Subsea Collet Connection System with External Position Indicator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collet connectors for subsea applications require skilled operators, can damage hubs during improper engagement, compromise gaskets, and have ineffective secondary removal capabilities, with the lead screw being in the primary load path, making the connection process difficult and requiring excessive torque.
Innovation Solution
A subsea connection system featuring an outer sleeve with movable collet segments, a translation mechanism, and a position indicator, which allows for external viewing of the connection process, reduces the risk of hub damage, and facilitates easy installation and secondary removal by moving the lead screw out of the primary load path, enabling less skilled operators to perform connections with reduced torque requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the lead screw is placed in the primary load path of the connection, then the connection can be achieved, but additional force is required and excessive torque is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The lead screw is extracted from the primary load path and repositioned to a secondary structural role. The connection load is now carried primarily by the hub-to-hub contact and the collet segments, while the lead screw serves only to actuate the collet segments radially inward to achieve clamping. This extraction eliminates the need for excessive torque and force during connection.
2Manufacturing precision
If skilled operators are used to perform the connection, then proper positioning can be achieved, but the process requires high skill level and is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system incorporates self-aligning features including tapered surfaces on the hub and collet segments that automatically guide proper positioning during insertion. The collet segments are designed to self-center on the hub, eliminating the need for skilled manual positioning. The system performs its own alignment function without requiring operator expertise.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the connection process is performed without external viewing capability, then the process is simple, but hub damage and gasket compromise can occur without detection
Solution Approach 1:
A position indicator is incorporated that provides visual feedback through color or position changes to indicate whether the collet segments have properly engaged the hub. This visual indicator allows external verification of the connection status without adding complex monitoring systems, preventing hub damage and gasket compromise through detectable proper engagement.
4Ease of repair
If secondary removal capabilities are made effective, then the connector can be removed if needed, but the primary connection structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into separable segments including the outer sleeve, collet segments, and hub components that can be independently manipulated. This segmentation allows the connector to be disassembled for removal or repair by sequentially separating the segments, providing effective secondary removal capability without requiring a completely different structural design.
Data Source
AI summary
A subsea connection system for connecting to a hub of a subsea structure has an outer sleeve, a collet having a plurality of collet segments in which the collet segments are movable between a lock position and an unlock position, a connection hub positioned in the interior of the hollow sleeve such that the collet extends around the connection hub, and a translation mechanism cooperative with the outer sleeve so as to move the outer sleeve between a forward position and a rearward position. The connection hub is suitable for abutting the hub of the subsea structure when the plurality of collet segments are in the lock position. The plurality of collet segments are in the unlock position when the outer sleeve is in the forward position. The plurality of collet segments are in the lock position when the outer sleeve is in the rearward position.