Removable Bend Restrictor Structure for Flexible Pipe Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible pipes used in deep and ultra-deep water environments face challenges such as over-bending, increased temperatures due to bend restrictors, and higher tie-in loads, which can reduce their service life and increase the risk of damage, especially during installation and in remote or inaccessible locations.
Innovation Solution
A bend restrictor design featuring pivotably connected parts with a flexible joining member that can be easily installed and removed, allowing the pipe to assume different shapes and reducing the need for high-temperature materials, thereby minimizing the tie-in load and extending the pipe's service life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bend restrictor is installed around the flexible pipe to prevent over-bending, then the pipe is protected from damage, but the temperature around the pipe increases due to insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The bend restrictor is designed as a removable device that can be installed temporarily during installation and then removed during operation. This dynamic approach allows the pipe to be protected when needed (during installation) while eliminating the harmful thermal insulation effect during normal operation when the pipe requires heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The bend restrictor is installed beforehand during the installation process to prevent over-bending damage, but is then removed before the pipe enters its operational phase. This preliminary action ensures protection during the vulnerable installation period without causing temperature issues during operation.
2Reliability
If a bend restrictor is permanently installed to protect the pipe, then over-bending is prevented, but tie-in loads increase reducing service life
Solution Approach 1:
The bend restrictor transitions from a permanent to a temporary solution. It is installed during the installation phase to provide necessary protection, then removed before operation begins. This eliminates the continuous tie-in loads that would otherwise reduce the pipe's service life during its operational lifetime.
Solution Approach 2:
The bend restrictor is used periodically only during the installation phase and then removed. This periodic application provides protection when needed without imposing continuous loads that would degrade the pipe over its service life.
3Temperature
If high-temperature resistant materials are used in the pipe to withstand heat from bend restrictors, then temperature resistance is improved, but material cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bend restrictor is extracted or removed from the system after installation, eliminating the source of heat insulation. This removes the need to use expensive high-temperature resistant materials, allowing the use of standard, more cost-effective pipe materials during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a state where the bend restrictor is present (requiring high-temperature materials) to a state where it is removed (allowing standard materials). This dynamic configuration allows cost-effective material selection for the operational phase while maintaining protection during installation.
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 design enables rapid installation and removal of the bend restrictor, reducing the risk of over-bending and temperature-related issues, allowing the use of less expensive materials and minimizing damage to connections and installations, thus extending the flexible pipe's service life and reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible joining member that can be easily installed and removed, allowing the pipe to assume different shapes
Data Source
AI summary
An element for a bend restrictor including a first part and a second part which together provide a cavity for receipt of a flexible pipe, in use, the two parts are pivotably connected together at a first portion thereof and are releasably coupled or couplable together at a second portion thereof. Successive elements may be secured together to form a bend restrictor.