Remote operated vehicle removable flexible joint elastomer protection tool
AssigneeOil States Industries, Inc.
InventorInpeng Bouaphanh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved flexible joint elastomer protection tool is described, which can be actuated and removed by a remote operated vehicle (“ROV”), the tool having pivot arms that can be rotated from a closed position to an open position. Rotation inward to the closed position results in the compression of the elastomeric component in an offshore flexible joint. Rotation outward to the open position results in the de-compression of the elastomeric component in an offshore flexible joint. Rotation of the arms can be accomplished using mechanical, hydraulic or other mechanisms that can be operated by an ROV.
Claims25
A flexible joint elastomer protection apparatus comprising:
- one or more legs comprising a pivot arm, a middle portion, a top bar, and a lower bar,
- said top bar configured to connect to a substantially annular lower surface of a flexible joint,
- said lower bar configured to connect to the pivot arm, and
- the pivot arm configured to rotatably connect to a substantially cylindrical flexible joint extension member with a longitudinal axis that is substantially orthogonal to the lower surface of the flexible joint, such that the pivot arm may be in a first position, in which it is rotated away from the middle portion of the leg and exerts substantially no axial force on the lower surface of the flexible joint, or may be in a second position, in which it is rotated towards the middle portion of the leg and exerts, through the top bar, an axial force on the lower surface of the flexible joint.
A method of deploying a flexible joint on a sea floor, comprising the following steps:
- coupling a flexible joint elastomer protection apparatus to the flexible joint, the apparatus comprising:
- one or more legs comprising a pivot arm, a middle portion, a top bar, and a lower bar,
- said top bar configured to connect to the flexible joint,
- said lower bar configured to connect to the pivot arm, and
- the pivot arm configured to rotatably connect to a flexible joint extension member, such that the pivot arm may be in a first position, in which it is rotated away from the middle portion of the leg and exerts substantially no axial force on the flexible joint, or may be in a second position, in which it is rotated towards the middle portion of the leg and exerts, through the top bar, an axial force on the flexible joint;
- rotating the pivot arm from the first position to the second position, thus compressing the elastomeric flex element within the flexible joint;
- transporting the flexible joint, with the flexible joint elastomer protection apparatus installed, to the sea floor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.