Retrofit Clamp for Subsea Riser Cable Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current coupling mechanisms for oil and gas processes inadequately secure communication lines in subsea applications, leading to damage, increased deployment times, and interference from physical factors like sea life, due to inadequate coupling and improper positioning during riser operations.
Innovation Solution
A clamp assembly with a housing that engages straps or circular members, allowing for secure and adjustable positioning along the riser length, featuring a swivel assembly to manage communication lines and prevent damage, and enabling simultaneous attachment with riser joints, reducing deployment time and risk of damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If communication lines are attached to riser joints at inappropriate locations, then the coupling mechanism can be installed, but deployment time increases dramatically due to extra pauses
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp is pre-positioned on the riser joint at the appropriate location before the communication line is attached. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for pauses during deployment to locate and attach the clamp, thereby reducing deployment time while maintaining ease of installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp is designed to be universally applicable to different riser joint configurations and can be positioned at any location along the riser length. This multi-functionality allows it to be pre-installed at optimal positions without requiring custom modifications for each specific installation scenario.
2Adaptability or versatility
If clamps are fitted above or below floatation without cutouts, then installation is possible, but extra stopping points are added during riser run
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to be installed at any location along the riser length without requiring fixed positions relative to floatation elements. This flexibility enables continuous riser assembly operations without mandatory stopping points, improving productivity while maintaining adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If communication lines are inadequately coupled to riser string, then installation is simpler, but components are at risk of damage and become inoperable
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp serves as an intermediary component between the riser joint and the communication line. It provides a secure attachment point that simplifies the installation process while ensuring reliable coupling, thereby protecting the communication line from damage and maintaining system operability.
4Reliability
If riser is released from subsea installation due to BOP tripping, then safety is improved, but various lines are cut and components become inoperable
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp design allows for selective release of the IWOCS line while maintaining attachment of other lines to the riser. This segmentation capability enables safe BOP tripping without necessarily cutting all communication lines, thereby improving safety while minimizing line damage and component failure.
Data Source
AI summary
A clamp for placement about a riser having an assembly with a housing for releasably engaging at least one strap, the strap having a first and second end wherein the first and second ends are releasably attached to the housing, a plate on the housing for selectively engaging the first and second ends of the strap; and a support operably connected to the housing for releasably holding MUX, IWOC and other umbilical cables used in subsea applications. The housing may have two straps for engagement to a riser that shorten and lengthen by the turning of a screw through a plate engaged to the straps. The clamp may also have a hinged or fixed circular member for attachment around the riser. The cables are held by a hinged attachment to the housing that forms cylindrical vertical openings upon closure of the hinge.