Control of flexible riser curvature at the keel of a floating structure
US7556452B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 16, 2007 |
| Grant date | Jul 7, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 16, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B17/017
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A bend-limiting conduit controls the curvature of a catenary riser extending from the seafloor as it enters the centerwell of a spar-type offshore platform through the keel of the platform. The conduit has a bore dimensioned to receive the riser, and it extends from an upper end constrained within the keel to a lower end disposed below the keel. The conduit has increasing flexibility and weight per unit length from the upper end to the lower end, which results in a lateral load being applied to the riser as it passes through the conduit, thereby causing a gentle and gradual transition in the riser from a curved configuration at the lower end of the conduit, to a straight configuration as it emerges from the upper end of the conduit.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.