Electrical connection

An assembly for providing a subsea power connection, the assembly comprising:

• a wellhead member adapted for installation subsea and having a first aperture through a wall thereof;
• a hanger body having a power receiving element fixedly disposed in a second aperture in a wall of said hanger body, said hanger body disposed within the wellhead member with the first and second apertures in alignment;
• an electrical connector housing with a third aperture, the housing being mounted on the wellhead member with the third aperture in alignment with the first and second apertures, the wellhead member, hanger and housing being sealingly mated to define a pressure contained enclosure;
• a power transmitting element disposed within the connector housing in fixed relation to the power receiving element;
• a reciprocable shuttle connector disposed within the pressure contained enclosure on the power transmitting element and being pressure balanced to selectively contact the power receiving element without regard to the pressure within the pressure contained enclosure;
• wherein fluid is neither added nor removed from the pressure contained enclosure during movement of the shuttle connector;
• said reciprocable shuttle connector including an adjustable enclosure which adjusts with the pressure as the shuttle connector moves within the pressure contained enclosure.

A method for establishing a subsea electrical connection, comprising:

• installing a wellhead member with a connector housing subsea with a common aperture;
• providing within the common aperture a shuttle reciprocably mounted on a power transmitting element fixed within the connector housing;
• lowering a hanger with a power receiving element fixedly disposed within a hanger aperture in a wall of the hanger;
• aligning the hanger aperture with the common aperture;
• establishing a sealed pressure contained enclosure extending generally laterally through the wellhead member between the hanger and the connector housing;
• reciprocating the shuttle within the pressure contained enclosure to electrically connect the power transmitting element within the shuttle with a power receiving element within the hanger to establish a power connection.

An assembly providing a connection across an interface between a radially inner member and a surrounding radially outer member, the inner and outer members forming a sealed pressure contained enclosure, comprising:

• a first conducting member extending through the radially inner member;
• a second conducting member fixed within the radially outer member;
• a connector reciprocably disposed on said second conducting member between a disconnected position wholly within the outer member and a connected position in which the connector electrically connects said first conducting member to said second conducting member;
• and
• said first and second conducting members being fixed and not engaging during the electrical connection.

An assembly providing a connection across an interface between a radially inner member and a surrounding radially outer member, the inner and outer members forming a pressurized sealed enclosure, comprising:

• a first conducting member extending through the radially inner member;
• a second conducting member fixed within the radially outer member;
• a connector reciprocably disposed on said second conducting member between a disconnected position wholly within the outer member and a connected position in which the connector electrically connects said first conducting member to said second conducting member;
• said first and second conducting members being fixed and not engaging during the electrical connection;
• said connector including a flexible chamber around said second conducting member and having its exterior exposed to the surrounding pressure in the sealed enclosure.