EP2596266A2 - Self-aligning socket for mooring cable - Google Patents

Abstract

Intended primarily to be mounted at the end of a mooring cable of a system for anchoring a mobile solid element, this socket comprises a socket body 12 that has an internal cavity 14 comprising a guide chamber 34 for guiding the mooring cable 22, an intermediate section 18 and a socketing space 20 intended to accept and immobilize the ends of the strands of the mooring cable 22, and coupling members 30, 30' for coupling to the mobile solid element that is to be anchored, these members being positioned on the socket body 12 so as to define an axis of pivoting 32 of the socket body 12 that passes through the intermediate section 18. Use of the socket in anchoring systems, notably in an offshore environment, ensures natural self alignment of the socket with the cable to which it is fitted during the various movements to which the anchoring system is subjected.

Description

 SELF-ALIGNING SOCKET FOR MOORING CABLE.

The present invention relates to the field of mooring cables, in particular those used in the maritime environment. More specifically, it relates to an end socket for mooring line cables, in particular of the catenary type of offshore mooring for anchoring floating bulk elements of offshore oil exploitation systems, without being limited thereto.

In the so-called "offshore" field of offshore oil exploitation, mooring cables, also known as catenaries, are used as high-tensile linkages for the anchorage of the offshore. floating solid elements such as offshore platforms, loading buoys, or immersed levels of surface riser systems (SPAR, Riser tower System).

 Often arranged in anchoring systems converging at the mobile floating solid element to be anchored, the mooring cables are connected by their end sleeves, (associated or not with connecting pieces) on the one hand to a fixed device anchored on the seabed, and secondly, to the floating element to be anchored.

 It is recalled that such mooring lines may have lengths exceeding one kilometer. This reference length will also probably increase in the coming years, underwater prospecting moving towards deeper and deeper waters.

The various connections and components of the anchoring system at each end of such mooring lines must therefore be able to withstand the considerable stress and repetitive forces generated by the swell, the sea currents, the winds or the various constraints. operation of the offshore installation itself. A catenary line offshore mooring actually participates in the movements of the swell, so that the fatigue resistance in particular becomes an essential requirement, in traction, but also in bending, especially at the exit of the cable. its end socket.

 Conventional mooring lines with end sleeves, clevis type, handle, or eye are known. Such a sleeve is essentially constituted by a hollow body of frustoconical general shape forming a cup and having, at its widest end, ears (or a plate) pierced with a bore for receiving a connecting pin or a Oval handle intended for the connection with the system to be anchored. By its undercut shape, the culnage cell has a blocking function and receives for this purpose an end of the mooring cable whose strands were previously spread in sheaf, before being filled with a material casting which, after solidification, permanently solidifies the cable and the socket.

 Within the various anchoring systems, aerial but more particularly underwater, the mooring lines are subjected to alternating traction cycles or repeated bending due to the stresses on the mobile to anchor and the resulting movements. Anchorage systems and cable-based moorings should therefore be designed and constructed to take into account these conditions of use. In particular, it is necessary to avoid any concentration of repeated bending stresses at the level of the mooring cable portion just at the outlet of its end bushing.

As already indicated above, with a view to their connection to the mobile to be anchored or to the anchors of the ends of the line, the end sockets of the cables equipping the current anchoring systems comprise externally, on the side opposite the arrival of the cable, coupling members ensuring a pivoting attachment of the sleeve to the element to be anchored. A pivoting coupling is thus produced which, under the action of the various stresses to which the anchoring system is subjected, allows movements of alternating rotation of the sleeve around an axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis thereof. Note however that with this type of socket, the cable exits freely from the socket, just or relatively short distance from the foot of the shower of development of the son engaged in the culn cavity. However, by the effect of a couple, the The weight of the bushing is largely sufficient to drive the latter in partial rotational movements about its pivot axis, thus print parasitic bending stresses to the portion of cable located out of the culnage cavity.

 To overcome this drawback, it is known to limit stresses induced parasitic bending in the bushing output cable protecting it by a stiffener.

 The installation of such a piece of equipment is all the more important if the bending rigidity of the cable will be lower, or the materials which constitute it more efficient, as in the case of modern high strength steel cables, or still mixed cables made from steel son (synthetic materials, or even purely synthetic materials.

 Such a stiffener, intended to allow the socket to self-align with its cable, typically takes the form of a sleeve installed around the cable e socket outlet and whose stiffness and thickness are decreasing as and when as one moves away from it. Generally made of plast material of adequate rigidity and consistency, the stiffener thus sees its flexibility increase from its large base to its tip, thus reducing, ma to reduce only, the sometimes severe risks of parasite bending of the cable out of its end socket.

 The present invention is specifically intended to provide a new type of self-aligning end sleeve for mooring line cables constituting anchoring systems may be subject to strong cyclic variations in geometry and constraints during of use.

 For this purpose, the first object of the invention is a self-aligning bushing desl born to be mounted at the end of a mooring cable for an arage system of a movable solid element, the bushing comprising:

a socket body having an internal cavity comprising a guide rope of the mooring cable, an intermediate section and a veeole pellet for receiving and blocking the ends of the strands of the mooring cable, and

 coupling members with the mobile solid element to be anchored, positioned on the socket body so as to define a pivot axis of the socket body, which passes through the intermediate section of the socket.

Thus, it is understood that the implementation of the invention has the primary effect of forcing the permanent maintenance of the sleeve in line with the cable that carries it. This result is mainly due to the presence of a cable guide chamber within the body of the sleeve, which plays, in fact, the role of an internal stiffener thanks to its inner wall that comes into contact with the cable like a holding envelope.

 In addition, a shape-holding sleeve complementary to the guide chamber can be inserted to receive the mooring cable. For practical reasons of adaptability of the socket to the various possible diameters of the cable, it is understood that it will be advantageous to provide a guiding chamber wider than the cable to be guided so as to insert such a calibrated holding sleeve , of form adaptable according to the needs.

 In a preferred embodiment, the center of gravity G of the bushing is at the intermediate section, and therefore in the vicinity of its pivot axis, or even on this pivot axis or between the pivot axis and the beginning of the guiding chamber. The axis of pivoting of the sleeve relative to the elements to which it is connected is thus in the immediate vicinity of the point of application on the sleeve of the tensile forces transmitted by the cable during its use within the anchoring system. In this way, it avoids any effect of "lever arm" which would be exerted at the level of the sleeve itself by imparting a proper movement of rotation around its pivot.

This forced alignment of the socket on its cable allows it to easily follow the movements induced on the cable during its use within anchoring systems in which it participates and thus greatly reduce, or even eliminate, parasitic bending phenomena thereof at the socket outlet much more than could best do a stiffener alone outwardly equipped a built-end socket according to the state of the prior art.

The invention also has for its second object, an offshore mooring cable provided at at least one of its ends with a self-aligning bushing according to the invention, the cable being provided with a waterproof sheath enveloping an assembly of steel or synthetic materials or their combinations.

 The implementation of the invention in this field allows a great reduction, or even a suppression of parasitic bending stresses of the mooring cables at the end of their end sleeves, whether they consist of steel wires, d mixed assemblies of steel and synthetic materials, or synthetic materials only.

 Such a self-aligning sleeve is of course suitable for the equipment of metal cable ends, generally used in various anchoring or mooring systems, including those usually implemented in the offshore oil field. However, it is more advantageous in the case of composite cables consisting of a steel strand and synthetic materials, or consist solely of a strand of synthetic materials, such cables having a bending stiffness much less than that a cable purely composed of a strand of steel wire.

 Preferably, the coupling members comprise a pair of journals extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. Such pins allow a pivotal connection by engaging for example in housings of corresponding diameter provided on the movable member to be anchored or the fixed end point of the line, for example in the form of a bayonet stirrup.

The coupling members of the bushing may also take the form of eyelets or circular bores in which trunnions engage. provided on the mobile to be anchored or on the fixed point of end of line.

 The culnage cell receiving the sheaf of son from the end of the cable prepared for its culottage can be of any form allowing the cable to feel in the socket and its jamming. It is preferred that it be of frustoconical shape.

 According to a preferred embodiment, the guiding chamber, which precedes the guiding cavity, comprises a flared section in opposition to the flare that can constitute the culnage cell. This arrangement, which gives the internal cavity of the socket body a general diabolo shape (that is to say a shape of two inverted cones joined at their apex by a cylindrical zone), makes it possible to facilitate the installation and removal in the guiding chamber of a holding sleeve, preferably rigid, which cooperates with its inner profile to hold the cable. The intermediate section separating the cup and the guiding chamber then has a section narrowed in diameter relative to these two parts.

 A simple assembly ring mounted at the outlet of the guide chamber makes it possible to immobilize this sleeve in its functional position.

 In addition to its primary stiffener function, this sleeve protects the cable from contact with the metal body of the socket. It is also intended to absorb the slight residual deviations of the cable which would still remain at the end of its end socket.

 In a preferred embodiment, the sleeve has a stiffness and a thickness which decreases as one moves away from the intermediate section. The sleeve thus has a flexibility that increases as you approach the outlet of the sleeve.

 The invention also relates to a mooring cable at least one end of which is provided with a bushing as defined according to the invention, the cable being preferably sheathed and made of metal wires, made of synthetic material, or a combination of these materials.

Other aspects, characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly in view of the following description of an embodiment given with reference to the single appended figure showing a self-aligning sleeve according to the invention seen in longitudinal section along its axial plane of symmetry.

 The bushing 10, shown mounted at the end of a mooring cable 22, essentially comprises a hollow bushing body 12, preferably made of metal, for example of forged, molded, or machined steel. This body 12, of axial symmetry, is of elongate shape along its longitudinal axis 16. In this embodiment, it has an internal cavity 14, open at its ends, generally "diabolo" comprising three successive parts aligned on the longitudinal axis 16 and which are, in order:

 a chamber 34 for guiding the cable 22 into which is inserted a holding sleeve 36,

 an intermediate section 18 and

 a culnage cell 20 receiving the end of the cable 22.

 The culetting cell 20 is here of frustoconical shape, made so as to flare away from the narrowed intermediate section 18 along the axis 16.

 The narrowed intermediate section 18 is here a median section in which the center of gravity G of the sleeve 10 is located. It is therefore particularly advantageous to provide that the socket body 12 is provided in this zone with coupling members. of the sleeve 10, here journals 30 and 30 ', with the element to be anchored.

 The guiding chamber 34 extends upstream the sump 20 on the other side of the intermediate section 18. This guide chamber 34, provided with the sleeve 36 closely matches the end of the cable 22 that it receives, in order to fulfill its function of cable stiffener.

Depending on the various anchoring applications, especially in marine (or offshore), the mooring cable 22 may be conventionally formed of a helically twisted assembly of strands consisting of individual son, or strands 26 wrapped in a sheath 24. These individual threads, or those strands, are themselves formed of steel son, or synthetic material, or mixed (steel and synthetic materials).

 It will be noted that the intermediate section 18, whose diameter is the smallest of the internal cavity 14, is of a diameter compatible with the outside diameter of the cable 22 coated with its protective sheath 24.

 Fixing the bushing 10 to the end of the cable 22 is carried out in the following manner: the bushing 10 is placed on the sheaf formed from the end expansion of the strands 26 of the cable 22, once the naked at the end. It is then poured through the top of the cavity 14 into the chamber 20, forming a cup, a molten metal or a synthetic material 28 which, after solidification and / or hardening, renders the cable and the sleeve definitively secured, by means of obtaining a jamming cone by undercutting effect.

 To allow attachment to an anchoring element, which is generally a floating mobile, such as an offshore oil platform or a loading buoy, but which can also be, at the other end of the cable, a seabed anchor , etc. the sleeve 10 comprises coupling members adapted to cooperate with corresponding coupling means provided on the element to be anchored.

 These coupling members are generally designed to provide a pivotal connection, preferably without play or optimized clearance, which will, depending on the different forces to which the anchoring system is subjected, permanent self-alignment of the sleeve with the cable on which she is cheeky.

 In the variant embodiment described here, these coupling members are constituted by two opposite journals 30 and 30 'so that their common axis of rotation 32 is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 16 of the sleeve 10 and defines the axis of pivoting. of it. The mobile to be anchored will then include female type coupling means, for example, bayonet brackets in which will engage the pins.

It is preferred that the coupling members 30, 30 'of the sleeve 10 are arranged on the socket body 12 so that their axis of rotation 32 passes close to the base of the pellet chamber 20, at the intermediate section 18.

 In practice, and with reference to the present variant, it will be noted that a substantial effect of the positioning of the coupling members 30, 30 'is obtained when the pivot axis 32 passes through the intermediate section of the sleeve indicated R on the FIG. 1, ie an area extending between the base of the sump 20 and the beginning of the guiding chamber 34.

 Preferably, the sleeve 10 will be designed so that its center of gravity G, is in this region R, so close to the pivot axis 32, in order to obtain an indifferent balance, or almost indifferent to that- ci during its rotation around the pivot 32.

 It is again emphasized the advantageous nature of a flared shape for the guide chamber 34, located in the extension of the intermediate section 18, on the opposite side to the cup compartment 20. The intermediate section 18 therefore opens on this chamber 34 of flared shape, here frustoconical, but may however take other forms, which allows guided retention and protection of the cable for a distance after the intermediate zone 18, preferably due to the presence of a sleeve 36 made of plastic material reported.

 The sleeve 36 is inserted into the flared chamber 34, and its shape is complementary to the latter. After the bushing 10 has been potted on its cable 22, this sleeve 36, made of plastic material, preferably rigid, becomes a holding sleeve arranged around the cable. It then makes it possible to absorb the deviations of the latter which could still be present at the outlet of the bushing and avoids, or very strongly limits, its folding directly at the intermediate zone 18. Suitable materials for the sleeve 36 may be, among others, polyurethanes of various grades.

 The sleeve 36 is held in the guide chamber 34 by means, here, of a retaining ring 38 fixed to the body 12 by a screw crown 39.

Although this is not shown, it will be possible to provide a seal annular sealing around the cable 22 at the intermediate section 18.

 In addition, the sheath 24 of the cable 22 can be locked in place in the socket 10 by means of, for example, circular clips or retaining rings engaging in an annular groove formed in the sheath 24 of the cable.

 It goes without saying that the invention can not be limited to the exemplary embodiment considered, but that it extends to multiple variants and equivalents to the extent that are respected its essential technical characteristics.

 Its field of application extends to any mooring line, in the case where it is desired to directly ensure the natural self-alignment of the cable with its end bush or sockets so as to minimize the parasitic bending stresses suffered by the cable out of them and often responsible for its premature scrapping.

Claims

A self-aligning bushing (10) for mounting at the end of a mooring cable (22) for an anchoring system of a movable solid member, said bushing (10) comprising:

 a sleeve body (12) having an internal cavity (14) comprising a guide chamber (34) of the mooring cable (22), an intermediate section (18) and a pellet pocket (20) for receiving and blocking the ends of the strands of said mooring cable (22), and

 - coupling members (30, 30 ') with said mobile solid element to be anchored, positioned on the socket body (12) so as to define a pivot axis (32) of said socket body (12) passing through said intermediate section (18).

A self-aligning bushing (10) according to claim 1, wherein the center of gravity G is at said intermediate section (18).

Self-aligning bushing (10) according to claim 2, the pivot axis of which passes through the center of gravity G of said bushing (10).

A self-aligning bushing (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a retaining sleeve (36) inserted into and complementary to said guiding chamber (34), said sleeve (36) ) being intended to envelop the mooring cable (22).

5. Offshore mooring cable (22) provided at at least one end thereof with a self-aligning bushing (10) according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, said cable (22) being provided with a waterproof sheath (24) wrapping a wire assembly (26) based on steel or synthetic materials or combinations thereof.