Underwater hydrocarbon extraction facility

• US 10,221,680 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Energy Technology UK Limited (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Oil & Gas UK Limited (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: August, Charles Anthony, Dalziel, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Buck, Matthew R
• Application Number:
  US15/558,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20180045039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/0355 Control systems, e.g. hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, acoustic, for submerged well heads
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/04 in underwater well heads
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency

Abstract

An underwater hydrocarbon extraction facility including a plurality of actuators wherein each of the actuator includes: an electric motor arranged to operate the actuator; communication means configured to receive communication signals; and a controller connected to the communication means and the electric motor, said controller being operable to activate the electric motor in response to a received communication signal.

Claims

1. An actuator assembly in an underwater hydrocarbon extraction facility having a plurality of actuators, the actuator assembly comprising:

an electric motor arranged to operate at least one of the plurality of actuators;

a communicator configured to receive communication signals; and

a controller connected to the communicator and the electric motor, said controller being operable to activate the electric motor in response to a received communication signal,

wherein the communicator of the at least one of the plurality of actuators is configured to communicate directly with a communicator of another of the plurality of actuators, without the need for processing in a centralized processing module.

2. The actuator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor, communicator and controller of the at least one of the plurality of actuators are retrievable.

3. The actuator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor, communicator and controller of the at least one of the plurality of actuators are integral to the another of the plurality of actuators.

4. The actuator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor of the at least one of the plurality of actuators is configured to receive power from a power and communications line.

5. The actuator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor of the at least one of the plurality of actuators is in electrical communication with a local energy storage.

6. The actuator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the communicator of the at least one of the plurality of actuators is configured to communicate with a sensor.

7. The actuator assembly according to claim 6, wherein communication between said communicator and the sensor is wireless.

8. The actuator assembly according to claim 6, wherein communication between said communicator and the sensor is through a wired connection.

9. The actuator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the communication between the communicator of the at least one of the plurality of actuators and the communicator of the another of the plurality of actuators is wireless.

10. The actuator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the communication between the communicator of the at least one of the plurality of actuators and the communicator of the another of the plurality of actuators is through a wired connection.

11. The actuator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the communicator of the at least one of the plurality of actuators comprises a modem card.

12. The actuator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly is housed in an underwater hydrocarbon extraction facility.

13. A method of operating an actuator assembly in an underwater hydrocarbon extraction facility, said actuator assembly comprising an electric motor arranged to operate at least one actuator, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a communicator in the underwater hydrocarbon extraction facility configured to receive communication signals at the at least one actuator;

providing a controller connected to the communicator and the electric motor; and

transmitting a communication signal to the communicator to cause the controller to activate the electric motor,

wherein the communicator of the at least one actuator is configured to communicate directly with a communicator of a second actuator within the actuator assembly, without the need for processing in a central processing module.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the electric motor, the communicator of at least one of the at least one actuator or the second actuator, and the controller are retrievable.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the electric motor, the communicator of at least one of the at least one actuator or the second actuator, and the controller are integral to the respective actuator.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the electric motor is configured to receive power from a power and communications line.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising a local energy storage in electrical communication with the electric motor.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the communicator of at least one of the at least one actuator or the second actuator is configured to communicate with a sensor.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein communication between the communicator of at least one of the at least one actuator or the second actuator and the sensor is wireless.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein communication between the communicator of at least one of the at least one actuator or the second actuator and the sensor is through a wired connection.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein the communicator of the at least one actuator is configured to communicate with the second actuator.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein communication between the communicator of the at least one actuator and the second actuator is wireless.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein communication between the communicator of the at least one actuator and the second actuator is through a wired connection.

24. The method according to claim 13, wherein the communicator of the at least one actuator or the second actuator comprises a modem card.