Remote Star-End Heating Layout for Subsea Flowlines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Subsea pipelines face challenges in maintaining high temperatures to prevent wax and hydrate deposition, which can lead to pipeline plugs, especially in longer tie-backs, and existing electrical heating systems suffer from power loss and thermal damage due to multiple star-end connections.
Innovation Solution
A subsea electrical heating system with a termination effecting a short-circuit connection between heating cables, located remotely from the pipeline, allowing for extended heating to ancillary structures like spools and manifolds without dedicated power distribution, and featuring a modular star-end connection for easy maintenance and heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If multiple star-end connections are made along the pipeline for heating, then heating coverage is improved, but power loss increases and thermal damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the star-end termination from the traditional in-line position along the pipeline to a remote offshore location, effectively changing the spatial dimension of the heating system architecture. This allows the heating cables to extend along the pipeline without intermediate star-end connections, reducing power loss while maintaining heating coverage through the extended cable run.
2Temperature
If heating cables are extended to ancillary structures like spools and manifolds, then thermal management of external equipment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating cable system is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides thermal management for the pipeline itself and simultaneously extends to ancillary structures such as spools and manifolds. This multi-functional approach allows a single heating system to protect multiple components, reducing the need for separate heating systems for each piece of equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the heating cable as an intermediary element that connects the power supply to both the pipeline and ancillary structures. By extending the cable run to remote locations and using it to trace multiple components, the system simplifies the overall architecture compared to installing dedicated heating systems for each piece of equipment.
3Ease of manufacture
If star-end connection is located at the pipeline end, then installation is simplified, but maintenance difficulty increases due to subsea location
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the star-end termination from its traditional position integrated with the pipeline structure and relocates it to a remote offshore location. This separation allows the termination to be accessed and maintained independently from the pipeline, facilitating easier repair and replacement without requiring intervention along the pipeline route.
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 effectively extends electrical heating to external equipment, reduces power loss, and facilitates easier maintenance by locating the star-end connection in a cold-water environment, enhancing thermal management and preventing pipeline plugs.
Implementation Method 1
Heat produced by passing an electric current along the cables is conducted firstly from the cables to the pipe wall and secondly through the pipe wall to the produced fluid flowing within the flowline
Implementation Method 2
locating the star-end connection in a cold-water environment, enhancing thermal management and preventing pipeline plugs
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A subsea installation for the production of hydrocarbons comprises a flowline and a group of heating cables extending along the flowline. A star end termination effecting short-circuit connection between the heating cables of the group is located at a subsea location remote from the flowline. For example, a subsea structure or fluid conduit in fluid communication with the flowline, such as a PLET or a spool, may be interposed between the termination and the flowline. The termination may be a module that is connectable electrically to the heating cables via flying leads and connector hubs.