WO2019239115A1

WO2019239115A1 - Rotatable element wire securement

Info

Publication number: WO2019239115A1
Application number: PCT/GB2019/051610
Authority: WO
Inventors: Richard Clements
Original assignee: Ge Oil & Gas Uk Limited
Priority date: 2018-06-13
Filing date: 2019-06-10
Publication date: 2019-12-19
Also published as: GB201809673D0

Abstract

Apparatus for securing an end region of a tensile armour wire within a flexible pipe end fitting, a method of securing an end region of at least one flexible pipe body tensile armour wire to an anchoring element and a method of terminating flexible pipe body in an end fitting are disclosed. The apparatus for securing an end region of a tensile armour wire within a flexible pipe end fitting comprises a rigid support body comprising at least one anchoring surface, at least one rotatable element comprising at least one first tooth member, supported on the support body and rotatable about a first axis of rotation with respect to the rigid support body and at least one abutment element disposed in a spaced apart relationship with the rotatable element. The rotatable element is rotatable about the first axis of rotation in a first direction of rotation, to permit a tensile armour wire end region of a tensile armour wire for a flexible pipe to be moved in a first direction between the rotatable element and the abutment element, and in a counter rotation direction of rotation when the armour wire end region is urged in a further direction opposite to the first direction, for preventing movement of the armour wire in the further direction.

Description

ROTATABLE ELEMENT WIRE SECUREMENT

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for helping secure ends of armour wire of a flexible pipe within an end fitting. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to the addition of easy attaching securing elements on ends of tensile armour wires of a flexible pipe, prior to their submersion in epoxy resin, as part of a pipe body termination operation. Affixing a support body to the wire provides anchoring points that help prevent extraction of the wire from the epoxy region during later use of the flexible pipe. Using a rotatable element and opposed abutment element lets wire be threaded easily into a support body but prevents backwards motion of the wire once the support body is at a desired location.

Traditionally flexible pipe is utilised to transport production fluids, such as oil and/or gas and/or water, from one location to another. Flexible pipe is particularly useful in connecting a sub-sea location (which may be deep underwater, say 1000 metres or more) to a sea level location. The pipe may have an internal diameter of typically up to around 0.6 metres (e.g. diameters may range from 0.05 m up to 0.6 m). A flexible pipe is generally formed as an assembly of flexible pipe body and one or more end fittings. The pipe body is typically formed as a combination of layered materials that form a pressure-containing conduit. The pipe structure allows large deflections without causing bending stresses that impair the pipe’s functionality over its lifetime. There are different types of flexible pipe such as unbonded flexible pipe which is manufactured in accordance with API 17J or composite type flexible pipe or the like. The pipe body is generally built up as a combined structure including polymer layers and/or composite layers and/or metallic layers. For example, pipe body may include polymer and metal layers, or polymer and composite layers, or polymer, metal and composite layers. Layers may be formed from a single piece such as an extruded tube or by helically winding one or more wires at a desired pitch or by connecting together multiple discrete hoops that are arranged concentrically side-by-side. Depending upon the layers of the flexible pipe used and the type of flexible pipe some of the pipe layers may be bonded together or remain unbonded.

Some flexible pipe has been used for deep water (less than 3,300 feet (1 ,005.84 metres)) and ultra-deep water (greater than 3,300 feet) developments. It is the increasing demand for oil which is causing exploration to occur at greater and greater depths (for example in excess of 8202 feet (2500 metres)) where environmental factors are more extreme. For example in such deep and ultra-deep water environments ocean floor temperature increases the risk of production fluids cooling to a temperature that may lead to pipe blockage. In practice flexible pipe conventionally is designed to perform at operating temperatures of -30°C to +130°C, and is being developed for even more extreme temperatures. Increased depths also increase the pressure associated with the environment in which the flexible pipe must operate. For example, a flexible pipe may be required to operate with external pressures ranging from 0.1 MPa to 30 MPa acting on the pipe. Equally, transporting oil, gas or water may well give rise to high pressures acting on the flexible pipe from within, for example with internal pressures ranging from zero to 140 MPa from bore fluid acting on the pipe. As a result the need for high levels of performance from certain layers such as a pipe carcass or a pressure armour or a tensile armour layer of the flexible pipe body is increased. It is noted for the sake of completeness that flexible pipe may also be used for shallow water applications (for example less than around 500 metres depth) or even for shore (overland) applications.

When flexible pipe body is terminated at each end with an end fitting it is known that the various layers within the flexible pipe body must be separately cut and sealed as part of a termination process. Conventionally tensile armour wires which are wires helically wound along a length of the flexible pipe body are terminated in a complicated and therefore costly manner. Typically each tensile armour wire (there may be up to a hundred or more) must be bent away from a bore region of the flexible pipe body without overbending and then each armour wire must be cut to an appropriate length. The bending is required to access the ends of all of the tensile armour wires in the flexible pipe body to apply a crimp which thereafter helps anchor and thereby secure the wires in the end fitting. The bending back operation is dangerous as the wires splay around 360 degrees in a plane perpendicular to an axis of the pipe. The crimping of the wires is also potentially damaging to the wires as it requires very high levels of local deformation. Some methods of crimping may also attempt to stretch the wire which may sometimes result in wire breakage. Furthermore, a containment space (a volume) required for the crimped wires in the end fitting void space (which is later filled with a curable material such as an epoxy potting compound or the like) is also fairly large due to the build-up of space required with all adjacent and overlying crimped wires around the body of the end fitting. This results in a larger and thus heavier termination end fitting body being required which thereafter is difficult to handle.

After bending, the ends of the tensile armour wires are conventionally fixed in place with respect to the remainder of the end fitting by locating the crimped tensile armour wire ends in a void space within the end fitting which is filled with epoxy resin as part of the termination process. As the curable epoxy solidifies the armour wire ends are interred within the epoxy material. Often this results in an adequate securing mechanism for securing end regions of tensile armour wire within an end fitting. However, as noted above, the process is time consuming, can be dangerous, is costly and furthermore is occasionally prone to tensile armour wires, which are under significant tensile stress in use, pulling free from the epoxy. This is because conventionally the epoxy only acts for frictional purposes against an outer (generally smooth) surface of any tensile wire.

It is an aim of the present invention to at least partly mitigate at least one of the above- mentioned problems.

It is an aim of certain embodiments of the present invention to help increase an extraction force needed to extract each and every (or at least some) tensile armour wire from an epoxied region within an end fitting.

It is an aim of certain embodiments of the present invention to help provide a mechanism whereby extraction of tensile armour wires from a desired position within an end fitting can be avoided wholly or at least partially.

It is an aim of certain embodiments of the present invention to provide an anchoring mechanism for helping to secure an end region of a tensile armour wire within an end fitting/termination in a manner which is cost effective and which is efficient for human operators involved in an end fitting operation to carry out and which results in an effective anchoring effect to secure wires in a desired location.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for securing an end region of a tensile armour wire within a flexible pipe end fitting, comprising:

a rigid support body comprising at least one anchoring surface;

at least one rotatable element, comprising at least one first tooth member, supported on the support body and rotatable about a first axis of rotation with respect to the rigid support body; and

at least one abutment element disposed in a spaced apart relationship with the rotatable element; wherein

the rotatable element is rotatable about the first axis of rotation in a first direction of rotation, to permit a tensile armour wire end region of a tensile armour wire for a flexible pipe to be moved in a first direction between the rotatable element and the abutment element, and in a counter rotation direction of rotation, when the armour wire end region is urged in a further direction opposite to the first direction, for preventing movement of the armour wire in the further direction.

Aptly the apparatus further comprises the at least one abutment element comprises a further rotatable element comprising at least one further tooth member, supported on the support body and rotatable about a further axis of rotation with respect to the rigid support body.

Aptly the apparatus further comprises each rotatable element comprises a cam member.

Aptly the apparatus further comprises the cam member comprises a pear or egg shaped outer surface that includes a toothed region that includes at least one tooth member.

Aptly the apparatus further comprises the cam member comprises a substantially circular or substantially elliptical shaped outer surface having a centre offset from a respective axis of rotation and including a toothed region that includes at least one tooth member.

Aptly the apparatus further comprises the first axis of rotation and the further axis of rotation are each provided by a respective fixed upstanding shaft element that extends from the rigid support body; and

the respective fixed upstanding shaft elements are spaced apart by a predetermined distance that spaces apart regions of respective opposed outer surfaces of the first and further rotatable elements by a distance that corresponds to a thickness of a tensile armour wire of a flexible pipe.

Aptly the apparatus further comprises a curved keeper element having an inner curved abutment surface disposed to receive a cross-section of a tensile armour wire of a flexible pipe.

Aptly the apparatus further comprises the rigid support body and at least the rotatable element comprises a material that has a hardness greater than 12 HRc.

Aptly the hardness is greater than 30 HRc and optionally is greater than 40 HRc.

Aptly the apparatus rigid support body and at least one rotatable element comprises a metallic or ceramic material. Aptly the apparatus further comprises at least one biasing member for activating a respective rotatable element.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of securing an end region of at least one flexible pipe body tensile armour wire to an anchoring element, comprising the steps of:

urging a free end region of a tensile armour wire between at least one rotatable element, comprising at least one first tooth member, supported on a rigid support body comprising at least one anchoring surface, and an abutment element disposed in a spaced apart relationship with the rotatable element;

as the free end region is urged in a first direction, rotating the rotatable element about a first axis of rotation in a first direction of rotation that permits movement of the free end region between the rotatable element and the abutment element; and

thereafter, via movement of the tensile armour wire in a further direction opposite to the first direction, rotating the rotatable element in a counter direction direction of rotation until movement of the tensile armour wire in the further direction is prevented.

Aptly the method further comprises sliding the rigid support body along the free end region of a tensile armour wire until the rigid support body is at a desired location a predetermined distance from a free end of the tensile armour wire; and

subsequently puling the rigid support body towards the free end to thereby prevent movement of the tensile armour wire in the further direction thereby locking the rigid support body and associated anchoring surface proximate to the desired location.

According to an third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of terminating flexible pipe body in an end fitting, comprising the steps of:

providing an end fitting body comprising a connecting flange at a first end fitting end and an open mouth at a further end fitting end;

for each tensile armour wire of a plurality of tensile armour wires, urging a free end region of the wire in a first direction between at least one rotatable element supported on a rigid support body, that comprises at least one anchoring surface, and at least one abutment element disposed in a spaced apart relationship with the rotatable element whereby the rotatable element is rotated in a first direction of rotation about a first axis of rotation that permits movement of the free end region between the rotatable element and the abutment element;

subsequently via movement of the tensile armour wire in a further direction opposite to the first direction, rotating the rotatable element in a counter direction direction of rotation until movement of the tensile armour wire in the further direction is prevented;

securing a jacket member to the end fitting body thereby providing a cavity void region in the end fitting where respective end regions of the plurality of tensile armour wires and associated rigid support bodies and associated anchoring surface are located; and

subsequently providing a curable material in the cavity void region.

Aptly the method further comprises subsequently curing the material and thereby anchoring the tensile armour wire end regions in the cured material in the cavity void region via the rigid support bodies and associated anchoring surfaces on each tensile armour wire end region.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a cost effective solution for securing ends of tensile armour wire in an epoxied region within an end fitting. Securing bodies which can be threaded over each wire are provided and each of these helps anchor a respective wire in position and can be readily utilised by an operator.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide securing bodies which are cheap to manufacture and which are easy to use as anchoring points.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a mechanism by which one or more elements can be fixed on a tensile armour wire to increase its effective cross-section at specific locations along its length. The anchoring mechanism may be provided as rigid support bodies secured on each wire with at least one rotatable element that automatically moves into an operative state, whereby removal of a support body from an outer surface of a tensile armour wire is restricted once the support body is located at a desired location.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide for the application of a rigid support body including at least one rotatable element onto tensile armour wires. Each of the support bodies can be threaded onto a free end of a respective tensile armour wire and a rotatable element on the support body can move to both allow the support body to be mounted onto a wire but also to stop the body being subsequently withdrawn off the wire. This helps provide an easier and quicker and safer anchoring operation to help secure a tensile armour wire in an end fitting than is currently available with conventional techniques.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide securing element bodies in the forms of support bodies which can slide onto wires up to a set distance.

Certain embodiments of the present invention will now be described hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates flexible pipe body;

Figure 2 illustrates certain uses of a flexible pipe;

Figure 3 helps illustrate an end of a flexible pipe where flexible pipe body is terminated in an end fitting;

Figure 4 illustrates a rigid support body threaded onto a tensile armour wire and a pair of opposed rotatable elements;

Figure 5 illustrates motion of a tensile armour wire between opposed rotatable elements on a support body; and

Figure 6 illustrates a rigid support body on an end region of a tensile wire.

In the drawings like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Throughout this description, reference will be made to a flexible pipe. It is to be appreciated that certain embodiments of the present invention are applicable to use with a wide variety of flexible pipe. For example certain embodiments of the present invention can be used with respect to flexible pipe and associated end fittings of the type which is manufactured according to API 17J. Such flexible pipe is often referred to as unbonded flexible pipe. Other embodiments are associated with other types of flexible pipe.

Turning to Figure 1 it will be understood that the illustrated flexible pipe is an assembly of a portion of pipe body and one or more end fittings (not shown) in each of which a respective end of the pipe body is terminated. Figure 1 illustrates how pipe body 100 is formed from a combination of layered materials that form a pressure-containing conduit. As noted above although a number of particular layers are illustrated in Figure 1 , it is to be understood that certain embodiments of the present invention are broadly applicable to coaxial pipe body structures including two or more layers manufactured from a variety of possible materials. The pipe body may include one or more layers comprising composite materials, forming a tubular composite layer. It is to be further noted that the layer thicknesses are shown for illustrative purposes only. As used herein, the term“composite” is used to broadly refer to a material that is formed from two or more different materials, for example a material formed from a matrix material and reinforcement fibres.

A tubular composite layer is thus a layer having a generally tubular shape formed of composite material. Alternatively a tubular composite layer is a layer having a generally tubular shape formed from multiple components one or more of which is formed of a composite material. The layer or any element of the composite layer may be manufactured via an extrusion, pultrusion or deposition process or, by a winding process in which adjacent windings of tape which themselves have a composite structure are consolidated together with adjacent windings. The composite material, regardless of manufacturing technique used, may optionally include a matrix or body of material having a first characteristic in which further elements having different physical characteristics are embedded. That is to say elongate fibres which are aligned to some extent or smaller fibres randomly orientated can be set into a main body or spheres or other regular or irregular shaped particles can be embedded in a matrix material, or a combination of more than one of the above. Aptly the matrix material is a thermoplastic material, aptly the thermoplastic material is polyethylene or polypropylene or nylon or PVC or PVDF or PFA or PEEK or PTFE or alloys of such materials with reinforcing fibres manufactured from one or more of glass, ceramic, basalt, carbon, carbon nanotubes, polyester, nylon, aramid, steel, nickel alloy, titanium alloy, aluminium alloy or the like or fillers manufactured from glass, ceramic, carbon, metals, buckminsterfullerenes, metal silicates, carbides, carbonates, oxides or the like.

The pipe body 100 illustrated in Figure 1 includes an internal pressure sheath 1 10 which acts as a fluid retaining layer and comprises a polymer layer that ensures internal fluid integrity. The layer provides a boundary for any conveyed fluid. It is to be understood that this layer may itself comprise a number of sub-layers. It will be appreciated that when a carcass layer 120 is utilised the internal pressure sheath is often referred to by those skilled in the art as a barrier layer. In operation without such a carcass (so-called smooth bore operation) the internal pressure sheath may be referred to as a liner. A barrier layer 1 10 is illustrated in Figure 1.

It is noted that the carcass layer 120 is a pressure resistant layer that provides an interlocked construction that can be used as the innermost layer to prevent, totally or partially, collapse of the internal pressure sheath 1 10 due to pipe decompression, external pressure, and tensile armour pressure and mechanical crushing loads. The carcass is a crush resistant layer. It will be appreciated that certain embodiments of the present invention are thus applicable to‘rough bore’ applications (with a carcass). Aptly the carcass layer is a metallic layer. Aptly the carcass layer is formed from stainless steel, corrosion resistant nickel alloy or the like. Aptly the carcass layer is formed from a composite, polymer, or other material, or a combination of materials and components. A carcass layer is radially positioned within the barrier layer.

The pressure armour layer 130 is a pressure resistant layer that provides a structural layer that increases the resistance of the flexible pipe to internal and external pressure and mechanical crushing loads. The layer also structurally supports the internal pressure sheath. Aptly as illustrated in Figure 1 the pressure armour layer is formed as a tubular layer. Aptly for unbonded type flexible pipe the pressure armour layer consists of an interlocked construction of wires with a lay angle close to 90°. Aptly in this case the pressure armour layer is a metallic layer. Aptly the pressure armour layer is formed from carbon steel, aluminium alloy or the like. Aptly the pressure armour layer is formed from a pultruded composite interlocking layer. Aptly the pressure armour layer is formed from a composite formed by extrusion or pultrusion or deposition. A pressure armour layer is positioned radially outside an underlying barrier layer.

The flexible pipe body also includes a first tensile armour layer 140 and second tensile armour layer 150. Each tensile armour layer is used to sustain tensile loads and optionally also internal pressure. Aptly for some flexible pipes the tensile armour windings are metal (for example steel, stainless steel or titanium or the like). For some composite flexible pipes the tensile armour windings may be polymer composite tape windings (for example provided with either thermoplastic, for instance nylon, matrix composite or thermoset, for instance epoxy, matrix composite). For unbonded flexible pipe the tensile armour layer is formed from a plurality of wires. (To impart strength to the layer) that are located over an inner layer and are helically wound along the length of the pipe at a lay angle typically between about 10° to 55°. Aptly the tensile armour layers are counter-wound in pairs. Aptly the tensile armour layers are metallic layers. Aptly the tensile armour layers are formed from carbon steel, stainless steel, titanium alloy, aluminium alloy or the like. Aptly the tensile armour layers are formed from a composite, polymer, or other material, or a combination of materials.

Aptly the flexible pipe body includes optional layers of tape 160 which help contain underlying layers and to some extent prevent abrasion between adjacent layers. The tape layer may optionally be a polymer or composite or a combination of materials, also optionally comprising a tubular composite layer. Tape layers can be used to help prevent metal-to- metal contact to help prevent wear. Tape layers over tensile armours can also help prevent “birdcaging”.

The flexible pipe body also includes optional layers of insulation 165 and an outer sheath 170, which comprises a polymer layer used to protect the pipe against penetration of seawater and other external environments, corrosion, abrasion and mechanical damage. Any thermal insulation layer helps limit heat loss through the pipe wall to the surrounding environment.

Each flexible pipe comprises at least one portion, referred to as a segment or section, of pipe body 100 together with an end fitting located at at least one end of the flexible pipe. An end fitting provides a mechanical device which forms the transition between the flexible pipe body and a connector. The different pipe layers as shown, for example, in Figure 1 are terminated in the end fitting in such a way as to transfer the load between the flexible pipe and the connector.

Figure 2 illustrates a riser assembly 200 suitable for transporting production fluid such as oil and/or gas and/or water from a sub-sea location 221 to a floating facility 222. For example, in Figure 2 the sub-sea location 221 includes a sub-sea flow line 225. The flexible flow line 225 comprises a flexible pipe, wholly or in part, resting on the sea floor 230 or buried below the sea floor and used in a static application. The floating facility may be provided by a platform and/or buoy or, as illustrated in Figure 2, a ship. The riser assembly 200 is provided as a flexible riser, that is to say a flexible pipe 240 connecting the ship to the sea floor installation. The flexible pipe may be in segments of flexible pipe body with connecting end fittings. It will be appreciated that there are different types of riser, as is well-known by those skilled in the art. Certain embodiments of the present invention may be used with any type of riser, such as a freely suspended (free-hanging, catenary riser), a riser restrained to some extent (buoys, chains), totally restrained riser or enclosed in a tube (I or J tubes). Some, though not all, examples of such configurations can be found in API 17J. Figure 2 also illustrates how portions of flexible pipe can be utilised as a jumper 250.

Figure 3 helps illustrate how a respective end of a segment of flexible pipe body 100 can be terminated in an end fitting 300. The end fitting 300 includes a main end fitting body 310 which includes a flanged end 315 which acts as a connector for securing to another end fitting in a back-to-back relationship or to a rigid structure. A narrow neck 320 extends into a central flared out region 330. The end fitting 300 includes an end fitting body 310 which defines an internal bore 335 running along a length of the end fitting body. This bore has a diameter to match a corresponding bore of the flexible pipe body. The end fitting body is made from steel or some other such rigid material. The flanged end region 315 provides a connector at a first end of the end fitting body. The other end of the end fitting body defines an open mouth 340 into which an end of a segment of flexible pipe body is received. The flanged connector is a substantially disc-like flared region of the end fitting body. The connector can be connected directly to a matching connector or a further end fitting body of an adjacent segment of flexible pipe body. This can be done using bolts or some other form of securing mechanism. Alternatively the connector 315 may be connected to a floating or stationery structure such as a ship, platform or the like. Various layers of flexible pipe body are introduced to the end fitting assembly, cut to an appropriate length, and sealingly engaged with a particular portion of the end fitting.

As illustrated in Figure 3 the end fitting 300 also includes a jacket 350 which is secured at a first end of the jacket to the central flanged region of the end fitting body. The jacket has a substantially cylindrical outer surface. A remaining end of the jacket 350 is secured to an end plate 355. A radially inner surface 360 of the jacket remains spaced apart from a radially outer surface 365 of the open mouth end of the end fitting body 310 and a radially outer surface 370 of an inner collar 375. An outer sleeve 380 helps urge an outer sheath 170 against an outer seal 385. The spaced apart relationship of the inner surface 360 of the jacket and radially outer surfaces of the end fitting body and inner collar define a pocket region 390 or cavity void into which tensile armour wires 395 of the first tensile armour layer 140 and second tensile armour layer 150 are terminated. As part of a terminating process the cavity void in the pocket region 390 is filled with a curable material subsequent to the jacket being secured to the end fitting body. The curable material, such as epoxy resin, or the like solidifies to inter the individual tensile armour wires 395 in the pocket region. As illustrated in Figure 3 securing support bodies 398 are secured to end regions of the tensile armour wires at a predetermined distance from a tip of each wire to help anchor the tensile armour wires in the curable material. This helps increase resistance to the tensile armour wires being pulled through the epoxy material. This increases an extraction force needed to extract the wires.

Figure 4 helps illustrate an end region 400 of a particular tensile armour wire 395 in more detail. The tensile armour wire 395 shown in Figure 4 has a generally rectangular cross section with substantially parallel spaced apart long edges spaced apart by shorter edges. The shorter edges illustrated in the tensile armour wire shown in Figure 4 are slightly curved whereas the longer edges define substantially flat upper and lower surfaces for the tensile armour wires. It will be appreciated that certain embodiments of the present invention are broadly applicable to tensile armour wires and their anchoring having a wide selection of possible cross sections. Multiple helically wound tensile armour wires make up the inner and outer tensile armour layers of the flexible pipe body.

Figure 4 helps illustrate a free end 450 of a respective tensile armour wire and how this can be urged through a rigid support body 398 in a threading motion. Thereafter the securing element body 398 can be slid along the outer surface of a tensile armour wire until it reaches a predetermined distance from the wire tip 450. Aptly this is 5cm. Aptly this is between 5 and 25cm. Aptly this is between 4 and 15cm from the wire end.

Figure 4 illustrates the wire 395 cross section and how a wire can be threaded between opposed rotatable elements 470, 480 which are pivotably mounted in an upstanding relationship from a rigid base 482. In use due to the mass and thus weight of the flexible pipe, tensile armour wires can tend to pull out of an end fitting with significant force. To be able to resist such force the captive element and the rigid housing must be sufficiently hard and rigid so as to be able to sustain continued load throughout the lifetime of a flexible pipe. Aptly a hardness of the rigid housing and/or a hardness of a rotatable element has a hardness greater than 12FIRc. Aptly the hardness is greater than 30FIRc. Aptly the hardness is greater than 40FIRc.

It will be appreciated that whilst Figure 4 illustrates a rigid support body in the form of a base with upstanding rotatable elements a rigid housing including end walls and side walls and an upper support could be additionally included with through openings on the end walls to allow the tensile armour wire to penetrate into the support body into a zone 484 between the rotatable element on one side of the tensile wire and another element on the remaining side of the tensile armour wire.

Whilst the embodiment shown in Figure 4 includes two rotatable elements it will be appreciated that certain embodiments of the present invention are applicable to use of a single rotatable element with an opposed fixed abutment surface provided by an upstanding element secured to the base. Likewise, multiple pairs of rotatable elements or a rotatable element and opposed abutment surface could be used along a length of the rigid support body.

The left hand side (in Figure 4) rotatable element 470 includes an outer surface 485 which includes a roughened zone 486. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the roughened zone includes multiple spaced apart substantially parallel teeth. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4 the opposed rotatable element includes an outer abutment surface 490 which includes a roughened zone 492 which, in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, includes spaced apart substantially parallel teeth 492. Each rotatable element is rotatable about a respective axis of rotation with respect to the rigid support body 460.

Aptly each rotatable element comprises a cam member. Aptly the cam member comprises a pear or egg shaped outer surface 485, 490 that includes a toothed region 486, 492 that includes at least one tooth member. The cam member comprises a substantially circular or substantially elliptical shaped outer surface having a centre offset from a respective axis of rotation and including a toothed region that includes at least one toothed member.

A first axis of rotation which is an axis of rotation for at least one rotatable element and a further axis of rotation for a further rotatable element 480 are each provided by a respective fixed upstanding shaft that extends from base of the rigid support body. The fixed upstanding shafts are spaced apart by a predetermined distance that spaces apart regions of respective opposed outer surfaces of the first and further rotatable elements by a distance that corresponds to a thickness of a tensile armour wire of a flexible pipe.

Optionally a curved keeper having a curved abutment surface can be provided at one or more ends of the rigid support body to receive a cross section of a tensile armour wire of a flexible pipe. For embodiments which include end walls, slots or other such openings in the end walls can provide the inner curved abutment surfaces and thus act as keeper elements. Aptly the rigid support body and at least one rotatable element comprise a metallic or ceramic material.

Figure 5 illustrates how a rigid support body 398 can be threaded onto an end region of a tensile armour wire to secure an end region of a tensile armour wire to the rigid support body which can thereafter provide anchoring points since surfaces of the support body (and any housing walls present) will provide increased cross sections relative to a cross section of a tensile armour wire.

Figure 5A illustrates how a free end of a tensile armour wire can be urged between the opposed rotatable cams. As previously explained, as an alternative only one rotatable cam could be utilised with a spaced apart opposed abutment surface. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5 the further abutment surface is provided by an outer surface of a further cam element. As the free end 450 of the tensile armour wire approaches the cams it is located in a space between the cams which begin to rotate to accommodate passage of the tensile armour therebetween. Figure 5B illustrates how the cams have rotated and the free end of the tensile armour wire passes through between the cams towards an exit end of the rigid support body. At some point in time a human operator judges that the tensile armour wire is a desired distance through the pinch point of the cam elements. That is to say the tensile armour wire is suitably threaded onto the rigid support body. At this point in time, as illustrated in Figure 5C, a human operator can pull the rigid support body backwards (towards the inlet position). This counter rotates the cam mechanism which pulls the corresponding abutment surfaces together in a camming motion. The teeth of the teethed regions come into play against the outer surface of a tensile armour wire and thereby effectively lock further counter motion of a tensile wire to thereby prevent movement of the armour wire in a direction that tends to pull the wire out of the rigid support body. In this way a rotatable element is rotatable about a first axis of rotation in a first direction of rotation to thereby permit a tensile armour wire end region of a tensile armour wire for a flexible pipe to be moved in a first direction between the rotatable element and an abutment element. The rotatable element is rotatable in a counter rotation direction of rotation when the armour wire end region is urged in an opposite direction for preventing movement of the armour wire in an opposite direction. The rigid support body is securable to a free end region of a tensile wire close to the free end of the tensile wire so strongly that wire breaks under tensile loading before the housing fails or pulls from the wire. Pulling on the tensile armour wire only serves to urge abutment surfaces together generating greater clamping forces. Figure 6 illustrates how a rigid support body 398 can be secured at an end of an tensile armour wire in more detail. It will be appreciated that the external surfaces and particularly the end surfaces of the rigid housing close to the inlet opening provide anchoring points when the tensile armour wires are sealed/entombed in epoxy in a space within the end fitting. The surfaces thus provide a greater surface area than the tensile armour wire would otherwise provide alone which resists any movement of the housing once entombed in the hard epoxy. It will be appreciated that Figures 4 and 5 do not show side walls of the support body for the sake of clarity but that in practice the rigid support body could have rigid sides together with the upper and base parts which together confine the rotatable cams and wire during a termination process. Only six tensile armour wires are illustrated in Figure 6 for the sake of clarity. The skilled person will understand many more than six wires can be used to provide a tensile layer.

The rigid support body 398 can thus be used to enable an end region of at least one flexible pipe body tensile armour wire to be secured to an anchoring element. A rigid support body behaves as an anchoring element as it provides surfaces which act as an anchor to resist motion of the entire housing through hardened epoxy when a tensile armour wire tends to pull from an end fitting. The method of securing an end region of the wire to the anchoring element includes an operator first securing a rigid support body on an end of each tensile armour wire of flexible pipe body which is to be terminated in an end fitting. Each tensile armour wire free end is urged into a respective rigid support body that itself provides one or more anchoring surfaces. More than one rigid support body could of course be used on each wire to increase an anchoring strength. As the tensile armour wire is urged into the region between rotatable elements in the support body through an inlet opening a rotatable element is moved to accommodate the wire. Once at a desired position at an end region of the tensile armour wire, via respective movement of the rigid support body with respect to the tensile armour wire, the rotatable element is moved. This driving action continues until subsequent movement of the rigid support body with respect to the tensile armour wire in a direction towards a free end of the tensile armour wire is prevented. This driving motion can be achieved via a human operator holding the support body threading it onto a tensile armour wire and then pulling the support body back towards the free end until the cam surfaces bite on the tensile wire. Optionally the rotatable elements in the support body may be spring loaded to help in the activation of the cam action when the support body is pulled back towards the free end of the tensile armour wire. Once the tensile armour wires each have a rigid support body mounted on them a desired distance from a free end of the wire. The end fitting termination process can continue using conventional techniques.

According to certain embodiments described hereinabove a method of terminating flexible pipe body in an end fitting can be achieved by providing an end fitting body including a connecting flange at a first end and an open mouth at a further end, threading an end of one or more tensile armour wires of a segment of flexible pipe body through respective securing element bodies (thereby simultaneously moving at least one rotatable element of a support body to thereby resist subsequent withdrawal of the tensile armour wire from the securing element body), securing a jacket member to the end fitting body thereby providing a pocket region within the end fitting where the tensile armour wire ends are located and subsequently providing a curable material in the pocket region. Aptly the curable material is an epoxy resin and this can subsequently be cured to inter the armour wire ends in epoxy material. The rigid support bodies affixed to the wires are difficult to pull through the epoxy and difficult to remove from the wires.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words “comprise” and “contain” and variations of them mean“including but not limited to” and they are not intended to (and do not) exclude other moieties, additives, components, integers or steps. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.

Features, integers, characteristics or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of the features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not restricted to any details of any foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one, or novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. The reader’s attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1 . Apparatus for securing an end region of a tensile armour wire within a flexible pipe end fitting, comprising:

a rigid support body comprising at least one anchoring surface;

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

the at least one abutment element comprises a further rotatable element comprising at least one further tooth member, supported on the support body and rotatable about a further axis of rotation with respect to the rigid support body.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

each rotatable element comprises a cam member.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

the cam member comprises a pear or egg shaped outer surface that includes a toothed region that includes at least one tooth member.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

the cam member comprises a substantially circular or substantially elliptical shaped outer surface having a centre offset from a respective axis of rotation and including a toothed region that includes at least one tooth member.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: the first axis of rotation and the further axis of rotation are each provided by a respective fixed upstanding shaft element that extends from the rigid support body; and

7. The apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising:

a curved keeper element having an inner curved abutment surface disposed to receive a cross-section of a tensile armour wire of a flexible pipe.

8. The apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising:

the rigid support body and at least the rotatable element comprises a material that has a hardness greater than 12 HRc.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the hardness is greater than 30 HRc and optionally is greater than 40 HRc.

10. The apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the rigid support body and at least one rotatable element comprises a metallic or ceramic material.

1 1 . The apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising:

at least one biasing member for activating a respective rotatable element.

12. A method of securing an end region of at least one flexible pipe body tensile armour wire to an anchoring element, comprising the steps of:

as the free end region is urged in a first direction, rotating the rotatable element about a first axis of rotation in a first direction of rotation that permits movement of the free end region between the rotatable element and the abutment element; and thereafter, via movement of the tensile armour wire in a further direction opposite to the first direction, rotating the rotatable element in a counter direction direction of rotation until movement of the tensile armour wire in the further direction is prevented.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

sliding the rigid support body along the free end region of a tensile armour wire until the rigid support body is at a desired location a predetermined distance from a free end of the tensile armour wire; and

14. A method of terminating flexible pipe body in an end fitting, comprising the steps of:

subsequently providing a curable material in the cavity void region.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising: subsequently curing the material and thereby anchoring the tensile armour wire end regions in the cured material in the cavity void region via the rigid support bodies and associated anchoring surfaces on each tensile armour wire end region.