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US 10,883,894 B2Granted
Conduit fatigue management systems and methods
AssigneeOneSubsea IP UK Limited
InventorsPhillip Adam Rice, Robert Stewart James Large, Andrew Edward Heaney, Bernard Theron
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A technique facilitates monitoring and managing fatigue related a flexible conduit deployed from a surface vessel. Movements of the surface vessel may be measured to obtain vessel movement/position data. Based on this data, a flexible conduit bend profile may be determined via a computer-based data processing system. The flexible conduit bend profile may then be used to provide a flexible conduit fatigue profile for assessment of the flexible conduit in light of the environmental conditions. In some embodiments, the fatigue profile and assessment of the flexible conduit may be based on both functional loading and environmental loading.
Claims17
A flexible conduit fatigue management system, comprising:
- a sensor package which is positioned to measure a motion of a surface vessel so as to obtain environmental loading data, which induces high-cycle, low-load fatigue on a flexible conduit, while the surface vessel is coupled with the flexible conduit extending below a sea surface;
- a computer system in communication with the sensor package, the computer system producing a flexible conduit bend profile of the flexible conduit from the environmental loading data and the computer system applying a stress transfer function to the flexible conduit bend profile to establish a flexible conduit fatigue profile,
- wherein the flexible conduit bend profile comprises a matrix having a plurality of indexes corresponding to particular locations along an axial length of the flexible conduit, each index of the plurality of indexes is correlated with an estimated bending of the flexible conduit at the particular location corresponding to the index, and
- wherein the stress transfer function executed to determine a flexible conduit fatigue accrued over the flexible conduit span during short evaluation period;
- and
- a peripheral device in communication with the computer system, the peripheral device having an output device to output an alarm in response to the flexible conduit fatigue profile exceeding a predetermined limit.
3 more elements
A method for managing flexible conduit fatigue, comprising:
- providing a sensor package in communication with a computer system, wherein the sensor package is positioned to measure a motion of a surface vessel and to obtain environmental loading data, which induces high-cycle, low-load fatigue on a flexible conduit, while the surface vessel is coupled with the flexible conduit extending below a sea surface;
- measuring movement of the surface vessel to obtain movement data which induces high-cycle, low-load fatigue within an elastic material yield region of the flexible conduit;
- using a computer-based data processing system to process the movement data to obtain a processed movement data;
- determining a flexible conduit bend profile based on the processed movement data;
- providing a flexible conduit fatigue profile by applying a stress transfer function to the flexible conduit bend profile, wherein the flexible conduit bend profile comprises a matrix having a plurality of indexes corresponding to particular locations along an axial length of the flexible conduit, each index of the plurality of indexes is correlated with an estimated bending of the flexible conduit at the particular location corresponding to the index, and
- wherein the stress transfer function executed to determine a flexible conduit fatigue accrued over the flexible conduit span during short evaluation period;
- and
- adjusting a use of the flexible conduit based on the flexible conduit fatigue profile.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing a sensor package in communication with a computer system, the sensor package is positioned to measure a motion of a surface vessel, the surface vessel is coupled with a flexible conduit extending below a sea surface;
- using a sensor package to obtain data related to the flexible conduit based on a combination of functional loading, which induces low cycle, high-load fatigue, and real-time environmental loading due to movement of the surface vessel, the real-time environmental loading inducing relatively higher-cycle, lower-load fatigue;
- processing the data from both the functional loading and the real-time environmental loading, via a computer system, to determine a flexible conduit bend profile;
- converting the flexible conduit bend profile to a flexible conduit fatigue profile applying a stress transfer function to the flexible conduit bend profile wherein the flexible conduit bend profile comprises a matrix having a plurality of indexes corresponding to particular locations along an axial length of the flexible conduit, each index of the plurality of indexes is correlated with an estimated bending of the flexible conduit at the particular location corresponding to the index, and
- wherein the stress transfer function executed to determine a flexible conduit fatigue accrued over the flexible conduit span during short evaluation period;
- and
- outputting information related to the flexible conduit fatigue profile to an output device to indicate a condition of the flexible conduit.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.