Subsea Housing Inductive Coupling Across a Pressure Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Subsea sensors face challenges in accurately measuring high process fluid pressures while preventing fluid leaks into seawater, and conventional glass penetrators require testing at elevated pressures, leading to design and manufacturing complexities.
Innovation Solution
A subsea housing assembly with an inductive coupler using an inner and outer coil configuration, where soft magnetic material guides magnetic flux between the coils, allowing for data and power transmission across a metal wall without glass penetrators, thereby reducing leakage risks and testing pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If glass penetrators are used for data communication through the wall, then data communication is enabled, but the risk of leakage and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical glass penetrators with an inductive coupling system using magnetic fields to transmit data and power through the metal wall. This eliminates physical penetrations that could leak process fluid, substituting electromagnetic induction for mechanical sealing solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a metal wall as an intermediary barrier between the process fluid and seawater, combined with inductive coupling for data communication. This mediator allows complete sealing while enabling communication through electromagnetic fields that pass through the metal barrier without requiring physical openings.
2Loss of information
If glass penetrators are used for data communication, then data transmission is achieved, but testing pressure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical glass penetrators with an inductive coupling system using magnetic fields to transmit data and power through the metal wall. This eliminates physical penetrations that could leak process fluid, substituting electromagnetic induction for mechanical sealing solutions.
3Reliability
If a metal wall provides separation between housing portions, then sealing and pressure resistance are improved, but data communication becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a metal wall as an intermediary barrier between the process fluid and seawater, combined with inductive coupling for data communication. This mediator allows complete sealing while enabling communication through electromagnetic fields that pass through the metal barrier without requiring physical openings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical glass penetrators with an inductive coupling system using magnetic fields to transmit data and power through the metal wall. This eliminates physical penetrations that could leak process fluid, substituting electromagnetic induction for mechanical sealing solutions.
4Loss of information
If the outer coil is added around the inner coil, then magnetic flux guidance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nested coils where the inner coil is positioned within the outer coil, both surrounded by the soft magnetic material flux guide. This nested arrangement concentrates and directs magnetic flux between the coils through the metal wall, improving inductive coupling efficiency while maintaining a compact structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines soft magnetic material with the dual coil arrangement to create a composite inductive coupling system. The soft magnetic material serves as a flux guide that channels magnetic fields between the inner and outer coils, enhancing coupling efficiency through material properties rather than increasing structural complexity.
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
The solution enables reliable data communication and power transfer across the pressure barrier, reducing the risk of leaks and design complexities, allowing for efficient operation in high-pressure environments with lower testing pressures.
Implementation Method 1
The inductive coupler is configured to provide inductive coupling across the wall for providing at least a data communication between the first electrical connection and the second electrical connection
Implementation Method 2
Soft magnetic material is arranged at least around the outer coil and/or inside the inner coil such that the magnetic flux is collected and guided from the outer coil to the inner coil and/or from the inner coil to the outer coil
Data Source
AI summary
A subsea housing assembly has a subsea housing with a first and a second housing portion. The first and second housing portions have first and second electrical connections for data communication. A wall separates the first and second housing portions. The assembly has an inductive coupler with first and second coupling sections disposed in the first and second housing portions. The inductive coupler provides inductive coupling across the wall for data communication between the first and second electrical connections. The inductive coupler has inner and outer coils wherein the outer coil at least partly surrounds the inner coil and at least part of the wall extends between the inner and outer coil. Soft magnetic material is arranged around the outer coil and/or inside the inner coil such that the magnetic flux is collected and guided from the outer to the inner coil and/or from the inner to the outer coil.