Subsea Connector Bending Capacity via Collet Locking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Subsea connectors face limitations in bending capacity, which restrict the operational window and safety of subsea drilling, production, and completion systems, necessitating improvements to enhance load distribution and increase the 'watch circle' for better system efficiency and safety.
Innovation Solution
The development of a subsea connector with collet or dog style assemblies that include hydraulically or manually operated locking members and load support mechanisms, such as collet fingers, wedges, or dogs, which engage with the wellhead to increase bending capacity by providing a secondary load path through grooves and support rings, allowing for enhanced load distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional wellhead connectors are used with single load path design, then the device complexity is low, but the bending capacity is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into multiple functional segments: locking members (dogs or collets) for radial engagement, load support members for axial loading, and grooves in the wellhead for load distribution. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific load types, increasing overall bending capacity while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single load path to a dual load path system by adding radial engagement through locking members that contact the wellhead outer profile. This adds a radial dimension to the traditionally axial load path, creating two independent load paths that work together to increase bending capacity
2Strength
If locking members are engaged with the wellhead outer profile, then the bending capacity increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking members are designed to automatically engage with the wellhead outer profile when the connector is installed. The radial engagement occurs self-service through the natural installation process without requiring additional complex actuation mechanisms, thereby increasing bending capacity while minimizing added complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The locking members and load support members are combined into a single integrated connector body. This merging allows both functions (radial locking and axial load support) to be achieved through one device rather than requiring separate mechanisms, increasing bending capacity without proportionally increasing overall device complexity
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A subsea connector for connecting an upper subsea component to a lower subsea component of a drilling, production, or completion system. The subsea connector includes locking members configured to move radially inward to engage the upper and lower subsea components in a locked position, and radially outward to return to an unlocked position. The locking members are hydraulically or mechanically actuatable. The subsea connector particularly may include a locking member such as a dog or collet connector disposed in the subsea connector to lower the bending moment of the system, thereby increasing the bending capacity of the system.