US 11,440,816 B2 · Sanitising seawater at subsea locations

Abstract

A method of sanitising seawater at a subsea location comprises: exposing flow of seawater in a treatment reactor to UV radiation that sanitises the seawater without the addition of sanitising chemicals; and outputting the sanitised seawater from the reactor into a subsea structure such as a pipeline or a wellhead. The flow of seawater may be exposed to successive emitters of UV radiation such as pressure-compensated LEDs. The efficacy of sanitisation may be determined by: injecting a tracer fluid into the flow of seawater upstream of the reactor; and, downstream of the reactor, sensing transformation of the tracer fluid due to exposure of the tracer fluid to the UV radiation in the reactor.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of sanitising seawater at a subsea location, comprising:

directing a flow of seawater along a serpentine path through a treatment reactor;
imparting turbulence to the flow of seawater as it follows the serpentine path;
exposing the flow of seawater in the treatment reactor to UV radiation that sanitises the seawater;
and
outputting the sanitised seawater from the treatment reactor into a subsea structure;
wherein the serpentine path is defined by a plurality of baffles that that divide the treatment reactor into a series of interconnected chambers;
each baffle of the plurality of baffles comprising a main body that extends inwardly from a sidewall of the treatment reactor and a projecting portion that extends outwardly from the main body in a direction towards an adjacent baffle in an L-shaped configuration.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sanitising seawater at subsea locations

Life of this patent

Sanitising seawater at subsea locations

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18