Electric linear actuation system equipped with energy storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10316596-B2
Application number	US-201515532868-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2015
Priority date	Dec 3, 2014
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

The present invention is a linear actuation system comprising a reversible screw type linear actuator, equipped with at least one reversible electrical motor system and energy storage. The energy storage is charged by linear actuation system functioning as a generator when a mobile rod of the linear actuator is moved by heave and is discharged when the mobile rod is moved by activation of an electric motor of the linear actuation system motor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heave compensator for offshore application comprising:
a first mobile block which moves relative to a second block, the second block having a position relative to a mobile unit and which is configured to hang a load, the first block being moveable relative to the second block in response to heave of the mobile unit;
at least two articulated arms, each arm comprising at least one sheave;
a cable attached to a retainer, the cable running from the retainer through the sheaves of the articulated arms and through the first and the second blocks;
a linear actuator connected to the first mobile block and to the mobile unit for moving the first block relative to the second block to maintain the position, the linear actuator including a rotatable threaded rod which upon rotation translates the rod linearly to move the first mobile block relative to the second block; and
a system including an energy storage, the system driving a shaft which rotates the rotatable threaded rod, the system in response to the heave of the mobile unit charging the energy storage by rotation of the threaded rod and the shaft in response to the heave, the system using the energy stored in the energy storage to rotate the shaft to rotate the rotatable rod of the linear actuator to maintain the position of the block to compensate for heave of the mobile unit and the first mobile block: and wherein
the load is one of tensioned vertical metal pipes or drill bits operated as part of the offshore application.

2. A compensator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator comprises rollers or balls driven by a motor of the system which drives the rotatable rod and the shaft.

3. A compensator as claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
the rotatable rod of the linear actuator comprises triangular, trapezoidal or ovoid threads.

4. A compensator as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the energy storage comprises an electrical battery or a supercapacitor and the system includes an electrical motor having the shaft which drives the motor.

5. A compensator as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the system is connected to an electrical power distribution network.

6. A compensator as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the energy storage comprises an electrical battery or a supercapacitor and the system includes an electrical motor having the shaft which drives the motor.

7. A compensator as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the system is connected to an electrical power distribution network.

8. A compensator as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the system is connected to an electrical power distribution network.

9. A compensator as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the mobile unit is a floating support.

10. A compensator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the energy storage comprises an electrical battery or a supercapacitor and the system includes an electrical motor having the shaft which drives the motor.

11. A compensator as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the system is connected to an electrical power distribution network.

12. A compensator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the energy storage comprises at least one mechanical energy storage.

13. A compensator as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the at least one mechanical storage comprises a flywheel.

14. A compensator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the linear actuator comprises a control and the system is an electrical motor-generator system.

15. A compensator as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the system supplies electrical energy into a power distribution network when the electrical motor-generator system operates as a generator and when the energy storage is charged.

16. A compensator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the system is connected to an electrical power distribution network.

17. A compensator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the system is supplied by electricity from an electrical power distribution network when the energy storage is discharged or is not able to supply electrical energy to an electrical motor-generator system.

18. A compensator as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the system supplies electrical energy into a power distribution network when the electrical motor-generator system operates as a generator and when the energy storage is charged.

19. A compensator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mobile unit is a floating support.

Assignees

• Ifp Energies Now

Inventors

• Odru Pierre
• Constant Michel

Classifications

• H02J7/865

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B19/006 Primary

  including heave compensators · CPC title

• B66C13/02

  Devices for facilitating retrieval of floating objects, e.g. for recovering crafts from water (handling live-boats B63B; salvaging, or hauling-out on slipways, waterborne vessels B63C; winding mechanism controls B66D1/52) · CPC title

• H02K16/00

  Machines with more than one rotor or stator {(machines for transmitting mechanical power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft and comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; permanent magnet machines with multiple rotors or stators relatively rotated for vectorially combining the excitation fields or the armature voltages H02K21/029)} · CPC title

• H02K7/06

  Means for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion or vice versa · CPC title