U-Shaped Fairing With Hinged Blocks for VIV Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
The management of significant ocean currents poses challenges in oil and gas exploration and production due to vortex-induced vibration (VIV) and large deflections in tubulars, which cause fatigue damage and suspension issues, and existing fairings are difficult to install, store, and handle efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A U-shaped fairing with a hinged block system that encircles and extends outward from the tubular, providing structural support, is designed to be fast to install, efficient to store, and lightweight, while maintaining strong VIV suppression and drag reduction performance, with adaptable geometry and flanges for enhanced stability and ease of handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional fairings are used to suppress VIV and reduce drag, then performance is improved, but installation difficulty and storage space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing is divided into multiple modular segments that can be independently handled and assembled. Each segment contains standardized connection interfaces, allowing the fairing to be installed in sections rather than as a single large component, thereby reducing installation difficulty while maintaining overall VIV suppression performance
Solution Approach 2:
The fairing incorporates collapsible or transformable structural elements that allow it to change shape between operational and storage states. During installation and operation, the fairing maintains its expanded aerodynamic shape for VIV suppression, while during storage it can be collapsed to minimize space requirements
2Reliability
If large fairings are used for drilling riser applications, then VIV suppression performance is improved, but handling and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Large drilling riser fairings are divided into multiple manageable segments with standardized connection interfaces. Each segment can be handled by standard equipment, and the segments are assembled in-situ to form the complete large-scale fairing, reducing handling complexity while maintaining the necessary size for effective VIV suppression
Solution Approach 2:
The modular fairing segments are designed to nest within one another during storage and transport, similar to nested dolls. This nesting arrangement minimizes storage space and simplifies handling by allowing multiple segments to be managed as a compact unit before deployment
3Strength
If conventional fairing designs are used, then structural strength is achieved, but weight and storage space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing employs thin-walled flexible shell structures that provide adequate structural strength through optimized geometry and material selection rather than through thick walls. The shell structure maintains aerodynamic integrity for VIV suppression while minimizing weight and storage space requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The fairing incorporates collapsible structural elements that allow it to be compressed into a compact configuration for storage and transport. During operation, the fairing expands to its full aerodynamic shape, providing the necessary structural strength and VIV suppression performance only when needed
Data Source
AI summary
A vortex-induced vibration (VIV) suppression device comprising: a fairing comprising a fairing body dimensioned to partially encircle an underlying tubular and a first arm and a second arm extending from the fairing body, the fairing body comprises a first section and a second section that each have first ends that are interfacing one another to form a gap in between and a second end, and the first arm and the second arm are attached to the second ends such that they extend radially outward from the underlying tubular, and the first arm and the second arm are spaced a distance from one another; and an interior block member to facilitate an opening or a closing of the fairing body around an underlying tubular, the interior block member having a first block section and a second block section movably coupled to one another.