CN115654237A - Flexible connector and cold seawater conveying device suitable for large-diameter sea pipes - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a flexible connector and a cold seawater conveying device suitable for a large-diameter sea pipe, which comprise a steel chain type connector 1, wherein two ends of the steel chain type connector 1 are respectively used for connecting a cold seawater conveying pipeline 6 and a water taking vertical pipe 3; the steel chain type connector 1 comprises an upper flange 4, a lower flange 5, a steel chain 11 and a hose 12, wherein the upper flange 4, the hose 12 and the lower flange 5 are sequentially and coaxially connected; the outer edge of the upper flange 4 is provided with an upper connecting component 9, the outer edge of the lower flange 5 is provided with a lower connecting component, two ends of a steel chain 11 are respectively connected with the upper connecting component 9 and the lower connecting component, and the steel chain 11 is positioned outside the hose 12. The invention can transfer the axial load borne by the water taking vertical pipe, and can effectively avoid the transfer of bending moment, thereby avoiding the problems of stress concentration, fatigue damage and the like at the joint of the vertical pipe and the platform, and simultaneously, the invention adopts the technical means of externally mounting the steel chain, thereby preventing the steel chain from influencing the flow of fluid in the connector.

Description

Flexible connector and cold seawater conveying device suitable for large-diameter sea pipes

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of ocean engineering, in particular to a flexible connector and a cold seawater conveying device suitable for a large-diameter sea pipe, and especially relates to a steel chain type flexible connector and a cold seawater conveying device adopting the same, wherein the steel chain type flexible connector can effectively release bending moment at the end of a vertical pipe and can provide enough axial bearing capacity for the large-diameter vertical pipe.

Background

In recent years, the comprehensive utilization of deep ocean cold sea water resources has received much attention from the industry. On one hand, the water temperature of the ocean surface layer in China is generally higher, and the cold seawater in the depth of 200-300 meters can be extracted for the culture of fishes with high added values, such as salmon and trout, by the culture ship; on the other hand, in a ship such as a liquefied natural gas carrier (FLNG), by extracting low-temperature seawater at an appropriate depth, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the natural gas liquefaction process and to save a large amount of electricity. The use of large diameter risers is the only way to deliver cold seawater to ships and offshore platforms, with the key issue being the design of the connection between the large diameter intake pipe and the platform system.

The ocean floating platform can generate periodic motion under the action of wind, waves and currents and force a water taking vertical pipe with the top suspended on the platform to perform periodic motion; the riser, in turn, will also move under the influence of the ocean currents, which in turn will react to the buoyant platform. At the suspension position where the stand pipe is connected with the platform, the platform can limit the flexible deformation of the stand pipe, so that the top of the stand pipe generates a large bending moment, and further the problems of stress concentration, fatigue failure and the like are caused. The problems will reduce the service life of the stand pipe and directly influence the water taking operation; excessive stress can also cause the riser to shift, bend, or even break, thereby causing major accidents. Therefore, a flexible connector is required to connect the riser to the platform, which is economical, and the riser must be suspended from the platform firmly, so that the transmission of bending moment at the connection can be reduced or avoided.

Flexible connectors such as swivel joints, ball joints, riser hangers, pivotable or articulated couplings can be used to suspend a water intake riser from an ocean floating platform, but existing connectors include the following disadvantages:

1. the existing connector has a complex structure and higher manufacturing and processing cost;

2. the complicated internal structure of the existing connector can influence the normal flow of internal fluid, thereby influencing the water taking operation efficiency;

3. the existing connector mostly adopts a single part as a flexible load transfer element, so that a larger axial bearing capacity cannot be provided when a water taking vertical pipe with a larger diameter is adopted, and the safety margin is insufficient;

the above-mentioned rotary joints, ball joints, pivotable or articulated couplings, etc. are critical for lubrication. If insufficient lubrication is available, the rotation of the internal structure of the connector is affected, and the bending moment at the end of the riser cannot be effectively released.

Patent document CN102628343A discloses a connector for subsea riser equipment comprising a body having a first connection face with a through passage and adapted to be connected to a first external pipe element and a cardan joint within the body, the cardan joint having a through passage substantially aligned with the through passage in the first face, and a second connection face on the opposite side of the connector from the first connection face and adapted to be connected to a second external pipe element. The connector further includes at least one detent mechanism adapted to engage a corresponding locating feature on the universal joint, thereby maintaining alignment of the through passage and preventing movement of the universal joint relative to the body until a predetermined bending moment is applied to the universal joint across an axis of the through passage of the universal joint. However, the connector is complicated in structure, and the complicated internal structure may affect the normal flow of the internal fluid.

Disclosure of Invention

Aiming at the defects in the prior art, the invention aims to provide a flexible connector and a cold seawater conveying device suitable for a large-diameter sea pipe.

The flexible connector suitable for the large-diameter sea pipe comprises a steel chain type connector, wherein two ends of the steel chain type connector are respectively used for connecting a cold sea water conveying pipeline and a water taking vertical pipe;

the steel chain type connector comprises an upper flange, a lower flange, a steel chain and a hose, wherein the upper flange, the hose and the lower flange are sequentially and coaxially connected;

the outer edge of the upper flange is provided with an upper connecting component, the outer edge of the lower flange is provided with a lower connecting component, two ends of the steel chain are respectively connected with the upper connecting component and the lower connecting component, and the steel chain is located outside the hose.

Preferably, a first boss structure protruding outwards is arranged at the upper end of the upper flange along the circumferential direction, and a second boss structure protruding outwards is arranged at the lower end of the lower flange along the circumferential direction;

the upper connecting member is disposed at a lower side of the first boss structure, and the lower connecting member is disposed at an upper side of the second boss structure.

Preferably, the upper connecting members are uniformly arranged on the lower side of the first boss structure along the circumferential direction, and the lower connecting members are uniformly arranged on the upper side of the second boss structure along the circumferential direction;

the upper connecting member and the lower connecting member are arranged in pairs, the steel chains, the upper connecting member and the lower connecting member are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence mode, and the steel chains are arranged in parallel with the hoses.

Preferably, the hose comprises a rubber hose.

Preferably, the upper flange is connected with the cold seawater conveying pipeline through screws, and the lower flange is connected with the water taking vertical pipe through screws.

Preferably, both ends of the steel chain are provided with bolt-type chain shackles, and both ends of the steel chain are respectively connected with the upper connecting member and the lower connecting member through the bolt-type chain shackles.

Preferably, the length of the hose is matched with that of the steel chain, when the steel chain is tensioned, the two ends of the hose are subjected to pretension, and the hose is in a stretching state.

Preferably, the two ends of the hose are respectively connected with the upper flange and the lower flange in a watertight manner.

According to the cold seawater conveying device provided by the invention, the flexible connector suitable for the large-diameter sea pipe is adopted, and the flexible connector comprises a supporting member positioned in a ship body, a cold seawater conveying pipeline, a steel chain type connector and a water taking vertical pipe which are coaxially connected in sequence;

the support member is arranged in an opening of a deck of the ship body, the cold seawater conveying pipeline is arranged in the support member, and the water taking vertical pipe is positioned outside the ship body.

Preferably, the cold seawater conveying pipeline comprises a water outlet end arranged in the supporting member and a water inlet end connected with the steel chain type connector, the outer diameter of the water outlet end is larger than that of the water inlet end, and a first step structure is formed between the water outlet end and the water inlet end;

the bottom ends of the supporting members are inwards sunken along the radial direction to form a second step structure, the supporting members are lapped on a deck of the ship body through the second step structure, and the cold seawater conveying pipeline is lapped on the second step structure of the supporting members through the first step structure.

Compared with the prior art, the invention has the following beneficial effects:

1. the invention has simple structure and convenient operation, adopts the steel chain as a flexible load transfer element in the connector, adopts the technical means of connecting the flanges at the two ends of the connector, can transfer the axial load borne by the water taking vertical pipe, and can effectively avoid the transfer of bending moment, thereby avoiding the problems of stress concentration, fatigue damage and the like at the joint of the vertical pipe and the platform, and simultaneously adopts the technical means of externally mounting the steel chain, thereby preventing the influence of the steel chain on the flow of fluid in the connector.

2. The invention adopts the technical means that the hose is connected with the flanges at the two ends in a watertight way, and the hose and the flanges at the two ends form a sealed water delivery conduit together, so that the seawater extracted from the water inlet at the far end of the water taking vertical pipe can be conveyed to the platform, and the hose can provide larger allowable curvature while ensuring the normal flow of fluid in the connector, thereby further ensuring the safety of the structural connection position.

3. The invention adopts the technical means that a plurality of steel chains are uniformly distributed outside the hose along the circumferential direction, provides larger axial bearing capacity, increases the safety margin of the structural connection part, and when a certain steel chain is broken, the rest steel chains still can bear most of load, so that the stand pipe can not be separated from the platform, and the connector can be ensured to be effectively repaired, replaced and the like after the damage occurs.

4. The invention adopts the technical means that the length of the hose is matched with the length of the steel chain, and pretension is applied to the two ends of the hose to ensure that the hose is partially in a stretching state, so that the hose is prevented from being damaged due to the action of axial pressure at the two ends in the operation process.

Drawings

Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading of the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the present invention in connection with a water intake riser and a cold seawater transport pipeline;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the present invention connecting a water intake riser to a cold seawater transport pipeline;

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a cold seawater delivery pipeline according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural view of an upper flange according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the present invention.

The figures show that:

supporting member 7 of steel chain type connector 1

Hull deck 2 opening 8

Connecting component 9 on water taking vertical pipe 3

Upper flange 4 bolt type chain shackle 10

Lower flange 5 steel chain 11

Cold seawater conveying pipeline 6 and hose 12

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to specific examples. The following examples will aid those skilled in the art in further understanding the present invention, but are not intended to limit the invention in any manner. It should be noted that it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. All falling within the scope of the invention.

The invention discloses a flexible connector and a cold seawater conveying device suitable for a large-diameter marine pipe, wherein a large-diameter water taking vertical pipe is firmly suspended on an ocean floating platform through a steel chain connector, wherein the application of a steel chain can transfer the axial load borne by the vertical pipe and effectively avoid the transfer of bending moment; the use of a hose can provide greater allowable bending of the connector, thereby relieving the bending moment.

The connector is thus flexible to adapt to such conditions when the riser follows the platform and moves away from the vertical. Compared with the existing connector (a rotary joint, a ball joint, an articulatable coupling, a pivot coupling and the like), the connecting mode has larger axial bearing capacity and can better ensure the safety of the structural connection; and is more convenient for installation, maintenance and replacement.

The flexible connector suitable for the large-diameter marine pipe provided by the invention comprises a steel chain type connector 1, as shown in fig. 1-5, wherein two ends of the steel chain type connector 1 are respectively used for connecting a cold seawater conveying pipeline 6 and a water taking vertical pipe 3; the steel chain type connector 1 comprises an upper flange 4, a lower flange 5, a steel chain 11 and a hose 12, wherein the upper flange 4, the hose 12 and the lower flange 5 are sequentially and coaxially connected; preferably, the hose 12 comprises a rubber hose 12, and the two ends of the hose 12 are respectively connected with the upper flange 4 and the lower flange 5 in a watertight manner, so as to form a sealed water delivery conduit together with the two flanges.

The outer edge of the upper flange 4 is provided with an upper connecting member 9, the outer edge of the lower flange 5 is provided with a lower connecting member, two ends of the steel chain 11 are respectively connected with the upper connecting member 9 and the lower connecting member, the steel chain 11 is positioned outside the hose 12 so as to avoid influencing the normal flow of fluid inside the hose 12 and facilitate the regular inspection, maintenance, replacement and the like of the steel chain 11; preferably, the length of the hose 12 is matched with the length of the steel chain 11, when the steel chain 11 is tightened, the two ends of the hose 12 are pre-tensioned, and the hose 12 is in a stretching state, so as to avoid being damaged by the action of axial pressure at the two ends during operation.

Preferably, as shown in fig. 2, the upper end of the upper flange 4 is circumferentially provided with a first boss structure protruding outwards, and the lower end of the lower flange 5 is circumferentially provided with a second boss structure protruding outwards; the upper connecting member 9 is arranged on the lower side of the first boss structure and the lower connecting member is arranged on the upper side of the second boss structure. The upper connecting members 9 are uniformly arranged at the lower side of the first boss structure along the circumferential direction, and the lower connecting members are uniformly arranged at the upper side of the second boss structure along the circumferential direction; go up connecting elements 9 and lower connecting elements and set up in pairs, steel chain 11, go up connecting elements 9 and lower connecting elements one-to-one sets up, steel chain 11 and hose 12 parallel arrangement set up a plurality of steel chains 11 along circumference symmetric distribution, can provide bigger axial bearing capacity, increase the safety margin of structural connection department, and when some steel chain 11 broke, surplus steel chain 11 can guarantee that the connector does not become invalid, can guarantee effectively going on of work such as connector maintenance, change.

Preferably, both ends of the steel chain 11 are provided with bolt-type chain shackles 10, and both ends of the steel chain 11 are respectively connected with the upper connecting member 9 and the lower connecting member through the bolt-type chain shackles 10. The steel chain 11 is connected between flanges at two ends of the connector through the bolt type chain shackle 10, so that the connection safety is guaranteed, and the steel chain 11 is convenient to install, overhaul and replace.

According to the cold seawater conveying device provided by the invention, as shown in fig. 1 and fig. 2, the flexible connector suitable for the large-diameter marine pipe is adopted, and comprises a supporting member 7 positioned in a ship body, a cold seawater conveying pipeline 6, a steel chain type connector 1 and a water taking vertical pipe 3 which are coaxially connected in sequence, wherein an upper flange 4 is connected with the cold seawater conveying pipeline 6 through screws, and a lower flange 5 is connected with the water taking vertical pipe 3 through screws; the support member 7 is arranged in an opening 8 of the hull deck 2, the cold seawater transfer ducts 6 are arranged in the support member 7, and the water intake riser 3 is located outside the hull.

As shown in fig. 2, the cold seawater conveying pipeline 6 comprises a water outlet end arranged inside the supporting member 7 and a water inlet end connected with the steel chain connector 1, wherein the outer diameter of the water outlet end is larger than that of the water inlet end, and a first step structure is formed between the water outlet end and the water inlet end; the bottom ends of the supporting members 7 are recessed inwards along the radial direction to form a second step structure, the supporting members 7 are lapped on the ship body deck 2 through the second step structure, and the cold seawater conveying pipelines 6 are lapped on the second step structure of the supporting members 7 through the first step structure, so that the upper cold seawater conveying pipelines 6 can be supported by the openings 8 and are stably connected with the ship body deck 2.

Example 1:

as shown in fig. 2, a large diameter water intake riser 3 (with a length L of 300 m) is connected with a steel chain type connector 1 so as to be firmly suspended on a ship deck 2 for water intake operation; and the top of the water taking vertical pipe 3 is allowed to rotate relatively to a certain degree when moving along with the ship body, so that the bending moment can be effectively released, and the major accidents such as vertical pipe fracture, damage and the like are avoided. The cold seawater transport pipes 6 are constructed as shown in fig. 3 with the outer part fitting inside the support members 7, and the support members 7 fitting into the openings 8 in the hull deck 2, so that the upper cold seawater transport pipes 6 can be supported by the openings 8 and thus be firmly connected to the hull deck 2. The structure of the upper flange 4 of the connector is shown in fig. 4, and the upper flange is connected with the upper cold seawater conveying pipeline 6 through screws; the lower flange 5 has the same structure and a different arrangement as the upper flange 4 and is connected with the lower water intake riser 3 by screws so that the riser 3 can be firmly suspended on the hull deck 2.

In practical application, the number of the steel chains 11 can be changed according to practical situations, and in this embodiment, four steel chains 11 are adopted, as shown in fig. 5, the steel chains 11 are symmetrically distributed outside the hose 12, so as to avoid influencing the normal flow of the internal fluid, and facilitate installation, maintenance, replacement and the like. The lower flange 5 and the upper flange 4 are both provided with four connecting components which are symmetrically distributed and correspond up and down. The steel chain 11 is firmly connected with corresponding connecting members on the upper and lower flanges through the bolt type chain shackle 10, and connects the upper and lower flanges. In addition, when a certain steel chain 11 is broken, the rest steel chains 11 can also ensure that the connector cannot lose efficacy, the effective operation of repair, replacement and the like of the connector after damage can be ensured, and the safety margin of the structural connection part is increased.

The steel chain 11 can transfer the axial load borne by the water taking vertical pipe, and can effectively avoid the transfer of bending moment, thereby effectively avoiding the problem of stress concentration at the structural connection part; the rubber hose 12, the upper flange 4 and the lower flange 5 form a sealed water delivery conduit, which can ensure that the low-temperature seawater extracted from the water inlet at the far end of the water taking vertical pipe 3 can be smoothly delivered to a cold seawater delivery pipeline system on the ship deck 2. In addition, the rubber hose 12 can provide a greater allowable bending, which can further secure the safety of the structural joint.

In the description of the present application, it is to be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on those shown in the drawings, and are only for convenience in describing the present application and simplifying the description, but do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed in a specific orientation, and be operated, and thus, should not be construed as limiting the present application.

The foregoing description of specific embodiments of the present invention has been presented. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and that various changes or modifications may be made by one skilled in the art within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and features of the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other arbitrarily without conflict.

Claims (10)

1. The flexible connector suitable for the large-diameter sea pipe is characterized by comprising a steel chain type connector (1), wherein two ends of the steel chain type connector (1) are respectively used for connecting a cold sea water conveying pipeline (6) and a water taking vertical pipe (3);

the steel chain type connector (1) comprises an upper flange (4), a lower flange (5), a steel chain (11) and a hose (12), wherein the upper flange (4), the hose (12) and the lower flange (5) are sequentially and coaxially connected;

the outer edge of the upper flange (4) is provided with an upper connecting component (9), the outer edge of the lower flange (5) is provided with a lower connecting component, two ends of the steel chain (11) are respectively connected with the upper connecting component (9) and the lower connecting component, and the steel chain (11) is located outside the hose (12).

2. The flexible connector for large-diameter marine pipes according to claim 1, wherein the upper end of the upper flange (4) is circumferentially provided with a first boss structure protruding outwards, and the lower end of the lower flange (5) is circumferentially provided with a second boss structure protruding outwards;

the upper connecting member (9) is arranged on the lower side of the first boss structure, and the lower connecting member is arranged on the upper side of the second boss structure.

3. The flexible connector for large diameter sea pipes according to claim 2 wherein the upper connecting members (9) are circumferentially uniformly arranged on the lower side of the first boss structure and the lower connecting members are circumferentially uniformly arranged on the upper side of the second boss structure;

go up connecting elements (9) and lower connecting elements and set up in pairs, steel chain (11), last connecting elements (9) and lower connecting elements one-to-one set up, steel chain (11) and hose (12) parallel arrangement.

4. Flexible connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the hose (12) comprises a hose (12) of rubber material.

5. Flexible connector suitable for large diameter sea pipes according to claim 1 characterized in that the upper flange (4) is screwed to the cold sea water transfer pipe (6) and the lower flange (5) is screwed to the water intake riser (3).

6. Flexible connector for large diameter sea pipes according to claim 1, characterized in that both ends of the steel chain (11) are provided with bolted chain shackles (10), and both ends of the steel chain (11) are connected to the upper connecting member (9) and the lower connecting member, respectively, by means of bolted chain shackles (10).

7. Flexible connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the length of the hose (12) is adapted to the length of the steel chain (11), and when the steel chain (11) is tightened, the hose (12) is under tension with both ends of the hose (12) under tension.

8. Flexible connector suitable for large diameter sea pipes according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that the hose (12) is watertight connected at both ends to the upper flange (4) and the lower flange (5), respectively.

9. A cold seawater transportation device, characterized in that the flexible connector suitable for the large-diameter marine pipe in any one of claims 1 to 7 is adopted, and comprises a support member (7) positioned inside a ship body, a cold seawater transportation pipeline (6), a steel chain connector (1) and a water taking vertical pipe (3) which are coaxially connected in sequence;

the supporting member (7) is arranged in an opening (8) of a ship deck (2), the cold seawater conveying pipeline (6) is arranged in the supporting member (7), and the water taking vertical pipe (3) is positioned outside a ship body.

10. The cold seawater transportation device of claim 9, wherein the cold seawater transportation pipe (6) comprises a water outlet end arranged inside the supporting member (7) and a water inlet end connected with the steel chain connector (1), the outer diameter of the water outlet end is larger than that of the water inlet end, and a first step structure is formed between the water outlet end and the water inlet end;

the bottom ends of the supporting members (7) are inwards sunken along the radial direction to form a second step structure, the supporting members (7) are lapped on the ship body deck (2) through the second step structure, and the cold seawater conveying pipeline (6) is lapped on the second step structure of the supporting members (7) through the first step structure.

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