Adjustable Jumper Insulation for Subsea Flowline Thermal Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current subsea oil and gas production facilities lack effective and cost-efficient cooling systems for handling high-temperature three-phase production fluids, leading to issues like upheaval buckling, lateral buckling, pipeline walking, and accelerated corrosion in flowlines, with no established subsea cooling systems available for such applications.
Innovation Solution
A system featuring a subsea conduit with adjustable insulation elements that can be controlled between cooling and heat retention modes, using bellows, folding radially extendable, or hinged shutter elements to manage heat transfer with seawater, allowing for efficient thermal management of production fluids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If fixed insulation is applied to subsea conduits, then heat retention is improved, but thermal management adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the insulation elements adjustable rather than fixed. The insulation elements can be positioned in different states (extended, retracted, partially extended) to dynamically adapt to varying thermal management requirements. This allows the system to switch between heat retention mode (insulation extended) and cooling mode (insulation retracted) based on operational conditions, resolving the contradiction between maintaining temperature and adapting to different thermal needs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If insulation elements are made adjustable, then thermal management adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the insulation system into multiple independent adjustable insulation elements that can be individually controlled. Each element can be independently positioned to extend or retract, allowing granular thermal management along different sections of the conduit. This segmentation enables adaptability without requiring a completely complex centralized system, as each element operates semi-independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible insulation elements that can be extended or retracted along the conduit. These flexible elements are designed to conform to the conduit while providing insulation when extended, and can be retracted to expose the conduit for cooling. This flexible design achieves adaptability through simple mechanical extension/retraction rather than complex active control mechanisms.
3Temperature
If water cooled heat exchangers are used topsides, then high temperature production fluids are cooled, but weight, space and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing the cooling function from the topside heat exchanger system and relocating it to the subsea level. The adjustable insulation elements at subsea provide passive cooling by allowing seawater to contact the conduit when insulation is retracted, eliminating or reducing the need for heavy topside water cooled heat exchangers. This extracts the thermal management function from the topside infrastructure and performs it in-situ at subsea.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies self-service by utilizing the natural cold seawater environment to cool the production fluids without requiring active cooling machinery. When the insulation elements are retracted, seawater naturally contacts the conduit and absorbs heat from the production fluids through passive heat transfer. This self-cooling mechanism eliminates or reduces the need for energy-consuming heat exchangers and associated heavy infrastructure.
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 system effectively controls heat transfer between the conduit and seawater, reducing the risk of buckling and corrosion, and extending the life of subsea flowlines while being cost-effective and adaptable for high-temperature subsea fields.
Implementation Method 1
at least one adjustable insulation element surrounding the conduit that can be adjusted between at least a first position in which the conduit is relatively less insulated with respect to seawater surrounding the conduit and a second position in which the conduit is relatively more insulated with respect to seawater surrounding the conduit
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems and methods for thermal management of subsea conduits such as jumpers that provide the ability to alternate between cooling and heat retention of production fluids within the conduit as needed depending on the phase of operation. Adjustable insulation elements are provided on the conduits so that convective heat transfer between surrounding seawater and the conduit can be allowed or reduced. A control system can activate an alarm indicating the need to adjust the insulation depending on the temperature and/or flow rate of fluids in the conduit. Conventional conduits can be retrofitted by adding adjustable insulation elements to enable thermal management.