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US 9,038,730 B2Granted
Marine riser adjustable buoyancy modules
AssigneeDeep Down, Inc.
InventorRon Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A marine riser includes one or more buoyancy modules running along a length of the marine riser, wherein the one or more buoyancy modules are molded such that an umbilical may be secured along a length of the one or more buoyancy modules.
Claims20
A marine riser comprising:
- two buoyancy modules running along a length of the marine riser, each buoyancy module including:
- an outer buoyant shell;
- one or more chambers within the outer buoyant shell;
- a groove molded in an outer surface of the outer buoyant shell and positioned along a length thereof;
- an umbilical secured in the molded groove along a length thereof, wherein the umbilical provides air or water to enter the one or more chambers such that a first buoyancy module has a first buoyancy and a second buoyancy module has a second buoyancy different from the first buoyancy;
- and
- at least one riser monitoring sensor disposed on an outer circumference of the outer buoyant shell and configured to indicate stress points.
4 more elements
A marine riser comprising:
- a riser monitoring system configured to indicate stress points along, a length of the marine riser;
- at least one buoyancy module including:
- an outer buoyant shell;
- one or more inner chambers within the outer buoyant shell;
- and
- a supply valve that allows air or water to enter the one or more inner chambers in response to indicated stress points along the length of the marine riser.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- installing one or more buoyancy modules along a length of a subsea riser;
- monitoring a location of stress concentration points along the riser;
- providing communication to one or more downhole components installed on the one or more buoyancy modules through an umbilical running along a length of the one or more buoyancy modules;
- and
- adjusting a buoyancy of at least one of the one or more buoyancy modules to move the stress concentration points.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.