Subsea Connector Assembly With Bending Moment Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Subsea connection assemblies experience high bending loads due to risers extending to the surface, leading to leaks or failure, necessitating improvements that accommodate these loads while minimizing footprint and mass.
Innovation Solution
A subsea connector assembly with a bending moment suppression device that includes a housing, collet or dogs, and an actuator assembly to engage with a wellhead member, providing additional load paths and increased bending capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a bending moment suppression device is added to engage a second portion of the wellhead member spaced axially from the first portion, then the bending capacity and load distribution are improved, but the device complexity and footprint are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The bending moment suppression device is segmented into distinct functional components: a housing containing a collet assembly with multiple collet fingers, and a separate actuator assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while working together to provide axial engagement at a second location, thereby increasing bending capacity without requiring a complete redesign of the entire connector assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The collet assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the actuator assembly and the wellhead member. The collet fingers provide the intermediate engagement point that translates actuator motion into axial contact with the wellhead member at the second portion, enabling load distribution without direct structural integration that would increase overall complexity.
2Reliability
If a bending moment suppression device with additional engagement points is implemented, then the reliability and load distribution are improved, but the mass and footprint of the assembly are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The bending moment suppression device applies local quality by concentrating engagement force at a specific second portion of the wellhead member that is spaced axially from the first portion. Rather than uniformly distributing mass throughout the entire assembly, the design places targeted engagement points where needed to suppress bending moments, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing overall mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator assembly provides dynamic control over the engagement state of the collet fingers. The actuator can be actuated to move the collet assembly between engaged and disengaged states, allowing the system to adapt to different operational conditions. This dynamic capability enables the same component to provide enhanced reliability when needed while maintaining a more compact mass configuration when engagement is not required.
Data Source
AI summary
A subsea connector assembly for coupling a spool member to a wellhead member, comprising a connector and a bending moment suppression device coupled to the connector. The connector includes a lock assembly configured to engage a first portion of a wellhead member. The bending moment suppression device is configured to engage a second portion of the wellhead member, wherein the second portion is spaced axially from the first portion.