Pressure compensated enclosures for submerged joints

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10113681-B2
Application number	US-201414270773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2014
Priority date	May 16, 2013
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

Enclosures are described that encapsulate or surround a joint between two or more elements, for example two pipes or a pipe and a valve. The enclosures prevent direct contact between the joint and the surrounding water, for example fresh or salt water, and prevent biofouling and corrosion of the joint. An enclosure encapsulates the joint and forms an enclosed space around the joint. Some or all of the enclosure includes a flexible material. The enclosed space is filled with a protective liquid that is retained in the enclosed space and that will be in direct contact with the joint. Due to the flexible nature of the flexible material, the pressure inside the enclosed space is maintained substantially equal to the exterior pressure outside the membrane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of protecting a joint between a first structure and a second structure, the joint being submerged in water, the method comprising:
disposing an enclosure over the joint to define a watertight enclosed space surrounding the joint, the enclosure including a flexible material that is exposed to the watertight enclosed space and is exposed to an outside pressure;
introducing a protective liquid within the watertight enclosed space through a sealable fill port on the flexible material in an amount sufficient to cover the joint; and
closing the sealable fill port;
wherein the flexible material can deflect to result in the pressure inside the watertight enclosed space being substantially equal to the outside pressure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective liquid comprises a non-electrically conductive liquid.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising directly sealing a first end of the flexible material to the first structure and directly sealing a second end of the flexible material to the second structure.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising securing first and second substantially rigid end members to the first and second structures, respectively, and connecting the flexible material between the first and second substantially rigid end members.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flexible material comprises a flexible bladder, and comprising fixing the flexible bladder to the enclosure so that the flexible bladder is disposed outside of the watertight enclosed space and is in fluid communication with the watertight enclosed space.

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Jansen Eugene C
• Owen Trevor J

Classifications

• F16L58/182

  for screw-threaded joints · CPC title

• Y02E10/34

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F16L58/187 Primary

  for flanged joints · CPC title

• F16L2201/40

  for special environments · CPC title

• F16L58/181

  for non-disconnectable pipe joints · CPC title