Tower for joining elements of underwater pipe for transporting fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12280455-B2
Application number	US-202318525195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2023
Priority date	Jan 30, 2019
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

A device for jointing elements of a pipeline for the transport of fluids includes a support structure on which a pipeline section to be jointed is intended to be mounted, two parallel fixed rails, four plates each comprising a first element capable of cooperating with a rail and a second element fixed on the support structure. The first and the second elements of each plate is linked by a first cylinder aligned along a first adjustment axis and a second cylinder aligned along a second adjustment axis, and a system for controlling the cylinders of the plates to achieve movements along the first and second adjustment axes and capable of cooperating with a system for guiding in translation the support structure along the longitudinal axis of the pipeline section to allow jointing of the pipeline section and the pipeline element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tower for laying a subsea pipeline for transport of fluids, comprising:
a jointing device; and
two parallel fixed rails, forming a guide structure and mounting the jointing device to the tower;
wherein the jointing device includes:
a support structure capable of being connected to the guide structure and on which a pipeline section to be jointed to a pipeline element is intended to be mounted;
four plates each comprising a first element capable of cooperating with a first rail of the two parallel fixed rails and a second element fixed on the support structure, the first element and the second element of each plate being linked together by a first cylinder aligned along a first adjustment axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the pipeline section and a second cylinder aligned along a second adjustment axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipeline section and to the first adjustment axis; and
a system for controlling the cylinders of the plates to achieve movements along the first and the second adjustment axis and capable of cooperating jointly with a set of cylinders for guiding in translation the support structure along the longitudinal axis of the pipeline section so as to allow jointing of the pipeline section and of the pipeline element.

2. The tower according to claim 1 , wherein the jointing device comprises two plates fixed on one side of the support structure and each cooperating with the first rail of the two parallel fixed rails, and two other plates fixed on an opposite side of the support structure and each cooperating with a second rail of the two parallel fixed rails, the plates located on a same side of the support structure being spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis of the pipeline section.

3. The tower according to claim 2 , wherein the plates located on either side of the support structure are aligned in pairs with each other along the first adjustment axis.

4. The tower according to claim 1 , wherein the cylinders of the plates are hydraulic cylinders which are linked to the system for controlling.

5. The tower according to claim 1 , wherein the jointing device further comprises a head support collar on which the support structure of the pipeline section is intended to be held and intended to take up force generated during the translation of the support structure along the longitudinal axis of the pipeline section.

6. The tower according to claim 1 , wherein the first element of each plate cooperates with one of two parallel fixed rails via a wear part.

7. The tower according to claim 1 , wherein the two parallel fixed rails are metal profiles with a U-shaped section.

8. The tower according to claim 1 , wherein the support structure is configured and dimensioned to pivot about the first adjustment axis to switch from a horizontal position to an inclined position.

9. The tower according to claim 1 , wherein the tower is a J-lay tower.

Assignees

• Saipem Sa

Inventors

• Moceri Liborio

Classifications

• F16L1/207

  Pipe handling apparatus · CPC title

• F16L1/206

  Apparatus for forming or coating the pipes · CPC title

• F16L1/161

  the pipe being composed of sections of short length · CPC title

• F16L1/12

  Laying or reclaiming pipes on or under water · CPC title

• F16L1/16

  on the bottom · CPC title