Patents by Inventor Alain Coutarel

Alain Coutarel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9664311
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a flexible submarine pipe comprising a plurality of layers, at least one layer of which comprises a polymer resin comprising at least one alumino-silicate or magnesium silicate nanotube chemically bonded to the polymer by a covalent bond, the method for preparing same and the use thereof for the transport of fluids, especially hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: TECHNIP FRANCE
    Inventors: Frédéric Tronc, Alain Coutarel
  • Patent number: 9266302
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a flexible underwater pipe intended for transporting fluids, in particular hydrocarbons, comprising at least one layer comprising a polymer resin comprising surface-modified titanium dioxide nanoparticles bonded to the polymer by a covalent and/or hydrogen bond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: TECHNIP FRANCE
    Inventors: Frédéric Tronc, Alain Coutarel
  • Patent number: 8741408
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a flexible underwater pipe intended for transporting fluids, notably hydrocarbons, comprising at least one layer comprising a polymeric resin comprising at least one polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane chemically bound to the polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Technip France
    Inventors: Frédéric Tronc, Alain Coutarel
  • Patent number: 8733446
    Abstract: The invention relates to a riser pipe installation that comprises a flexible duct of the non-bound type, the duct being vertically arranged between a mechanical connection with a submerged buoy at the stub on the one hand, and a mechanical connection with the seabed at the bottom on the other hand, wherein fluid connections are provided at the stub and at the bottom for connecting the riser pipe with surface equipment on the one hand and bottom equipment on the other hand; the bottom of the pipe is located at a depth of at least 1000 m where it is submitted to a computable maximum reverse bottom effect F, while the buoy is oversized in order to generate at the bottom of the riser pipe a reaction tension T higher than at least 50% or even 100% of the computable maximum reverse bottom effect F applied at the bottom of the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Technip France
    Inventors: Philippe Espinasse, Alain Coutarel, Isabel Teresa Waclawek
  • Patent number: 8640739
    Abstract: An undersea flexible pipe for conveying hydrocarbons, the pipe including from the inside to the outside an inner sealing sheath, at least one ply of traction armors wound about the inner sealing sheath, a deformable holding layer including at least one flexible ribbon or holding band wound about the traction armor ply, and at least one tubular structure surrounding the holding layer, wherein the ribbon includes fiber strands oriented substantially in the longitudinal direction of the ribbon. The ribbon is covered by a reinforcing layer of a polymer material for the deformation resistance of the holding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Technip France
    Inventors: Anh Tuan Do, Patrice Joël Louis Jung, Alain Coutarel
  • Patent number: 8561648
    Abstract: A flexible pipe and a method of producing it. The pipe has two tubular structures, internal and external, and a tubular axial blocking layer. The tubular blocking layer comprises two section wires each having a trapezoidal cross section. The trapezoidal cross section defines a base and two sloping lateral flanks. The base of one of the two section wires is oriented toward the internal tubular structure. The base of the other section wire is oriented in the opposite direction. The section wires are wound side by side forming contiguous coils. The internal tubular structure includes a wire having a wound structure to form transversely blocked coils. One of the two section wires is wound against said structure coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Technip France
    Inventors: Fabrice Bectarte, Alain Coutarel, Pascal Estrier, Patrice Joël Louis Jung, Jean Rigaud
  • Publication number: 20130247996
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a flexible submarine pipe comprising a plurality of layers, at least one layer of which comprises a polymer resin comprising at least one alumino-silicate or magnesium silicate nanotube chemically bonded to the polymer by a covalent bond, the method for preparing same and the use thereof for the transport of fluids, especially hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventors: Frédéric Tronc, Alain Coutarel
  • Publication number: 20130000734
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a flexible underwater pipe intended for transporting fluids, in particular hydrocarbons, comprising at least one layer comprising a polymer resin comprising surface-modified titanium dioxide nanoparticles bonded to the polymer by a covalent and/or hydrogen bond.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventors: Frédéric Tronc, Alain Coutarel
  • Publication number: 20120279575
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a flexible underwater pipe intended for transporting fluids, notably hydrocarbons, comprising at least one layer comprising a polymeric resin comprising at least one polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane chemically bound to the polymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventors: Frédéric Tronc, Alain Coutarel
  • Publication number: 20110120583
    Abstract: The pipe is intended for carrying a petroleum effluent comprising at least one of the acid compounds CO2 and H2S. The pipe comprises at least one metal element (3, 5) and a tubular sheath made of a polymer material (2, 4), the metal element being provided outside the sheath. The sheath consists of a mixture of a polymer material with a predetermined amount of products chemically active with said acid compounds so as to irreversibly neutralize the corrosive effects of said compounds and to limit the corrosive effects on said metal elements. The pipe is characterized in that the chemically active products are incorporated into the sheath in form of particles of specific surface area above 5 m2/g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventors: Alain Coutarel, Frédéric Demanze, Serge Gonzalez, Xavier Lefebvre, Marie-Hélène Klopffer, Emmanuel Vinciguerra, Bernard Dewimille
  • Patent number: 7766051
    Abstract: The invention relates to a flexible pipe for transporting hydrocarbons, comprising the following, from the inside towards the outside: a cylindrical structural set adapted in such a way that it can withstand radial stress and at least one first armure lap, said first armure lap comprising a plurality of armure threads wherein the armure threads consist of formed and flattened metal threads, the width of said armure I being greater than the thickness e when they are wound in parallel in the form of a spiral with a longitudinal pitch around the structure set, said threads forming an angle of less than 60° angle with the generators (G) of said structural set, and the width/thickness ratio of the armure threads is greater than 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Technip France
    Inventors: Alain Coutarel, Fabrice Bectarte
  • Patent number: 7716803
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a flexible pipe for conveyance of fluid, comprising: winding at least one metal element in a short pitch helix around an inner sealing sheath for withstanding radial forces in the inner sealing sheath; preshaping a metal strip to form at least one ply of tensile armor tendons; winding the ply of tensile armor tendons in a long pitch helix around the at least one metal element; and applying an external protective sealing sheath around the at least one ply of tensile armor tendons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Technip France
    Inventors: Alain Coutarel, Francois Dupoiron, Philippe Francois Espinasse
  • Publication number: 20100101675
    Abstract: An undersea flexible pipe for conveying hydrocarbons, the pipe including from the inside to the outside an inner sealing sheath (18), at least one ply of traction armors (14, 16) wound about the inner sealing sheath, a deformable holding layer (12) including at least one flexible ribbon or holding band wound about the traction armour ply, and at least one tubular structure (10) surrounding the holding layer, wherein the ribbon includes fiber strands are oriented substantially in the longitudinal direction of the ribbon. The ribbon is covered by a reinforcing layer of a polymer material for the deformation resistance of said holding layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventors: Anh Tuan Do, Patrice Joél Louis Jung, Alain Coutarel
  • Publication number: 20100089481
    Abstract: A flexible pipe and a method of producing it. The pipe has two tubular structures, internal and external, and a tubular axial blocking layer. The tubular blocking layer comprises two section wires each having a trapezoidal cross section. The trapezoidal cross section defines a base and two sloping lateral flanks. The base of one of the two section wires is oriented toward the internal tubular structure. The base of the other section wire is oriented in the opposite direction. The section wires are wound side by side forming contiguous coils. The internal tubular structure comprises a wire having a wound structure to form transversely blocked coils. One of said two section wires is wound against said structure coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Fabrice Bectarte, Alain Coutarel, Pascal Estrier, Patrice Joël Louis Jung, Jean Rigaud
  • Publication number: 20100018717
    Abstract: The invention relates to a riser pipe installation that comprises a flexible duct of the non-bound type, the duct being vertically arranged between a mechanical connection with a submerged buoy at the stub on the one hand, and a mechanical connection with the seabed at the bottom on the other hand, wherein fluid connections are provided at the stub and at the bottom for connecting the riser pipe with surface equipment on the one hand and bottom equipment on the other hand; the bottom of the pipe is located at a depth of at least 1000 m where it is submitted to a computable maximum reverse bottom effect F, while the buoy is oversized in order to generate at the bottom of the riser pipe a reaction tension T higher than at least 50% or even 100% of the computable maximum reverse bottom effect F applied at the bottom of the pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Philippe Espinasse, Alain Coutarel, Isabel Teresa Waclawek
  • Publication number: 20090050228
    Abstract: The invention relates to a flexible pipe for transporting hydrocarbons, comprising the following, from the inside towards the outside: a cylindrical structural set adapted in such a way that it can withstand radial stress and at least one first armure lap, said first armure lap comprising a plurality of armure threads wherein the armure threads consist of formed and flattened metal threads, the width of said armure I being greater than the thickness e when they are wound in parallel in the form of a spiral with a longitudinal pitch around the structure set, said threads forming an angle of less than 60° angle with the generators (G) of said structural set, and the width/thickness ratio of the armure threads is greater than 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventors: Alain Coutarel, Fabrice Bectarte
  • Patent number: 7445030
    Abstract: A flexible tubular pipe, for example, for the transport of hydrocarbons. The pipe comprises successive independent layers including helical coils of strips or different sections and at least one polymer sheath. At least one of the coils is a strip or strips of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Technip France
    Inventors: Jean Hardy, Alain Coutarel
  • Publication number: 20070125438
    Abstract: A flexible tubular pipe, for example, for the transport of hydrocarbons. The pipe comprises successive independent layers including helical coils of strips or different sections and at least one polymer sheath. At least one of the coils is a strip or strips of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2004
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Inventors: Jean Hardy, Alain Coutarel
  • Patent number: 7032623
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a flexible pipe structure wherein transverse displacement caused by buckling of the elongate elements of a tensile armouring layer when the pipe is being laid or used in deep sea is limited. The invention aims to reduce the play between the elongate elements of the tensile armouring layer so as to limit transverse displacement possibilities while providing the pipe with the required flexibility and mechanical characteristics. The elongate elements can freely move longitudinally in relation to one another to ensure flexibility of the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignees: Coflexip, Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Daniel Averbuch, Jean-Marc Leroy, Alain Coutarel
  • Patent number: 6966344
    Abstract: For limiting the lateral buckling of tensile armor plies of an underwater flexible pipe, that can be used in the offshore oil industry, the plies include from the outside inward, at least one external polymer sheath, a first outward retention layer of a defined thickness K1 wound around an upper outer tensile armor ply, at least one second inward retention layer of a defined stiffness K2 wound around each of at least one lower inner tensile armor ply. Stiffness K2 is preferably less than stiffness K1, i.e., the retention layers outward are less stiff. There is then an internal polymer sheath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Technip France
    Inventors: Alain Coutarel, Fabrice Bectarte