Subsea cooler
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A subsea cooling unit comprising:
- a piping arrangement which includes a fluid inlet for a fluid stream produced from one or more subsea wells, a fluid outlet for the fluid stream, and a number of coils which are connected between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet;
a duct in which the coils are housed, the duct being submerged in the sea and including a duct inlet and a duct outlet which are submerged in the sea such that the coils are also submerged in the sea;
means for generating a flow of seawater past the coils, said means including a propeller which is located in the duct and is rotated by an actuator;
wherein as the fluid stream flows through the coils the seawater flows through the duct and over the coils to cool the fluid stream.
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Abstract
The present invention regards a subsea cooling unit having an inlet for a hot fluid and an outlet for cooled fluid, the cooling unit comprising a number of coils exposed to seawater, and means for generating a flow of seawater past the coils, where the means for generating the flow of seawater comprises a propeller and a rotatable actuator and that the cooler is enclosed in a duct.
66 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A subsea cooling unit comprising:
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a piping arrangement which includes a fluid inlet for a fluid stream produced from one or more subsea wells, a fluid outlet for the fluid stream, and a number of coils which are connected between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; a duct in which the coils are housed, the duct being submerged in the sea and including a duct inlet and a duct outlet which are submerged in the sea such that the coils are also submerged in the sea; means for generating a flow of seawater past the coils, said means including a propeller which is located in the duct and is rotated by an actuator; wherein as the fluid stream flows through the coils the seawater flows through the duct and over the coils to cool the fluid stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 20, 21, 22)
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5. A cooling unit for cooling a fluid stream which comprises:
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a piping arrangement which includes a fluid inlet for the fluid stream, a fluid outlet for the fluid stream, and a number of coils which are positioned in a duct and are connected between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; and a first propeller which is positioned in the duct and which when rotated generates a flow of cooling fluid past the coils; and means for rotating the first propeller, said rotating means including a second propeller which is positioned in either the fluid inlet or the fluid outlet; wherein the fluid stream rotates the second propeller to thereby power the first propeller. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for subsea cooling of a fluid stream produced from one or more subsea wells, the method comprising:
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directing the fluid stream into a fluid inlet, through a number of coils housed in a duct, and then through a fluid outlet, said duct being submerged in the sea and comprising a duct inlet and a duct outlet which are submerged in the sea such that the coils are also submerged in the sea; and driving the seawater through the duct and past the coils with a propeller to thereby enable the seawater to absorb heat from the fluid stream, said propeller being located in the duct.
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11. A subsea cooling apparatus for cooling a fluid stream with seawater, the cooling apparatus comprising:
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a pipe arrangement through which the fluid stream is directed; a duct within which at least a portion of the pipe arrangement is housed, said duct being submerged in the sea and comprising a duct inlet and a duct outlet which are submerged in the sea such that said portion of the pipe arrangement is also submerged in the sea; a first propeller which when rotated generates a flow of seawater through the duct and over said portion of the pipe arrangement, said first propeller being located within the duct; and means for rotating the first propeller. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification