NO20190830A1

NO20190830A1 - Umbilical termination assembly spreader bar

Info

Publication number: NO20190830A1
Application number: NO20190830A
Authority: NO
Inventors: Maio Gaetano Di; Leonardo Lani
Original assignee: Vetco Gray Scandinavia As
Priority date: 2019-07-02
Filing date: 2019-07-02
Publication date: 2021-01-04

Description

The present invention relates to an umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device, an assembly of an umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device and an umbilical termination assembly, and an umbilical termination assembly for an umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device.

Specifically the present invention relates to a swivel spreader bar forming a lifting device for onshore/offshore handling of an umbilical termination assembly. The swivel spreader bar can be considered to include a fixed Ceiling Hinge and Swivel beam portion, (CHS beam) forming a housing which is connected to a Umbilical Termination Assembly (UTA) (portable unit), and a swivelling CHS beam forming a swivel tube for connection to a bridle sling and lifting wire. The bridle sling / V-sling includes a sling / piece of wire from each padeye that is joined in a common connection to a lifting wire above the UTA, for instance in a shackle forming a V or Y if the wire from a crane/vessel is considered. The terms sling and wire are intended to include chains, wire ropes, synthetic ropes, etc. The swivel CHS beam houses the main lifting points that are free to rotate (360 degrees) following the actual load direction. The motion between the fixed CHS beam and the swivel CHS beams is induced by the lifting direction which varies during the handling. The motion is maintained and controlled by a viscous, water resistant grease for heavily loaded application.

The swivel spreader bar is equipped with two "alignment and retaining" pins serving as primary alignment devices and, once the connection to the UTA is completed, as main bearing elements by closing the loads path between the CHS beams and the UTA itself.

The swivel spreader bar is also equipped with two ROV operable "Locking Pins", holding the spreader bar in place once the connection to the UTA is completed. ROV grasping bars complete the assembly, making the swivel spreader bar completely ROV operable (subsea installation/retrieval).

The swivel spreader bar includes a fixed beam connected to the UTA, and a swivel beam, which is free to follow the actual load direction. The swivelling action prevents out of plane loads reducing the dimensions of the main bearing elements (self weight reduction). The swivel spreader bar is suitable for ultra deep water projects and provides a working load limit (WLL) of 59 Tonnes (static) with a weight of 560 Kg.

The load direction varies due to the actual position of the Centre of Gravity, CG which changes during the operations. With fixed lifting points of the prior art, the high out of plane loads necessitates larger sections (padeye width, height and thickness), and it complicates the raw material procurement, the manufacturing operations (welding and non-destructive testing, NDE mainly) and increases the overall weight (crane capacity, transportation cost).

Traditional A-shaped lifting yokes have unfavourable properties in relation to cost and weight.

The main issue for umbilical subsea deployment is the payload. The payload increases with the water depth and reaches the highest values for the second end installation as well as for the recovery from topside facilities, while the first end remains installed subsea.

The solution of the present invention provides high performance, reduced weight, and simple manufacturing. The solution is fully ROV operable

The swivel spreader bar for umbilical termination of the inventions used as a lifting device for onshore/offshore handling of an UTA. The swivel spreader bar includes a fixed CHS (ceiling hinge and swivel) beam connected to the umbilical termination assembly (portable unit) and a swivel CHS beam allowed to rotate inside the fixed CHS beam. The swivel CHS beam houses the main lifting points that are free to rotate (360 degrees), following the actual load direction. The motion between the fixed and the swivel CHS beams is induced by the lifting direction that varies during the handling. The swivel spreader bar is equipped with two "alignment and retaining" pins and two locking pins. The alignment and retaining pins form a primary alignment device and the locking pins are ROV-operated and are held it in place once the connection to the UTA is completed.

The swivel spreader bar The fixed beam of the spreader bar is connected to the umbilical termination, and the swivel beam is free to follow the actual load direction. Out of plane loads are reduced and the main bearing elements can be made lighter.

Accoringly, the present invention relates to anumbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device. The lifting device Includes a housing with an umbilical termination assembly release mechanism and at least two padeyes pivotally fixed to the housing).

The umbilical termination assembly release mechanism may include at least two locking pins. The at least two locking pins may be adapted to be secured to an umbilical termination assembly with at least two main lifting attachment points each with at least one locking pin attachment point opening.

The umbilical termination assembly release mechanism may include at least two alignment and retaining pins. The umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device may be adapted to be secured to an umbilical termination assembly with at least two alignment and retaining buckets. Each of the at least two alignment and retaining pins may be adapted to be inserted into each of the at least two alignment and retaining buckets.

The umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device may further include a swivel tube extending through a tubular portion of a carrier body, and the at least two padeyes may be are fixed to the swivel tube. The umbilical termination assembly release mechanism is then secured to the carrier body (7).

The umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device may be symmetrical about a centreline perpendicular to an axis of rotation of and may extend between the at least two padeyes.

The at least two locking pins may be movable in a direction parallel to a direction of a common pivot axis of the at least two padeyes.

The at least two locking pins may include ROV operable handles.

Furthermore, the invention relates to an assembly of an umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device as described above and an umbilical termination assembly, wherein the the umbilical termination assembly includes: at least one main lifting attachment point with at least one attachment point opening for a locking pin, at each side of a longitudinal centreline, a housing with an umbilical termination assembly release mechanism, and at least two padeyes pivotally fixed to the housing.

The invention also relates to a method of lowering an umbilical termination assembly with an umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device with a housing with an umbilical termination assembly release mechanism including at least two locking pins, and at least two padeyes pivotally fixed to the housing. The at least two locking pins are adapted to be secured to the umbilical termination assembly with at least two main lifting attachment points each with at least one locking pin attachment point opening. The method includes the steps of lowering the an umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device onto the umbilical termination assembly while ensuring that at least two alignment and retaining pins on the umbilical termination assembly release mechanism enter into at least two alignment and retaining buckets on the umbilical termination assembly, shifting each of the at least two locking pins on the an umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device between an unlocked position to a locking position inserted into each of the attachment point openings on the umbilical termination assembly, securing a V-sling to the two padeyes,

lifting the umbilical termination assembly with the umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device in the V-sling while allowing the pivoted padeyes to pivot in relation to the umbilical termination assembly, lowering the umbilical termination assembly with the umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device to a resting position on a seabed, shifting the least two locking pins from a locked position to an unlocked position with a ROV, and lifting the released umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device umbilical termination assembly in the V-sling.

Short description of the enclosed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a swivel spreader bar connected to an umbilical termination assembly;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the swivel spreader of fig.1 disconnected from the UTA;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the swivel spreader bar of figs.1 and 2 from an aft side;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the swivel spreader bar of figs.1, 2 and 3 from an front side;

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the spreader bar of the invention;

Figs. 6-8 show a UTA and a swivel bar from the side with an umbilical and a connecting portion at varying angles;

Fig. 9 shows the UTA without a spreader bar from the port side;

Fig. 10 shows the UTA without a spreader bar from the top side;

Fig. 11 is a front view of the swivel spreader bar in detail;

Fig. 12 is a side view of the swivel spreader bar in detail;

Fig. 13 is a front view of the swivel spreader bar in detail, showing a locking pin in a released position; and

Fig. 14 is a front view of the swivel spreader bar in detail, showing a locking pin in a locked position.

Detailed description of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the enclosed drawings:

Fig. 1 discloses a swivel spreader bar 2 of the invention connected to an umbilical termination assembly (UTA) 1. Fig.1 is a perspective view from a forward connecting side of the UTA 1. The UTA 1 includes a connecting portion 6 with a protecting lid in place during handling of the UTA 1. The swivel spreader bar 2 includes two padeyes 4 and an umbilical termination assembly release mechanism including two locking pins in two locking pin housings 5. The locking pin housings 5 form fixed cradles for the locking pins. Each locking pin is actuated by a locking pin ROV-handle 3. The padeyes are lifting or handling points typically comprising a plate with a hole through which a shackle may be attached.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the swivel spreader 2 bar and the umbilical termination assembly (UTA) 1 of fig.1 from the aft side of the UTA 1, and the swivel spreader 2 is disconnected from the UTA 1. The UTA includes two alignment and retaining buckets 9 and two main lifting padeyes 10 forming main lifting attachment points 10. The swivel spreader 2 includes two alignment and retaining pins 8 adapted to enter the two alignment and retaining buckets 9 of the UTA and two landing interfaces 12 adapted to be secured to the two main lifting padeyes 10. Each landing interface forms a portion of an attachment bracket 17 fixed to a carrier body 7 with a tubular portion. The carrier body 7 forms the fixed CHS beam or housing. The two padeyes 4 are pivotally fixed to the carrier body or housing 7 of the swivel spreader bar are secured to a swivel tube 11 extending through the tubular portion of the carrier body 7.

The two alignment and retaining pins 8 are screwed into their own mounting interface to allow interchangeability if damages occur during the lifting / testing operations.

The locking pin housings 5 with the locking pin handles 3 are fixed to the attachment brackets.

Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views of the swivel spreader bar 2 from the aft and from the front respectively. The retaining pins 8 are fixed to each side aft on the tubular portion of the carrier body 7 with retaining pin brackets 19 facing towards the umbilical end of the UTA. Grease nipples 14 allows grease to be pressed in between an interior of the tubular portion of the carrier body 7 and the outside of the swivel tube 11 to ensure that the swivel tube 11 is allowed to pivot in the carrier body 7. The tubular portion of the carrier body 7 and the outside of the swivel tube 11 forms a bearing. Each attachment bracket 17 includes an inner landing ear 16 and an outer landing ear 15, each with a locking pin hole. ROV handles 13 enable an ROV to handle the swivel spreader bar 2.Five ROV handles or ROV Grasping Bars / grab bars 13 that are standard interface for an intervention system for ROV station keeping during the execution of tasks are attached to the carrier body 7, where of two are facing a front side, two are facing an aft side and one is facing upwards. The ROV Grasping Bars 13 complete the assembly and make the swivel spreader bar 2 completely ROV operable (subsea installation/retrieval).

Fig. 5 corresponds to figs.3, 4, partly in exploded view. The retaining pins 8 are removed from retaining pin installation bores 22 in the retaining pin brackets 19. The two locking pins 21 are removed from the locking pin housings 5 and the locking pin handles 3 are removed from the locking pin handle 3. A cotter pin 20 holds the locking pin handle 3 and the locking pin 21 in position and prevents inadvertent locking or unlocking the locking pin 21. A monkey fist (not shown) can be attached to the cotter pin 20 to facilitate removal by an ROV. The pad eyes 5 are plate shaped elements extending into the swivel tube 11 for added strength.

The housings 5 are tubular and include a slot and cut outs to allow the locking pin handles 3 and the locking pins 21 to slide inside the housings 5. Each handle 3 and its respective locking pin 21 is locked in position upon rotation of the handle 3 and the locking pin 21 to locate the handle 3 into one of the cut outs to prevent longitudinal motion of the locking pin 21. A housing end lid 22 holds each locking pin 21 and locking pin handle 3 inside each locking pin housing 5, and ensures that the locking pin is allowed to move freely in and out of the locking position with the locking pin extending through openings in the inner landing ear 16 and the outer landing ear 15. The locking pin housing or cradle 5 includes the housing end lids or screwed caps 22 that are removable to allow the locking pins to be exchanged if damages occur during the lifting / testing operations.

Figures 6-8 show a UTA 1 with an umbilical 18 and a connecting portion 6. A swivel spreader bar 2 is fixed to the UTA 1 through the attachment bracket 17 of the carrier body with the retaining pins. The padeyes 4 of the swivel spreader bar 2 are facing upwards irrespective of the attitude of the UTA 1. Fig.5 shows the UTA 1 in a horizontal position, fig.6 shows the UTA 1 tilted to 15° and fig 7 shows the UTA tilted to 45 °.

The padeyes 4 always follow the lifting load direction and avoids out of plane stresses. This increases the overall load rating of the system without increasing the cross sections of the structural members.

Figures 9 and 10 shows the UTA 1 from the port side and from the top respectively. Fig. 9 shows that the attachment point openings 23 in the two main lifting padeyes 10 is just aft of, and almost coinciding with the centre of gravity 24 when the UTA 1 is submerged. The two main lifting padeyes 10 are forward of the alignment and retaining buckets 9. A centre of the attachment point openings 23 in the two main lifting padeyes is located in a “horizontal” plane along a longitudinal centreline 25 of the UTA 1. In this context, clearly “horizontal” plane is used for explanation purposes relative to a normal position of the UTA of fig.9.

Fig. 10 shows that the two main lifting padeyes 10 at the same distance from the longitudinal centreline 25 at each side of the UTA 1. Similarly, the two alignment and retaining buckets 9 are located at the same distance from the longitudinal centreline 25 at each side of the UTA 1. The two main lifting padeyes 10 are manufactured from a steel plate and are plate shaped. The UTA 1 includes a structural compartment or UTA housing 26 with sides defining the widest portion of the UTA and a width. The two main lifting padeyes 10 are located close to the two sides and the distance between the two main lifting padeyes 10 is thus the same as, or slightly less than this width. The two alignment and retaining buckets 9 includes a bore with an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the alignment and retaining pins 8 and a clearance to prevent jamming.

An axis through the centre of the two attachment point openings 23 is parallel to a swivel tube centre axis 27 (fig.11) through the swivel tube 11 (fig.11) when the swivel spreader bar 2 is installed on the UTA 1 as shown in fig.1.

Fig. 11 is a front view of the swivel spreader bar 2 with the swivel tube 11 allowed to rotate inside the cylindrical portion of the carrier body 7. A longitudinal swivel tube centre axis 27 also forms an axis of rotation of the swivel tube. The longitudinal swivel tube centre axis 27 is also parallel to a longitudinal locking pin axis of the locking pins 21.

Fig. 12 is a side view of the swivel spreader bar 2 with the swivel tube 11 allowed to rotate inside the cylindrical portion of the carrier body 7. An attachment bracket axis 28 extends through the swivel tube centre axis 27 and the locking pin axis. This attachment bracket axis 28 is parallel with the alignment and retaining pin axes 29 through the alignment and retaining pins 8.

Fig. 13 and 14 show a detail of fig.11 with the locking pin 21 in an open and a closed position respectively. In the closed position, the locking pin 21 extend through the inner landing ear 16 and an outer landing ear 15 of the attachment bracket 17. The landing interface 12 adapted to be secured to each of the two main lifting padeyes and the alignment and retaining pins ensure that the locking pins 21 are aligned with the openings of the main lifting padeyes during installation of the swivel spreader bar. The landing interface 12 of the attachment bracket 17 abuts an upper surface of the plate shaped main lifting padeye 10.

A locking geometry 30 in each of the tubular locking pin housings 5 forming a fixed cradle for the locking pin 21 and ensure that the locking pin 21 remains in the locked or unlocked position after actuation by an ROV. The locking geometry 30 includes a locked position cut out and an unlocked position cut out interconnected by a longitudinal slot.

The attitudes of the UTA 1 varies during installation/the laying operation while the padeyes 4 of the swivel spreader bar remains vertical to allow the pivot point and the axis of rotation to remain the same regardless of the attitude of the UTA 1. The fixed axis of rotation of the padeyes 4 provides predictable behaviour of the UTA 1 and predictable forces on the swivel spreader bar 2 and on the attachment elements securing the swivel spreader bar 2 to the UTA 1. The lifting padeyes following the actual lifting load, avoid out of plane stresses on the lifting padeyes themselves. A viscous, water resistant, tacky grease, injected into the gap between the fixed beam and the swivel beam facilitates the rotation between the fixed and the swivel beams.

The swivel spreader bar is not for permanent subsea installation. The swivel spreader bar is typically designed for a maximum allowable static load of 59000kg and weighs 560kg in air and 487kg submerged.

Claims

1. An umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) comprising: a housing (7) with an umbilical termination assembly release mechanism; and at least two padeyes (4) pivotally fixed to the housing (7).

2. The umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) of claim 1, wherein the umbilical termination assembly release mechanism includes at least two locking pins (21); and

wherein the at least two locking pins (21) are adapted to be secured to an umbilical termination assembly (1) with at least two main lifting attachment points (10) each with at least one locking pin attachment point opening (23).

3. The umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) of claim 2, wherein the umbilical termination assembly release mechanism (2) includes at least two alignment and retaining pins (8);

wherein the umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) is adapted to be secured to an umbilical termination assembly (1) with at least two alignment and retaining buckets (9); and

wherein each of the at least two alignment and retaining pins (8) is adapted to be inserted into each of the at least two alignment and retaining buckets (9).

4. The umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) of any of the preceding claims, including a swivel tube (11) extending through a tubular portion of a carrier body (7), wherein the at least two padeyes (4) are fixed to the swivel tube (11); and

wherein the umbilical termination assembly release mechanism is secured to the carrier body (7).

5. The umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) of any of the preceding claims, wherein umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) is symmetrical about a centreline perpendicular to an axis of rotation of and extending between the at least two padeyes (4).

6. The umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) of any of the preceding claims, 2-5, wherein the at least two locking pins (21) are movable in a direction parallel to a direction of a common pivot axis of the at least two padeyes (4).

7. The umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) of any of the preceding claims, 2-6, wherein the at least two locking pins (21) include ROV operable handles (3).

8. An assembly of an umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) of any of the preceding claims and an umbilical termination assembly (1), the umbilical termination assembly (1) comprising:

at least one main lifting attachment point (10) with at least one attachment point opening (23) for a locking pin (21), at each side of a longitudinal centreline;

a housing (5) with an umbilical termination assembly release mechanism; and at least two padeyes (4) pivotally fixed to the housing (7).

9. A method of lowering an umbilical termination assembly with an umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) with a housing (7) with an umbilical termination assembly release mechanism including at least two locking pins (21), and at least two padeyes (4) pivotally fixed to the housing (7), wherein the at least two locking pins (21) are adapted to be secured to the umbilical termination assembly (1) with at least two main lifting attachment points (10) each with at least one locking pin attachment point opening (23),

comprising the steps of:

lowering the an umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) onto the umbilical termination assembly while ensuring that at least two alignment and retaining pins (8) on the umbilical termination assembly release mechanism (2) enter into at least two alignment and retaining buckets (9) on the umbilical termination assembly;

shifting each of the at least two locking pins (21) on the an umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) between an unlocked position to a locking position inserted into each of the attachment point openings (23) on the umbilical termination assembly;

securing a V-sling to the two padeyes (4);

lifting the umbilical termination assembly with the umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) in the V-sling while allowing the pivoted padeyes (4) to pivot in relation to the umbilical termination assembly;

lowering the umbilical termination assembly with the umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) to a resting position on a seabed; shifting the least two locking pins (21) from a locked position to an unlocked position with a ROV; and

lifting the released umbilical termination assembly releasable lifting device (2) umbilical termination assembly in the V-sling.