WO2008023987A1 - A method, kit and device for installation of an inflatable sub sea structure - Google Patents

A method, kit and device for installation of an inflatable sub sea structure Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2008023987A1
WO2008023987A1 PCT/NO2007/000288 NO2007000288W WO2008023987A1 WO 2008023987 A1 WO2008023987 A1 WO 2008023987A1 NO 2007000288 W NO2007000288 W NO 2007000288W WO 2008023987 A1 WO2008023987 A1 WO 2008023987A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
structural element
inflatable
submersible
submersible structural
shape
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/NO2007/000288
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Jan Strom
Fritjof STRØM
Original Assignee
Amek Holding As
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 Amek Holding As filed Critical Amek Holding As
Publication of WO2008023987A1 publication Critical patent/WO2008023987A1/en

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L55/00—Devices or appurtenances for use in, or in connection with, pipes or pipe systems
    • F16L55/16—Devices for covering leaks in pipes or hoses, e.g. hose-menders
    • F16L55/168—Devices for covering leaks in pipes or hoses, e.g. hose-menders from outside the pipe
    • F16L55/17—Devices for covering leaks in pipes or hoses, e.g. hose-menders from outside the pipe by means of rings, bands or sleeves pressed against the outside surface of the pipe or hose
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L1/00—Laying or reclaiming pipes; Repairing or joining pipes on or under water
    • F16L1/12—Laying or reclaiming pipes on or under water
    • F16L1/20—Accessories therefor, e.g. floats, weights
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L57/00—Protection of pipes or objects of similar shape against external or internal damage or wear
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L57/00—Protection of pipes or objects of similar shape against external or internal damage or wear
    • F16L57/06—Protection of pipes or objects of similar shape against external or internal damage or wear against wear
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L59/00—Thermal insulation in general
    • F16L59/02—Shape or form of insulating materials, with or without coverings integral with the insulating materials
    • F16L59/021—Shape or form of insulating materials, with or without coverings integral with the insulating materials comprising a single piece or sleeve, e.g. split sleeve, two half sleeves
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L59/00—Thermal insulation in general
    • F16L59/02—Shape or form of insulating materials, with or without coverings integral with the insulating materials
    • F16L59/026—Mattresses, mats, blankets or the like
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L59/00—Thermal insulation in general
    • F16L59/14—Arrangements for the insulation of pipes or pipe systems
    • F16L59/16—Arrangements specially adapted to local requirements at flanges, junctions, valves or the like

Definitions

  • a Method, kit and device for installation of an inflatable sub sea structure A Method, kit and device for installation of an inflatable sub sea structure.
  • the present invention is related to sub sea oil installations, and especially to a method, kit and device for an inflatable structural element of predesigned form providing functional aspects such as insulation, safeguard or support of structural elements of a sub sea oil installation.
  • Offshore oil industry has many challenging tasks to solve when providing sustainable offshore and seabed located oil installations. Underwater pressure, low temperature environments, expensive and difficult installation and maintenance procedures adds up to a situation that requires innovative measures to be able to succeed with for example sub sea oil industry.
  • Some of the common problems encountered with sub sea oil industry are for example: maintaining a high enough temperature of streaming oil in oil pipelines are mandatory to avoid formation of hydrates since hydrates may stop the flow of oil in pipes.
  • the Oil installation on the seabed needs also to be protected against trawler activity, for example. A trawl dragged by a fishing boat may easily be entangled by projections from seabed installations.
  • Other typical problems arise when structural elements of seabed installations needs to be apart from each other, for example when one pipeline crosses another. Sub sea streams may move objects unintentionally towards each other. Safeguarding and providing structural support is also part of the problems encountered when providing a sustainable sub sea installation.
  • ROV Remote Operated Vehicle
  • Insulation of oil pipes is possible to achieve on shore to some extent.
  • the section joining the pipelines will still be without insulation.
  • Some areas may also need to be without insulation due to inspections, for example for visual inspections or inspections with ultrasound.
  • inspections for example for visual inspections or inspections with ultrasound.
  • oil pipelines may transport oil over long distances, such heat leakage points can be numerous and provide a substantial loss of overall insulation of a pipeline. Therefore there is a need for insulating joints and inspection areas and other types of areas after installation. Other parts of an installation may need insulation, such as pumps, valves, etc.
  • a shape of an inflatable structural element may be given a certain shape and be adapted to functional requirements such as insulation purposes, safeguarding of installations, and general support of structures, such as inclining installations, anchoring of installations etc. by inflating the inflatable structural element on the installation site with a single material or a mixture of materials providing insulation, weight for anchoring, support for structures etc.
  • Such an inflatable structural element may be transported to a sub sea installation site in an easy manner.
  • the inflatable structural element may be inflated at least partly with material encountered in the nearby environment of the installation site, for example seawater, sand and gravels.
  • a modified biopolymer is used together with seawater to inflate the structural element. This mixture will provide an insulating gel.
  • an installation or deployment unit comprising a compressed inflatable structural element, a pump, at least one material to be used in a mixture with materials from the surrounding environment at the installation site to inflate the inflatable structural element can be managed by a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) platform.
  • ROV Remote Operated Vehicle
  • a method for installing an inflatable structural element of a predefined shape adapted to a certain functional requirement comprise steps to arrange a fabric to a certain shape, wherein the shape define a cavity restricted by the fabric, wherein a valve provides insertion inlet of a material or a mixture of materials that will inflate the inflatable structural element, arranging a pump to provide the insertion of material at the inlet, and an assembly of a cartridge comprising the inflatable structural element, a pump, and at least one container comprising material providing a functional quality of the structural element that is partly used to inflate the structural element.
  • any submersible technical installation for offshore and/or seabed located technical installation that may require insulation of parts or whole installation, that needs safeguarding, and/or support can benefit from the apparatus, device and method according to the present invention, and is regarded as being inside the scope of the present invention as outlined in the accompanying independent claims, and advantageous variants as claimed in the accompanying dependent claims.
  • Figure 1 to figure 7 illustrates examples of different shapes of the inflatable structural element according to the present invention.
  • Figure 8 illustrates a cross section of an example of embodiment of the present invention used for insulation of a pipeline.
  • Figure 9 illustrates the example of embodiment in figure 8 seen from the top.
  • Figure 10 depicts a perspective view of the example of embodiment in figure 8.
  • Figure 11 depicts a perspective view of the example of embodiment in figure 8.
  • Figure 12 depicts another example of embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 13 illustrates a side view of a deployment unit according to the present invention.
  • Figure 14 illustrates another side view of the deployment unit in figure 12.
  • Figure 15 illustrates a top view of the deployment unit in figure 12.
  • Figure 16 illustrates a perspective view of the deployment unit in figure 12.
  • Figure 17 illustrates another perspective view of the deployment unit in figure 12.
  • the present invention provides a solution to many of the problems related to deploying sub sea elements of offshore technical installations, especially related to oil industry.
  • the present invention may be used whenever there is a problem submerging an element to be used offshore, for example for insulation of existing offshore installations, anchoring of seabed located installations, support of installations on the seabed, elevating installations from the seabed, shock absorptions, etc.
  • the present invention is not limited to such applications alone.
  • the inflatable submergible structural element according to the present invention may be used, and is regarded as being inside the scope of the present invention.
  • an offshore technical installation that requires an additional functional aspect in the form of a structural element with certain properties provided by materials contained in the structural form, comprise the steps of:
  • the shape and measures of the structural element may be discovered.
  • a ROV Remote Operated Vehicle
  • a TV camera By inspecting the installation site the form and measures may be identified as known to a person skilled in the art.
  • the shape may then be formed to shape and measure out of a flexible fabric material on shore, for example by sewing, welding and/or gluing.
  • the structural element may then be transported and located at the installation site, for example by a ROV unit, or a frogman. By arranging a valve on the fabric, a compound may then be inserted inside the cavity restricted by the fabric shape. According to the intended use of the structural element on the installation site, different types of materials may be used.
  • the compound used to inflate the structural element comprises at least one material from the surrounding environment of the installation site.
  • sea water, sand or gravel that each may be used alone, respectively, in combination with each other, and/or in combinations with other materials.
  • the compound may comprise sea water and an insulating thermal gel.
  • sand, cement, etc. may be used to inflate the structural element.
  • gravel may be used. Binders that are elastic are known in the prior art. Such binders mixed with gravel may exhibit excellent shock absorbing properties, even for heavy weight loads.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a wedge-shaped structural element according to the present invention.
  • a shape filled with for example gravel provides an excellent ramp to elevate a pipeline to a certain height before the pipeline crosses another pipeline.
  • seawater may also be pumped into the structural element to elevate a supported technical element of an offshore installation. This elevation may be provisional or fixed.
  • sea water it is easy to empty and compress the structural element according to the present invention again.
  • the structural element may then be transported to another site for use, be stored at the same site for later use at the same site etc.
  • Figure 2, 3, 4 ,5, 6 and 7 illustrates different examples of forms of shapes that may be used according to the present invention.
  • Typical applications may be anchoring, provide smooth surfaces over technical installations, support, insulation, shock absorption etc.
  • any shape may be used.
  • Any suitable material may also be used to inflate the structure to provide the properties needed for the use of the structural element according to the present invention.
  • Figure 8, 9, 10 and 11 illustrates an example of embodiment of the present invention used for insulation of pipeline joints under water.
  • Figure 8 illustrates a cross section of the structural element.
  • An annular shape 10 has an inner opening 11 that envelopes a pipeline 12.
  • the measurements of the structural element are adapted to the specific measures of the pipeline at the intended installation site.
  • a slit 13 facilitates the placement of the structural element around the pipeline, and an arrangement of Velcro ribbons 14 makes it possible to lock the annular shape around the pipeline when the structural element is inflated.
  • a valve 15 is arranged on the structural element that receives the compound inflating the structural element.
  • the valves may be nipples as known to a person skilled in the art, unidirectional valves etc. that allows only flow from the outside to the interior of the structural element. In other examples of embodiment of the present invention, the valve may be open or closed at will providing an opportunity to empty or fill the structural element at any time.
  • Figure 9 depicts a top view of the insulating structural element illustrated in figure 8.
  • Figure 10 and 11 depicts perspective views of the same.
  • the insulating structural element depicted in figure 8 requires that there is free space between the seabed and the pipeline to be able to envelope the structural element around the pipeline. According to an aspect of the present invention, this is simplified due to the fact the inflatable structural element can be in a compressed state when it is enveloped around the pipeline. The inflating operation does not have to start before the structural element is orderly in place.
  • an elastic member 16 may be inserted and attached inside the cavity as depicted in figure 12 adjacent to the slit 13.
  • the forces of the elastic members 16 will move the sides of the slit 13 towards each other, thereby pushing the structural element firmly in place around the pipeline.
  • Another aspect of the present invention is the simple method of deploying the structural element on an installation site.
  • the compressed state of the inflatable submergible structural element of the present invention makes it also easier to transport the element under water because of the significant reduction of the volume in compressed state.
  • Another aspect of the present invention is that it is possible to use at least some materials from the surrounding environment of the installation site. Therefore there is a less need for transport of materials to the installation site.
  • a further aspect of the present invention is the pressure conditions at the installation site. Structural elements that are transported from the sea level to the sea bed can expires an enormous increase in pressure as known to a person skilled in the art. According to the present invention, such considerations are of less importance since the inflation takes place at the installation site itself, and therefore it is only the relative pressure on the installation site that matters.
  • a gel is used together with seawater to provide insulation (as known to a person skilled in the art)
  • the gel must be transported down to the installation site.
  • a completely filled container for example a plastic bottle
  • the outside pressure will evacuate the content of the bottle because of the compression of the bottle.
  • a kit for deploying the inflatable submersible structural element comprises a deployment unit.
  • Figure 13 illustrates a side view of the deployment unit according to the present invention.
  • Figure 14 illustrates another side view of the deployment unit in figure 12, while Figure 15 illustrates a top view of the same.
  • Figure 16 and 17 illustrates a perspective view of the deployment unit.
  • the deployment unit has a bottom side 20 that support the inflatable submersible structural element in a compressed state.
  • a releasable attachable valve arrangement for insertion of the compound that will inflate the structural element.
  • the bottom side of the deployment unit may also support containers with additional materials, and a pumping device in connection with the valve to insert the content of the containers and additional materials from the surrounding environment through the valve on the side wall.
  • the kit may also comprise a sewing machine, a welding machine, or a gluing machine, or a combination of machines, for the manufacturing of the inflatable submersible structural element out of a flexible fabric material to shape and measure.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Revetment (AREA)

Abstract

A method, kit and device for deploying a submersible inflatable structural element provided out of a flexible fabric material by sewing, welding or gluing the fabric with a cavity to be filled with other materials at the installation site is provided. The choice of material or combination of materials that inflate the structural element provides the structural element with certain functional aspects, that makes the structural element applicable for insulation, shock absorption, elevation, etc. purposes.

Description

A Method, kit and device for installation of an inflatable sub sea structure.
The present invention is related to sub sea oil installations, and especially to a method, kit and device for an inflatable structural element of predesigned form providing functional aspects such as insulation, safeguard or support of structural elements of a sub sea oil installation.
Offshore oil industry has many challenging tasks to solve when providing sustainable offshore and seabed located oil installations. Underwater pressure, low temperature environments, expensive and difficult installation and maintenance procedures adds up to a situation that requires innovative measures to be able to succeed with for example sub sea oil industry.
Some of the common problems encountered with sub sea oil industry are for example: maintaining a high enough temperature of streaming oil in oil pipelines are mandatory to avoid formation of hydrates since hydrates may stop the flow of oil in pipes. The Oil installation on the seabed needs also to be protected against trawler activity, for example. A trawl dragged by a fishing boat may easily be entangled by projections from seabed installations. Other typical problems arise when structural elements of seabed installations needs to be apart from each other, for example when one pipeline crosses another. Sub sea streams may move objects unintentionally towards each other. Safeguarding and providing structural support is also part of the problems encountered when providing a sustainable sub sea installation.
Another aspect of building sub sea installations is the difficulty to lower structural elements precisely from a surface ship to the seabed with a crane, for example. Waves and streams continuously push and pull the attached element when it is lowered down under water. Therefore it is usually extremely difficult to build such installations. ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) platforms have simplified such tasks, but materials still need to be transported to the installation site.
Another prior art approach is to preassemble as much as possible of the installation on shore before it is lowered down. However, physical limits such as weight and size limits such possibilities.
Insulation of oil pipes is possible to achieve on shore to some extent. When pipeline sections are joined under water, the section joining the pipelines will still be without insulation. Some areas may also need to be without insulation due to inspections, for example for visual inspections or inspections with ultrasound. Because oil pipelines may transport oil over long distances, such heat leakage points can be numerous and provide a substantial loss of overall insulation of a pipeline. Therefore there is a need for insulating joints and inspection areas and other types of areas after installation. Other parts of an installation may need insulation, such as pumps, valves, etc.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a shape of an inflatable structural element may be given a certain shape and be adapted to functional requirements such as insulation purposes, safeguarding of installations, and general support of structures, such as inclining installations, anchoring of installations etc. by inflating the inflatable structural element on the installation site with a single material or a mixture of materials providing insulation, weight for anchoring, support for structures etc. Such an inflatable structural element may be transported to a sub sea installation site in an easy manner.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the inflatable structural element may be inflated at least partly with material encountered in the nearby environment of the installation site, for example seawater, sand and gravels.
According to another example of embodiment of the present invention, a modified biopolymer is used together with seawater to inflate the structural element. This mixture will provide an insulating gel.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an installation or deployment unit comprising a compressed inflatable structural element, a pump, at least one material to be used in a mixture with materials from the surrounding environment at the installation site to inflate the inflatable structural element can be managed by a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) platform.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for installing an inflatable structural element of a predefined shape adapted to a certain functional requirement comprise steps to arrange a fabric to a certain shape, wherein the shape define a cavity restricted by the fabric, wherein a valve provides insertion inlet of a material or a mixture of materials that will inflate the inflatable structural element, arranging a pump to provide the insertion of material at the inlet, and an assembly of a cartridge comprising the inflatable structural element, a pump, and at least one container comprising material providing a functional quality of the structural element that is partly used to inflate the structural element.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, any submersible technical installation for offshore and/or seabed located technical installation that may require insulation of parts or whole installation, that needs safeguarding, and/or support can benefit from the apparatus, device and method according to the present invention, and is regarded as being inside the scope of the present invention as outlined in the accompanying independent claims, and advantageous variants as claimed in the accompanying dependent claims.
Figure 1 to figure 7 illustrates examples of different shapes of the inflatable structural element according to the present invention.
Figure 8 illustrates a cross section of an example of embodiment of the present invention used for insulation of a pipeline.
Figure 9 illustrates the example of embodiment in figure 8 seen from the top.
Figure 10 depicts a perspective view of the example of embodiment in figure 8.
Figure 11 depicts a perspective view of the example of embodiment in figure 8.
Figure 12 depicts another example of embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 13 illustrates a side view of a deployment unit according to the present invention.
Figure 14 illustrates another side view of the deployment unit in figure 12.
Figure 15 illustrates a top view of the deployment unit in figure 12.
Figure 16 illustrates a perspective view of the deployment unit in figure 12.
Figure 17 illustrates another perspective view of the deployment unit in figure 12.
The present invention provides a solution to many of the problems related to deploying sub sea elements of offshore technical installations, especially related to oil industry. However, the present invention may be used whenever there is a problem submerging an element to be used offshore, for example for insulation of existing offshore installations, anchoring of seabed located installations, support of installations on the seabed, elevating installations from the seabed, shock absorptions, etc. However, the present invention is not limited to such applications alone. Whenever a combination of a specific form of a structural element that may be filled with a material or a combination of materials to provide specific properties of the element (insulation, shock absorption, etc.), the inflatable submergible structural element according to the present invention may be used, and is regarded as being inside the scope of the present invention.
According to an example of method according to the present invention, an offshore technical installation that requires an additional functional aspect in the form of a structural element with certain properties provided by materials contained in the structural form, comprise the steps of:
By inspecting the site for the use of the structural element according to the present invention, the shape and measures of the structural element may be discovered. For example, a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) may be equipped with a TV camera. By inspecting the installation site the form and measures may be identified as known to a person skilled in the art.
The shape may then be formed to shape and measure out of a flexible fabric material on shore, for example by sewing, welding and/or gluing. The structural element may then be transported and located at the installation site, for example by a ROV unit, or a frogman. By arranging a valve on the fabric, a compound may then be inserted inside the cavity restricted by the fabric shape. According to the intended use of the structural element on the installation site, different types of materials may be used.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the compound used to inflate the structural element comprises at least one material from the surrounding environment of the installation site. For example, sea water, sand or gravel that each may be used alone, respectively, in combination with each other, and/or in combinations with other materials. For example, the compound may comprise sea water and an insulating thermal gel. To provide anchoring functions of the structural element, sand, cement, etc. may be used to inflate the structural element. To provide support for heavy weights, gravel may be used. Binders that are elastic are known in the prior art. Such binders mixed with gravel may exhibit excellent shock absorbing properties, even for heavy weight loads.
Figure 1 illustrates a wedge-shaped structural element according to the present invention. Such a shape filled with for example gravel provides an excellent ramp to elevate a pipeline to a certain height before the pipeline crosses another pipeline.
According to another aspect of the present invention, seawater may also be pumped into the structural element to elevate a supported technical element of an offshore installation. This elevation may be provisional or fixed. When sea water is used, it is easy to empty and compress the structural element according to the present invention again. The structural element may then be transported to another site for use, be stored at the same site for later use at the same site etc.
Figure 2, 3, 4 ,5, 6 and 7 illustrates different examples of forms of shapes that may be used according to the present invention. Typical applications may be anchoring, provide smooth surfaces over technical installations, support, insulation, shock absorption etc. According to the present invention, any shape may be used. Any suitable material may also be used to inflate the structure to provide the properties needed for the use of the structural element according to the present invention.
Figure 8, 9, 10 and 11 illustrates an example of embodiment of the present invention used for insulation of pipeline joints under water. Figure 8 illustrates a cross section of the structural element. An annular shape 10 has an inner opening 11 that envelopes a pipeline 12. The measurements of the structural element are adapted to the specific measures of the pipeline at the intended installation site. A slit 13 facilitates the placement of the structural element around the pipeline, and an arrangement of Velcro ribbons 14 makes it possible to lock the annular shape around the pipeline when the structural element is inflated.
A valve 15 is arranged on the structural element that receives the compound inflating the structural element. The valves may be nipples as known to a person skilled in the art, unidirectional valves etc. that allows only flow from the outside to the interior of the structural element. In other examples of embodiment of the present invention, the valve may be open or closed at will providing an opportunity to empty or fill the structural element at any time. Figure 9 depicts a top view of the insulating structural element illustrated in figure 8. Figure 10 and 11 depicts perspective views of the same.
The intended use of the insulating structural element depicted in figure 8 requires that there is free space between the seabed and the pipeline to be able to envelope the structural element around the pipeline. According to an aspect of the present invention, this is simplified due to the fact the inflatable structural element can be in a compressed state when it is enveloped around the pipeline. The inflating operation does not have to start before the structural element is orderly in place.
According to another example of embodiment of the present invention, when there is not sufficient space between the seabed and the pipeline, an elastic member 16 may be inserted and attached inside the cavity as depicted in figure 12 adjacent to the slit 13. When the structural element is inflated the forces of the elastic members 16 will move the sides of the slit 13 towards each other, thereby pushing the structural element firmly in place around the pipeline.
Another aspect of the present invention is the simple method of deploying the structural element on an installation site. The compressed state of the inflatable submergible structural element of the present invention makes it also easier to transport the element under water because of the significant reduction of the volume in compressed state. Another aspect of the present invention is that it is possible to use at least some materials from the surrounding environment of the installation site. Therefore there is a less need for transport of materials to the installation site. A further aspect of the present invention is the pressure conditions at the installation site. Structural elements that are transported from the sea level to the sea bed can expires an enormous increase in pressure as known to a person skilled in the art. According to the present invention, such considerations are of less importance since the inflation takes place at the installation site itself, and therefore it is only the relative pressure on the installation site that matters.
However, some additional materials may need to be transported from the surface down under the water. For example, when a gel is used together with seawater to provide insulation (as known to a person skilled in the art), the gel must be transported down to the installation site. However, a completely filled container ( for example a plastic bottle) may manage high pressure conditions since the gel itself is less compressible. When for example the bottle is opened up at the installation site, the outside pressure will evacuate the content of the bottle because of the compression of the bottle.
According to another example of embodiment of the present invention, a kit for deploying the inflatable submersible structural element comprises a deployment unit. Figure 13 illustrates a side view of the deployment unit according to the present invention. Figure 14 illustrates another side view of the deployment unit in figure 12, while Figure 15 illustrates a top view of the same. Figure 16 and 17 illustrates a perspective view of the deployment unit.
With reference to figure 16, the deployment unit has a bottom side 20 that support the inflatable submersible structural element in a compressed state. On the side wall 21 there is a releasable attachable valve arrangement for insertion of the compound that will inflate the structural element. According to another embodiment of the kit, the bottom side of the deployment unit may also support containers with additional materials, and a pumping device in connection with the valve to insert the content of the containers and additional materials from the surrounding environment through the valve on the side wall.
According to another example of embodiment of the present invention, the kit may also comprise a sewing machine, a welding machine, or a gluing machine, or a combination of machines, for the manufacturing of the inflatable submersible structural element out of a flexible fabric material to shape and measure.

Claims

C l a i m s :
1.
Method for deploying a submersible inflatable structural element for use in offshore technical installations, wherein the method comprise the steps of:
identifying a shape and measure of the shape that is adequate for the use of the structural element in the offshore technical installation,
providing the shape with the correct measure out of a flexible fabric material such that a cavity restricted by the flexible fabric material will provide the structural element to shape and measure when the cavity is filled with an inflating compound,
deploying and inflating the submersible inflating structural element with the compound at a location related to the technical installation.
2.
Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of deploying and inflating the submersible inflating structural element comprise using a compound with a mixture of at least one material from the surrounding environment at the location related to the technical installation.
3.
Method according to claim 2, wherein the compound comprise at least sea water.
4.
Method according to claim 2, wherein the compound comprise at least sand.
5. Method according to claim 2, wherein the compound comprise at least gravel..
6.
Method according to claim 2, wherein the compound comprise at least an insulating compound.
7.
Method according to claim 2, wherein the compound comprise at least gel and sea water together.
8.
Inflatable submersible structural element for use in offshore technical installations, comprising:
a cavity restricted by a flexible fabric material, wherein the shape and measure of the cavity restricted by the flexible fabric material will provide the structural element to shape and measure for the use of the inflatable submersible structural element in the technical installation when the cavity is filled with an inflating compound,
a valve arranged on the flexible fabric material for receiving the compound, and to seal the cavity when the valve is locked.
9.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8, wherein the valve is arranged to receive an insertion device removable attachable to the valve such that the compound when inserted comprise at least one material from the surrounding environment of the offshore technical installation.
10.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 9, wherein the compound comprise at least seawater.
11.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 9, wherein the compound comprise at least sand.
12.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 9, wherein the compound comprise at least gravel.
13.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 9, wherein the compound comprise at least an insulating compound.
14.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 9, wherein the compound comprise at least gel and sea water.
15.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8, wherein the shape and measure of the structure is annular, and wherein the measure of the annular ring is adapted to the measure of a specific technical installation element such that the structural element may be arranged around the technical installation element.
16.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 15, wherein there is arranged a radial opening in the annular ring providing a slit in the ring that facilitates placement of the inflatable submersible structural element around the technical installation element.
17.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 16, comprising a locking device for closing the slit when the inflatable submersible structural element in place around the technical installation element.
18.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 16, wherein there is arranged a pair of elastic members adjacent to the sides of the slit that provides a locking action of the slit when the inflatable submersible structural element is inflated.
19.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 17, wherein the locking device is a Velcro locking arrangement.
20.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 17, wherein the locking device is arranged out of at least two opposite loops attached to each side of the slit, respectively, for insertion of a locking bolt in the loops when the inflatable submersible structural element is around the pipeline.
21.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8, wherein the shape of the inflatable submersible structural element is wedge-shaped.
22.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8, wherein the shape of the inflatable submersible structural element is conical-shaped.
23.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8, wherein the shape of the inflatable submersible structural element is brick-shaped.
24. Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8, wherein the shape of the inflatable submersible structural element is ball-shaped.
25.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8, wherein the shape of the inflatable submersible structural element is cylinder-shaped.
26.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8, wherein the shape of the inflatable submersible structural element is pyramid-shaped.
27.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8, wherein the shape of the inflatable submersible structural element is mattress-shaped.
28.
Inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8, wherein the shape of the inflatable submersible structural element is pillow-shaped.
29. Application of inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8 to provide insulation of the offshore technical installation.
30.
Application of inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8 to provide shock absorbing arrangement of the offshore technical installation.
31.
Application of inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8 to provide shock absorbing arrangement between elements of the offshore technical installation.
32.
Application of inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8 to provide anchoring of elements of the offshore technical installation to the seabed.
33.
Application of inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8 to provide a smooth surface around elements of the offshore technical installation.
34. Application of inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8 to provide elevation of elements of the offshore technical installation.
35.
Kit for locating an inflatable submersible structural element according to claim 8 at a location relevant for the use of the inflatable submersible structural element, comprising:
a deployment unit comprising a bottom side and a wall side,
the bottom side of the deployment unit supports the inflatable submersible structural element in a compressed state,
the side wall of the deployment unit comprise an insertion device for receiving a compound that inflate the inflatable submersible structural element, and the insertion device is releasable connected to the valve on the inflatable submersible structural element, and the side wall of the deployment unit comprises a carrying handle element for transport of the deployment unit by a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) unit under water.
36. Kit according to claim 35, further comprising at least one container with at least one material to be used in the compound that inflates the inflatable submersible structural element.
37. Kit according to claim 36, wherein the at least one container is supported by the bottom side of the deployment unit, and the at least one container is in fluid connection with the insertion device on the side wall of the deployment unit.
38. Kit according to claim 35, further comprising a pumping device supported by the bottom side of the deployment unit that is connected to the insertion device for pumping the compound inflating the inflatable submersible structural element supported on the bottom side of the deployment unit.
39.
Kit according to claim 35, comprising a releasing device that release the inflatable submersible structural element from the bottom side of the deployment unit when inflated.
40.
Kit according to claim 35, comprising a sewing machine for providing the shape to measure out of a flexible fabric.
41. Kit according to claim 35, comprising a welding machine for providing the shape to measure out of a flexible fabric.
42.
Kit according to claim 35, comprising a gluing machine for providing the shape to measure out of a flexible fabric.
PCT/NO2007/000288 2006-08-22 2007-08-17 A method, kit and device for installation of an inflatable sub sea structure WO2008023987A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NO20063759 2006-08-22
NO20063759 2006-08-22

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GB2486044A (en) * 2011-09-28 2012-06-06 Mmc Group Ltd Thermal control of a water immersed structure, eg for welding
US20210237831A1 (en) * 2020-02-05 2021-08-05 Gareth Neale GRIGGS Storage device for overboard suspension of an item on a pleasure craft

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US20030180097A1 (en) * 1999-12-07 2003-09-25 Fitzgerald John A. Collapsible buoyancy device for risers on offshore structures

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GB2036917A (en) * 1978-12-04 1980-07-02 Saipem Spa Under Water Pipe Support
US6257337B1 (en) * 1998-03-17 2001-07-10 Granville Louis Wells Submerged riser tensioner
US6223671B1 (en) * 1998-07-29 2001-05-01 Philip Head Mooring system
US20030180097A1 (en) * 1999-12-07 2003-09-25 Fitzgerald John A. Collapsible buoyancy device for risers on offshore structures

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GB2486044A (en) * 2011-09-28 2012-06-06 Mmc Group Ltd Thermal control of a water immersed structure, eg for welding
GB2486044B (en) * 2011-09-28 2013-03-13 Mmc Group Ltd Thermal control apparatus
EP2574416A1 (en) * 2011-09-28 2013-04-03 MMC Group Limited Thermal control apparatus
US20210237831A1 (en) * 2020-02-05 2021-08-05 Gareth Neale GRIGGS Storage device for overboard suspension of an item on a pleasure craft
US11964733B2 (en) * 2020-02-05 2024-04-23 Gareth Neale GRIGGS Storage device for overboard suspension of an item on a pleasure craft

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