Subsea arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11255165-B2
Application number	US-201716072439-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2017
Priority date	Jan 28, 2016
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

A subsea arrangement including a base structure; a tubular member rotatably mounted to the base structure through an annular bearing, wherein a section of the envelop surface of the tubular member is covered by a layer of thermally insulating material; a ring-shaped insulating member of open cell polymer foam mounted to the tubular member, wherein an inner edge of the insulating member is in contact with the envelop surface of the tubular member and the insulating member protrudes radially from the tubular member. The insulating member is positioned between an inner edge of the layer and the annular bearing with a first lateral surface of the insulating member in sliding contact with the inner edge of the layer and with an opposite second lateral surface of the insulating member in contact with a part of the annular bearing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A subsea arrangement comprising:
a base structure; and
a tubular member which is rotatably mounted to the base structure through an annular bearing, wherein a section of an envelop surface of the tubular member is covered by a layer of thermally insulating material in order to thermally insulate the section of the tubular member from ambient sea water, the layer having an inner edge facing the annular bearing,
wherein:
a ring-shaped insulating member of open cell polymer foam is mounted to the tubular member, wherein an inner edge of the insulating member is in contact with the envelop surface of the tubular member and wherein the insulating member protrudes radially from the tubular member; and
the insulating member is positioned between the inner edge of the layer and the annular bearing with a first lateral surface of the insulating member in sliding contact with the inner edge of the layer and with an opposite second lateral surface of the insulating member in contact with a part of the annular bearing.

2. The subsea arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating member is slidably mounted to the tubular member.

3. The subsea arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating member has the form of a ring-shaped disc.

4. The subsea arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein:
the tubular member extends through a tubular casing part included in the base structure, wherein the tubular casing part has a wall facing the tubular member; and
at least a part of the wall is covered by a layer of thermally insulating material in order to thermally insulate the wall from ambient sea water, wherein the layer has an inner edge facing the annular bearing and wherein the first lateral surface of the insulating member is in sliding contact with the inner edge of the layer.

5. The subsea arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the tubular member is a pup piece.

6. The subsea arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the second lateral surface of the insulating member is in sliding contact with the part of the annular bearing.

7. The subsea arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein:
the tubular member has a hub at a front end of the tubular member;
the annular bearing comprises a ring-shaped first bearing member, which is fixed to the hub, and a ring-shaped second bearing member, which is fixed to the base structure and which is slidably connected to the first bearing member; and
the second lateral surface of the insulating member is in contact with the second bearing member.

8. The subsea arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein the second bearing member is bolted to the base structure.

9. The subsea arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the subsea arrangement is a jumper or flowline termination.

Assignees

• Vetco Gray Scandinavia As

Inventors

• Hande Olav
• Karlsen Morten Voldsund
• Bastesen Rolf
• Rosvold Marius

Classifications

• E21B33/035

  specially adapted for underwater installations (E21B33/043, E21B33/064, E21B33/076 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16L1/12

  Laying or reclaiming pipes on or under water · CPC title

• F16L59/14

  Arrangements for the insulation of pipes or pipe systems (F16L59/02 - F16L59/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16L59/184

  Flanged joints · CPC title

• E21B43/013 Primary

  Connecting a production flow line to an underwater well head · CPC title