Mandrel Mounting Sleeve With Ball Locking for Subsea Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In offshore energy applications, accurately aligning a mandrel aperture with a pin to secure a mooring line is challenging, especially in subsea environments where components are in constant relative motion.
Innovation Solution
A mounting device with an elongate housing, an internal passageway, and an elongate sleeve allows for longitudinal movement, featuring ball-receiving recesses and apertures that secure the mandrel without requiring precise alignment through the use of biasing means and spring-loaded mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pin is used to secure the mandrel in the housing, then the mandrel can be securely fixed, but accurate alignment of the mandrel aperture with the pin is very difficult in subsea environments
Solution Approach 1:
The securing mechanism is segmented into multiple ball elements distributed around the mandrel's circumference. Instead of relying on a single pin requiring precise alignment, multiple balls are positioned in recesses that can engage with corresponding features on the mandrel, distributing the securing function across multiple points and reducing alignment requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball elements act as intermediaries between the mandrel and the housing. Rather than direct pin-to-aperture engagement requiring precise alignment, the balls serve as mediating elements that can accommodate misalignment while still achieving secure engagement through their spherical geometry and biased positioning.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the mandrel and housing are kept separate in subsea environments, then they can be independently deployed, but they are in constant relative motion making alignment difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting device incorporates dynamic elements including spring-biased balls that can move radially to engage or disengage from the mandrel. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to relative motion between the mandrel and housing during deployment and operation, automatically adjusting to maintain engagement without requiring precise static alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-biased ball mechanism provides self-aligning capability. As the mandrel is inserted or moves relative to the housing, the balls automatically position themselves through their spring bias and spherical geometry to engage with the mandrel's peripheral recesses, eliminating the need for external alignment procedures or complex positioning mechanisms.
3Manufacturing precision
If balls are used to engage with peripheral recesses instead of a pin, then accurate alignment is not required, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The ball elements serve multiple functions: they provide securing engagement, accommodate misalignment, and enable easy release when the mandrel is pulled. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate alignment mechanisms or complex positioning systems, as the same simple ball elements handle both alignment tolerance and securing functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball elements are simple, inexpensive components that can be easily replaced if needed. Their simplicity in design (basic spherical geometry with spring bias) makes them cheaper and less complex than precision pins or complex alignment mechanisms, while still achieving the required securing function without precise alignment.
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 solution facilitates the securement of a mooring line by allowing the mandrel to be drawn into the housing and secured via balls engaging with peripheral recesses, enhancing ease and reliability in offshore energy applications.
Implementation Method 1
biasing means configured to bias the sleeve in a direction to urge the balls to project radially inwards through their respective apertures in the sleeve
Implementation Method 2
each recess having a ball-guiding surface inclined to the longitudinal axis
Data Source
AI summary
A mounting device for an elongate member, comprising: an elongate housing having an elongate axis; an internal passageway passing through the elongate housing parallel to the elongate axis; an elongate sleeve located within the internal passageway and being configured for longitudinal movement along the passageway; a plurality of ball-receiving recesses in the wall of the internal passageway, each recess having a ball-guiding surface inclined to the longitudinal axis; a plurality of apertures in the sleeve; a ball located in each of the ball-receiving recesses and engaged with a respective aperture in the sleeve, the balls and the apertures being configured to allow the balls to project partially through the apertures but to prevent balls from passing through; biasing means configured to bias the sleeve in a direction to urge the balls to project radially inwardly through their respective apertures in the sleeve and into the internal passageway.