Mechanism for plugging subsea leaks
OwnerKent D. Murphyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus are described for exploiting the crushing power of the ocean, the principle of the lever, and the weight of a deep-sea oil drilling rig to provide a mechanism that is the simplest and most rapidly deployable way possible to plug a subsea leak. This mechanism for plugging subsea leaks has an inflatable plug and a folding reinforcement mechanism that are contained in a streamlining sheath so that they can be inserted into a leaking high-pressure subsea pipe, and a housing that, in a controlled manner, can be crushed by subsea water pressure to force fluid into the inflatable plug to cause it to inflate to plug the leak; and, depending on the pressure in the pipe, there is a weight basket available that can easily add weight to the mechanism, if necessary.
Claims15
A mechanism for plugging subsea leaks comprising:
- a) fluid transfer means, the fluid transfer means connected between containment means and inflatable plugging means;
- b) containment means, the containment means connected to the fluid transfer means and able to contain fluid means, and, when compressed, able to force the fluid means into the fluid transfer means;
- c) inflatable plugging means, the inflatable plugging means connected to the fluid transfer means and when deflated able to be inserted into a subsea orifice from which pollutants are flowing, and when fluid means forced from the fluid transfer means into the inflatable plugging means the inflatable plugging means able to inflate;
- and,
- d) compression means, the compression means connected to the fluid transfer means and providing airtight housing means around the containment means, the housing means shielding the containment means from subsea water pressure, the housing means incorporating leverage means, the leverage means exposed to subsea water pressure, the compression means operable to allow the leverage means to compress the containment means.
A mechanism for plugging subsea leaks comprising:
- a) fluid transfer means, the fluid transfer means connected between inflatable plugging means and inflation means;
- b) inflatable plugging means, the inflatable plugging means connected to the fluid transfer means and when deflated able to be inserted into a subsea orifice from which pollutants are flowing, and when fluid means forced from the fluid transfer means into the inflatable plugging means the inflatable plugging means able to inflate;
- c) reinforcement means, the reinforcement means adjacent to the inflatable plugging means, the reinforcement means collapsible and including movable members that can move inward against the inflatable plugging means when the inflatable plugging means deflated, the reinforcement means able to be opened out by the inflation of the inflatable plugging means so as to reinforce the inflated inflatable plugging means;
- and,
- d) inflation means, the inflation means connected to the fluid transfer means and able to force fluid means through the fluid transfer means so as to force fluid means into and cause the inflation of the inflatable plugging means.
A mechanism for plugging subsea leaks comprising:
- a) fluid transfer means, the fluid transfer means connected between inflatable plugging means and inflation means;
- b) inflatable plugging means, the inflatable plugging means connected to the fluid transfer means and when deflated able to be inserted into a subsea orifice from which pollutants are flowing, and when fluid means forced from the fluid transfer means into the inflatable plugging means the inflatable plugging means able to inflate;
- c) inflation means, the inflation means connected to the fluid transfer means and able to force fluid means through the fluid transfer means so as to force fluid means into and cause the inflation of the inflatable plugging means;
- d) flexible hollow connecting means, the fluid transfer means being cut, with the cut ends of the fluid transfer means being joined together by flexible hollow connecting means, there being clamping means that connect the flexible hollow connecting means to the cut ends of fluid transfer means so that the fluid transfer means can flex at the flexible hollow connecting means;
- e) flex prevention means, the flex prevention means fitting over the flexible hollow connecting means and clamping means so as to prevent the flexing of the flexible hollow connecting means;
- and,
- f) release means, the release means operatively connected between the flex prevention means and the inflatable plugging means and able to release the flexible hollow connecting means from the flex prevention means so that the flexible hollow connecting means can flex when the inflatable plugging means is inflated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.