Subsea Power and Data Communication Apparatus and Related Methods

• US 20140184421A1
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hydril USA Distribution LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Hydril USA Manufacturing LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Choudhury, Davasish
• Granted Patent: US 9,281,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/850
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/064 specially adapted for underwater well heads
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/02 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the earth or a large mass of water thereon, e.g. earth telegraphy

Abstract

Subsea power and data communications apparatus, subsea wireless sensor hubs assemblies, subsea wireless sensor hubs, and methods of providing power to and receiving data from subsea data gathering devices, are provided. An exemplary apparatus can include subsea sensors/gauges, batteries to power the sensors/gauges, charging circuits for controlling charging of the batteries, one or more BOP control pods, an RTU, and a subsea wireless connection hub. The hub can include a stationary wheel carrying wireless stationary connection members each electrically connected to a battery and a respective subset of sensors/gauges. The hub can also include a rotatable wheel carrying a single wireless movable connection member configured to provide power to each of the stationary connection members and to receive data from the stationary connection members. A motor is provided to rotate the rotatable wheel to position the mobile connection member in front of a selected one of the stationary connection members.

Claims

1. A subsea wireless connection hub, comprising:

a plurality of substantially spaced apart wireless non-contact stationary connection members each configured to be operably electrically coupled with a different one of a plurality of data gathering devices;

a static member carrying the plurality of stationary connection members;

one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members configured to be operably electrically coupled with a remote power source and configured to perform one or more of the following functions;

selectively wirelessly provide electrical power to adjacent ones of the plurality of stationary connection members and selectively wirelessly receive gathered data therefrom when adjacent thereto; and

a non-static member carrying the one or more movable connection members and configured to provide for selective positioning the one or more movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of a selected one or more of the plurality of stationary connection members.

2. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 1, wherein a number of the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members carried by the non-static member is substantially less than a number of the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members carried by the static member.

3. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of the wireless non-contact movable connection members;

wherein the non-static member carries the plurality of wireless non-contact movable connection members.

4. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

an enclosure enclosing the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members, the static member, the one or more movable connection members, and the non-static member.

5. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members are configured to receive power from and to provide sensor data to one or more of the one or more movable connection members, the subsea wireless connection hub further comprising:

a motor operably connected to the non-static member, the motor configured to move at least portions of the non-static member to thereby selectively position the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of a corresponding one or more of the plurality of stationary connection members, and to move again to position the one or more movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of one or more other of the plurality of stationary connection members.

6. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 5, wherein the static member is a stationary mounting wheel, wherein the non-static member is a rotatable mounting wheel, and wherein the motor is configured to rotate the rotatable mounting wheel to thereby selectively position the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range with a corresponding one or more of the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members, and to rotate the rotatable mounting wheel again to position the one or more movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of one or more other of the plurality of stationary connection members.

7. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 6, wherein the stationary mounting wheel and rotatable mounting wheel are positioned within an enclosure containing a dielectric fluid, parallel to each other, and oriented in separate spaced-apart planes, and wherein the one or more movable connection members and the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members are of an elongate configuration having main axes oriented normal to the respective planes.

8. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 6, wherein the stationary mounting wheel and rotatable mounting wheel are positioned within an enclosure containing a dielectric fluid, in a coplanar configuration, and wherein the one or more movable connection members and the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members are of an elongate configuration having main axes oriented parallel to the respective plane.

9. The subsea wireless connection hub as defined in claim 5, wherein the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members are positioned in a row, parallel to each other, and wherein the one or more movable connection members are positioned to translate along a longitudinal axis of the non-static member.

10. A subsea wireless connection hub assembly, the subsea wireless connection hub assembly comprising:

a plurality of data gathering devices configured to gather data;

a plurality of power supply members each comprising a power storage device and a charging circuit, each power supply member electrically coupled to one or more of the plurality of data gathering devices; and

a subsea wireless connection hub, the subsea wireless connection hub comprising;

a plurality of substantially spaced apart wireless non-contact stationary connection members each operably electrically coupled with a different one of the plurality of power supply members;

a static member carrying the plurality of stationary connection members;

one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members configured to be operably electrically coupled with a remote power source and configured to perform one or more of the following functions;

wirelessly provide electrical power to adjacent ones of the plurality of stationary connection members and wirelessly receive gathered data therefrom when adjacent thereto; and

a non-static member carrying the one or more movable connection members and configured to provide for selective positioning the one or more movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of a selected one or more of the plurality of stationary connection members, a number of the one or more movable connection members carried by the non-static member being substantially less than a number of the plurality of stationary connection members carried by the static member.

11. The subsea wireless connection hub assembly as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

a plurality of the wireless non-contact movable connection members;

wherein the non-static member carries the plurality of wireless non-contact movable connection members; and

wherein a number of the plurality of wireless non-contact movable connection members carried by the non-static member is substantially less than the number of the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members carried by the static member.

12. The subsea wireless connection hub assembly as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

a remote terminal unit operably electrically coupled to the remote power source and the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members to receive data therefrom and to provide power thereto.

13. The subsea wireless connection hub assembly as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

a remote terminal unit operably electrically coupled to a motor to provide power thereto to rotate the non-static member.

14. The subsea wireless connection hub assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members are configured to receive power from and to provide sensor data to one or more of the one or more movable connection members, wherein the static member is a stationary mounting wheel, wherein the non-static member is a rotatable mounting wheel, and wherein the subsea wireless connection hub assembly further comprises:

a motor operably connected to the non-static member, the motor configured to rotate the rotatable mounting wheel to thereby selectively position the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range with a corresponding one or more of the plurality of stationary connection members, and to rotate the rotatable mounting wheel again to position the one or more movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of one or more other of the plurality of stationary connection members.

15. The subsea wireless connection hub assembly as defined in claim 14, wherein the stationary mounting wheel and rotatable mounting wheel are positioned within an enclosure containing a dielectric fluid, parallel to each other, and oriented in separate spaced-apart planes, and wherein the one or more movable connection members and the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members are of an elongate configuration having main axes oriented normal to the respective planes.

16. The subsea wireless connection hub assembly as defined in claim 14, wherein the remote power source comprises one or more blowout preventer pods, the subsea wireless connection hub assembly further comprising:

a remote terminal unit operably electrically coupled to one or more of the one or more blowout preventer pods and the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members to receive data therefrom and to provide power thereto, and operably coupled to the motor to provide power thereto to rotate the non-static member.

17. The subsea wireless connection hub assembly as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

a motor configured to rotate the non-static member;

a remote terminal unit operably electrically coupled to the remote power source and the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members to receive data therefrom and to provide power thereto, and operably electrically coupled to the motor to provide power thereto to rotate the non-static member; and

a data acquisition unit in communication with the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members and the remote terminal unit or the remote power source, or the one or more movable connection members and both the remote terminal unit and the remote power source to thereby provide an alternative communications pathway.

18. The subsea wireless connection hub assembly as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

a motor configured to rotate the non-static member;

a remote terminal unit operably electrically coupled to the remote power source and the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members to receive data therefrom and to provide power thereto, and operably electrically coupled to the motor to provide power thereto to rotate the non-static member; and

a controller configured to cause the motor to rotate to control positioning of the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members.

19. A subsea power and data communication apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of data gathering devices configured to gather data;

a plurality of power supply members each comprising a power storage device and a charging circuit, each power supply member electrically coupled to one or more of the plurality of data gathering devices;

a power source comprising one or more of a pair of blowout preventer control pods;

a remote terminal unit electrically operably coupled with the pair of blowout preventer control pods; and

a subsea wireless connection hub, the subsea wireless connection hub comprising;

a plurality of substantially spaced apart power-receiving members each operably electrically coupled with a different one of the plurality of data gathering devices,

a static member carrying the plurality of power-receiving members,

a wireless non-contact power-transferring member operably electrically coupled with the remote terminal unit, and

a non-static member carrying the power-transferring member and configured to provide for separately positioning the power-transferring member adjacent and in power transfer and data communication range of each of the plurality of power-receiving members.

20. A method of providing power to charge a plurality of power storage devices providing power to a plurality of subsea data gathering devices and to retrieve data therefrom utilizing a plurality of power-receiving members operably coupled thereto and a limited number of wireless non-contact movable power transmitting and data receiving devices selectively positionable in communication therewith, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a remote subsea terminal unit and subsea wireless connection hub, the subsea wireless connection hub containing a static member carrying a plurality of power-receiving members, a non-static member carrying one or more wireless non-contact power-transferring members, and a motor for positioning the one or more wireless non-contact power-transferring members into power transferring and data receiving communication range of a corresponding one or more of the plurality of power-receiving members;

operably coupling each of the plurality of power receiving members with a corresponding plurality of power supply members each powering one or more of a plurality of data gathering devices;

operably coupling the remote terminal unit to the one or more wireless non-contact power-transferring member and to one or more blowout preventer control pods;

rotating at least portions of the non-static member to selectively position the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of a corresponding one or more of the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members; and

rotating the at least portions of the non-static member again to position the one or more movable connection members adjacent to and in power transfer and data communication range of one or more other of the plurality of stationary connection members.

21. The method as defined in claim 20, wherein a number of the one or more wireless non-contact movable connection members carried by the non-static member is substantially less than a number of the plurality of wireless non-contact stationary connection members carried by the static member.

22. The method as defined in claim 20, wherein the step of rotating at least portions of the non-static member is initiated by a controller monitoring or calculating a power level of the each power storage device of the plurality of power supply members to thereby charge a respective one or more of the power storage devices.