Riser connector

• US 20060070741A1
• Filed: 10/04/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings of America Incorporated (Single Buoy Moorings)
• Original Assignee: Single Buoy Moorings of America Incorporated (Single Buoy Moorings)
• Inventors: Pollack, Jack, Riggs, David C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,373,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/345
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/0107 Connecting of flow lines to offshore structures E21B43/013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/04 with bayonet catch
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/0413 for tubes using the innerside thereof F16B7/025 takes precedence

Abstract

A riser connector connects the upper portion of a riser (12) having a latching enlargement (32) to a receptacle (14) on a vessel (16), so the riser upper end (22) can connect to a fluid coupling (42) leading to a conduit (40) on the vessel. A double-click mechanism (88), with parts on the enlargement and on the receptacle, turns a load ring on the enlargement to latch the enlargement in place when it is lifted to an upper position and lowered to a latched position, and releases it by again lifting and lowering. A cable coupling (24) is temporarily mounted on the top of the riser to enable the riser to be lifted by a cable (26), the cable coupling being later removed to connect the riser upper end to the fluid coupling on the vessel.

Claims

1. A riser connector that is useful with a riser that normally extends between a fluid coupling at the sea floor and a fluid coupling on a structure that has a structure portion at the sea surface, to connect a first end of the riser that lies on a riser first end portion to a first one of said fluid couplings, which includes an enlargement mounted on said riser first end portion and a receptacle coupled to a first of said fluid couplings, and which includes a double click mechanism with first and second mechanism parts with said first mechanism part mounted on said enlargement and said second mechanism part mounted in said receptacle, said mechanism parts constructed to latch together when a movable one of said mechanism parts is moved in a first direction to move the enlargement into the receptacle and the moveable part is then moved slightly in an opposite second direction, and that unlatches the mechanism parts when the first part is next moved slightly in said first direction and then moved in said second direction so the enlargement then can move out of and away from the receptacle, wherein:

said receptacle has a through hole; and

including

a detachable cable coupling for mounting on said riser first end for connection to a cable that extends through said receptacle through hole and pulls the riser into the receptacle, said cable coupling being removable so said riser end can be connected to a corresponding one of said fluid couplings.

2. The riser connector described in claim 1 including a winch on said floating structure, and wherein:

said structure is a floating structure and said receptacle is mounted on said floating structure, and in said first direction said enlargement moves up and in said second direction said enlargement moves down.

3. The riser connector described in claim 2 wherein:

said riser upper portion extends through said receptacle through hole with said riser upper end connected to said upper fluid coupling at a location above said receptacle.

4. The riser connector described in claim 2 including a winch on said floating structure, and wherein:

said cable coupling is mounted on said upper end of said riser; and

including

said cable extends from said cable coupling, through said receptacle through hole to said winch.

5. A riser connector for use with a riser that has an upper portion with an axis, where the riser extends from a fluid coupling at the sea floor to connect a riser upper end to a fluid coupling on a structure that has at least an upper portion lying at the sea surface, wherein:

said riser connector includes an enlargement on said riser upper portion, said enlargement having a first double click-mechanism part thereon, and said riser connector includes a receptacle mounted on said structure upper portion, said receptacle having a second double click mechanism part thereon, wherein said double click mechanism parts are parts of a double click mechanism that latches said mechanism parts together against rotation about said axis when said enlargement is raised into the receptacle and then allowed to move down slightly to a retained position, and that unlatches the mechanism parts against rotation when said riser is next moved slightly upward and then moved down so the enlargement can rotate to a released position and move down and out of and below the receptacle, said enlargement having surface portions that support said enlargement on said receptacle in said retained position;

a winch on said upper portion of said structure;

said receptacle has a through hole, and said riser has an upper end that extends upward beyond said enlargement;

a cable coupling on said upper end of said riser for connection to a cable that pulls the riser into the receptacle when the winch pulls up the cable.

6. The riser connector described in claim 5 wherein:

said cable coupling is detachably mounted on said riser upper end, and said riser upper end is connectable to said fluid coupling on said structure only when said cable coupling is removed from said riser upper end.

7. A method for connecting an enlargement on an upper portion of a riser that lies below the riser upper end wherein the riser is intended to extend up from the sea floor toward a receptacle on a floating structure that floats at the sea surface, so the upper end of the riser can be connected to a conduit on the floating structure, comprising:

establishing the two devices of a double click mechanism, one on said enlargement and the other on said receptacle;

extending a cable from a winch on the floating structure, through a hole in said receptacle, to the upper end of said riser, and connecting the cable to the upper end of the riser;

pulling up the riser upper portion with the enlargement thereon until the enlargement enters the receptacle and moves upward therein while a first of said double click mechanism devices turns, and then allowing the enlargement to fall while said first device turns further until said first device is prevented from turning and said enlargement is stopped from further falling while still in the receptacle;

connecting the upper end of the riser to said conduit.

8. The method described in claim 7 wherein:

said step of connecting a cable to the upper portion of the riser includes mounting a cable coupling to the upper end of the riser and connecting the cable to the cable coupling;

said step of connecting the upper end of the riser to said conduit comprises first removing the cable coupling.

9. The method described in claim 7 including:

disconnecting the upper end of the riser from said structure conduit;

operating said winch while said cable is connected to said riser upper portion, to raise said enlargement within the receptacle while said first device turns still further, and then operating said winch to lower said enlargement below said receptacle.