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US 8,215,679 B2Granted
Subsea choke insert locking apparatus
AssigneeCameron International Corporation
InventorsEdmund McHugh, Finbarr Evans, Declan Elliott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connection for sub-sea use employs locking dogs that are isolated from seawater and a backup system for operating the backup sleeve to the dogs. The normal actuation system for the backup sleeve is also isolated from seawater exposure. The set position of the backup sleeve is positively retained against the prospect of axial movement that could be triggered by transmitted vibration into the connection.
Claims27
A subsea connection, comprising:
- a female component;
- a male component insertable subsea in seawater into the female component in an axial direction;
- a lock configured to move in a radial direction to selectively secure the female and male components together, wherein the lock is disposed in a sealed region configured to be isolated from access to seawater upon joining of the female and male components, and the lock comprises at least one radially movable dog that is configured to be actuated by an axially movable sleeve;
- and
- a position lock feature configured to hold the axially movable sleeve and the radially movable dog in a locked configuration.
2 more elements
A subsea connection, comprising:
- a female component;
- a male component insertable subsea in seawater into the female component, wherein the male component comprises internals of a subsea choke and a housing isolated from seawater;
- a lock configured to selectively secure the female and male components together, wherein the lock is sealed from exposure to seawater upon joining of the female and male components;
- and
- an actuation device that is sealed from exposure to seawater except for an operating element configured to operate the lock.
2 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a subsea mountable component, comprising:
- a body configured to connect with an insert assembly of a subsea oilfield system along an axis;
- a first lock configured to connect with a second lock of the subsea oilfield system in a radial direction relative to the axis after the body and the insert assembly connect;
- a first seal disposed on a first axial side of the first lock along the axis;
- a second seal disposed on a second axial side of the first lock opposite from the first axial side along the axis, wherein the first and second seals define an isolation region about the first and second locks after the body and the insert assembly connect, and the first and second seals are configured to block seawater from entering the isolation region;
- and
- an operating member disposed within a first interior region of a first housing portion that, in conjunction with a plate of the insert assembly, defines a lock window, the operating member is configured to move along the axis to cause the first lock to move within the lock window in the radial direction, and the first and second seals are configured to block seawater from entering the first interior region after the body and the insert assembly connect.
4 more elements
A subsea connection, comprising:
- a female component;
- a male component insertable subsea in seawater into the female component in an axial direction;
- a lock configured to move in a radial direction to selectively secure the female and male components together, wherein the lock is disposed in a sealed region configured to be isolated from access to seawater upon joining of the female and male components, and the lock comprises at least one radially movable dog that is configured to be actuated by an axially movable sleeve;
- a first actuator configured to move the axially movable sleeve in a first axial direction to move the radially movable dog into a radially locked position and a second axial direction to move the radially movable dog into a radially unlocked position;
- and
- a second actuator configured to move the axially movable sleeve in the second axial direction to move the radially movable dog into the radially unlocked position.
3 more elements
A subsea connection, comprising:
- a female component;
- a male component insertable subsea in seawater into the female component in an axial direction;
- and
- a lock configured to move in a radial direction to selectively secure the female and male components together, wherein the lock is disposed in a sealed region configured to be isolated from access to seawater upon joining of the female and male components, the lock comprises at least one radially movable dog that is configured to be actuated by an axially movable sleeve, and the axially movable sleeve is mounted within a sealed housing that isolates the axially movable sleeve from seawater exposure.
1 more element
A subsea connection, comprising:
- a female component;
- a male component insertable subsea in seawater into the female component in an axial direction;
- a lock configured to move in a radial direction to selectively secure the female and male components together, wherein the lock is disposed in a sealed region between opposite annular seals upon joining of the female and male components, the opposite annular seals block entry of the seawater into the sealed region having the lock, and the lock comprises at least one radially movable dog that is configured to be actuated by an axially movable sleeve;
- and
- first and second actuators configured to move the axially movable sleeve in opposite first and second axial directions, respectively, to move the radially movable dog between a radially locked position and a radially unlocked position corresponding to the first axial direction and the second axial direction, respectively.
2 more elements
A subsea connection, comprising:
- a female component;
- a male component insertable subsea in seawater into the female component in an axial direction;
- a lock configured to selectively secure the female and male components together, wherein the lock is disposed in a sealed region configured to be isolated from access to seawater upon joining of the female and male components, the lock comprises at least one radially movable dog that is configured to be actuated by an axially movable sleeve, and the radially movable dog is configured to move in a radial direction outwardly from the male component toward the female component from an unlocked position to a locked position;
- and
- a position lock feature configured to hold the axially movable sleeve and the radially movable dog in the locked position.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.