Subsea Pipeline Spooling Structure Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for laying subsea pipelines face challenges in accommodating expansion due to high temperatures and pressures, which can lead to material fatigue and pipeline movement, and require the installation of expansion loops with connectors that are prone to failure.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using a spooling structure assembly with a pile and spool to lay subsea pipelines in a loop, eliminating the need for connectors by forming expansion loops on the seafloor during pipeline laying, thereby accommodating thermal and pressure expansion and preventing pipeline movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If expansion loops are installed after pipeline placement using connectors, then pipeline expansion can be accommodated, but the connectors are subject to seal failure due to pipeline movements, aging, chemical attack and unexpected loading
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the connectors from the pipeline system by forming expansion loops directly into the pipeline during the laying process. This removes the vulnerable connector seals that were previously required to join expansion loop sections, thereby eliminating the reliability issues associated with connector seal failure while maintaining the expansion accommodation function.
Solution Approach 2:
The expansion loops are formed preliminarily during the pipeline laying process itself, rather than being installed afterward. The pipeline is configured in loop sections as it is being laid on the seafloor, allowing the expansion accommodation structure to be created in advance without requiring subsequent connector installation operations.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional connectors are used to join expansion loops to subsea pipelines, then expansion loops can be installed, but the seals may fail due to pipeline movements and other factors
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the connectors entirely from the system by forming continuous expansion loops during the pipeline laying process. This eliminates the seal components that were previously necessary for joining expansion loop sections, thereby removing the source of seal failure while maintaining the ability to install expansion loops.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipeline itself serves the dual function of being both the process medium carrier and the structural element that forms the expansion loops. By configuring the pipeline in loop sections during laying, the pipeline structure itself provides the expansion accommodation without requiring separate connector components.
3Reliability
If expansion loops are installed after pipeline placement, then pipeline expansion can be accommodated, but the installation process is difficult and requires connection equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion loops are formed in advance during the pipeline laying operation itself. As the pipeline is being deployed and placed on the seafloor, it is configured in loop sections using the laying equipment already in position, eliminating the need for subsequent installation operations and complex connection equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the pipeline laying operation with the expansion loop formation process. The same equipment and operations used to deploy the pipeline are simultaneously used to configure it in loop sections, combining two previously separate operations into one integrated process.
4Productivity
If subsea pipelines are laid without expansion loops, then the laying process is simpler, but the pipelines cannot accommodate thermal and pressure expansion leading to material fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion loops are formed preliminarily during the pipeline laying process itself, allowing the pipeline to be deployed efficiently without requiring separate post-installation operations. The loop sections are created as the pipeline is being laid, maintaining productivity while ensuring durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines the pipeline laying operation with the creation of expansion accommodation structures. The same laying equipment and process are used to both deploy the pipeline and configure it in loop sections, maintaining productivity while eliminating the need for separate expansion loop installation operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of laying subsea pipeline (1300) on a seafloor comprising: providing a pipe laying vessel (1100), placing a spooling structure assembly (1200) on the seafloor, and laying the subsea pipeline (1300) in a loop around the spooling structure assembly and associated systems.