Subsea Connector Mating Force Insulation Medium Conditioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current subsea connectors face issues with surface contamination on mating members leading to reduced breakdown voltage and potential electrical failures due to ineffective cleaning methods, resulting in unreliable and error-prone operations.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a mating force to direct an insulation medium through a distribution path within the receiving chamber, ensuring effective conditioning and cleaning of the mating member's surface by bypassing it, eliminating the need for additional flow creation means and optimizing internal geometry for efficient flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If seals and scraper seals are used to remove detritus and water during mating, then some surface contamination is removed, but surface contamination remains and creates weak links in electrical insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses hydraulic principles by utilizing the insulation medium (liquid) to flow through the receiving cavity and condition the mating member surface. The liquid insulation medium is forced to flow along the distribution path by pressure differential created during mating, effectively cleaning the surface without mechanical contact that might leave contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulation medium acts as an intermediary between the mating surfaces. Instead of direct mechanical contact between contaminated surfaces, the liquid insulation medium mediates the cleaning process by flowing over the mating member surface, carrying away detritus and water, and establishing a clean interface for electrical connection.
2Reliability
If components with surfaces exposed to contaminations are made long to reduce electrical stresses, then electrical breakdown risk is reduced, but component size, weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by conditioning the mating member surface with the insulation medium before electrical contact is established. The distribution path ensures that the liquid insulation medium flows over the mating member surface during the mating process, pre-cleaning the surface before the critical electrical connection phase, thereby allowing shorter component lengths while maintaining high breakdown voltage.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic flow of insulation medium through the receiving cavity provides effective surface conditioning that allows reduction of creepage length. The liquid flow dynamically cleans the surface during mating, replacing the need for long static paths with an active cleaning mechanism that maintains insulation reliability in compact dimensions.
3Reliability
If additional flow creation means are added to the receiving chamber to enhance insulation medium flow, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses self-service by utilizing the natural mating action itself to drive the insulation medium flow. The mating force between the connector and receptacle creates the pressure differential that forces the insulation medium through the distribution path, eliminating the need for external pumps, motors, or control systems. The mating process serves its own cleaning function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the flow creation function from external active components and integrates it into the passive geometry of the receiving cavity and distribution path. By designing the cavity to force the insulation medium along the distribution path during mating, the system removes the need for separate flow creation mechanisms while maintaining effective surface conditioning.
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
This approach enhances the reliability and safety of the connector unit by reducing electrical breakdown risks, minimizing size, weight, and costs, while ensuring faster and more even dispersion of impurities within the insulation medium.
Implementation Method 1
force an insulation medium housed in the receiving cavity of the receiving chamber to travel along a distribution path for the insulation medium, wherein the insulation medium exits the receiving cavity and re-enters the receiving cavity along the distribution path and conditions at least the section of the mating member with the insulation medium while the insulation medium is bypassing the section of the mating member
Implementation Method 2
Using a mating force caused by a mate of the mating member and the receiving chamber to force an insulation medium housed in the receiving cavity of the receiving chamber to travel along a distribution path
Implementation Method 3
natural diffusion processes will slowly spread contaminates throughout the bulk of insulating insulation medium and dispersed contaminates are less likely to initiate an electrical breakdown
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for conditioning at least a section (10) of a mating member (12) of a connector unit (14) comprising the mating member (12) and a corresponding receiving chamber (16) with a cavity wall (18) partially encasing a receiving cavity (20), comprising at least the steps of: Using a mating force caused by a mate of the mating member (12) and the receiving chamber (16) to force an insulation medium (22) housed in the receiving cavity (20) of the receiving chamber (16) to travel along a distribution path (24) for the insulation medium (22), wherein the insulation medium (22) exits the receiving cavity (20) and re-enters the receiving cavity (20) along the distribution path (24) and conditioning at least the section (10) of the mating member (12) with the insulation medium (22) while the insulation medium (22) is bypassing the section (10) of the mating member (12) due to the mate of the mating member (12) and the receiving chamber (16).