System and method for deploying coils of spoolable pipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11512796-B2
Application number	US-202117324036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2021
Priority date	Feb 22, 2018
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A system for deploying a coil of spoolable pipe from a vessel includes a first tower configured to move longitudinally and transversely along a first track coupled to the vessel, a second tower configured to move longitudinally along a second track coupled to the vessel, and a coil drum assembly coupled to the first tower. The first tower is configured to insert the coil drum assembly transversely into an interior channel of the coil when the coil drum assembly is in a retracted position, the coil drum assembly is configured to support the coil when the coil drum assembly is in an extended position and rotate during deployment of the spoolable pipe, and the first tower and the second tower are configured to move the coil drum assembly vertically.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for deploying a coil of spoolable pipe from a vessel, comprising:
a first tower coupled to the vessel and configured to move along a surface of the vessel; and
a coil drum assembly coupled to the first tower, wherein the first tower is configured to insert the coil drum assembly into an interior channel of the coil when the coil drum assembly is in a retracted position, the coil drum assembly is configured to support the coil when the coil drum assembly is in an extended position and rotate during deployment of the spoolable pipe, and the coil drum assembly comprises:
a post;
expandable spokes, wherein each of the expandable spokes extends away from the post and has a distal end movable between a retracted position and an extended position;
first and second spoke frames mounted to the post, wherein each of the first and second spoke frames includes a plurality of the expandable spokes;
a plurality of drum segments each mounted to the distal end of one of the expandable spokes of the first spoke frame and to the distal end of one of the expandable spokes of the second spoke frame, wherein the drum segments extend parallel to the post; and
a plurality of mechanical actuators each extending between the post and one of the expandable spokes or one of the drum segments, for moving the expandable spokes between the retracted and extended positions.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising a second tower coupled to the vessel and configured to move along the surface of the vessel.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first tower and the second tower are configured to move the coil drum assembly toward or away from the surface of the vessel.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein each of the first tower and the second tower comprises a coil containment system configured to contain the spoolable pipe disposed on the coil drum assembly between the coil containment systems, the coil containment system comprising a plurality of rollers to reduce friction between the spoolable pipe and the coil containment system.

5. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a re-rounder configured to re-round the spoolable pipe;
a swaging system configured to swage a fitting to an end of the spoolable pipe;
a tensioner configured to apply tension to the spoolable pipe; and
a chute configured to maintain a desired bend radius of the spoolable pipe.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the swaging system comprises:
a fixed platform;
a moveable platform that is configured to slide transversely over the fixed platform; and a swage machine of the swaging system mounted on the movable platform, wherein the swaging system is configured to move the swage machine at least one of transversely, vertically, or rotationally.

7. A system for deploying a coil of spoolable pipe from a vessel, comprising:
a first tower configured to move longitudinally and transversely along a first track coupled to the vessel;
a second tower configured to move longitudinally along a second track coupled to the vessel; and
a coil drum assembly coupled to the first tower, wherein the first tower is configured to insert the coil drum assembly transversely into an interior channel of the coil, the coil drum assembly is configured to support the coil and rotate during deployment of the spoolable pipe, the first tower and the second tower are configured to move the coil drum assembly vertically; and the coil drum assembly comprises:
a post;
expandable spokes, wherein each of the expandable spokes extends away from the post and has a distal end movable between a retracted position and an extended position;
first and second spoke frames mounted to the post, wherein each of the first and second spoke frames includes a plurality of the expandable spokes;
a plurality of drum segments each mounted to the distal end of one of the expandable spokes of the first spoke frame and to the distal end of one of the expandable spokes of the second spoke frame, wherein the drum segments extend parallel to the post; and
a plurality of mechanical actuators each extending between the post and one of the expandable spokes or one of the drum segments, for moving the expandable spokes between the retracted and extended positions.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first tower is configured to insert the coil drum assembly when the coil drum assembly is in a retracted position, and the coil drum assembly is configured to support the coil when the coil drum assembly is in an extended position.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein each of the first tower and the second tower comprises a longitudinal drive configured to move the respective tower longitudinally along the respective track, the longitudinal drive comprising a gripping assembly slidingly engaged with the respective track and a hydraulic cylinder or a rack and pinion system coupled to the respective tower and the gripping assembly.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein each of the first tower and the second tower comprises a lift assembly configured to move the coil drum assembly vertically, the lift assembly comprising a rack and pinion system or a hydraulic cylinder.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first tower comprises a transverse drive configured to move the first tower transversely, the transverse drive comprising a hydraulic cylinder or a rack and pinion system.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first tower comprises a rotational drive configured to rotate the coil drum assembly, the rotational drive comprising a motor.

13. A method, comprising:
moving a first tower coupled to a vessel and a coil drum assembly coupled to the first tower to a location of a first coil of spoolable pipe;
moving the first tower to insert the coil drum assembly into an interior channel of the first coil to support the first coil;
moving the coil drum assembly upwardly using the first tower; and
rotating the coil drum assembly to deploy the first coil, wherein retracting or extending the coil drum assembly comprises actuating a plurality of mechanical actuators of the coil drum assembly each extending between a post of the coil drum assembly and one of expandable spokes of the coil drum assembly or one of drum segments of the coil drum assembly.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein moving the first tower to the location of the first coil comprises moving the first tower longitudinally along a first track coupled to the vessel, and wherein moving the first tower to insert the coil drum assembly into the interior channel of the first coil comprises moving the first tower transversely along the first track.

15. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
retracting the coil drum assembly into a retracted position before inserting the coil drum assembly into the interior channel of the first coil; and
extending the coil drum assembly into an extended position to support the first coil after inserting into the interior channel of the first coil.

16. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
moving a second tower longitudinally along a second track coupled to the vessel to the location of the first coil of spoolable pipe; and
moving the coil drum assembly upwardly using the first tower and the second tower.

17. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
re-rounding the spoolable pipe using a re-rounder;
swaging a fitting to an end of the spoolable pipe using a swaging system;
applying tension to the spoolable pipe using a tensioner; and
maintaining a desired bend radius of the spoolable pipe using a chute.

18. The method of claim 17 , comprising movi

Assignees

• Trinity Bay Equipment Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Case Michael
• Tucker Glenn

Classifications

• F16L1/23

  Pipe tensioning apparatus · CPC title

• F16L1/207

  Pipe handling apparatus · CPC title

• F16L1/203 Primary

  the pipes being wound spirally prior to laying · CPC title

• F16L1/18

  the pipes being S- or J-shaped and under tension during laying · CPC title

• F16L1/205

  Pipe-laying ships (F16L1/225, F16L1/23 and F16L1/235 take precedence) · CPC title