Arrangement and method for controlling and/or monitoring a subsea device

• US 9,858,810 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy AS (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Brekke, Endre, Horten, Vegard
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Zhen Y
• Application Number:
  US13/876,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20130307699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,472 Days
• Field of Search: 340850, 3408531
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25142 Lan between host and main controller, other network between main and sub controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25232 DCS, distributed control system, decentralised control unit
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer

Abstract

An arrangement for controlling and/or monitoring at least one subsea device may include: a first level node communicatively, in particular electrically and/or fiberoptically connectable to an equipment above a sea surface of a sea; at least one second level node communicatively, e.g., electrically and/or fiberoptically connected to the first level node and electrically connectable to the at least one subsea device, wherein the first level node and the at least one second level node are arrangeable at a sea bottom of the sea. A corresponding method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An arrangement for controlling and/or monitoring subsea devices comprising sensors and actuators located below a surface of a sea having a bottom, the arrangement comprising:

a first level subsea processor node in a first water sealed container and configured for (i) arrangement at a bottom of a sea, (ii) electrical or fiber-optic connection to equipment above the surface of the sea for communication with the equipment, and (iii) connection to multiple second level subsea router nodes configured for arrangement at the bottom of the sea;

a first second level subsea router node in a first second water sealed container and configured for arrangement at the bottom of the sea, electrically or fiber-optically connected to the first level subsea processor node via a first connector, wherein the first second level subsea router node comprises two or more communication interfaces with the subsea devices;

a first subsea device of the subsea devices configured for arrangement at the bottom of the sea comprising a first subsea sensor that generates a first measurement signal and a first subsea actuator that receives a first command signal, wherein the first subsea device is electrically or fiber-optically connected to the first second level subsea router node via a second connector, wherein the first second level subsea router node is configured to receive the first measurement signal from the first subsea sensor, generate the first command signal based at least in part on the first measurement signal, and communicate the first command signal to the first subsea actuator;

a further second level subsea router node in a further second water sealed container and configured for arrangement at the bottom of the sea, electrically or fiber-optically connected to the first level subsea processor node via a third connector, wherein the further second level subsea router node comprises two or more communication interfaces with the subsea devices, wherein the first level subsea processor node is connected to the multiple second level subsea router nodes in a ring configuration;

a second subsea device of the subsea devices configured for arrangement at the bottom of the sea comprising a second subsea sensor that generates a second measurement signal and a second subsea actuator that receives a second command signal, wherein the second subsea device is electrically or fiber-optically connected to the further second level subsea router node via a fourth connector, wherein the further second level subsea router node comprises a receiver configured to receive the second measurement signal from the second subsea sensor, a generator configured to generate a second command signal based at least in part on the second measurement signal, and a transmitter configured to communicate the second command signal to the second subsea actuator;

wherein the first level subsea processor node comprises;

a topside communication section for communicating with the equipment above the surface of the sea,

a processing section for processing the first measurement signal received from the first second level subsea router node and for generating the first command signal at the bottom of the sea for transmission to the first second level subsea router node, a receiver of measurement signals from the first subsea sensor and the second subsea sensor and a transmitter of command signals to the first subsea actuator and second subsea actuator without communicating with the equipment above the surface of the sea, and

a second level communication section for communicating the first measurement signal and the first command signal with the first second level subsea router node.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a subsea data bus via which the first second level subsea router node is electrically or fiber-optically connected to the first level subsea processor node.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first second level subsea router node is adapted to communicate with at least one of the subsea devices using at least one of the two or more communication interfaces of the first second level subsea router node.

4. The arrangement of claim 1,

wherein the further second level subsea router node comprises two second level subsea router nodes, and

wherein at least one of the two further second level subsea router nodes is adapted:

to receive the first measurement signal from the first subsea sensor included in the first subsea device, and

to transmit the first control signal to the second subsea actuator included in the second subsea device, wherein the first control signal is based on the first measurement signal.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first water sealed container of the first level subsea processor node further comprises a water sealed container enclosing at least one of the topside communication section, the processing section, and the second level communication section.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first level subsea processor node is configurable from the equipment above the surface of the sea.

7. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the subsea devices comprise at least one electrical device of a subsea electric power grid selected from a group consisting of a transformer, a controllable switch, a converter, an inductor, and a capacitor.

8. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one third level communicator node in a third water sealed container and electrically or fiber-optically connected to the first second level subsea router node via a fifth connector,

wherein the first second level subsea router node is electrically or fiber-optically connectable to at least one of the subsea devices via the fifth connector of the at least one third level communicator node, and

wherein the at least one third level communicator node is configured for arrangement at the bottom of the sea.

9. A method for controlling and/or monitoring a subsea device located below a surface of a sea having a bottom, the method comprising:

measuring a physical characteristic by a subsea sensor provided in the subsea device to obtain measurement data;

transferring the measurement data from the subsea sensor to a first level subsea processor node in a first water sealed container arranged at the bottom of the sea via a second level subsea router node in a second water sealed container arranged at the bottom of the sea and connected to the subsea device via a connector, wherein the second level subsea router node comprises two or more communication interfaces with the subsea device, wherein the first level subsea processor node is connected to the second level subsea router node in a ring configuration, wherein the first level subsea processor node comprises;

a topside communication section for communicating with an equipment above the surface of the sea,

a processing section for processing the measurement data received from the second level subsea router node and for generating a control signal at the bottom of the sea for transmission to the second level subsea router node, a receiver of measurement data from the subsea sensor and a transmitter of the control signal to a subsea actuator without communicating with the equipment above the surface of the sea, and

a second level communication section for communicating the measurement data and the control signal with the first second level subsea router node;

processing the measurement data at the bottom of the sea in the first level subsea processor node arranged at the sea bottom of the sea;

generating control signal at the bottom of the sea in the first level subsea processor node based on the measurement data received from the subsea sensor via the second level subsea router node;

transferring the control signal from the first level subsea processor node via the second level subsea router node to the subsea device; and

controlling the subsea device based on the control signal generated at the bottom of the sea by the first level subsea processor node.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed at a depth below the surface of the sea between 500 meters and 5,000 meters.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed at a depth below the surface of the sea between 2,000 meters and 4,000 meters.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transferring the control signal from the first level subsea processor node via the second level subsea router node to the subsea actuator comprised in the subsea device; and

controlling the subsea actuator based on the control signal.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the subsea actuator comprises a pump or a compressor.