Assembly consisting of a flexible tubular pipe for transporting hydrocarbon fluids and a secondary metal tube

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9534713-B2
Application number	US-201314390317-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2013
Priority date	Apr 4, 2012
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

An assembly, which consists of a flexible tubular pipe ( 1 ) for transporting hydrocarbon fluids including a metal carcass ( 10 ) produced by the short pitched helical winding of a profiled strip, the said strip defining a plurality of intervening gaps ( 10 a ) between each winding turn ( 10 b ), an inner polymeric sealing sheath, at least one metal armor layer, and an outer polymeric sheath, and of a secondary metal tube ( 2 ) coaxial to the tubular pipe ( 1 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising:
a flexible tubular pipe for transporting hydrocarbon fluids, the pipe comprising a set of concentric, unbonded layers including at least, from inside the pipe outward:
a metal carcass made by the short pitched helical winding of a profiled strip, said strip defining a plurality of intervening gaps between each winding turn,
an inner polymeric sealing sheath;
at least one metal armour layer; and
an outer polymeric sheath;

with a secondary metal tube coaxial to the tubular pipe,
a fastening element comprising at least two non-touching turns of a helical coil spring inserted within the metal carcass, wherein said fastening element cooperates with the plurality of intervening gaps and wherein at least one of the ends of the said secondary metal tube has a short pitched thread defining a helical groove, said groove being screwed onto the at least two non-touching turns of the said fastening element to mount the flexible tubular pipe with the secondary metal tube via the fastening element.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the said at least two non-touching turns of the fastening element is chosen to be equal to 110% of the inner diameter of the profiled strip of the metal carcass.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two turns of the fastening element in contact with the plurality of intervening gaps exert a radial force on the carcass.

4. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the distance between the inner diameter of the metal carcass and the inner diameter of the fastening element is at least equal to 1.5 millimeters.

5. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening element includes at least at one of its ends, a fastening tab which extends radially and towards the interior of the volume defined by the diameter of the turns.

6. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two non-touching turns of the fastening element are formed by an operation of spiral winding of a steel wire.

7. An assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the steel wire is made out of stainless steel.

8. An assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the steel wire is of a circular cross section.

9. An assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the steel wire is of a profiled cross section.

10. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening element fastened to the metal carcass is resistant to a tensile force of between 2 tonnes and 10 tonnes.

11. A method for mounting an assembly of a flexible tubular pipe with a secondary metal tube according to claim 1 , including the following steps:
a) fastening the fastening element on to one of two ends of an installation device,
b) inserting the installation device relative to the metal carcass;
c) adjusting the fastening element relative to the metal carcass;
d) releasing the fastening element;
e) removing the installation device;
f) positioning and inserting the secondary metal tube relative to the metal carcass; and
g) securing the fastening element to the said secondary metal tube.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the step a) comprises a step a 1 ) of bringing about axial compression of the turns, then a step a 2 ) of insertion of the at least one fastening tab of the fastening element into at least one notch provided at one of the ends of the installation device.

13. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the step d), has a phase of radial expansion of the turns ( 3 a , 3 b ) of the fastening element ( 3 ) within the plurality of intervening gaps ( 10 a ) of the metal carcass ( 10 ).

14. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the step f) includes a step f 1 ) of coaxial centering of the secondary metal tube relative to the inner diameter of the metal carcass and then a step f 2 ) of screwing of the groove of the secondary metal tube into the turns of the fastening element.

15. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the step g) comprises an operation of bolting of the at least one fastening tab of the fastening element with the secondary metal tube.

16. A method according to claim 11 , including after the step g), a step g 1 ) of application of a polymer resin between the turns of the fastening element and the secondary metal tube.

17. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the step f) includes a step f′ 1 ) of coaxial centering of the secondary metal tube ( 2 ) relative to the outer diameter of the metal carcass ( 10 ) and then a step f′ 2 ) of screwing of the groove ( 2 b ′) of the secondary metal tube ( 2 ) into the turns ( 3 a , 3 b ) of the fastening element ( 3 ).

18. An assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the fastening element is able to with stand a tensile force of 5 tons.

19. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the step a 2 ) is followed by a bolting of the said at least one fastening tab relative to the notch.

Assignees

• Technip France

Inventors

• Castel Yves
• Levet Alexandre

Classifications

• F16L33/01

  specially adapted for hoses having a multi-layer wall · CPC title

• F16L11/08 Primary

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

• Y10T29/49879

  Spaced wall tube or receptacle · CPC title

• F16L11/083 Primary

  three or more layers · CPC title

• B23P15/00

  Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass · CPC title