary compensator, maintaining stability and safety during wave motion while minimizing weight and footprint, thus enhancing operational efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
Passive heave compensators employ hydraulic cylinders and associated gas accumulators to store and dissipate the wave energy.
Implementation Method 2
hydraulic cylinders, piston accumulators, and a control valve assembly with bypass fluid flowpaths, allowing the system to automatically compensate for vessel heave
Data Source
AI summary
A heave compensation and tensioning apparatus for use on a floating vessel during “locked-to-bottom” operations is provided. The apparatus includes a pair of hydraulic cylinders that are fixed to a lower section of a frame. Respective free ends of piston rods of the hydraulic cylinders are operatively associated with an upper section of the frame. A pair of accumulators are in communication with pressure vessels and the cylinders using a pneumatic fluid line and a primary hydraulic fluid line, respectively. A control valve assembly allows the piston rods to retract or extend in response to, and to compensate for, heave of the floating vessel. An isolation valve can hydraulically lock the piston rods. In this way, the heave compensation and tensioning apparatus forms a rigid link and can be employed as a secondary or back-up heave compensator for a primary heave compensator.