Spoolable Pipe Coil Drum Handling for Automated Vessel Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for loading and unloading coils of flexible pipe are inefficient and require significant manual labor and additional equipment, especially due to the large and heavy nature of these coils, which complicates transportation and deployment processes.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a first tower and a second tower configured to move along tracks on a vessel, coupled with a coil drum assembly that can be inserted into the coil, extended to support it, and rotated for deployment, allowing for automated handling and deployment of coils of spoolable pipe.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If traditional methods are used to load and unload coils of flexible pipe, then the coils can be transported and deployed, but significant manual labor and additional equipment are required
Solution Approach 1:
The coil drum assembly is inserted into the interior channel of the coiled pipe, with the drum nested inside the coil structure. This allows the handling equipment to integrate with the coil's own geometry, automating the loading and unloading process without requiring external cranes or manual labor while keeping the device structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The coil drum assembly utilizes the coil's interior channel as part of its support and handling mechanism. The coil's own structure serves the dual purpose of containing the fluid and providing a pathway for the handling equipment, thereby automating the process without additional complex external equipment.
2Reliability
If coils of flexible pipe are made large and heavy to accommodate high pressures and temperatures, then durability and operational capability are improved, but the loading and unloading process becomes more difficult and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The heavy coil is handled by nesting the drum assembly inside its interior channel, allowing the handling mechanism to leverage the coil's own structure. This eliminates the need for external cranes or manual lifting equipment, making even heavy coils easy to load and unload while maintaining their durability for high-pressure and high-temperature operations.
3Productivity
If extra equipment and manual labor are used to handle coils, then the coils can be loaded and unloaded, but the process becomes less efficient and more time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The coil handling system uses the coil's interior channel as an integrated part of the handling mechanism. The drum assembly moves through the interior channel to engage and support the coil, eliminating the need for separate loading and unloading equipment. This self-service approach dramatically improves deployment efficiency and reduces the time required for these operations.
4Ease of operation
If the coil drum assembly is extended to support the coil, then the coil can be properly positioned and deployed, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The coil drum assembly is designed with dynamic extendability, allowing it to adjust its length to match the interior channel of the coil. This dynamic adaptation simplifies the positioning process, as the drum automatically conforms to the coil's dimensions without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms or multiple fixed-size components.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for deploying a coil of spoolable pipe from a vessel includes a first tower configured to move longitudinally and transversely along a first track coupled to the vessel, a second tower configured to move longitudinally along a second track coupled to the vessel, and a coil drum assembly coupled to the first tower. The first tower is configured to insert the coil drum assembly transversely into an interior channel of the coil when the coil drum assembly is in a retracted position, the coil drum assembly is configured to support the coil when the coil drum assembly is in an extended position and rotate during deployment of the spoolable pipe, and the first tower and the second tower are configured to move the coil drum assembly vertically.