CONNECTOR WITH ACTUATABLE REACTION MEMBERS TO RESIST BENDING LOADS
A connector that is adapted to establish a sealed connection between first and second hubs includes a body that is adapted to be positioned adjacent to the first and second hubs, primary locking means for connecting the first hub to the second hub, and at least one actuatable reaction member that includes a threaded rod that is threadingly coupled to the connector body, wherein, when actuated, an inner surface of the at least one actuatable reaction member is adapted to be urged radially along a line of travel that is axially spaced apart from a sealing interface between the first and second hubs and into direct abutting contact with an outer surface of the first hub.
The present disclosure generally relates to connectors that are used to establish mating connection between separate hubs, and, more particularly, to a connector with actuatable reaction members to resist bending loads.
2. Description of the Related ArtIn many industries a sealing connection must be established between two hubs. Broadly speaking, in most applications this may be accomplished by use of a connector that contains a locking means for clamping the two hubs together so as to establish the seal between the two hubs. The structures and configurations of the hubs and the connector, as well as the mechanisms used to establish the sealing connection between such hubs is vast and varied. As one example, in the oil and gas industry, subsea wells normally have a large tubular wellhead positioned at the sea floor. A riser that extends from the wellhead to the surface, e.g., to a drill ship or a platform, is used during at least drilling operations. The riser contains a wellhead connector (a first hub) that is adapted to be coupled to the wellhead (a second hub) by the use of a hydraulically actuated connector. Typically, the sealing connection between the two hubs is established by actuating one or more hydraulic cylinders to force “dogs” into engagement with a profile (e.g., grooves) formed in the outer surface of the wellhead. Another example from the oil and gas industry is subsea flow lines wherein connections must be made between two tubular shaped flow lines that carry hydrocarbon fluids and gases. Of course, there are many industrial applications where such connections must be established that are not in a subsea environment, e.g., refineries and petrochemical plants, on-shore drilling operations, etc.
With reference to
In an effort to account for these bending loads 20, the connector 16 and/or portions of the hubs 12A/12B are made exceptionally large and robust so that these bending loads may be resisted and the sealed connection 14 is not lost. The connector body must be made sufficiently large and stiff enough so as to withstand all of the loads that it may be reasonably expected to experience during operation, as schematically depicted by the dashed line 26, including the bending force 20. However, using this approach in an effort to account for the bending loads is expensive in that the equipment itself is more expensive and means of handling and positioning such large connectors and hubs in their operating arrangement is more difficult and costly, especially in subsea applications.
The present disclosure is directed to various embodiment of a connector with actuatable reaction members that may avoid, or at least reduce, the effects of one or more of the problems identified above.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREThe following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the subject matter that is described in further detail below. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of the disclosure, nor is it intended to identify key or critical elements of the subject matter disclosed here. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is discussed later.
Generally, the present disclosure is directed to various embodiments of a connector with actuatable reaction members to resist bending loads. In one illustrative embodiment, a connector that is adapted to establish a sealed connection between first and second hubs is disclosed that includes, among other things, a body that is adapted to be positioned adjacent to the first and second hubs, primary locking means for connecting the first hub to the second hub, and at least one actuatable reaction member that includes a threaded rod that is threadingly coupled to the connector body, wherein, when actuated, an inner surface of the at least one actuatable reaction member is adapted to be urged radially along a line of travel that is axially spaced apart from a sealing interface between the first and second hubs and into direct abutting contact with an outer surface of the first hub.
In another exemplary embodiment disclosed herein, a connector that is adapted to establish a sealed connection between first and second hubs includes a body that is adapted to be positioned adjacent to the first and second hubs, primary locking means for connecting the first hub to the second hub, and a plurality of actuatable reaction members that are operatively coupled to the connector body, wherein each of the plurality of actuatable reaction members includes, among other things, a threaded rod that is threadingly coupled to the body and a partial-ring structure that is rotatably coupled to the threaded rod, wherein, when actuated, an inner surface of the partial-ring structure is adapted to be urged radially along a line of travel that is axially spaced apart from a sealing interface between the first and second hubs and into direct abutting contact with an outer surface of the first hub.
The disclosure may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:
While the subject matter disclosed herein is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the appended claims to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONVarious illustrative embodiments of the present subject matter are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
The present subject matter will now be described with reference to the attached figures.
Various systems, structures and devices are schematically depicted in the drawings for purposes of explanation only and so as to not obscure the present disclosure with details that are well known to those skilled in the art. Nevertheless, the attached drawings are included to describe and explain illustrative examples of the present disclosure. The words and phrases used herein should be understood and interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the understanding of those words and phrases by those skilled in the relevant art. No special definition of a term or phrase, i.e., a definition that is different from the ordinary and customary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art, is intended to be implied by consistent usage of the term or phrase herein. To the extent that a term or phrase is intended to have a special meaning, i.e., a meaning other than that understood by skilled artisans, such a special definition will be expressly set forth in the specification in a definitional manner that directly and unequivocally provides the special definition for the term or phrase.
As used in this description and in the appended claims, the terms “substantial” or “substantially” are intended to conform to the ordinary dictionary definition of that term, meaning “largely but not wholly that which is specified.” As such, no geometrical or mathematical precision is intended by the use of terms such as “substantially flat,” “substantially perpendicular,” “substantially parallel,” “substantially circular,” “substantially elliptical,” “substantially rectangular,” “substantially square,” “substantially aligned,” and/or “substantially flush,” and the like. Instead, the terms “substantial” or “substantially” are used in the sense that the described or claimed component or surface configuration, position, or orientation is intended to be manufactured, positioned, or oriented in such a configuration as a target. For example, the terms “substantial” or “substantially” should be interpreted to include components and surfaces that are manufactured, positioned, or oriented as close as is reasonably and customarily practicable within normally accepted tolerances for components of the type that are described and/or claimed. Furthermore, the use of phrases such as “substantially conform” or “substantially conforms” when describing the configuration or shape of a particular component or surface, such as by stating that “the configuration of the component substantially conforms to the configuration of a rectangular prism,” should be interpreted in similar fashion.
Furthermore, it should be understood that, unless otherwise specifically indicated, any relative positional or directional terms that may be used in the descriptions set forth below—such as “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” “over,” “under,” “top,” “bottom,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “lateral,” and the like—have been included so as to provide additional clarity to the description, and should be construed in light of that term's normal and everyday meaning relative to the depiction of the components or elements in the referenced figures. For example, referring to the schematic elevation view of the connection 100 depicted in
The present disclosure is generally directed to various embodiments of a connector with at least one actuatable reaction member to resist bending loads and thereby reduce the likelihood of hub separation. With reference to the attached figures, various illustrative embodiments of the methods and devices disclosed herein will now be described in more detail.
In general, the connector 116 includes a body 116A that has one or more actuatable reaction members 130 positioned in one or more recesses 116B. As will be more fully discussed below, the number, size, spacing and configuration of the actuatable reaction member(s) 130 may vary depending upon the particular application. The actuatable reaction member(s) 130 have an inner surface 130S while the lower hub 112A has an outer surface 112S, e.g., an outer cylindrical surface. In general, an actuation force 132 urges the actuatable reaction member(s) 130 toward the outer surface 112S of the lower hub 112A. In one embodiment, the actuatable reaction member(s) 130 travel radially inward along a line of travel 133 that is axially spaced apart from a sealing interface 135 between the two hubs by a distance 134. The magnitude of the distance 134 may vary depending upon the particular application; however, the line of travel 133 should generally be located below the primary locking means 129 to improve reaction to bending moments 120. In the depicted example, the actuatable reaction member(s) 130 are axially spaced apart from the primary locking interface between the two hubs 112A/112B.
The actuation force 132 may be applied by any desired means, e.g., hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, etc. The manner in which components like the novel actuatable reaction member(s) 130 may be urged into a desired operational position are well known to those skilled in the art, e.g., interacting cam surfaces, threaded rods that are rotationally coupled to the one or more actuatable reaction members 130, etc. In one example, the actuation force 132 may be applied to the actuatable reaction member(s) 130 by means of one or more hydraulic pistons. The hydraulic piston(s) used to apply the actuation force 132 may be part of another hydraulic system or it may be part of a dedicated, stand-alone hydraulic system. In one particular embodiment, the actuation force 132 may be supplied using a hydraulic piston that is used to actuate the primary locking means (schematically depicted by lines 129 in
In the situation depicted in
As indicated above, the number, size, spacing and configuration of the actuatable reaction member(s) 130 may vary depending upon the particular application. In the embodiment depicted in
With reference to
The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the subject matter defined by the appended claims may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. For example, some or all of the process steps set forth above may be performed in a different order. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the claimed subject matter. Note that the use of terms, such as “first,” “second,” “third” or “fourth” to describe various processes or structures in this specification and in the attached claims is only used as a shorthand reference to such steps/structures and does not necessarily imply that such steps/structures are performed/formed in that ordered sequence. Of course, depending upon the exact claim language, an ordered sequence of such processes may or may not be required. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.
Claims
1. A connector that is adapted to establish a sealed connection between first and second hubs, the connector comprising:
- a body that is adapted to be positioned adjacent to the first and second hubs;
- primary locking means for connecting the first hub to the second hub; and
- at least one actuatable reaction member comprising a threaded rod that is threadingly coupled to the connector body, wherein, when actuated, an inner surface of the at least one actuatable reaction member is adapted to be urged radially along a line of travel that is axially spaced apart from a sealing interface between the first and second hubs and into direct abutting contact with an outer surface of the first hub.
2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the at least one actuatable reaction member is an end surface of the threaded rod.
3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuatable reaction member comprises a plurality of actuatable reaction members.
4. The connector of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuatable reaction member further comprises a partial-ring structure that is rotatably coupled to the threaded rod, the inner surface of the at least one actuatable reaction member being an inner surface of the partial-ring structure.
5. The connector of claim 4, wherein the partial-ring structure is rotatably coupled to the threaded rod with a ball and socket joint.
6. The connector of claim 4, wherein the inner surface of the partial-ring structure has a radius of curvature that is substantially the same as a radius of curvature of the outer surface of the first hub.
7. The connector of claim 4, wherein the at least one actuatable reaction member comprises a plurality of actuatable reaction members.
8. The connector of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the at least one actuatable reaction member is positioned in a recess formed in the body.
9. The connector of claim 4, wherein the threaded rod is a first threaded rod, the at least one actuatable reaction member further comprising a second threaded rod that is rotatably coupled to the partial-ring structure.
10. The connector of claim 9, wherein the at least one actuatable reaction member further comprises at least one third threaded rod that is rotatably coupled to the partial-ring structure.
11. The connector of claim 10, wherein the partial-ring structure is a C-shaped ring structure.
12. The connector of claim 1, wherein the first hub comprises a wellhead and the second hub comprises a riser.
13. The connector of claim 1, wherein, when actuated, the inner surface of the at least one actuatable reaction member is further adapted to be urged radially into an operating position wherein the inner surface is positioned adjacent to but does not contact the outer surface of the first hub.
14. A connector that is adapted to establish a sealed connection between first and second hubs, the connector comprising:
- a body that is adapted to be positioned adjacent to the first and second hubs;
- primary locking means for connecting the first hub to the second hub; and
- a plurality of actuatable reaction members that are operatively coupled to the connector body, each of the plurality of actuatable reaction members comprising: a threaded rod that is threadingly coupled to the body; and a partial-ring structure that is rotatably coupled to the threaded rod, wherein, when actuated, an inner surface of the partial-ring structure is adapted to be urged radially along a line of travel that is axially spaced apart from a sealing interface between the first and second hubs and into direct abutting contact with an outer surface of the first hub.
15. The connector of claim 14, wherein each partial-ring structure is rotatably coupled to a respective threaded rod with a ball and socket joint.
16. The connector of claim 14, wherein the inner surface of each partial-ring structure has a radius of curvature that is substantially the same as a radius of curvature of the outer surface of the first hub.
17. The connector of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of actuatable reaction members is positioned in a recess formed in the body.
18. The connector of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of actuatable reaction members comprises a plurality of threaded rods that are each rotatably coupled to a respective partial-ring structure.
19. The connector of claim 14, wherein the first hub comprises a wellhead and the second hub comprises a riser.
20. The connector of claim 14, wherein, when actuated, the inner surface of the at least one actuatable reaction member is further adapted to be urged radially into an operating position wherein the inner surface is positioned adjacent to but does not contact the outer surface of the first hub.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 21, 2018
Publication Date: Dec 13, 2018
Inventors: Richard Murphy (Houston, TX), Jasmeet S. Johar (Houston, TX), Scott Coltman (Clackmannanshire), Barry Stewart (East Dunbartonshire)
Application Number: 16/106,433