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Systems and methods for protecting subsea pipeline from excessive stress or fatigue loading

  • US 8,961,071 B2
  • Filed: 03/15/2013
  • Issued: 02/24/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for protecting subsea pipeline from stress and/or fatigue loading, comprising:

  • a plurality of lifting buoyancy modules capable of being attached to a subsea pipeline in a normally non-activated state and having an activation mechanism associated there with comprising an inflator located within each of the plurality of lifting buoyancy modules capable of increasing the volume of the lifting buoyancy module; and

    at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, a current meter, a sound detector, a vibration detector and combinations thereof in communication with the activation mechanism of the plurality of lifting buoyancy modules for detecting an onset of a triggering event and upon detecting the onset of a triggering event, sending a signal to the activation mechanism to activate the associated lifting buoyancy module to lift the pipeline;

    wherein the plurality of lifting buoyancy modules has sufficient buoyancy when at least a portion of the plurality of lifting buoyancy modules is activated to lift the subsea pipeline off the seabed to a predetermined height over a predetermined length.

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