Umbilical Termination Head Guide Bracket for Float-Free Subsea Connection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing subsea 'Cobra Head' connection systems require bulky floats for positioning, which occupy space and increase drifting due to currents, and apply forces directly through MQC plates, potentially damaging them.
Innovation Solution
A termination head and connection system for multi-bore flying leads or umbilicals featuring a bracket arrangement with guide means that allows the umbilical termination head to be lowered onto a subsea structure without buoyancy aids, distributing forces through a separate structure rather than the couplers, using sliding and pivotable components to facilitate connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If bulky floats are used to position the connector parts into mating position, then the connector parts can be positioned without heavy ROV operations, but the floats occupy space and increase drifting caused by underwater currents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the buoyancy aid (float) from the system entirely. Instead of using a float to provide buoyancy for positioning, the connector part is designed to be lowered directly into position using gravity, and the guide means ensures proper alignment without requiring any buoyant elements that would cause drifting.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using buoyancy (upward force) to position the connector, the system inverts the approach by using gravity (downward force) to lower the connector part into position. The guide means then takes over to ensure proper alignment, completely reversing the traditional buoyancy-based positioning method.
2Device complexity
If all forces from the Cobra Head and flying lead/umbilical go through the MQC plates, then the connection structure is simplified, but the MQC plates are potentially damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the force-bearing function from the MQC plates by introducing a separate bracket structure. The bracket is specifically designed to bear the structural weight and external forces, while the MQC plates are relieved of these loads and only perform their coupling function, thereby protecting them from damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket acts as an intermediary structure between the flying lead/umbilical and the MQC plates. It absorbs and transfers the structural and external forces to the subsea structure, preventing these forces from being transmitted directly through the MQC plates which would otherwise be at risk of damage.
3Volume of moving object
If the connector part is lowered without buoyancy aids, then the available space for ROV manoeuvres is increased and drifting is reduced, but the connector part must be precisely positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical buoyancy-based positioning system with a gravity-based lowering system combined with a guide means. The guide means provides mechanical guidance during the lowering process, ensuring precise alignment without requiring bulky floats that would occupy space.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide means serves as an intermediary mechanism that facilitates precise positioning during the gravity-based lowering process. It ensures proper alignment between the moving connector part and the stationary structure without requiring bulky positioning aids, thus maintaining both precision and space efficiency.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2D
AI summary
An umbilical termination head (1) for connection of a multi-bore flying lead or umbilical (2) to a structure (10), the flying lead or umbilical comprising multiple conduits (7) leading to couplers (4) being arranged on a connector part (3), the umbilical (2) being provided with an end fitting (9) onto which a bracket arrangement (8, 19, 20) is mounted, the connector part (3) being mounted to a bracket (8) of the bracket arrangement. A guide means (11) is arranged on the bracket (8) in such a way that an interacting guide means (12) on the structure (10) lead the umbilical termination head (1) onto the structure (10) for connection of the couplers (4) to corresponding couplers (6) on the structure (10).