Collapse-Resistant Hose Fitting Assembly for Seawater Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hose fitting assemblies in high-pressure subsea applications face issues with seawater ingress, leading to corrosion and potential failure due to inadequate sealing, especially at the interface with the fitting assembly.
Innovation Solution
A hose fitting assembly design that includes a sleeve, a fitting with a rearward end portion configured to receive the hose, a nipple for internal engagement, and seals that energize against the inner layer of the hose to enhance sealing, along with a sacrificial unbonded tube layer for ease of assembly and reduced risk of damage during skiving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sealing methods are used at the hose fitting interface, then the assembly is simpler to manufacture, but seawater ingress occurs leading to corrosion and failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested sealing structure where an inner seal is positioned within the fitting assembly's internal cavity, and an outer seal is positioned at the interface between the sleeve and hose. This multi-layer nested sealing approach prevents seawater ingress while maintaining structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity by organizing sealing functions in a hierarchical manner.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces seals as intermediary elements between the fitting assembly and the hose. These seals act as mediators that prevent direct contact between seawater and the hose interior, eliminating corrosion pathways. The intermediary seals resolve the contradiction by adding a protective layer that enhances reliability without significantly increasing overall assembly complexity.
2Ease of operation
If the carcass is manipulated during assembly, then the hose can be assembled, but the process becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sealing function from the carcass manipulation process. Instead of requiring carcass manipulation to achieve assembly, the design uses dedicated seals that can be independently installed. This extraction allows the hose to be assembled without difficult carcass manipulation, improving ease of operation while reducing assembly time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the assembly process into independent steps: hose insertion, seal installation, and sleeve crimping. By separating the sealing function from carcass manipulation, each step can be performed independently and more easily. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by making the overall assembly process less difficult and faster.
3Reliability
If only an outer seal is used, then the fitting assembly is simpler, but sealing performance is insufficient under high external pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested sealing structure where an inner seal is positioned within the fitting assembly's internal cavity, and an outer seal is positioned at the interface between the sleeve and hose. This multi-layer nested sealing approach prevents seawater ingress while maintaining structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity by organizing sealing functions in a hierarchical manner.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different sealing qualities at different locations: the inner seal provides primary sealing within the fitting cavity, while the outer seal provides secondary sealing at the sleeve-hose interface. This local differentiation of sealing functions ensures adequate protection under high external pressure without requiring a uniformly complex sealing structure throughout.
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 design significantly reduces seawater ingress, enhances sealing performance, and increases the longevity and reliability of the hose assembly by providing a robust seal against the inner layer of the hose, achieving higher burst pressures and simplifying the assembly process.
Implementation Method 1
at least one seal operatively mounted in the internal cavity of the fitting and configured to seal against an outer surface of the at least one inner layer of the collapse-resistant hose
Implementation Method 2
The external subsea pressure may energize the seal against the inner layer to improve sealing performance
Data Source
AI summary
A hose fitting assembly for a collapse-resistant hose, includes a sleeve having a forward and rearward sleeve end portion, the rearward sleeve end portion having an opening adapted to receive a hose end portion; a fitting having an optionally flared rearward fitting end portion operatively coupled to the forward sleeve end portion, the rearward fitting end portion having an internal surface forming an internal cavity configured to receive the hose end portion; and an optionally threaded nipple operatively couplable to the fitting and extending rearwardly through the internal cavity of the fitting, the nipple being configured to fit within an internal hose passage. The fitting assembly may include a seal mounted in fitting and sealable against the core tube upon crimping. The fitting assembly may include a support ring between skived and unskived hose regions. A collapse-resistant hose includes a carcass with an optional unbonded sacrificial layer is also provided.