Subsea Safety Node for Hydraulic Shutdown Under Extreme Conditions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Underwater hydrocarbon extraction facilities face challenges in protecting components from unforeseen conditions, such as extreme temperatures, without the practicality or cost-effectiveness of replacing entire systems or components.
Innovation Solution
A safety node is retrofitted into the control system, comprising a hydraulic input, directional control valve, and functional safety electronics module with a logic solver, which manages hydraulic communication based on predefined conditions like temperature or pressure ranges, allowing for safe operation within design parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If entire facilities or components are replaced to protect against unforeseen conditions, then reliability is improved, but cost and practicality worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the control system into modular components, inserting a safety node as a separate functional unit between the existing control system and the subsea tree. This segmentation allows protection functionality to be added without replacing entire facilities, resolving the contradiction between improved reliability and reduced cost/practicality.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety node acts as an intermediary device between the existing control system and the subsea tree. It monitors conditions and intermediates hydraulic signals to prevent operation outside design parameters, providing protection without requiring replacement of existing components, thus improving reliability while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
2Reliability
If the control system is altered to add protection functionality, then reliability is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the safety functionality into a separate node rather than integrating it into the existing control system, the invention adds protection without increasing overall system complexity. The safety node operates as an independent module with clear input/output interfaces, maintaining simplicity while improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety node contains self-contained monitoring and control logic that autonomously evaluates conditions and actuates the directional control valve without requiring complex external control system modifications. This self-service capability adds reliability while minimizing increases in device complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If existing facilities are protected without replacement, then cost is reduced, but the ability to operate outside design parameters worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The safety node serves as an intermediary that monitors process conditions and intervenes when parameters exceed design limits. It receives hydraulic signals from the existing control system, evaluates conditions through sensors, and blocks or modifies signals to prevent unsafe operation, thereby providing robust protection capability while maintaining cost-effectiveness of the retrofitted system.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces potential mechanical/physical modifications to existing facilities with a hydraulic control-based safety node that uses fluid pressure signals for monitoring and control. This substitution provides effective protection capability while avoiding the high costs associated with mechanical modifications or component replacements.
Data Source
AI summary
A safety node for a hydrocarbon extraction facility control system, the node comprising: a hydraulic input; a hydraulic output; a directional control valve disposed between the hydraulic input and the hydraulic output; and a functional safety electronics module containing a logic solver in operable communication with the directional control valve; wherein the logic solver is configured to operate the directional control valve to permit hydraulic communication between the hydraulic input and the hydraulic output in response to the presence of a given condition and inhibit hydraulic communication between the hydraulic input and the hydraulic output in response to the absence of a given condition.