System and method for deploying coils of spoolable pipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11867323-B2
Application number	US-202217993011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2022
Priority date	Feb 22, 2018
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

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 swaging system, comprising:
a fixed platform;
a movable platform disposed above the fixed platform and configured to move from a collapsed position such that the movable platform covers the fixed platform to an expanded position such that the movable platform covers a small portion of the fixed platform; and
a swage machine coupled to the movable platform and configured to swage a fitting onto an end of spoolable pipe, wherein the swage machine comprises one or more hydraulic cylinders configured to slide one or more dies over the fitting thereby exerting a compressive load on the fitting and coupling the fitting to the spoolable pipe.

2. The swaging system of claim 1 , comprising:
a lower platform coupled to an upper surface of the movable platform; and
an upper platform coupled to an upper surface of the lower platform, wherein the swage machine is coupled to an upper surface of the upper platform.

3. The swaging system of claim 2 , comprising a plurality of hydraulic cylinders configured to couple the lower platform to the upper platform.

4. The swaging system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of hydraulic cylinders is configured to move independently from one another to enable the upper platform to be pitched at an angle relative to the lower platform.

5. The swaging system of claim 2 , comprising a rotation mechanism coupled to an upper surface of the movable platform and a lower surface of the lower platform and configured to enable the lower platform to rotate with respect to the movable platform.

6. The swaging system of claim 1 , comprising one or more wheels, hydraulic cylinders, rack and pinion drives, cables, belts, gears, transmissions, or any combination thereof to enable the movable platform to move from the collapsed position to the expanded position.

7. The swaging system of claim 1 , wherein the fixed platform is coupled to a deck of a vessel.

8. The swaging system of claim 7 , wherein the vessel comprises a tensioner, a weight station, and a chute, and wherein the tensioner is configured to receive spoolable pipe from the swaging system.

9. The swaging system of claim 7 , wherein the vessel comprises a coil deployment system configured to deploy a coil of spoolable pipe from the vessel, wherein the coil deployment system comprises:
a first tower configured to move longitudinally and transversely along a first 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 of spoolable pipe when the coil drum assembly is in a retracted position, and the coil drum assembly is configured to support the coil of spoolable pipe when the coil drum assembly is in an extended position and rotate during deployment of the spoolable pipe, and wherein the swaging system is configured to receive spoolable pipe from the coil deployment system.

10. The swaging system of claim 1 , wherein the swage machine comprises:
a first section comprising a first pivot;
a second section comprising a second pivot, wherein the first pivot and the second pivot enable the first section and the second section to move apart from one another to enable the spoolable pipe to be inserted into the swage machine.

11. A method, comprising:
moving a movable platform disposed above a fixed platform from a collapsed position to an expanded position such that the movable platform covers the fixed platform in the collapsed position and the movable platform covers a small portion of the fixed platform in the expanded position; and
swaging a fitting onto an end of spoolable pipe via a swage machine coupled to the movable platform at least in part by sliding one or more dies over the fitting, thereby exerting a compressive load on the fitting and coupling the fitting to the spoolable pipe.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising moving an upper platform coupled to the swage machine away from a lower platform coupled to an upper surface of the movable platform via a plurality of hydraulic cylinders.

13. The method of claim 12 , comprising pitching the upper platform at an angle relative to the lower platform via independent movement of the plurality of hydraulic cylinders.

14. The method of claim 12 , comprising rotating the lower platform with respect to the movable platform via a rotation mechanism coupled to an upper surface of the movable platform and a lower surface of the lower platform.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the swaging of the fitting onto the end of spoolable pipe is conducted while the fixed platform is coupled to a deck of a vessel.

16. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
passing the spoolable pipe from the swaging machine through a tensioner configured to apply tension to the spoolable pipe;
passing the spoolable pipe from the tensioner through a weight station configured to add weights to the spoolable pipe; and
passing the spoolable pipe from the weight station through a chute configured to maintain a desired bend radius of the spoolable pipe as it enters water.

17. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
moving a first tower and a coil drum assembly coupled to the first tower longitudinally along a first track coupled to a vessel to a location of a first coil of spoolable pipe;
retracting a coil drum assembly into a retracted position;
moving the first tower transversely along the first track to insert the coil drum assembly into an interior channel of the first coil of spoolable pipe when the coil drum assembly is in the retracted position;
extending the coil drum assembly into an extended position to support the first coil of spoolable pipe;
moving the coil drum assembly upwardly using the first tower; and
rotating the coil drum assembly to deploy spoolable pipe from the first coil of spoolable pipe to the swage machine.

18. The method of claim 11 , comprising pivoting the swage machine about a pivot to provide an additional degree of freedom of movement of the swage machine.

Assignees

• Trinity Bay Equipment Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Case Michael
• Tucker Glenn

Classifications

• B65H16/02

  Supporting web roll · CPC title

• B65H23/04

  longitudinally · CPC title

• F16L1/14

  between the surface and the bottom · CPC title

• F16L1/26 Primary

  Repairing or joining pipes on or under water · CPC title

• F16L1/203 Primary

  the pipes being wound spirally prior to laying · CPC title