Subsea power and data communication apparatus and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9281906-B2
Application number	US-201213731329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2012
Priority date	Dec 31, 2012
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

Subsea power and data communications apparatus, subsea wireless sensor hubs assemblies, subsea wireless sensor hubs, and methods of providing power to and receiving data from subsea data gathering devices, are provided. An exemplary apparatus can include subsea sensors/gauges, batteries to power the sensors/gauges, charging circuits for controlling charging of the batteries, one or more BOP control pods, an RTU, and a subsea wireless connection hub. The hub can include a stationary wheel carrying wireless stationary connection members each electrically connected to a battery and a respective subset of sensors/gauges. The hub can also include a rotatable wheel carrying a single wireless movable connection member configured to provide power to each of the stationary connection members and to receive data from the stationary connection members. A motor is provided to rotate the rotatable wheel to position the mobile connection member in front of a selected one of the stationary connection members.

First claim

That claimed is:

1. A subsea wireless connection hub, comprising:
a plurality of substantially spaced apart wireless non-contact stationary connection members each configured to be operably electrically coupled with a different one of a plurality of data gathering devices;
a static member carrying the plurality of stationary connection members;
one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members configured to be operably electrically coupled with a remote power source and configured to perform one or more of the following functions: selectively wirelessly provide electrical power to adjacent ones of the plurality of stationary connection members and selectively wirelessly receive gathered data therefrom when adjacent thereto; and
a non-static member carrying the one or more movable connection members and configured to provide for selective positioning the one or more movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of a selected one or more of the plurality of stationary connection members, wherein the static member and non-static member are affixed to a base proximate one another within an enclosure.

2. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 1 , wherein the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members carried by the non-static member comprise substantially less wireless non-contact movable connection members than the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members carried by the static member.

3. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 2 , further comprising:
a plurality of the wireless non-contact movable connection members;
wherein the non-static member carries the plurality of wireless non-contact movable connection members.

4. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members are configured to receive power from and to provide sensor data to one or more of the one or more movable connection members, the subsea wireless connection hub further comprising:
a motor operably connected to the non-static member, the motor configured to move at least portions of the non-static member to thereby selectively position the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of a corresponding one or more of the plurality of stationary connection members, and to move again to position the one or more movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of one or more other of the plurality of stationary connection members.

5. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 4 , wherein the static member is a stationary mounting wheel, wherein the non-static member is a rotatable mounting wheel, and wherein the motor is configured to rotate the rotatable mounting wheel to thereby selectively position the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range with a corresponding one or more of the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members, and to rotate the rotatable mounting wheel again to position the one or more movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of one or more other of the plurality of stationary connection members.

6. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 5 , wherein the stationary mounting wheel and rotatable mounting wheel are positioned within the enclosure, wherein the enclosure contains a dielectric fluid, parallel to each other, and oriented in separate spaced-apart planes, and wherein the one or more movable connection members and the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members are of an elongate configuration having main axes oriented normal to the respective planes.

7. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 5 , wherein the stationary mounting wheel and rotatable mounting wheel are positioned within the enclosure, wherein the enclosure contains a dielectric fluid, in a coplanar configuration, and wherein the one or more movable connection members and the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members are of an elongate configuration having main axes oriented parallel to the respective plane.

8. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members are positioned in a row, parallel to each other, and wherein the one or more movable connection members are positioned to translate along a longitudinal axis of the non-static member.

9. A subsea wireless connection hub assembly, the subsea wireless connection hub assembly comprising:
a plurality of data gathering devices configured to gather data;
a plurality of power supply members each comprising a power storage device and a charging circuit, each power supply member electrically coupled to one or more of the plurality of data gathering devices; and
a subsea wireless connection hub, the subsea wireless connection hub comprising:
a plurality of substantially spaced apart wireless non-contact stationary connection members each operably electrically coupled with a different one of the plurality of power supply members;
a static member carrying the plurality of stationary connection members;
one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members configured to be operably electrically coupled with a remote power source and configured to perform one or more of the following functions: wirelessly provide electrical power to adjacent ones of the plurality of stationary connection members and wirelessly receive gathered data therefrom when adjacent thereto; and
a non-static member carrying the one or more movable connection members and configured to provide for selective positioning the one or more movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of a selected one or more of the plurality of stationary connection members, the one or more movable connection members carried by the non-static member comprising substantially less movable connection members than the plurality of stationary connection members carried by the static member, wherein the static member and non-static member are affixed to a base proximate one another within an enclosure, and wherein the static member and non-static member are supported by support brackets at their respective midsections.

10. The subsea wireless connection hub assembly as defined in claim 9 , further comprising:
a plurality of the wireless non-contact movable connection members;
wherein the non-static member carries the plurality of wireless non-contact movable connection members; and
wherein the plurality of wireless non-contact movable connection members carried by the non-static member comprises substantially less wireless non-contact movable connection members than the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members carried by the static member.

11. The subsea wireless connection hub assembly as defined in claim 9 , further comprising:
a remote terminal unit operably electrically coupled to the remote power source and the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members to receive data therefrom and to provide power thereto.

12. The subsea wireless connection hub assembly as defined in claim 9 , further comprising:
a remote terminal unit operably electrically coupled to a motor to provide power thereto to rotate the non-static member.

13. The subsea wireless connection hub assembly as defined in

Assignees

• Hydril Usa Mfg Llc
• Hydril Usa Distrib Llc

Inventors

• Choudhury Devasish

Classifications

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• E21B33/064

  specially adapted for underwater well heads · CPC title

• H02J50/80

  involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices · CPC title

• H04B13/02 Primary

  Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the earth or a large mass of water thereon, e.g. earth telegraphy · CPC title

• H02J7/61

  against overcharge · CPC title