IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0494698
(2001-11-06)
|
등록번호 |
US-7445404
(2008-11-04)
|
국제출원번호 |
PCT/GB01/004913
(2001-11-06)
|
§371/§102 date |
20050222
(20050222)
|
국제공개번호 |
WO03/040602
(2003-05-15)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Giles,John J.
- Camping,Michael
- Wishart,Graham
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
5 인용 특허 :
7 |
초록
▼
A single-module deployable bolted flange connection apparatus (10) makes up standard flange joints (24, 32) for various pipeline tie-in situations, such as spool piece connection and flowline-tree connections, without the use of divers and auxiliary multiple pieces of equipment. An outer Flange Alig
A single-module deployable bolted flange connection apparatus (10) makes up standard flange joints (24, 32) for various pipeline tie-in situations, such as spool piece connection and flowline-tree connections, without the use of divers and auxiliary multiple pieces of equipment. An outer Flange Alignment Frame (FAF) (14), carries one or more claws (38) for grabbing the pipe/spool to provide flange alignment. The claws are suspended and driven by a novel arrangement of five hydraulic rams (412-420) A crash-resistant inner frame (148) houses complete connection tooling (150, 152 etc.) The tooling performs the final alignment steps, inserts the gasket and studs, applies the required tension, and connects the nuts. Studs and nuts are stored separately from the tooling in an indexed carousel, to permit multiple operations, reverse operations (disconnection), and re-work of failed steps, all without external intervention.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A remotely controlled apparatus for use in forming a bolted connection between first and second flanges to connect the ends of respective first and second conduits in a subsea installation, each flange having a front face for meeting the other flange, a rear face and a set of
What is claimed is: 1. A remotely controlled apparatus for use in forming a bolted connection between first and second flanges to connect the ends of respective first and second conduits in a subsea installation, each flange having a front face for meeting the other flange, a rear face and a set of holes at predetermined positions on a pitch circle, the apparatus comprising: a stud loading tool for handling a set of studs corresponding in number to the holes in the flanges and arranged to approach from the rear of the first flange to insert a free end of each stud so as to project through aligned holes in the first and second flanges; and a nut running tool including at least one rotatable socket for holding at a nut behind the second flange to receive one of the projecting stud ends and for running the nut onto a threaded portion of the stud end, wherein said stud loading tool comprises: at least one stud insertion actuator, adapted for gripping, inserting and releasing studs one at a time and supported so as to be movable to any of a plurality of hole positions within at least a segment of said pitch circle, and wherein the apparatus further comprises: stud storage means for storing sufficient studs for the holes within said segment and operable to present the studs for removal one at a time; stud transfer actuator for removing a stud from the stud storage means and transferring it to the stud insertion actuator for insertion at a desired hole position within said segment; and wherein the stud insertion actuator, the stud storage means and the stud transfer actuator are all supported on a common frame, the stud insertion actuator being moveable in a longitudinal direction relative to the common frame to perform said approach and insert the free end of the stud, the stud storage means being mounted on the common frame separately from the stud insertion actuator so as not to move longitudinally with the stud insertion actuator. 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stud transfer actuator comprises a gripping device mounted on a pick-and-place arm providing at least two translational degrees of freedom relative to said common frame and operable to grip and remove a stud presented by the stud storage means. 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insertion actuator is one of a set of insertion actuators, each associated with hole positions within a respective segment of the pitch circle, the set of such segments covering the complete circle. 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the insertion actuators are carried on a common part-circular yoke open at one side to admit the first conduit and mounted in a part-circular bearing so as to be rotatable around the conduit through an angle at least equal to 360�� divided by the number of insertion actuators. 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the common yoke carries at least one camera for remote viewing of the flange connection in a radial direction. 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein at least one of the stud loading tool and the nut running tool carries at least one camera for remote viewing in an axial direction through the flange holes to confirm alignment and orientation of the first and second flanges. 7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of stud insertion actuators is two, each movable over substantially 180��. 8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the stud storage means comprises two separate magazines and a separate stud transfer actuator is provided for each stud insertion actuator. 9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nut running tool defines a specific number of stud locations around said pitch circle, and said stud storage means can hold more studs than said specific number 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said stud storage means can hold enough studs for completion of more than one flange connection having said specific number of studs. 11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stud insertion tool is operable to engage a hole on the first flange using either a stud or equivalent body and, by rotating itself around the conduit axis, to rotate the first flange, thereby to align the holes in the first and second flanges. 12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stud loading tool is carried on a first sub-frame and said nut running tool is carried on a second sub-frame, both sub-frames in turn being carried on said common frame for deployment as a single unit. 13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said common frame comprises an inner frame and an outer frame, the stud insertion tool, nut running tool, and stud storage means together being carried on the inner frame, the inner frame being separable from the outer frame, the outer frame comprising means for coupling the apparatus to support means at the worksite. 14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said stud transfer actuator is carried on said first sub-frame but not so as to rotate with the stud insertion actuator. 15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said common frame further carries at least one alignment claw operable to grip and manoeuvre one of said conduits into alignment with the other and with an axis of the stud loading tool. 16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said alignment claw comprises an openable elongate collar having forward and rear ends, said collar being suspended beneath part of said common frame by an arrangement of five independently controllable rams. 17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said common frame comprises inner and outer frames and said alignment claw is carried on said outer frame. 18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said common frame carries two alignment claws, one for each conduit. 19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first and second sub-frames are mounted on a common sub-frame so as to be movable in unison relative to said common frame in a direction transverse to said conduits, and are movable independently of one another relative to the common sub-frame, in a direction parallel to the conduits. 20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said stud storage means comprises a magazine carried on said common frame independently of said first sub-frame. 21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein said magazine further comprises storage for a plurality of nuts to be transferred to said nut running tool, the magazine being removable from the apparatus as a unit. 22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein said magazine further comprises storage for at least one gasket to be transferred to a location between said flanges. 23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said apparatus further comprises buoyancy modules attached to the common frame so as to support substantially the entire mass of the apparatus in its operating environment. 24. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said nut running tool comprises a plurality of rotatable sockets and further comprises: nut storage means separate from the rotatable sockets for storing sufficient nuts for the holes within at least a segment of the pitch circle, and operable to present the nuts for removal one at a time; and at least one nut transfer actuator for removing a nut from the nut storage means and transferring it to one of said rotatable sockets for application to a stud at a desired hole position within said segment. 25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the nut transfer actuator comprises a gripping device mounted on a pick-and-place arm providing at least two translational degrees of freedom and operable to grip a portion of a nut presented by the nut storage means, such that another portion of the nut may be engaged within said rotatable socket. 26. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the number of rotatable sockets is at least four, such that tension can be applied to the connection simultaneously in all quadrants of the pitch circle. 27. An apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the number of rotatable sockets is half the number of holes. 28. An apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein at least a majority of the rotatable sockets are carried on a common part-circular yoke open at one side to admit the first conduit and mounted in a part-circular bearing so as to be rotatable around the conduit through an angle greater than 150��. 29. An apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein a minority of the rotatable sockets are mounted on one or more extensions of said common yoke, the extensions being pivotally connected to the common yoke and having a closed position placing the rotatable socket on said pitch circle and an open position for admitting the second conduit into the part-circular yoke. 30. An apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein each of said rotatable sockets is independently sprung against axial displacement and adapted to be driven at low torque so as to engage an array of nuts of unknown orientation. 31. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein two nut transfer actuators are provided in said nut running tool, and said nut storage means comprises a pair of nut storage magazines, one for each nut transfer actuator. 32. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stud storage means and said nut storage means comprise a magazine having receptacles for storage of nuts and studs independently, the magazine being removable from the apparatus as a unit. 33. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein said magazine has capacity for more than enough nuts and studs to complete said connection. 34. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein said magazine can hold enough nuts and studs for completion of at least two flange connections. 35. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises axial tensioning means for engaging at least a subset of said studs and tensioning the studs longitudinally to compress the flange connection and permit further running of the nut by said rotatable socket. 36. An apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein said tensioning means comprises a collet and jack at the rear of each rotatable socket in the nut running tool. 37. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises gasket storage means and wherein at least one of said stud transfer actuator(s) and said nut transfer actuator(s) is further operable to remove a gasket from the gasket storage means and to insert the gasket between the first and second flanges. 38. An apparatus as claimed in claim 37, wherein said gasket storage means is operable to store more gaskets than are required for completion of said connection. 39. An apparatus as claimed in claim 37 wherein said gasket storage means comprises a further section of a magazine housing said nut storage means and stud storage means. 40. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said stud transfer actuator and said nut transfer actuator is further operable to remove a protective cover from the face of one said flanges prior to forming said connection. 41. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when loaded with a set of studs and nuts has capacity more than sufficient for one bolted flange connection. 42. A method of operating an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 to make a new bolted flange connection near the seabed, the method further including reversing or repeating part of the connection process to accommodate random adverse events in the connection process. 43. A method as claimed in claim 42 further comprising re-stocking the apparatus with studs and/or nuts without returning the stud insertion tool or the nut running tool to the surface. 44. A method of operating an apparatus as claimed in claim 42, to un-make a pre-existing bolted flange connection. 45. A method of operating an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 to make a new bolted flange connection near the seabed, the method further including moving the apparatus and making a further bolted flange connection without re-stocking the storage means with studs or bolts.
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