Back to results
US 2022/0033177 A1Published application
Subsea Fluid Storage Unit
AssigneeSubsea 7 Norway AS
InventorsMorten Saeterdal, Sigbjorn Daasvatn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeSubsea 7 Norway AS
InventorsMorten Saeterdal, Sigbjorn Daasvatn
Estimating the term…
A modular subsea fluid storage unit comprises a variable-volume inner tank having a rigid top panel and a peripheral wall that is flexible by virtue of concertina formations. The peripheral wall is extensible and retractable vertically while the horizontal width of the tank remains substantially unchanged. A side wall of a lower housing part surrounds and is spaced horizontally from the peripheral wall of the inner tank to define a floodable gap between the peripheral wall and the side wall that surrounds the tank. An upper housing part extends over and is vertically spaced from the top panel of the inner tank and overlaps the side wall to enclose the inner tank. The floodable gap and the upper housing part enhance thermal insulation and trap any fluids that may leak from the inner tank.
A subsea fluid storage unit, comprising:
The unit of any preceding claim, wherein the skirt adjoins a ledge that projects outwardly from the side wall.
The unit of any preceding claim, wherein the upper housing part rises inwardly from the side wall to an elevated fluid trap chamber for trapping fluid leaked from the inner tank.
The unit of any preceding claim, wherein the rigid top panel is sandwiched between the upper housing part and the side wall.
The unit of any preceding claim, wherein the inner tank is closed by a bottom plate that extends in the horizontal direction along a bottom edge of the peripheral wall.
A subsea fluid storage unit, comprising:
The unit of any preceding claim, wherein the side wall is thermally insulated.
The unit of any preceding claim, wherein the side wall has lower thermal transmittance than the peripheral wall of the inner tank.
The unit of any preceding claim, wherein the peripheral wall is flexible.
The unit of any preceding claim, wherein the side wall is contiguous with a base to define a floodable enclosure extending beneath the inner tank.
The unit of any preceding claim, further comprising a leakage sensor arranged to sense fluid in the floodable gap leaked from the inner tank and a drainage line that communicates with the floodable gap to drain the leaked fluid.
The unit of any preceding claim, wherein the rigid top panel of the inner tank rises inwardly from the side wall to an elevated gas trap chamber for trapping gas rising from a fluid in the inner tank.
The unit of any preceding claim, comprising subsea-releasable fastenings acting in tension between the inner tank and the side wall.
The unit of any preceding claim, wherein the side wall has at least a portion that is substantially flat.
A group of units of any preceding claim, coupled together for fluid communication between the inner tanks of the group.
A method of storing a fluid underwater, which fluid is warmer than ambient water, the method comprising:
A method of assembling a subsea fluid storage unit, the method comprising:
A method of maintaining or repairing a subsea fluid storage unit, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.