Subsea replaceable fuse assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10529524-B2
Application number	US-201515307786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A subsea-replaceable fuse assembly has at least one fuse and a wet-mateable fuse connector element. The connector element is arranged to connect the fuse assembly to a subsea electrical load requiring protection of the fuse. The fuse connector element has conductor elements that are electrically connected to the fuse. A corresponding method of protecting a subsea electrical load includes connecting a fuse to the load underwater in a wet-mating operation effected between connector elements that are electrically connected, respectively, to the fuse and to the load.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A subsea-replaceable fuse assembly comprising:
a plurality of fuses; and
a wet-mateable fuse connector element arranged to connect the fuse assembly to a subsea electrical load requiring protection of the fuse,
wherein the fuse connector element comprises conductor elements that are electrically connected to the plurality of fuses, the conductor elements defining a plug for engagement with a socket provided on the subsea electrical load to connect the plurality of fuses electrically to the subsea load; and
wherein the fuse connector element comprises a body having a recess surrounded by a skirt, the recess housing the plug, such that when the plug is engaged with a socket on the subsea electrical load, the skirt is received in a recess on the socket to seal the recess in the body of the fuse connector element.

2. The fuse assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a subsea cable extending between the fuse connector element and a fuseholder module containing the fuse, which cable electrically connects the fuses to the conductor elements and supports the housing from the fuse connector element.

3. The fuse assembly of claim 2 , wherein the cable is filled with a dielectric liquid.

4. The fuse assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fuses are contained in a fuseholder module that is integral with the fuse connector element.

5. The fuse assembly of claim 2 , wherein the fuses are supported in air in the fuseholder module.

6. The fuse assembly of claim 5 , wherein the air in the fuseholder module is at ambient pressure.

7. The fuse assembly of claim 2 , wherein the fuseholder module is arranged to isolate the fuse from water.

8. The fuse assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fuse connector element comprises a UUV handle arranged to be grasped for manipulation by a UUV.

9. The fuse assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fuses are potted in a capsule.

10. The fuse assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fuseholder module has a plurality of chambers, each chamber holding a fuse.

11. The fuse assembly of claim 10 , wherein the subsea cable comprises a bundle of cables, which cables electrically connect each of the plurality of fuses to the conductor elements.

12. In combination, the fuse assembly of claim 1 and a subsea electrical load that is electrically connected to corresponding conductor elements of a complementary load connector element.

13. The combination of claim 12 , further comprising a subsea installation including the subsea electrical load.

14. A subsea installation including an electrical load, the subsea-replaceable fuse assembly of claim 1 , and a wet-mateable load connector element arranged to connect the load to the subsea-replaceable fuse assembly, the load connector element comprising conductor elements that are electrically connected to the load.

15. A method of protecting a subsea electrical load, the method comprising connecting a plurality of fuses to the load underwater in a wet-mating operation effected between connector elements that are electrically connected, respectively, to the fuses and to the load, wherein the connector element comprises a plug arranged in a recess on a body of the connector element, the recess being surrounded by a skirt, and wherein the method further comprises inserting the plug into a socket on the load such that the skirt engages with the socket to seal the recess.

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising connecting the plurality of fuses to the load underwater in a single wet-mating operation.

Assignees

• Subsea 7 Ltd

Inventors

• Scott Alister William Ernest
• Mcdonald James Peter

Classifications

• H01R13/523

  for use under water · CPC title

• H01H2231/044

  Under water · CPC title

• H01H85/0021 Primary

  water or dustproof devices · CPC title

• H01H85/003 Primary

  casings for the fusible element · CPC title

• H01B9/003

  including electrical control or communication wires · CPC title