LONG STEP OUT DIRECT ELECTRIC HEATING ASSEMBLY

• US 20140376900A1
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AKER Solutions As (AKER Solutions ASA)
• Original Assignee: Aker Subsea As (AKER Solutions ASA)
• Inventors: Bjerknes, Ole Johan, Heggdal, Ole A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,964,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 392/480
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/01 specially adapted for obtaining from underwater installations
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 53/34 using electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields, e.g. using induction, dielectric or microwave heating
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 53/37 the heating current flowing directly through the pipe to be heated
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/00 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2214/03 Heating of hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/0009 the material to be heated being in motion
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/82 Fixedly-mounted immersion heaters

Abstract

A subsea direct electrical heating assembly adapted to heat a hydrocarbon conducting steel pipeline (1) arranged subsea. The assembly comprises a direct electrical heating cable (3) extending along and being connected to the steel pipeline (1) and a power transmission cable (7) receiving electric power from a power supply (5) which is arranged onshore or at surface offshore, and which feeds the direct electrical heating cable (3). The subsea direct electrical heating assembly comprises a power conditioning arrangement (100) arranged at a subsea location, in a position between the power transmission cable (7) and the direct electrical heating cable (3). The power transmission cable (7) extends from the offshore or onshore power supply (5) and down to the power conditioning arrangement (100).

Claims

1. A subsea direct electrical heating assembly adapted to heat a hydrocarbon conducting steel pipeline arranged subsea, the subsea direct electric heating assembly comprising:

a direct electrical heating cable extending along and being connected to the steel pipeline and a power transmission cable receiving electric power from a power supply, arranged onshore or at surface offshore, and feeding the direct electrical heating cable;

a power conditioning arrangement arranged at a subsea location, in a position between the power transmission cable and the direct electrical heating cable; and

wherein the power transmission cable extends from the offshore or onshore power supply and down to the power conditioning arrangement.

2. A subsea direct electrical heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the power conditioning arrangement comprises a subsea capacitor arrangement.

3. A subsea direct electrical heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the power conditioning arrangement comprises a transformer.

4. A subsea direct electrical heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the direct electrical heating cable is arranged along and attached to the pipeline.

5. A subsea direct electrical heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the subsea direct electrical heating assembly is adapted to heat a plurality of pipeline sections which each constitutes a part of a longer pipeline as the direct electric heating assembly comprises a plurality of direct electric heating cables arranged along and/or in proximity to the pipeline sections and that for each pipeline section a said power conditioning arrangement is arranged between the power transmission cable and the section heating cables associated to each pipeline section.

6. A subsea direct electrical heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein power from said power transmission cable is fed to a direct electrical heating cable adapted to heat a pipeline extending between a subsea well and a compression facility, through the subsea power conditioning arrangement.

7. A subsea direct electrical heating assembly according to claim 2, wherein the subsea capacitor arrangement is in the kV and kVAr range or above, comprising a capacitor element arranged within a tank that prevents sea water entering the tank, wherein the tank is pressure balanced and filled with a pressure compensation fluid.

8. A subsea direct electrical heating assembly according to claim 3, wherein the transformer is arranged within the tank.

9. A subsea direct electrical heating assembly according to claim 7, wherein the capacitor arrangement is a variable capacitor arrangement, the capacitance of which is adjustable between an upper and lower value by means of an actuator arranged within the tank.

10. A subsea direct electrical heating assembly according to claim 3, wherein the transformer is an adjustable transformer.

11. A subsea direct electric heating assembly according to claim 3, wherein the power transmission cable comprises three phases and that three section heating cables are each connected between a different pair of phases.

12. A subsea direct electric heating assembly according to claim 11, comprising three sets of section heating cables, wherein each set comprises two or more section cables.

13. A subsea direct electric heating assembly according to claim 8, wherein the power conditioning arrangement is connected between the power transmission cable and a midpoint fed pipeline section, wherein two transformer terminals exit the tank through penetrators and are connected to respective ends of said pipeline section, and that a third transformer terminal is connected to a section midpoint connection cable that connects to a midpoint on the pipeline section between said respective ends, wherein the section midpoint connection cable is short circuited to a steel structure of the power conditioning arrangement as is also the third transformer terminal.

14. A subsea direct electric heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission cable extends at least 30 km between the power supply and said power conditioning arrangement.

15. A subsea direct electric heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the power conditioning arrangement is connected to a plurality of DEH cables which are arranged along different pipelines.

16. A subsea direct electric heating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the power conditioning arrangement is connected to a plurality of sets of a plurality of DEH cables, wherein each set is arranged to heat a plurality of parallel pipelines.