Flexible tubular underwater pipe for great depths, and method for manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9400067-B2
Application number	US-201214006850-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2012
Priority date	Mar 29, 2011
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a flexible tubular underwater pipe ( 10 ): A leakproof tubular structure ( 12, 14, 16 ) is covered with at least one layer ( 18, 20 ) of armor wires. At least one continuous longitudinal element made of a deformable material is wound in a helix with short pitch around the layer ( 18, 20 ) of armor wires to form a holding layer 24 . The at least one longitudinal element is wound under longitudinal tension T 0 so as to stretch its deformable material according to a relative elongation corresponding to a tensile stress σ 0 less than the elastic limit value σ E of the deformable material, and the elastic limit value σ E corresponds to a tensile stress beyond which the deformation of the material is irreversible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a flexible tubular underwater pipe intended to transport hydrocarbons, the method comprising:
providing a leakproof tubular structure covered with at least one layer of armor wires wound in a first helix with a long pitch around said tubular structure wherein said armor wires are able to take up axial forces on said pipe when said tubular structure is stretched axially;
winding at least one continuous longitudinal element made of a deformable material in a second helix with short pitch around said layer of armor wires to form a holding layer capable of taking up radial forces of said armor wires when said tubular structure contracts axially; and
stretching said at least one continuous longitudinal element in said second helix during said winding under a longitudinal tension T 0 to stretch and deform said deformable material to elongate the continuous longitudinal element under a tensile stress σ 0 less than an elastic limit value σ E of said deformable material, wherein said elastic limit value σ E corresponds to a tensile stress beyond which the deformation of said deformable material is irreversible, and
wherein σ 0 is at least 3% of σ E .

2. The method for manufacturing a flexible tubular pipe as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising stretching said deformable material according to a said relative elongation corresponding to a tensile stress σ0 between said elastic limit value σE and a twentieth of said elastic limit value σE.

3. The method for manufacturing a flexible tubular pipe as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising forming a leakproof outer sheath around said holding layer.

4. The method for manufacturing a flexible tubular pipe as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising said winding is of a plurality of said continuous longitudinal elements to form said holding layer.

5. The method for manufacturing a flexible tubular pipe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one continuous longitudinal element is formed in a strip.

6. The method for manufacturing a flexible tubular pipe as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising providing a leakproof tubular structure inward of said at least one armor layer and having a diameter greater than 250 millimeters.

7. The method for manufacturing a flexible tubular pipe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said armor wires have a thickness less than 6 millimeters.

8. The method for manufacturing a flexible tubular pipe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said armor wires are wound in a helix with a long pitch according to an armoring angle greater than 20°.

9. A flexible tubular underwater pipe manufactured as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said tensile stress σ 0 of said deformable material is between said elastic limit value σE and a twentieth of said elastic limit value σE.

10. The method for manufacturing a flexible tubular pipe as claimed in claim 1 , wherein σ 0 is at most 39.5% of σ E .

11. The method for manufacturing a flexible tubular pipe as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising providing a plurality of layers n of said continuous longitudinal elements,
wherein n and T 0 satisfy nT 0 >0.04 RLPext, wherein Pext is a maximum pressure received by said pipe at a seabed, L is a width of a longitudinal element, and R is a radius of an innermost layer of said plurality of layers.

12. A flexible tubular underwater pipe intended to transport hydrocarbons, comprising:
a leakproof tubular structure, covered with at least one layer of armor wires wound in a first helix with a long pitch around said tubular structure wherein said armor wires are able to take up axial forces on said pipe when said tubular structure is stretched axially;
at least one continuous longitudinal element made of a deformable material wound in a second helix with short pitch around said layer of armor wires to form a holding layer capable of taking up radial forces of said armor wires when said tubular structure contracts axially; and
wherein said deformable material of said at least one longitudinal element is stretched and under a longitudinal tension T 0 according to a relative elongation corresponding to a tensile stress σ 0 less than an elastic limit value σ E of said deformable material, wherein said elastic limit value σ E corresponds to a tensile stress beyond which the deformation of said deformable material is irreversible, and
wherein σ 0 is at least 3% of σ E .

13. The flexible tubular underwater pipe of claim 12 , wherein σ 0 is at most 39.5% of σ E .

Assignees

• Felix-Henry Antoine
• Estrier Pascal
• Technip France

Inventors

• Felix-Henry Antoine
• Estrier Pascal

Classifications

• F16L11/08

  with reinforcements embedded in the wall (F16L11/11 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L11/10 Primary

  with reinforcements not embedded in the wall (F16L11/11 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C53/582

  comprising reinforcements, e.g. wires, threads · CPC title

• B29C53/8016

  Storing, feeding or applying winding materials, e.g. reels, thread guides, tensioners · CPC title

• F16L11/083 Primary

  three or more layers · CPC title