Annular Blowout Preventer and Lower Marine Riser Package Connector Unit
AssigneeHydril USA Manufacturing LLC
InventorAaron P. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An annular blowout preventer assembly has an annular element housing and a central cavity with an elastomeric annular element in the central cavity. An annular element piston is located within the central cavity in engagement with the annular element. A connector housing has an upper end that abuts a lower end of the annular element housing. Bolts extend upward from the connector housing into threaded blind holes in the annular element housing for securing the connector housing to the annular element housing. A locking element is carried within the connector housing for radial inward movement into engagement with a profile on a mandrel of a blowout preventer stack.
Claims20
An annular blowout preventer assembly, comprising:
- a single-piece annular element housing having a central cavity containing an elastomeric annular element and an annular element piston that strokes axially, relative to an axis of the annular element housing, to deform the annular element radially;
- and
- a single-piece connector housing that abuts and is secured to a lower end of the annular element housing, the connector housing containing a locking element and a locking element piston, which axially strokes an actuator element to move the locking element radially inward into engagement with a mandrel of a blowout preventer stack.
An annular blowout preventer assembly, comprising:
- an annular element housing having a central cavity containing an elastomeric annular element and an annular element piston that strokes axially, relative to an axis of the annular element housing, to deform the annular element radially;
- a connector housing that abuts to a lower end of the annular element housing, the connector housing containing a locking element and a locking element piston, which axially strokes an actuator element to move the locking element radially inward into engagement with a mandrel of a blowout preventer stack;
- and
- a plurality bolts extending upward from the connector housing into threaded blind holes in the annular element housing for securing the connector housing to the annular element housing.
A subsea annular blowout preventer assembly, comprising:
- a blowout preventer stack having at an upper end a tubular mandrel with an exterior profile;
- a lower marine riser package having an annular element housing with a central cavity containing an elastomeric annular element and an annular element piston that strokes axially, relative to an axis of the annular element housing, to deform the annular element radially around a string of pipe extending through the lower marine riser package;
- the annular element housing having a lower end portion positioned below an upper end of the mandrel;
- a connector housing containing a locking element and a locking element piston, which axially strokes an actuator element to move the locking element radially inward into engagement with the exterior profile on the mandrel;
- an external flange on the connector housing, the external flange having an upper side that abuts the lower end portion of the annular element housing;
- and
- bolts extending through holes in the external flange into threaded holes in the lower end portion of the connector housing to secure the connector housing to the annular element housing, the bolts having heads that abut a lower side of the external flange.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.