Flexible tubular pipe for transporting a petroleum fluid such as a multiphase fluid or a gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9618419-B2
Application number	US-201213985174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2012
Priority date	Feb 18, 2011
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a flexible tubular pipe ( 1 ) of the unbonded type and including, from the inside to the outside, an internal carcass ( 2 ), first and second polymeric sheaths ( 3, 4 ), at least one tensile armor layer ( 6, 7 ) and a polymeric sealing sheath ( 8 ) and also at each of its ends, a connecting endpiece ( 10 ) comprising i.a., a tubular sleeve ( 15 ). The tubular sleeve ( 15 ) of a first endpiece ( 10 ) includes means ( 30, 31, 32 ) for draining the gases from the gap ( 25 ) between the sheaths ( 3, 4 ) towards the outside of the pipe ( 1 ) and the tubular sleeve of the second endpiece ( 10 ) including means for draining the gases from the gap ( 25 ) between two sheaths ( 3, 4 ) towards the outside or towards the inside of the pipe ( 1 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible unbonded tubular pipe for transporting a petroleum fluid comprising:
a first polymeric sheath;
a second polymeric sheath;
at least one tensile armor layer; and
a polymeric sealing sheath
the pipe having a first end and a second end and comprising, at its first end, a first connecting endpiece, and, at its second end, a second connecting endpiece,
the first connecting endpiece and the second connecting end piece each comprising:
an end vault and
a tubular sleeve partly inserted between a free end of the first polymeric sheath and a free end of the second polymeric sheath, the tubular sleeve cooperating with a crimping assembly providing a sealing between the free end of the second polymeric sheath and the end vault, the tubular sleeve of the first connecting endpiece including a first drainer for draining the gases from a gap between the first polymeric sheath and the second polymeric sheath, towards an outside of the pipe,
the tubular sleeve of the second connecting endpiece including a second drainer for draining the gases from the gap between the first polymeric sheath and the second polymeric sheath towards the outside of the pipe or towards an inside of the pipe.

2. The flexible unbonded tubular pipe according to claim 1 , further comprising an internal carcass located inside the first polymeric sheath and the second polymeric sheath and a pressure vault between the second polymeric sheath and said at least one armor layer.

3. The flexible unbonded tubular pipe according to claim 1 , wherein the first connecting endpiece comprises an additional crimping assembly providing a sealing function between the first polymeric sheath and the tubular sleeve.

4. The flexible unbonded tubular pipe according to claim 1 , wherein the second drainer for draining the gases towards an inside of the pipe comprise at least one axial channel delimited in the thickness of the tubular sleeve and extending between end edges of the tubular sleeve.

5. The flexible unbonded tubular pipe according to claim 4 , wherein the second drainer for draining the gases towards an inside of the pipe comprise several axial channels shifted relatively to each other in a circumference of the tubular sleeve.

6. The flexible unbonded tubular pipe according to claim 1 , wherein the first drainer for draining the gases towards the outside comprises at least one axial channel made in the thickness of the tubular sleeve and extending between an end edge of the tubular sleeve placed in the gap between the first polymeric sheath and the second polymeric sheath and an annular internal chamber delimited between the tubular sleeve, the end vault and the free end of the second polymeric sheath.

7. The flexible unbonded tubular pipe according to claim 6 , wherein the first drainer for draining the gases towards the outside comprise several axial channels shifted relatively to each other in a circumference of the tubular sleeve.

8. The flexible unbonded tubular pipe according to claim 6 , wherein the annular internal chamber communicates with the outside of the pipe through a passage extending through the end vault and including an inlet orifice opening into the annular internal chamber and an outlet orifice opening outside of the pipe.

9. The flexible unbonded tubular pipe according to claim 8 , wherein the outlet orifice of the passage is equipped with a differential valve.

10. The flexible unbonded tubular pipe according to claim 8 , wherein the outlet orifice of the passage is connected to a system for measuring the pressure difference of the gas between the outlet orifice of the passage and an inside of the pipe and/or is connected to a gas analysis system.

11. The flexible unbonded tubular pipe according to claim 8 , wherein the outlet orifice of the passage is connected to a system for measuring the temperature of the gases and/or to a system for measuring the flow rate of the gases.

12. A method for testing the seal of an interlayer space of a flexible unbonded tubular pipe according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
pressurizing an inner volume space (V i ) for fluid transport, to a first pressure (P i );
stabilizing the pressure (P i ) in the inner volume space (V i ); and
measuring the pressure (P ei ) within an interlayer space (ei).

13. The test method according to claim 12 , wherein the fluid used for pressurizing at least one space of the conduit is selected from a gas and a liquid.

14. The test method according to claim 12 , comprising, after stabilizing the pressure (P i ) in the inner volume space (V i ) putting the inner volume space in fluidic communication with the interlayer space, and pressurizing the inner volume space and the interlayer space, to the pressure set when pressurizing an inner volume space (V i ) for fluid transport to a first pressure (P i ).

15. The test method according to claim 12 , further comprising, after measuring the pressure (P ei ) within an interlayer space (ei), depressurizing the inner volume space, with the inner volume space and the interlayer space being connected together.

16. The test method according to claim 15 , further comprising, after measuring the pressure (P ei ) within an interlayer space (ei) depressurizing the interlayer space by opening at least one tapping.

17. The test method according to claim 12 , further comprising, between stabilizing the pressure (P i ) in the inner volume space (V i ) and measuring the pressure (P ei ) within an interlayer space (ei), measuring the pressure (P i ) within the inner volume space (V i ).

18. The test method according to claim 17 , further comprising after measuring the pressure (P i ) within the inner volume space (V i ), depressurizing the inner space to an intermediate pressure below the first pressure.

19. The test method according to claim 17 , further comprising, between stabilizing the pressure (P i ) in the inner volume space (V i ) and measuring the pressure (P ei ) within an interlayer space (ei), pressurizing the volume of the interlayer space to a pressure greater than the intermediate pressure and less than or equal to the first pressure set when pressurizing an inner volume space (V i ) for fluid transport to a first pressure (P i ).

20. The test method according to claim 17 , further comprising, after measuring the pressure (P ei ) within an interlayer space (ei), depressurizing the interlayer space.

21. The test method according to claim 20 , wherein depressurizing the interlayer space is followed by depressurization of the inner volume space.

Assignees

• Demanze Frédéric
• Felix-Henry Antoine
• Epsztein Thomas
• Jung Patrice
• Bourget Jean-Christophe
• Izarn Cécile
• Technip France

Inventors

• Demanze Frédéric
• Felix-Henry Antoine
• Epsztein Thomas
• Jung Patrice
• Bourget Jean-Christophe
• Izarn Cécile

Classifications

• F16L11/083

  three or more layers · CPC title

• F16L11/10

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

• G01M3/2846 Primary

  for tubes (G01M3/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01M3/283 Primary

  for double-walled pipes · CPC title

• F16L33/01

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