Patents by Inventor George Karabelas
George Karabelas 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).
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Patent number: 10197339Abstract: Apparatus and method for maintaining temperature in a sub-sea device, in particular in relation to fluid in the device. A material having a high latent heat on phase change is used to release latent heat to the fluid when the fluid temperature decreases towards a threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2017Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: George Karabelas, Duncan Edward Reay
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Patent number: 9976681Abstract: A fluid sealing element, a fluid sealing assembly, a method of providing a fluid seal, and a method of terminating a flexible pipe body in an end fitting are disclosed. The fluid sealing element (802) has an annular body portion locatable between an end fitting body (801) and an inner collar member (808) of an end fitting, and a tapered portion extending substantially perpendicular to the annular body portion at a radially inner region thereof. The method includes urging a fluid retaining layer (804) of a flexible pipe radially outwardly against an abutment surface of the inner collar member of the end fitting.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2012Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: GE OIL & GAS UK LIMITEDInventors: George Karabelas, Richard Alasdair Clements
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Publication number: 20180080722Abstract: Apparatus and method for maintaining temperature in a sub-sea device, in particular in relation to fluid in the device. A material having a high latent heat on phase change is used to release latent heat to the fluid when the fluid temperature decreases towards a threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2017Publication date: March 22, 2018Applicant: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: George Karabelas, Duncan Edward Reay
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Patent number: 9909694Abstract: Flexible pipe body for transporting fluids from a sub-sea location includes a carcass layer comprising adjacent interlocked annular elements each comprising a body portion that extends around an inner circumference of a bore region and a channel region provided within the body. A method of manufacturing flexible pipe body is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2015Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: Geoffrey Stephen Graham, George Karabelas
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Patent number: 9851157Abstract: Apparatus and method for maintaining temperature in a sub-sea device, in particular in relation to fluid in the device. A material having a high latent heat on phase change is used to release latent heat to the fluid when the fluid temperature decreases towards a threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2012Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: George Karabelas, Duncan Edward Reay
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Patent number: 9708864Abstract: A riser assembly for transporting fluids from a sub-sea location is disclosed. The riser assembly includes a riser having at least one segment of flexible pipe and a plurality of buoyancy compensating elements connected to the riser and connected together in an in-line configuration to form a mid-line buoyancy section. The riser assembly also includes at least one buoyancy aid connected to the riser at a position above and spaced apart from the mid-line buoyancy section. The at least one buoyancy aid forms a first distributed buoyancy section and is sufficiently buoyant to maintain a tension load on the riser between the first distributed buoyancy section and the mid-line line buoyancy section. The riser assembly further includes at least one further buoyancy compensating element connected to the riser at a position above and spaced apart from the first distributed buoyancy section to form a second distributed buoyancy section.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2014Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: Zhimin Tan, Yucheng Hou, Yuan Tian, Yanqiu Zhang, Fabio de Souza Pires, George Karabelas
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Patent number: 9534719Abstract: An outer collar member of an end fitting for a flexible pipe. The apparatus comprises an outer collar body portion and an outer collar neck portion extending away from the outer collar body portion. The neck portion is arranged to be secured to a portion of flexible pipe body in a slotted position between layers of the flexible pipe body. The position is located between an outer sheath of the flexible pipe body and at least one armour layer of the flexible pipe body wherein the outer collar body portion comprises a curved inner surface region for determining a radius of curvature of wires of the armour layer bent away from an axis of the flexible pipe bodies and supported by the curved inner surface when the pipe body is mounted in the end fitting.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2014Date of Patent: January 3, 2017Assignee: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: Tony Eccleston, George Karabelas, Zhimin Tan
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Publication number: 20160177633Abstract: A riser assembly for transporting fluids from a sub-sea location is disclosed. The riser assembly includes a riser having at least one segment of flexible pipe and a plurality of buoyancy compensating elements connected to the riser and connected together in an in-line configuration to form a mid-line buoyancy section. The riser assembly also includes at least one buoyancy aid connected to the riser at a position above and spaced apart from the mid-line buoyancy section. The at least one buoyancy aid forms a first distributed buoyancy section and is sufficiently buoyant to maintain a tension load on the riser between the first distributed buoyancy section and the mid-line line buoyancy section. The riser assembly further includes at least one further buoyancy compensating element connected to the riser at a position above and spaced apart from the first distributed buoyancy section to form a second distributed buoyancy section.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2014Publication date: June 23, 2016Applicant: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: Zhimin Tan, Yucheng Hou, Yuan Tian, Yanqiu Zhang, Fabio de Souza Pires, George Karabelas
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Publication number: 20160010770Abstract: Flexible pipe body for transporting fluids from a sub-sea location includes a carcass layer comprising adjacent interlocked annular elements each comprising a body portion that extends around an inner circumference of a bore region and a channel region provided within the body. A method of manufacturing flexible pipe body is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2015Publication date: January 14, 2016Applicant: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: Geoffrey Stephen Graham, George Karabelas
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Patent number: 9206929Abstract: Flexible pipe body for transporting fluids from a sub-sea location includes a carcass layer comprising adjacent interlocked annular elements each comprising a body portion that extends around an inner circumference of a bore region and a channel region provided within the body. A method of manufacturing flexible pipe body is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2010Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: Geoffrey Stephen Graham, George Karabelas
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Patent number: 9151121Abstract: A buoyancy compensating element for connection to a flexible pipe and method of producing a buoyancy compensating element are disclosed for increasing or decreasing buoyancy of the portion of flexible pipe. The buoyancy compensating element includes a body portion; and a channel extending through the body portion for receiving a portion of flexible pipe, wherein the body portion and channel are configured such that when a portion of flexible pipe is received in the channel, the portion of pipe has increasing ability to flex towards an end of the channel.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2012Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: Zhimin Tan, George Karabelas
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Patent number: 9046203Abstract: Flexible pipe body for transporting fluids from a sub-sea location, including a carcass layer comprising a plurality of independent hoop elements each comprising a body portion having a circular outer surface that circles around an inner circumference of a bore region of the flexible pipe, said body portion being arranged to interlock adjacent hoop elements together. A method of manufacturing flexible pipe body is also enclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2010Date of Patent: June 2, 2015Assignee: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: Geoffrey Stephen Graham, George Karabelas
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Publication number: 20150076813Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing an outer collar member of an end fitting for a flexible pipe. The apparatus comprises an outer collar body portion and an outer collar neck portion extending away from the outer collar body portion. The neck portion is arranged to be secured to a portion of flexible pipe body in a slotted position between layers of the flexible pipe body. The position is located between an outer sheath of the flexible pipe body and at least one armour layer of the flexible pipe body wherein the outer collar body portion comprises a curved inner surface region for determining a radius of curvature of wires of the armour layer bent away from an axis of the flexible pipe bodies and supported by the curved inner surface when the pipe body is mounted in the end fitting.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2014Publication date: March 19, 2015Applicant: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: Tony Eccleston, George Karabelas, Zhimin Tan
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Publication number: 20140373964Abstract: Flexible pipe body and method of manufacturing a flexible pipe body, the pipe body including a flexible pipe body, comprising: a tubular layer (304) for forming a collapse resistant layer, the layer comprising corrugations, the layer having a radially inner surface (314) and a radially outer surface (312), and each of the radially inner and radially outer surfaces having at least one groove (318, 322) provided therein, and at least one reinforcing element (310, 810) provided at least partially within the groove of at least one of the radially outer surface and the radially inner surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2012Publication date: December 25, 2014Inventors: George Karabelas, Andrew Burton, Geoffery Stephen Graham
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Publication number: 20140326460Abstract: A buoyancy compensating element for connection to a flexible pipe and method of producing a buoyancy compensating element are disclosed for increasing or decreasing buoyancy of the portion of flexible pipe. The buoyancy compensating element includes a body portion; and a channel extending through the body portion for receiving a portion of flexible pipe, wherein the body portion and channel are configured such that when a portion of flexible pipe is received in the channel, the portion of pipe has increasing ability to flex towards an end of the channel.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2012Publication date: November 6, 2014Applicant: WELLSTREAM INTERNATIONAL LIMITEDInventors: Zhimin Tan, George Karabelas
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Publication number: 20140116665Abstract: Apparatus and method for maintaining temperature in a sub-sea device, in particular in relation to fluid in the device. A material having a high latent heat on phase change is used to release latent heat to the fluid when the fluid temperature decreases towards a threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2012Publication date: May 1, 2014Applicant: WELLSTREAM INTERNATIONAL LIMITEDInventors: George Karabelas, Duncan Edward Reay
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Patent number: 8689423Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing fluid turbulence in a flexible pipe are disclosed. The method includes the steps of urging an elongate roll of liner material along a bore region provided by an inner surface of an innermost layer of a flexible pipe body, and at least partially unfurling the roll of liner material thereby extending the roll of liner material radially outwardly in the bore region into an abutting relationship against the inner surface of the carcass.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2009Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: Wellstream International LimitedInventors: George Karabelas, Laurence James Baldwin
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Publication number: 20140049039Abstract: A fluid sealing element, a fluid sealing assembly, a method of providing a fluid seal, and a method of terminating a flexible pipe body in an end fitting are disclosed. The fluid sealing element (802) has an annular body portion locatable between an end fitting body (801) and an inner collar member (808) of an end fitting, and a tapered portion extending substantially perpendicular to the annular body portion at a radially inner region thereof. The method includes urging a fluid retaining layer (804) of a flexible pipe radially outwardly against an abutment surface of the inner collar member of the end fitting.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2012Publication date: February 20, 2014Applicant: WELLSTREAM INTERNATIONAL LIMITEDInventors: George Karabelas, Richard Alasdair Clements
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Publication number: 20130208259Abstract: Apparatus and method for monitoring at least one parameter associated with an elongate structure are disclosed. The apparatus may include at least one elongate support body element arranged along a longitudinal structure axis associated with an elongate target structure; and at least one optic fibre element arranged substantially helically along a longitudinal body element axis associated with the at least one support body element. A method of manufacturing flexible pipe body is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2011Publication date: August 15, 2013Applicant: Wellstream International LimitedInventors: Geoffrey Stephen Graham, Andrew James Daton-Lovett, Upul Shanthilal Fernando, George Karabelas, Gary Michael Holland, Richard Alasdiar Clements
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Publication number: 20130056105Abstract: Flexible pipe body for transporting fluids from a sub-sea location, including a carcass layer comprising a plurality of independent hoop elements each comprising a body portion having a circular outer surface that circles around an inner circumference of a bore region of the flexible pipe, said body portion being arranged to interlock adjacent hoop elements together. A method of manufacturing flexible pipe body is also enclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2010Publication date: March 7, 2013Inventors: Geoffrey Stephen Graham, George Karabelas