WO2000077341A1 - A system for refilling a subsea motor cooling circuit - Google Patents

A system for refilling a subsea motor cooling circuit Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2000077341A1
WO2000077341A1 PCT/NO2000/000182 NO0000182W WO0077341A1 WO 2000077341 A1 WO2000077341 A1 WO 2000077341A1 NO 0000182 W NO0000182 W NO 0000182W WO 0077341 A1 WO0077341 A1 WO 0077341A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cooling circuit
valve
cooler
chamber
refilling
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/NO2000/000182
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Brede Thorkildsen
Original Assignee
Kvaerner Eureka A.S.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Kvaerner Eureka A.S. filed Critical Kvaerner Eureka A.S.
Priority to GB0127921A priority Critical patent/GB2372094B/en
Priority to AU49580/00A priority patent/AU4958000A/en
Publication of WO2000077341A1 publication Critical patent/WO2000077341A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D29/00—Details, component parts, or accessories
    • F04D29/58—Cooling; Heating; Diminishing heat transfer
    • F04D29/586—Cooling; Heating; Diminishing heat transfer specially adapted for liquid pumps
    • F04D29/588—Cooling; Heating; Diminishing heat transfer specially adapted for liquid pumps cooling or heating the machine
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D13/00—Pumping installations or systems
    • F04D13/02—Units comprising pumps and their driving means
    • F04D13/06—Units comprising pumps and their driving means the pump being electrically driven
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D13/00—Pumping installations or systems
    • F04D13/02—Units comprising pumps and their driving means
    • F04D13/06—Units comprising pumps and their driving means the pump being electrically driven
    • F04D13/08—Units comprising pumps and their driving means the pump being electrically driven for submerged use
    • F04D13/086—Units comprising pumps and their driving means the pump being electrically driven for submerged use the pump and drive motor are both submerged
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D29/00—Details, component parts, or accessories
    • F04D29/04—Shafts or bearings, or assemblies thereof
    • F04D29/046—Bearings
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D29/00—Details, component parts, or accessories
    • F04D29/58—Cooling; Heating; Diminishing heat transfer
    • F04D29/5806—Cooling the drive system

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a system for refilling a subsea motor cooling circuit, which cooling circuit comprises a cooler exposed to the surrounding body of water, and which system comprises a refill source, a line connection between the refill source and the cooling circuit and a valve in the line connection for metered refilling of the cooling circuit.
  • the invention has been especially developed in connection with a subsea pump module as disclosed in Norwegian Patent Application No. 19992627, filed on the same date as the present application, and which teaches and describes a subsea pump module comprising a pump insert and a pump motor, with a system for lubricating bearings, cooling and lubricating seals and cooling the motor, which system comprises an external cooler exposed to the body of water.
  • a refilling valve is indicated in the system.
  • the invention has been especially developed in connection with the aforementioned subsea pump module, the invention is of course not limited to this exclusive use, as it can be used in many other cases where a metered refilling is required. It is an object of the invention to provide a metering valve which functions by utilising the temperature differences that will be found in the cooling circuit and between the cooling circuit and the surrounding body of water.
  • a system as mentioned in the introduction and having a metering valve that comprises a housing having a first and a second chamber. These two chambers are separated from one another by means of a bellows.
  • the first chamber has an inlet that is connected to the refill source via a non-return valve and a valve-controlled outlet that is connected to the cooling circuit.
  • the second chamber is liquid-filled and accommodates a liquid-carrying heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, where the outlet is connected to the cooling circuit downstream of the cooler, and the inlet can be connected via a shuttle valve to the cooling circuit upstream of the cooler, directly or via a second cooler, exposed to the body of water, and which is throttle-connected to the cooling circuit.
  • the new metering valve is based on the expansion and contraction of the liquid in the second chamber under the effect of the heat exchanger that is accommodated in the second chamber and which can be alternately connected to the cooling circuit, directly or via a cooler that is throttle-connected to the cooling circuit and exposed to the body of water.
  • the heat exchanger is connected to the cooling circuit via the said second cooler, which is throttle-connected to the cooling circuit, the temperature in this second cooler, will, as a result of the throttle connection, be very close to the surrounding water temperature.
  • the liquid in this second cooler will thus be colder than the liquid which may come directly from the cooling circuit.
  • the second cooler is connected, liquid in the second chamber will thus contract.
  • the first chamber is connected to a refill source, via a non-return valve.
  • the invention provides a very simple and reliable refilling system. It requires only actuation of the valve in the outlet from the first chamber and the shuttle valve. These valves may advantageously be combined in a suitable control valve that is preferably electrically actuated. The electric actuation may be direct or via pilot pressure.
  • a suitable control valve is one which has two flow paths and a closed port in a first position and two closed ports and one flow path in a second position.
  • the drawing shows a subsea pump module 1 consisting of an electric motor 2 and a centrifugal pump 3 that is driven by the electric motor.
  • the pump inlet is indicated by means of the reference numeral 4 and the pump outlet by means of the reference numeral 5.
  • a cooling circuit is provided for the motor 2, for lubricating and cooling bearings, seals and the motor itself.
  • This cooling circuit comprises an external cooler 6.
  • the external cooler 6 is exposed to the surrounding body of water, i.e., to the seawater.
  • the cooling circuit will need refilling as a result of inevitable loss over time, and, according to the invention, a new system as defined in the patent claims is proposed for this refilling.
  • a central element in the refilling system is a metering valve 7.
  • This metering valve 7 includes a two-part housing 8, 9 which with the aid of a bellows 10 is divided into a first chamber 11 and a second chamber 12.
  • the bellows 10 is fixed between the two housing parts 8 and 9 and extends into one of the housing parts 8.
  • the first chamber 11 has an inlet 13 that is connected to a non-illustrated refill source via a non-return valve 14 and a filter 15 arranged in front of the valve.
  • the first chamber 11 also has an outlet 16 which is valve-controlled by the control valve 20, and connected to the cooling circuit by means of a line 17.
  • the second chamber 12 is filled with a suitable liquid and accommodates a heat exchanger 18, in the exemplary embodiment in the form of a heat exchanger coil.
  • the heat exchanger 18 has an inlet which via a shuttle valve, the control valve 20, can be connected directly to the cooling circuit upstream of the cooler 6. Alternatively, it can be connected to the cooling circuit upstream of the cooler 6 via a second cooler 19, exposed to the body of water, and which is throttle-connected 21 to the cooling circuit.
  • the heat exchanger also has an outlet 22 that is connected to the cooling circuit downstream of the cooler 6.
  • the throttle 21 causes the liquid in the second cooler 19 to be cooled considerably and reach a temperature close to the surrounding water temperature. This means to say that the liquid in the cooler 19 will have a lower temperature than the liquid which passes through the line 23 and via the control valve 20 can be directed to the heat exchanger 18.
  • control valve 20 is actuated so that the heat exchanger 18 is connected to the second external cooler 19.
  • the outlet 16 will then be closed.
  • the colder liquid from the second cooler 19 will cause the liquid in the second chamber 12 to contract, accompanied by the contraction of the bellows 10 and intake of refill liquid through the filter 15 and the non-return valve 14.
  • the control valve 20 is switched to the position illustrated in the drawing figure.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Electrical Discharge Machining, Electrochemical Machining, And Combined Machining (AREA)

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for refilling a subsea motor cooling circuit, which cooling circuit comprises a cooler exposed to the surrounding body of water, and which system comprises a refill source, a line connection between the refill source and the cooling circuit and a valve in the line connection for metered refilling of the cooling circuit. The invention is characterised in that the metering valve comprises a housing (8, 9) having a first (11) and a second (12) chamber, which are separated from one another by a bellows (10), where the first chamber (11) has an inlet (13) connected to the refill source via a non-return valve (14) and a valve-controlled outlet (16) connected to the cooling circuit. The second chamber (12) is filled with liquid and accommodates a liquid-carrying heat exchanger (18) having an inlet and an outlet, where the outlet (22) is connected to the cooling circuit downstream of the cooler, and the inlet via shuttle valve (20) can be connected to the cooling circuit upstream of the cooler (6), directly or via a second cooler (19) exposed to the body of water, and which is throttle-connected (21) to the cooling circuit.

Description

A SYSTEM FOR REFILLING A SUBSEA MOTOR COOLING CIRCUIT
The invention relates to a system for refilling a subsea motor cooling circuit, which cooling circuit comprises a cooler exposed to the surrounding body of water, and which system comprises a refill source, a line connection between the refill source and the cooling circuit and a valve in the line connection for metered refilling of the cooling circuit.
The invention has been especially developed in connection with a subsea pump module as disclosed in Norwegian Patent Application No. 19992627, filed on the same date as the present application, and which teaches and describes a subsea pump module comprising a pump insert and a pump motor, with a system for lubricating bearings, cooling and lubricating seals and cooling the motor, which system comprises an external cooler exposed to the body of water. For refilling, a refilling valve is indicated in the system.
Although the invention has been especially developed in connection with the aforementioned subsea pump module, the invention is of course not limited to this exclusive use, as it can be used in many other cases where a metered refilling is required. It is an object of the invention to provide a metering valve which functions by utilising the temperature differences that will be found in the cooling circuit and between the cooling circuit and the surrounding body of water.
According to the invention, there is proposed a system as mentioned in the introduction and having a metering valve that comprises a housing having a first and a second chamber. These two chambers are separated from one another by means of a bellows. The first chamber has an inlet that is connected to the refill source via a non-return valve and a valve-controlled outlet that is connected to the cooling circuit. The second chamber is liquid-filled and accommodates a liquid-carrying heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, where the outlet is connected to the cooling circuit downstream of the cooler, and the inlet can be connected via a shuttle valve to the cooling circuit upstream of the cooler, directly or via a second cooler, exposed to the body of water, and which is throttle-connected to the cooling circuit.
The new metering valve is based on the expansion and contraction of the liquid in the second chamber under the effect of the heat exchanger that is accommodated in the second chamber and which can be alternately connected to the cooling circuit, directly or via a cooler that is throttle-connected to the cooling circuit and exposed to the body of water. When the heat exchanger is connected to the cooling circuit via the said second cooler, which is throttle-connected to the cooling circuit, the temperature in this second cooler, will, as a result of the throttle connection, be very close to the surrounding water temperature. The liquid in this second cooler will thus be colder than the liquid which may come directly from the cooling circuit. When the second cooler is connected, liquid in the second chamber will thus contract. As mentioned, the first chamber is connected to a refill source, via a non-return valve. When the liquid in the second chamber contracts, liquid will flow into the first chamber from the refill source (the bellows follows the contraction of the liquid in the second chamber). Once this has happened, the shuttle valve is actuated so that the heat exchanger is connected directly to the cooling circuit. The liquid which is now fed into the heat exchanger will be warmer than that which passes through the second cooler, and the liquid in the second chamber will therefore expand and, via the expanding diaphragm, force liquid out of the first chamber and into the cooling circuit. The non-return valve prevents return to the refill source.
The invention provides a very simple and reliable refilling system. It requires only actuation of the valve in the outlet from the first chamber and the shuttle valve. These valves may advantageously be combined in a suitable control valve that is preferably electrically actuated. The electric actuation may be direct or via pilot pressure. A suitable control valve is one which has two flow paths and a closed port in a first position and two closed ports and one flow path in a second position.
The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing, whose only figure is a schematic diagram of a system according to the invention, intended for refilling a subsea pump module.
The drawing shows a subsea pump module 1 consisting of an electric motor 2 and a centrifugal pump 3 that is driven by the electric motor. The pump inlet is indicated by means of the reference numeral 4 and the pump outlet by means of the reference numeral 5.
A cooling circuit is provided for the motor 2, for lubricating and cooling bearings, seals and the motor itself. This cooling circuit comprises an external cooler 6. For further details regarding the subsea pump module 1 and the cooling circuit with the external cooler 6, reference is made to the aforementioned Norwegian patent application filed on the same date as the present application.
The external cooler 6 is exposed to the surrounding body of water, i.e., to the seawater. The cooling circuit will need refilling as a result of inevitable loss over time, and, according to the invention, a new system as defined in the patent claims is proposed for this refilling.
A central element in the refilling system is a metering valve 7. This metering valve 7 includes a two-part housing 8, 9 which with the aid of a bellows 10 is divided into a first chamber 11 and a second chamber 12. The bellows 10 is fixed between the two housing parts 8 and 9 and extends into one of the housing parts 8.
The first chamber 11 has an inlet 13 that is connected to a non-illustrated refill source via a non-return valve 14 and a filter 15 arranged in front of the valve. The first chamber 11 also has an outlet 16 which is valve-controlled by the control valve 20, and connected to the cooling circuit by means of a line 17.
The second chamber 12 is filled with a suitable liquid and accommodates a heat exchanger 18, in the exemplary embodiment in the form of a heat exchanger coil. The heat exchanger 18 has an inlet which via a shuttle valve, the control valve 20, can be connected directly to the cooling circuit upstream of the cooler 6. Alternatively, it can be connected to the cooling circuit upstream of the cooler 6 via a second cooler 19, exposed to the body of water, and which is throttle-connected 21 to the cooling circuit.
The heat exchanger also has an outlet 22 that is connected to the cooling circuit downstream of the cooler 6.
The throttle 21 causes the liquid in the second cooler 19 to be cooled considerably and reach a temperature close to the surrounding water temperature. This means to say that the liquid in the cooler 19 will have a lower temperature than the liquid which passes through the line 23 and via the control valve 20 can be directed to the heat exchanger 18.
In the drawing the system is shown whilst the refill liquid is being metered into the cooling circuit. The control valve 20 is in a position where the heat exchanger 18 is directly connected to the cooling circuit upstream of the cooler 6. The liquid in the second chamber 12 is under expansion, as indicated by the broken lines for the diaphragm or bellows 10, and liquid is therefore forced from the first chamber 11 , out through the outlet 16 and then through the line 17 to the cooling circuit.
Once the metering has been completed, the control valve 20 is actuated so that the heat exchanger 18 is connected to the second external cooler 19. The outlet 16 will then be closed. The colder liquid from the second cooler 19 will cause the liquid in the second chamber 12 to contract, accompanied by the contraction of the bellows 10 and intake of refill liquid through the filter 15 and the non-return valve 14. When refilling is required, the control valve 20 is switched to the position illustrated in the drawing figure.

Claims

P a t e n t c l a i m s
1.
A system, for refilling a subsea motor cooling circuit, which cooling circuit comprises a cooler exposed to the surrounding body of water, and which system comprises a refill source, a line connection between the refill source and the cooling circuit and a valve in the line connection for metered refilling of the cooling circuit, characterised in that the metering valve comprises a housing (8, 9) having a first (11) and a second (12) chamber, which are separated from one another by a bellows (10), where the first chamber (11) has an inlet (13) connected to the refill source via a nonreturn valve (14) and a valve-controlled outlet (16) connected to the cooling circuit, and the second chamber (12) is filled with liquid and accommodates a liquid-carrying heat exchanger (18) having an inlet and an outlet, where the outlet (22) of the heat exchanger (18) is connected to the cooling circuit downstream of the cooler, and the inlet of the heat exchanger (18) can be connected via a shuttle valve (20) to the cooling circuit upstream of the cooler (6), directly or via a second cooler (19) exposed to the body of water, and which is throttle-connected (21) to the cooling circuit.
2. A system according to claim 1, characterised in that the valve in the outlet (16) from the first chamber (11) and the shuttle valve are combined in a suitable control valve (20).
PCT/NO2000/000182 1999-06-01 2000-05-30 A system for refilling a subsea motor cooling circuit WO2000077341A1 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0127921A GB2372094B (en) 1999-06-01 2000-05-30 A system for refiling a subsea motor cooling circuit
AU49580/00A AU4958000A (en) 1999-06-01 2000-05-30 A system for refilling a subsea motor cooling circuit

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NO992628A NO309241B1 (en) 1999-06-01 1999-06-01 Apparatus for refilling a cooling circuit for an underwater engine
NO19992628 1999-06-01

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2000077341A1 true WO2000077341A1 (en) 2000-12-21

Family

ID=19903399

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/NO2000/000182 WO2000077341A1 (en) 1999-06-01 2000-05-30 A system for refilling a subsea motor cooling circuit

Country Status (4)

Country Link
AU (1) AU4958000A (en)
GB (1) GB2372094B (en)
NO (1) NO309241B1 (en)
WO (1) WO2000077341A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10711799B2 (en) 2012-05-09 2020-07-14 Nuovo Pignone Srl Pressure equalizer
US11808268B2 (en) 2020-10-19 2023-11-07 Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation Stick pump assembly

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5382141A (en) * 1991-02-08 1995-01-17 Kvaener Rosenberg A.S. Kvaerner Subsea Contracting Compressor system and method of operation
US5795135A (en) * 1995-12-05 1998-08-18 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Sub-sea pumping system and an associated method including pressure compensating arrangement for cooling and lubricating fluid

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5795435A (en) * 1995-11-08 1998-08-18 Waters, Jr.; Jesse Walter Transfer tape applicator system

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5382141A (en) * 1991-02-08 1995-01-17 Kvaener Rosenberg A.S. Kvaerner Subsea Contracting Compressor system and method of operation
US5795135A (en) * 1995-12-05 1998-08-18 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Sub-sea pumping system and an associated method including pressure compensating arrangement for cooling and lubricating fluid

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10711799B2 (en) 2012-05-09 2020-07-14 Nuovo Pignone Srl Pressure equalizer
US11808268B2 (en) 2020-10-19 2023-11-07 Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation Stick pump assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NO992628D0 (en) 1999-06-01
NO992628L (en) 2000-12-04
GB2372094A (en) 2002-08-14
GB0127921D0 (en) 2002-01-16
GB2372094B (en) 2003-06-04
NO309241B1 (en) 2001-01-02
AU4958000A (en) 2001-01-02

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
KR100836686B1 (en) Separated cooling system of the engine
US4893603A (en) Low pressure fuel injection system with fuel preheating for an air-compressing, injection internal combustion engine
US20160349770A1 (en) By-pass valve
GB2525415A (en) An Engine Cooling System Expansion Reservoir
KR20180065028A (en) Multistage bypass valve
US4383551A (en) Anti-hammer device for pulsed liquid-merging system
KR950006422A (en) Temperature control system for internal combustion engines
CN104736811A (en) Cooling control device and cooling control method for internal combustion engine
EP0971184A3 (en) Pressure control valve
WO2000077341A1 (en) A system for refilling a subsea motor cooling circuit
CN103314242B (en) For the device of the flow velocity of controlled cooling model agent
CA2873285C (en) Valve for fuel circuit of an aircraft engine
JP2000034915A (en) Oil filter assembled body for motor cycle with by-pass valve
SE0104050L (en) Pump arrangement for a cooling system for an internal combustion engine
SE9802654D0 (en) Device for cooling systems
US20180283559A1 (en) Hydraulic system
JP3381115B2 (en) Thermo-responsive steam trap
RU2037625C1 (en) Oil supply system
JP4151881B2 (en) Engine cooling system
RU2003105599A (en) SEALING STEAM SUPPLY DEVICE TO STEAM TURBINE CYLINDER
SU1098525A3 (en) Heating system
EP2354610A1 (en) Pressure fluid actuated diaphragm valve device and valve control assembly for thermal plants
SU1716180A1 (en) Cooling system of internal combustion engine
CN214119038U (en) Water return valve and water supply system
JPH08312891A (en) Thermal reaction type steam trap

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY CA CH CN CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EE ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NO NZ PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SI SK SL TJ TM TR TT TZ UA UG US UZ VN YU ZA ZW

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW MZ SD SL SZ TZ UG ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GW ML MR NE SN TD TG

121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application
DFPE Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed before 20040101)
ENP Entry into the national phase

Ref country code: GB

Ref document number: 200127921

Kind code of ref document: A

Format of ref document f/p: F

REG Reference to national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: 8642

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase
NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: JP