Assembly of a flexible pipe and an end-fitting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10088079-B2
Application number	US-201414787833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2014
Priority date	May 2, 2013
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

An assembly is described. A flexible pipe of the assembly comprises at least one optical fiber for mounting to a processing system or another waveguide. The unbonded flexible pipe comprises a plurality of layers. The optical fiber is arranged outside an innermost sealing sheath. At least an outermost armor layer is terminated and secured by securing material in a housing cavity of an end-fitting. The end-fitting comprises a fiber exit cavity with an entrance end and an exit opening through which the fiber can exit and the fiber is applied in an overlength in said fiber exit cavity. The assembly makes it very simple and effective to connect an optical fiber of an unbonded flexible pipe via an end-fitting to a processing system which can operate with the fiber to pump light into the fiber and collect signals and analyze the collected signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly of an unbonded flexible pipe and an end-fitting, wherein the flexible pipe comprises:
at least one optical fiber for mounting to a processing system or another waveguide, and
a plurality of layers including an innermost sealing sheath and an outermost armor layer, the at least one optical fiber being arranged outside said innermost sealing sheath, said outermost armor layer being terminated and secured by securing material in a housing cavity of said end-fitting,
wherein the end-fitting comprises a fiber exit cavity with an entrance end and an exit opening through which the fiber can exit, the fiber being applied in an overlength in said fiber exit cavity, and
wherein the fiber exit cavity is separated from the housing cavity by a wall.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber has the overlength in said exit cavity which is at least about 5 cm.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber is terminated in said fiber exit cavity.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber has a fiber end mounted to a connector.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the connector is applied loosely in the exit cavity.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the end-fitting comprises a lid at least partly covering said exit opening.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optical fiber has a fiber end mounted to a connector that is connected to a lid by a releasable lock.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein a lid covers said exit opening with the exception of a fiber hole through which the optical fiber is passing, the optical fiber has a fiber end mounted to a connector, the connector is releasably connected to said lid.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein a lid covers said exit opening with the exception of a fiber hole through which a connector mounted to said optical fiber is passing, the connector is releasably connected to said lid.

10. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optical fiber has a fiber end mounted to a connector, which connector forms part of or constitutes a lid.

11. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optical fiber is fixed in said housing cavity, optionally by said securing material.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optical fiber is loosely applied in said housing cavity.

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said end-fitting comprises a fiber guide unit arranged in said housing cavity, said optical fiber is passing through said fiber guide unit.

14. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said end-fitting comprises an annular end-fitting body structure with a termination section comprising said housing cavity, a mounting flange and a narrow section connecting said termination section and said mounting flange, the termination section comprises an annular shoulder adjacent to the narrow section.

15. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly comprises a plurality of optical fibers for mounting to one or more processing systems or waveguides.

16. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said assembly comprises a plurality of optical fibers, said plurality of optical fibers are arranged outside said innermost sealing sheath.

17. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the end-fitting comprises a plurality of fiber exit cavities each with an entrance end and an exit opening through which the respective fibers can exit, the respective optical fibers are applied in respective overlengths in said respective exit cavities.

18. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one optical fiber is part of a distributed temperature fiber sensor.

19. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one optical fiber is part of a distributed stress fiber sensor.

20. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one optical fiber is part of a distributed pressure fiber sensor.

Assignees

• Nat Oilwell Varco Denmark Is

Inventors

• Moller Andersen Bo Asp
• Juul Niels

Classifications

• F16L11/08 Primary

  with reinforcements embedded in the wall (F16L11/11 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L33/01 Primary

  specially adapted for hoses having a multi-layer wall · CPC title

• G02B6/4429

  Means specially adapted for strengthening or protecting the cables · CPC title

• G02B6/44384

  the means comprising water blocking or hydrophobic materials (G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence) · CPC title