Solenoid valve housings for blowout preventer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9528340-B2
Application number	US-201514971669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A subsea blowout preventer control system has horizontally oriented solenoid valve housings. Solenoid valves mounted within each of the solenoid valve housings are electrically controlled to selectively provide a hydraulic pilot signal to a hydraulic valve. A vertically extending central chamber contains a dielectric liquid and extends alongside the solenoid valve housings. A communication tube for each solenoid valve housing has an open upper end within the central chamber adjacent an upper end of the central chamber. Each of the communication tubes has an open lower end extending into one of the solenoid valve housings for communicating dielectric liquid in the central chamber with an interior of each of the solenoid valve housings. A separate drain line mounted to each of the solenoid valve housings enables draining of one of the solenoid valve housings for maintenance without requiring draining of other of the solenoid valve housings.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A blowout preventer control system, comprising:
a plurality of solenoid valve housings;
a plurality of solenoid valves mounted within each of the solenoid valve housings;
a plurality of hydraulic valves, each of the hydraulic valves being hydraulically connected to and controlled by one of the solenoid valves;
a central chamber containing a dielectric liquid;
a plurality of communication tubes, each of the communication tubes communicating the dielectric liquid in the central chamber with an interior of one of the solenoid valve housings, each of the communication tubes having an open lower end in one of the solenoid valve housings and an open upper end within the central chamber; and
a separate drain line mounted to each of the solenoid valve housings to enable draining of one of the solenoid valve housings for maintenance without requiring draining of other of the solenoid valve housings.

2. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressure compensator within the central chamber for equalizing a pressure of the dielectric liquid within the central chamber and in each of the solenoid valve housings with a hydrostatic pressure of sea water surrounding the system.

3. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising
a separate air vent line extending from each of the solenoid valve housings; and
an air vent valve connected to each of the air vent lines.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the open upper ends of each of the communication tubes are at substantially the same elevation within the central chamber.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the central chamber extends vertically alongside the solenoid valve housings.

6. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of signal wires, each of the signal wires extending from within the central chamber sealingly through a wall of the central chamber and sealingly through a wall of one of the solenoid valve housings to one of the solenoid valves within said one of the solenoid valve housings.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
each of the solenoid valve housings has a horizontal lower side and a horizontal upper side; and
the open lower end of each of the communication tubes is nearer the lower side than the upper side.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the communication tubes has a vertical portion within the central chamber, the vertical portions being parallel with each other.

9. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a removable cover plate mounted to each of the solenoid valve housings for providing maintenance access to the solenoid valves within each of the solenoid valve housings.

10. A blowout preventer control system, comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of horizontal rows of hydraulic valves mounted to the frame for controlling various functions of the blowout preventer, the rows of hydraulic valves being one above the other in at least one vertical column;
a plurality of solenoid valve housings mounted to the frame, each of the solenoid valve housings being horizontally oriented within the vertical column and adjacent one of the rows of hydraulic valves;
a plurality of solenoid valves mounted within each of the solenoid valve housings, each of the solenoid valves being electrically controlled to selectively provide a hydraulic pilot signal to one of the hydraulic valves in the adjacent one of the rows of hydraulic valves;
a vertically extending central chamber containing a dielectric liquid and extending alongside the solenoid valve housings;
a pressure compensator in the central chamber for reducing a pressure difference between a hydrostatic pressure of sea water surrounding the central chamber and the dielectric liquid in the central chamber housing;
a plurality of communication tubes, each having an open upper end within the central chamber adjacent an upper end of the central chamber, each of the communication tubes having an open lower end extending into one of the solenoid valve housings for communicating dielectric liquid in the central chamber with an interior of each of the solenoid valve housings; and
a separate drain line mounted to each of the solenoid valve housings to enable draining of one of the solenoid valve housings for maintenance while the control system is retrieved without requiring draining of other of the solenoid valve housings.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the open upper ends of the communication tubes are located within the central chamber at substantially the same elevation.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the open upper ends of the communication tubes are located at least at an elevation equal to an upper side of an uppermost one of the solenoid valve housings.

13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein each of the communication tubes has a vertical portion within the central chamber, the vertical portions being parallel with each other.

14. The system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a removable cover plate mounted to each of the solenoid valve housings for providing maintenance access to the solenoid valves within each of the solenoid valve housings.

15. The system according to claim 10 , wherein:
each of the solenoid valve housings has a side wall adjacent and parallel with a side wall of the central chamber.

16. The system according to claim 10 , wherein dielectric liquid within each of the solenoid valve housings is pressure compensated solely with the pressure compensator in the central chamber.

17. A method of controlling functions of a blowout preventer, comprising:
providing a blowout preventer control system, comprising:
a plurality of hydraulic valves;
a plurality of solenoid valve housings one above another in at least one vertical column, each of the solenoid valve housings having a separate drain line;
solenoid valves within each of the solenoid valve housings, each being hydraulically connected with one of the hydraulic valves;
a central chamber extending vertically alongside the solenoid valve housings;
a plurality of communication tubes, each of the communication tubes having an open upper end within the central chamber and an open lower end within one of the solenoid valve housings, the open upper ends of the communication tubes being at an elevation at least equal to an upper side of an uppermost one of the solenoid valve housings, the method comprising:
filling the central chamber and the solenoid valve housings with a dielectric liquid, and through the communication tubes, communicating dielectric liquid in the central chamber with an interior of each of the solenoid valve housings;
sending a signal to one of the solenoid valves, and in response sending a hydraulic pilot signal from said one of the solenoid valves to one of the hydraulic valves to control a function of the blowout preventer;
for maintenance to one of the solenoid valves within one of the solenoid valve housings,
draining the dielectric liquid from said one of the solenoid valve housings through the drain line of said one of the valve housings without draining dielectric fluid from the other solenoid valve housings; and
performing maintenance to said one of the solenoid valves.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
lowering the system into the sea; and
reducing a pressure differential between a hydrostatic pressure of the sea and the dielectric liquid within the central chamber and the solenoid valve housings with a pressure compensator mou

Assignees

• Hydril Usa Distrib Llc
• Hydrill Usa Distrib Llc

Inventors

• Beales Thomas David
• Mcauley Alexander
• Stewart Zachary William
• Carrera Daniel

Classifications

• E21B33/064 Primary

  specially adapted for underwater well heads · CPC title

• E21B34/16

  Control means therefor being outside the borehole {(control systems for submerged well heads E21B33/0355)} · CPC title

• F16K31/06

  using a magnet {, e.g. diaphragm valves, cutting off by means of a liquid} · CPC title

• E21B33/0355 Primary

  Control systems, e.g. hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, acoustic, for submerged well heads · CPC title