Subsea Valve Magnetic Coupling Eliminates Leakage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Subsea valves controlled by actuators face risks of leaking contaminating fluid at high temperature and pressure into the actuator and control system, leading to loss of control and safety hazards, with existing technologies failing to adequately address leakage and pollution issues.
Innovation Solution
A subsea valve design featuring a magnetically coupled actuator unit isolated by a barrier wall within a sealed housing, eliminating leakage paths and using magnetic coupling for fluid control, with optional pressure compensation and failsafe mechanisms, allowing operation at high pressures and temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dynamic seals are used to prevent fluid leakage along the valve stem, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the seals are subject to wear and failure under frequent operation, high pressure, and high temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the dynamic seal from the system by using a magnetically coupled actuator that operates through a barrier wall. The magnetic coupling transmits rotational force without mechanical contact, removing the wear-prone dynamic seal entirely while maintaining sealing effectiveness against high pressure and temperature fluids.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical dynamic seal system with a magnetic field-based coupling system. The magnetic coupling transfers torque through the barrier wall without mechanical contact, eliminating friction and wear while maintaining the ability to prevent fluid leakage along the valve stem.
2Reliability
If hydraulic actuators are used for valve control, then reliability and safety are improved, but response time increases and cost of hydraulic umbilicals increases for longer step outs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces hydraulic actuators with electric motors that directly drive the valve through magnetic coupling. This substitution eliminates hydraulic umbilicals and enables faster response times while maintaining reliability, as electric motors can be controlled more rapidly than hydraulic systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic coupling acts as an intermediary between the electric motor and valve stem, transmitting rotational force without mechanical contact. This allows the use of electric motors with faster response times while maintaining the reliability needed for subsea valve control.
3Speed
If electric actuators are used to reduce response time and umbilical cost, then speed is improved, but reliability decreases and leakage into the control system creates safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the source of reliability problems by removing the mechanical connection between the electric motor and valve stem. The magnetic coupling eliminates dynamic seals that could leak into the control system, maintaining the fast response time of electric actuators while improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic coupling serves as an intermediary that isolates the electric motor from the high-pressure fluid environment. This allows electric actuators to operate reliably without direct mechanical exposure to contaminating fluids, preventing leakage into the control system.
4Reliability
If magnetic coupling is used to eliminate dynamic seals, then reliability is improved and leakage is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the functions of the actuator housing, barrier wall, and magnetic coupling into an integrated assembly. This consolidation reduces the number of separate components and simplifies installation while maintaining the reliability benefits of eliminating dynamic seals.
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 effectively prevents fluid leakage into the actuator, enhances reliability, reduces maintenance complexity, and ensures safe operation by eliminating dynamic seals and mechanical wear, while allowing for easy retrieval and replacement of components.
Implementation Method 1
the actuator unit is magnetically coupled to the valve part and the coupling is through a barrier wall isolating the actuator unit from the valve part
Data Source
AI summary
Subsea valve for control of fluid that can be contaminating and at elevated pressure and temperature, such as well or process fluids, the valve comprising an actuator unit and a valve part, the actuator unit can be operated in order to control the valve part, distinctive in that the actuator unit is magnetically coupled to the valve part and the coupling is through a barrier wall isolating the actuator unit from the valve part, and the actuator unit and a driving part of the magnetic coupling are arranged in a sealed actuator housing into which leakage of said contaminating fluid thereby has been eliminated.