Vertical pipe deployment system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11209103-B2
Application number	US-202117223095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2021
Priority date	Sep 6, 2019
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A vertical pipe deployment system that includes a flexible pipe deployed vertically in a non-linear manner. A first clamp couples to and supports the flexible pipe. A second clamp couples to the flexible pipe. The second clamp laterally changes a direction of the flexible pipe as the flexible pipe descends vertically between the first clamp and the second clamp.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a flexible pipe configured to be deployed vertically in a shaft, wherein the flexible pipe comprises a pipe section and a pipe connector that is connected to the pipe section, wherein the pipe connector comprises a flange;
a clamp configured to be secured circumferentially around the flexible pipe, wherein the clamp comprises:
a plate having a plate aperture; and
arms that extend out from the plate to define a groove, wherein the groove is configured to receive the flexible pipe and the arms of the clamp are configured to directly abut the flange of the pipe connector to enable the clamp to facilitate supporting weight of the flexible pipe within the shaft; and

a bolt configured to secure the clamp to a wall of the shaft to enable the clamp to facilitate supporting weight of the flexible pipe within the shaft, wherein the bolt is configured to be secured to the wall of the shaft through the plate aperture to facilitate securing the clamp to the wall of the shaft.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible pipe is configured to be deployed non-linearly in the shaft to form a sinusoidal wave pattern or a spiral pattern.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the clamp is configured to be secured circumferentially around the pipe connector in the flexible pipe to enable the clamp to facilitate supporting the weight of the flexible pipe within the shaft.

4. The system of claim 3 , comprising:
another clamp configured to be secured circumferentially around the pipe section in the flexible pipe; and
another bolt configured to secure the other clamp to the wall of the shaft or another wall of the shaft to enable the other clamp to facilitate supporting the weight of the flexible pipe within the shaft.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the clamp comprises a support body connected to the plate and the arms of the clamp to facilitate supporting the arms of the clamp.

6. A system comprising:
a bolt configured to be secured to a wall of a shaft in which a flexible pipe is to be vertically and non-linearly deployed; and
a clamp, wherein the clamp comprises:
a plate having a plate aperture, wherein the bolt is configured to be secured to the wall of the shaft through the plate aperture to facilitate securing the clamp to the wall of the shaft;
arms that extend out from the plate to define a groove, wherein the groove is configured to receive the flexible pipe to enable the clamp to facilitate supporting weight of the flexible pipe within the shaft and the arms of the clamp comprise an arm aperture;
a connector plate configured to be secured to the arms of the clamp, wherein the connector plate comprises a protrusion configured to matingly interlock with a circumferential groove on a pipe connector in the flexible pipe to facilitate securing the clamp to the pipe connector and a connector aperture configured to be aligned with the arm aperture in the arms of the clamp; and
a retention pin configured to be inserted through the arm aperture in the arms of the clamp and the connector aperture in the connector plate to facilitate securing the connector plate to the arms of the clamp such that the pipe connector is disposed between the arms and the connector plate of the clamp.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the arms of the clamp are configured to matingly interlock with the circumferential groove on the pipe connector in the flexible pipe to facilitate securing the clamp to the pipe connector.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the clamp comprises a support body connected to the plate and the arms of the clamp to facilitate supporting the arms of the clamp.

9. The system of claim 6 , comprising:
another bolt configured to be secured to the wall of the shaft or another wall of the shaft; and
another clamp, wherein:
the flexible pipe comprises a pipe section; and
the another clamp comprises:
a wire loop configured to be disposed around the bolt; and
a wire mesh connected to the wire loop, wherein the another clamp is configured to contract the wire mesh around the pipe section in the flexible pipe due to the weight of the flexible pipe to facilitate securing the other clamp to the pipe section to enable the other clamp to facilitate supporting the weight of the flexible pipe within the shaft.

10. A system comprising:
a bolt configured to be secured to a wall of a shaft in which a flexible pipe comprising a pipe section is to be vertically and non-linearly deployed; and
a clamp, wherein the clamp comprises:
a wire loop configured to be disposed around the bolt; and
a wire mesh connected to the wire loop, wherein the clamp is configured to contract the wire mesh around the pipe section in the flexible pipe due to weight of the flexible pipe to facilitate securing the clamp to the pipe section to enable the clamp to facilitate supporting the weight of the flexible pipe within the shaft.

11. The system of claim 10 , comprising:
another bolt configured to be secured to the wall of the shaft or another wall of the shaft, wherein the flexible pipe comprises a pipe connector having a circumferential groove; and
another clamp, wherein the another clamp comprises:
a plate having a plate aperture, wherein the another bolt is configured to be secured to the wall of the shaft or the another wall of the shaft through the plate aperture to facilitate securing the another clamp to the wall of the shaft or the another wall of the shaft;
arms that extend out from the plate; and

a connector plate configured to be secured to the arms of the clamp, wherein the connector plate comprises a protrusion configured to matingly interlock with the circumferential groove on the pipe connector in the flexible pipe to facilitate securing the clamp to the pipe connector to enable the another clamp to facilitate supporting the weight of the flexible pipe within the shaft.

Assignees

• Trinity Bay Equipment Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Ethridge Andrew David
• Gregory David Michael
• Kalman Mark Douglas

Classifications

• F16L3/11

  and hanging from a pendant (F16L3/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L1/036 Primary

  the pipes being composed of sections of short length (F16L1/038 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L2201/00

  Special arrangements for pipe couplings · CPC title

• F16L11/00

  Hoses, i.e. flexible pipes · CPC title

• F16L3/1091 Primary

  with two members, the two members being fixed to each other with fastening members on each side · CPC title