Reduced Nylon Hydrocarbon Cable Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydrocarbon exploration hoses face reduced durability and increased costs due to stress risers from tape seams, and conventional replacements like extruded nylon increase weight and rigidity, making them less manageable and more expensive.
Innovation Solution
A hydrocarbon application cable design featuring a communicative core surrounded by a lightweight intermediate polymer layer and a wear-resistant outer polymer jacket, with tie layers for adhesion, reduces stress risers and overall weight while maintaining environmental resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If overlapping polymer tape is used to provide flexibility and blowout resistance, then the hose achieves sufficient flexibility and pressure resistance, but stress risers from tape seams reduce the outer polymer jacket life
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the problematic overlapping tape component entirely, replacing it with a seamless extruded polymer construction that maintains flexibility through molecular structure rather than physical layering, thereby removing the source of stress risers while preserving the desired flexibility characteristic
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite material science by formulating a multi-layer extruded polymer structure with different polymer compositions in each layer, where the composite nature provides both flexibility and durability without requiring overlapping seams, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability
2Reliability
If extruded nylon is used to replace polymer tape and eliminate stress risers, then the outer polymer jacket durability is extended, but the hose weight and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies parameter changes by modifying the polymer composition, layer thickness, and extrusion parameters to create a multi-layer structure that achieves the desired durability without requiring the full weight of solid nylon construction, thus extending service life while controlling weight through optimized material parameters
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite materials with different polymer layers serving different functions - some layers provide durability and wear resistance while others provide flexibility and weight reduction, achieving an optimal balance that prevents the need for heavy solid nylon construction
3Reliability
If extruded nylon is used to replace polymer tape, then stress risers are eliminated and durability is improved, but the hose cost increases from $6-$10 per pound to well over $100,000 replacement cost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses composite polymer materials that provide durability equivalent to expensive nylon at lower cost through optimized layer combinations, achieving reliable performance while maintaining cost-effectiveness in the manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes extrusion parameters, layer thickness, and material composition to reduce the amount of expensive durable material needed while maintaining overall hose durability, thereby controlling manufacturing costs through precise parameter control
4Reliability
If solid extruded nylon is used throughout the hose construction, then durability is maximized, but flexibility and manageability are significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by assigning different polymer properties to different layers and regions of the hose - some layers are formulated for durability and wear resistance while others are formulated for flexibility, with each local region optimized for its specific functional requirement rather than uniform construction
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite materials with polymers of varying characteristics in different layers, creating a multi-functional structure where the combination of materials provides both durability and flexibility that neither material could achieve alone in solid form
Data Source
AI summary
A hydrocarbon application cable of reduced nylon with increased flexibility and useful life. The cable may be of a hose or solid configuration and particularly beneficial for use in marine operations. A power and data communicative core of the cable may be surrounded by a lightweight intermediate polymer layer of a given hardness which is ultimately then surrounded by an outer polymer jacket having a hardness that is greater than the given hardness. Thus, a lighter weight polymer is provided interior of the outer polymer jacket, which may be of nylon or other suitably hard material. As such, the overall weight and cost of the cable may be substantially reduced.