Device for controlling the filling of a pipe as it is being laid in a stretch of water, and associated assembly and method

• US 10,139,014 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technip France (Technip)
• Original Assignee: Technip France (Technip)
• Inventors: Routeau, Sylvain, Lachaud, Emilie, Friville, Remi, De Kerdanet, Tegwen
• Primary Examiner(s): Fiorello, Benjamin F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Toledo-Duran, Edwin J
• Application Number:
  US15/566,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20180135777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 4051541, 405158-173
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/163 by varying the apparent weight of the pipe during the laying operation
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/235 Apparatus for controlling the pipe during laying

Abstract

A device includes an upstream section defining a water introduction inlet; an injector for injecting a process fluid into the water introduced into the upstream section; an intermediate section mounted downstream of the injector for receiving the water containing the process fluid; a downstream section for conveying water to the fluid transport pipe being laid. The device also includes a liquid volume compensation reservoir, having a variable receiving volume of water discharged from the fluid transport pipe, a connector to which are connected the intermediate section, the downstream section and the liquid volume compensation reservoir, wherein the inlet cross-section of the compensation reservoir is greater than 40 times the internal cross-section of the intermediate section taken at the connector. This device operates reliably even when the stretch of water is rough.

Claims

1. A device configured for controlling the filling of a fluid transport pipe being laid in a stretch of water, comprising:

An upstream section defining a water introduction inlet;

A process fluid injector configured for injecting a process fluid into the water introduced into the upstream section;

An intermediate section mounted downstream of the process fluid injector configured for receiving the water containing process fluid;

A downstream section configured for conveying water to the fluid transport pipe being laid in the stretch of water;

A liquid volume compensation reservoir, having a variable receiving volume of water discharged from the fluid transport pipe,

A connector to which the intermediate section, the downstream section and the liquid volume compensation reservoir are connected, an inlet cross-section of the liquid volume compensation reservoir being greater than 40 times an internal cross-section of the intermediate section, taken at the connector.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the inlet cross-section of the liquid volume compensation reservoir, taken at the connector, is greater than 150 times the internal cross-section of the intermediate section, taken at the connector.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid volume compensation reservoir comprises a delimiter configured for delimiting the receiving volume, and for being displaced or deformed to modify the receiving volume, a face of the delimiter opposite the receiving volume being subjected to the hydrostatic pressure of the stretch of water.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the delimiters configured to be displaced or deformed when an absolute value of a difference between a pressure in the receiving volume, and a hydrostatic pressure in the stretch water applied to the delimiter, is greater than or equal to 0.1 bar.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein a maximum receiving volume accommodated by the liquid volume compensation reservoir is greater than 100 liters.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the process fluid injector comprises a pump discharging into the intermediate section.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the pump is a passive pump configured to be actuated by the water introduced through the upstream section, or is an active pump comprising at least one electric or hydraulic pump motor.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the process fluid injector comprises a process fluid reservoir mounted upstream a pump.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the process fluid contains a corrosion inhibitor and/or a biocide.

10. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a filter inserted on the upstream section upstream of the process fluid injector.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the downstream section is formed of a flexible hose.

12. A fluid conveying assembly, comprising:

A fluid transport line having a lower end located in a vicinity of a bottom of the stretch of water, and an upper end;

The device according to according to claim 1, the downstream section being mounted at a lower end of the fluid transport pipe, the upstream section opening into the stretch of water.

13. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein the lower end of the fluid transport pipe is provided with a section reducer defining a water inlet opening in the fluid transport pipe, the water inlet opening having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the fluid transport pipe, the downstream section opening into the water inlet opening.

14. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein a cross-section of the water inlet opening is less than 5% of a cross-section of the fluid transport pipe.

15. A method of laying a fluid transport pipe in a stretch of water, comprising the following steps:

Lowering of an assembly according to claim 12 in the stretch of water, Progressive filling of the fluid transport pipe with water from the stretch of water through the upstream section, the intermediate section, the connector and the downstream section, and injection of the process fluid by the process fluid injector into the water introduced into the fluid transport pipe;

Partial discharge of water from the fluid transport pipe through the downstream section;

Filling the receiving volume of the liquid volume compensation reservoir with the water discharged from the fluid transport pipe.

16. The device according to claim 4, wherein the delimiter is configured to be displaced or deformed when an absolute value of a difference between a pressure in the receiving volume, and a hydrostatic pressure in the stretch of water applied to the delimiter, is greater than or equal to 0.05 bar.

17. The device according to claim 4, wherein the delimiter is configured to be displaced or deformed when an absolute value of a difference between a pressure in the receiving volume, and a hydrostatic pressure in the stretch of water applied to the delimiter, is greater than or equal to 0.01 bar.

18. The device according to claim 4, wherein the delimiter is configured to be displaced or deformed when the absolute value of the difference between the pressure in the receiving volume, and the hydrostatic pressure in the stretch of water applied to the delimiter, is greater than or equal to 0.01 bar.