Subsea Spool System for Guided Line Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current subsea intervention methods face challenges in guiding equipment accurately and safely through deep water without entanglement or abrasion, particularly in deepwater environments where traditional guideline systems are ineffective, and managing fluid supply for well operations becomes complex and costly.
Innovation Solution
A subsea system utilizing a spool and carrier with a guided line that ensures alignment and secure deployment, combined with a guidance mechanism like an L-shaped guide arm and rollers, and a subsea fluid power unit to manage equipment and fluid supply efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional guideline systems are used in deepwater, then equipment alignment may be achieved, but line entanglement and abrasion occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a spool as an intermediary device mounted on the subsea installation, which actively manages the guide line through winding and unwinding motions. This mediator prevents direct contact and entanglement between multiple lines while maintaining the alignment function, resolving the contradiction between achieving precision and avoiding harmful line interactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide line system transitions from a static configuration to a dynamic one where the spool actively winds and unwinds the line based on equipment position. This dynamic management allows the system to adapt to changing conditions during deployment, maintaining alignment while preventing entanglement and abrasion that would occur with fixed guideline systems.
2Device complexity
If equipment is deployed free hanging in deep water, then deployment complexity is reduced, but equipment misalignment and fouling risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spool acts as a mediator between the free-hanging deployment method and the alignment requirement. By actively managing the guide line length and tension, the spool enables simple free-hanging deployment while ensuring the equipment remains aligned with the subsea installation, preventing both misalignment and fouling of vessel equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback through the spool's active management of the guide line, where the spool responds to equipment position and tension conditions by winding or unwinding the line. This feedback mechanism maintains alignment precision while keeping the overall deployment system relatively simple, avoiding the need for complex active control systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple lines are deployed from the vessel, then operational versatility is enhanced, but line entanglement and management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spool serves as a central intermediary that manages multiple lines (guide line, umbilical, wireline) by providing a organized anchor point and active control mechanism. This intermediary structure allows multiple lines to be deployed simultaneously for versatile operations while preventing entanglement through controlled line management, reducing the complexity of handling multiple lines.
4Productivity
If guidelineless systems are used beyond 600m depth, then deployment speed increases, but line separation and control become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static guideline system to a dynamic spool-based system that can rapidly deploy and control the guide line. The spool's ability to quickly unwind and rewind the line enables fast deployment speeds while maintaining line separation and alignment control through active management, allowing efficient operation beyond 600m depth.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool acts as an intermediary that enables fast deployment by actively managing the guide line tension and length. This mediator allows the system to achieve high deployment speeds while maintaining precise line separation and alignment, overcoming the limitations of both traditional static guideline systems and completely guidelineless approaches.
Data Source
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AI summary
A subsea system for intervention or deployment comprising a spool (9, 109) adapted for mounting subsea, a carrier (4, 4, 5', 34, 104) adapted for suspension from a surface vessel or platform, a guide line (8, 108) wound on the spool, the free end of the guide line connected to the carrier and means (11) for driving the spool in one direction to pay out a length of guide line as the distance between the spool and the carrier is increased and in the other direction to reel in the length of guide line as the distance between the spool and the carrier decreases.