Patent Application
20220025739
This invention relates to the challenges of transferring or transmitting power over a long distance underwater.
The invention may, for example, be applied to the supply of power from an onshore electric power source to an electric power consumer far offshore, such as a subsea installation for the production of oil and gas. Conversely, the invention may also be applied to conveying power from a source of electric power far offshore, such as an installation for generating renewable energy, to an onshore electric power grid.
The invention may also be used to transfer power between offshore locations that are far distant from each other. An example is from an offshore platform to a remote subsea processing unit that receives power from the platform to process hydrocarbons that then flow back to the platform.
There is an increasing need to use, to generate and to transmit electrical energy offshore and in particular at subsea locations. That need has been driven by the growth in offshore renewable energy generation and by an increasing requirement for high-power electrically-driven subsea equipment, particularly in the subsea oil and gas industry. An example of such equipment is a hydraulic power unit or HPU that is required to actuate remotely-operable hydraulically-driven valves or pumps installed on the seabed.
Previously, subsea valves or pumps have usually been used near offshore oil and gas production platforms that provide a conveniently close source of power. However, with the trend to exploit marginal subsea oil and gas fields, including remote or inaccessible fields, there is a need to minimise the cost of producing hydrocarbons from such fields. One approach to this is to transfer at least some conventionally-topside production and storage functions to a subsea location, hence displacing at least some hydrocarbon processing steps from topside to the seabed.
Moving processing steps from topside to a subsea location involves placing electrically-powered equipment not just underwater but also close to wherever the subsea well may be. As a subsea well could be many kilometres away from a convenient source of electric power such as a platform or a populated coastline, it follows that there is a need to supply electric power at high voltage and/or high current over an inconveniently long distance underwater.
Various proposals have been made for long-distance transfer of electric power. For example, WO 2013/077744 discloses high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission underwater. However, electrical cables that are suitable for underwater use are extremely expensive. Such cables also need to be manufactured in a single length, which involves an increasing risk of detrimental defects arising over long distances.
WO 2017/044268 describes launching a guided surface wave across a sea/air interface in order to transfer power from an offshore location. Power losses limit the maximum transmission distance that is achievable by that method.
Against this background, one aspect of the invention resides in a subsea long-distance power-transmission system. The system comprises: an electrically-driven pumping station arranged to produce a flow of pressurised working fluid; an electricity generating station having an electrical generator coupled to a fluid-powered machine; and a supply duct extending across the seabed between the pumping station and the generating station, that duct being arranged to convey the flow of working fluid from the pumping station to power the machine. The pumping station and/or the generating station may be situated underwater and may be separated by a distance of 100 km or more.
The system may further comprise a remote electric power source that is connected to the pumping station by a cable. For example, the electric power source may be at an above-surface location. Similarly, the system may further comprise a subsea installation that is connected to the generating station to be powered electrically by energy conveyed along the supply duct by the flow of working fluid.
The system may be arranged as a closed loop, in which case the system further comprises a return duct extending across the seabed between the generating station and the pumping station. The return duct is arranged to convey the flow of working fluid from the generating station to the pumping station for re-pressurisation. In a closed-loop system, the working fluid could, for example, be fresh water or monoethylene glycol (MEG).
Alternatively, the system may be arranged as an open loop. In that case, the working fluid is seawater, the pumping station comprises a seawater inlet in fluid communication with one end of the supply duct and the generating station comprises a seawater outlet in fluid communication with an opposite end of the supply duct.
In both closed-loop and open-loop configurations, the system may further comprise a production flowline that extends along the supply duct and that is in fluid communication with a subsea source of hydrocarbon production fluid. Conveniently, the production flowline may be disposed within and extend along the interior of the supply duct. A heater may act on the working fluid in the supply duct. The production fluid suitably flows in the production flowline in contra-flow to the working fluid flowing in the supply duct.
The supply duct may comprise a penstock that has an accelerator portion tapering toward the generating station.
The generating station may, for example, comprise at least one turbo-generator assembly that has: a hollow housing arranged to maintain a gas-filled space within the housing; at least one working fluid inlet extending through the housing to effect fluid communication between the supply duct and the gas-filled space; and a Pelton turbine supported within the housing to turn in the gas-filled space in reaction to the flow of the working fluid entering the gas-filled space via the or each working fluid inlet.
The generator may conveniently be supported by the housing of the turbo-generator assembly. The housing may further comprise a chamber for receiving the working fluid after the working fluid has impinged on the turbine. The housing may be penetrated by at least one working fluid outlet that is in fluid communication with the pumping station or with the surrounding seawater.
The inventive concept embraces a corresponding method of transmitting power over a long distance underwater. The method comprises: supplying electric power from an electric power source to an electrically-driven pumping station; using the electric power in the pumping station to produce a flow of pressurised working fluid; conveying the flow of working fluid across the seabed from the pumping station to a machine remote from the pumping station; using the working fluid to power the machine; generating electric power in a generator driven by the machine; and supplying the electric power from the generator to an electric power consumer.
The method may comprise returning the flow of working fluid across the seabed from the machine to the pumping station, re-pressurising the flow and recirculating the flow back across the seabed to the machine in a closed loop. Alternatively, the method may comprise drawing seawater into the pumping station from the surrounding sea to constitute the flow of working fluid and expelling the seawater into the surrounding sea after using the seawater to power the machine.
A flow of hydrocarbon production fluid may be conveyed parallel to the flow of working fluid between the pumping station and the machine. For example, the flow of production fluid may be surrounded with the flow of working fluid. Where the flow of working fluid is heated, it is advantageous for the flow of production fluid to be opposed in direction to the flow of working fluid.
The invention adopts an alternative approach to power transmission that removes the need for a long subsea electrical cable and for isolation or connection of associated electrical systems. The invention relies instead on the pressure and flow of a working fluid, which may be water or another liquid.
Embodiments of the invention provide a system for transferring electric power over a long distance. The system comprises: an electrically-powered pump; at least one conduit for transporting a fluid pressurised by the pump; and at least one turbine assembly at the other end of the at least one conduit; wherein the turbine of the turbine assembly is rotated by the pressurised fluid and thereby produces electricity. The length of the conduit may, for example, be more than 100 km. This and other components of the system are preferably located substantially entirely underwater. For example, the electrically-powered pump may be located on the seabed although its power supply could come from above the surface.
In some embodiments, the fluid system is a closed-loop system comprising a higher-pressure supply fluid path from the pump to the turbine and a lower-pressure return fluid path from the turbine to the pump. For example, the conduit may comprise a pipe-in-pipe pipeline, wherein an inner pipe contains pressurised fluid flowing to the turbine and an annulus or other space around the inner pipe contains return fluid flowing back to the pump, or vice-versa.
In a closed-loop system, the fluid is preferably fresh water or water treated with additives to combat corrosion and microbial growth. However, the fluid could be another liquid such as MEG.
In other embodiments, the fluid system is an open-loop system in which the electrically-powered pump draws in and pressurises seawater above the prevailing hydrostatic pressure and the turbine rejects the seawater back into the sea. In that case, the conduit may be a single water pipeline, preferably with an inner diameter that is greater than 20 feet (6.1 metres).
A conduit for use in the invention may, for example, be a pipeline of thermoplastic composite pipe, steel pipe, polymer-lined pipe or any combination of such pipes. The conduit may contain at least one flowline for transporting a hydrocarbon production fluid. The conduit may contain at least one heating element such as an electrical heating cable.
Thus, the invention provides an alternative to long-distance subsea power cables, using pipes or pipe-in-pipe structures to transport high pressure water out to an offshore location and there to generate power remotely using a subsea turbine. Return water may, optionally, be pumped back by suction of a nearshore pump.
Advantageously, the invention avoids having to convert from HVAC to HVDC and back to HVAC for subsea transport of power over long distances. Normally such a solution would require topside facilities.
In summary, a subsea long-distance power-transmission system of the invention comprises an electrically-driven pumping station for producing a flow of pressurised working fluid and an electricity generating station that has an electrical generator coupled to a fluid-powered machine. A supply duct extends across the seabed between the pumping station and the generating station, that duct being arranged to convey the flow of working fluid from the pumping station to power the machine. Electric power is supplied to the pumping station from an electric power source, such as a national power grid, and is supplied from the generator to an electric power consumer far distant from the power source, such as a subsea oil and gas installation.
In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring firstly to
In this example, the source 12 is on land 18 but it could instead be beneath the surface 20, for example as part of an offshore renewable energy installation. Conversely the consumer of electric power could instead be above the surface 20, for example a community on an island that is separated from the mainland by an expanse of sea.
The subsea installation 14 is far distant from the source 12, in the order of several tens of kilometres away and potentially substantially more than 100 km away, for example 150 km to 300 km away.
In accordance with the invention, the power transmitting arrangement 10 comprises a subsea power transmitting link 22 that, in this example, lies on the seabed 16. The link 22 conveys power along most, and potentially nearly all, of the distance between the source 12 and the subsea installation 14. At one end, close to the source 12, the link 22 converts electrical energy from the source 12 into kinetic energy and potential energy by creating a flow of working fluid at elevated working pressure. The fluid flows along the link to drive a machine at the other end of the link, close to the subsea installation. The machine drives a generator to convert the energy conveyed by the fluid back into electrical energy to power the subsea installation 14.
Thus, at its end closest to the source 12, the link 22 comprises an electrically-driven pumping station 24. Conversely, at its end closest to the subsea installation 14, the link 22 comprises a generating station 26 that in this example comprises a turbo-generator assembly. At least one fluid conduit 28 extends across the seabed 16 between the pumping station 24 and the generating station 26.
The pumping station 24 may comprise one or more pumps of any suitable type, such as a positive-displacement pump, a centrifugal pump or any combination of two or more pumps.
The or each pump of the pumping station 24 is driven by an integral electric motor that is powered via a conventional electric power cable 30 extending from the source 12 to the pumping station 24. To reduce its cost and to maximise its reliability, the cable 30 should be as short as possible and hence only as long as is necessary to connect the pumping station 24 on the seabed 16 to the source 12 on land 18. As a non-limiting example, the cable 30 may be from 5 km to 15 km long.
A second, much shorter connector 32 connects the generating station 26 to a power distribution system of the subsea installation 14.
Moving on now to
The turbo-generator assembly of the generating station 26 comprises a hollow, rigid, pressure-resistant and self-supporting domed shell or housing 36. The housing 36 is rotationally symmetrical around a substantially vertical central axis 38 and so is circular in plan view.
The housing 36 contains a generally toroidal manifold or ring duct 40 for receiving high-pressure working fluid 42 from the fluid conduit 28. The ring duct 40 encircles the central axis 38. The housing 36 also encloses, and the ring duct 40 also surrounds, a Pelton turbine 44 that is supported to spin about the central axis 38. Such a turbine 44 is characterised by an array of circumferentially-facing buckets that are distributed angularly around the central axis 38.
The ring duct 40 supports, and is in fluid communication with, an array of nozzles 46 that face inwardly from the ring duct 40 and are spaced angularly from each other around the central axis 38. The nozzles 46 are offset angularly from radial alignment with respect to the central axis 38, all in the same circumferential direction. Thus, the nozzles 46 have tangential orientation to direct jets of high-pressure fluid from the ring duct 40 into the buckets of the turbine 44 with substantial circumferential or tangential momentum. The buckets reverse the flow of the jets to maximise the momentum change and hence the reaction force applied to the turbine 44.
The housing 36 is surmounted by, and supports the weight of, a generator 48 such as an alternator. The generator 48 closes an open top of the housing 36 and is coupled to the turbine 44 by a drive shaft 50 that also spins on the central axis 38.
A transformer may conveniently also be mounted on top of the housing 36, for example on top of the generator 48, but has been omitted from these simplified views. For example, the transformer could instead be positioned elsewhere and connected to the generator 48 by cables or other conductors.
In the embodiments shown in
The ring duct 40 is in fluid communication with one or more supply ducts 56 of the fluid conduit 28, through which the ring duct 40 receives a flow of high-pressure working fluid 42 that is expelled, in use, from an outlet 58 of the pumping station 24.
In the examples shown in
On entering the ring duct 40, the incoming flow accelerated by the penstock 60 is deflected to follow the ring duct 40 in a circumferential direction corresponding to that of the jets projected by the nozzles 46. In consequence, a high-pressure, high-velocity flow of liquid impinges against the buckets of the turbine 44 and so drives the turbine 44 efficiently.
The link 22A of the embodiment shown in
Specifically, the conduit 28A shown in
Turning next to the links 22B, 22C shown in
The link 22C shown in
As
The cross-sectional view of the conduit 28C in
In this example, the supply duct is defined externally by a carrier pipe 80 that comprises a polymer sleeve or outer pipe 82, for example of PVC, a steel inner pipe 84 and a concrete layer 86 in an annulus between the outer and inner pipes 82, 84. The concrete layer 86 adds weight to stabilise the supply duct 56 on the seabed 16 and also contributes some thermal insulation to retain heat in the seawater working fluid 42 that flows within the supply duct 56.
By way of example, the outer pipe 82 may have an inner diameter of 60 inches (1.52 m) the inner pipe 84 may have an inner diameter of 54 inches (1.37 m) and the production flowline 72 may have an inner diameter of 16 inches (40.6 cm).
Among variations within the inventive concept, a production flowline like that shown in the fluid conduit 28C of the open-loop system of
In this respect,
In this example, the pipes 88A, 88B comprise an equal mixture of supply pipes 88A for receiving high-pressure working fluid 42 from the pumping station 24 and return pipes 88B for returning working fluid 42 back to the pumping station 24 at lower pressure after the working fluid 42 supplied by the pumping station 24 has passed through the turbine 44.
Many other variations are possible within the inventive concept. For example, any of the various pipes of a conduit or a production flowline could be of steel or largely of polymers or of composite materials. Additional layers or components can be added to the pipes, such as an internal liner or an outer coating. Such additional layers or components may comprise polymer, metal or composite materials. Also, pipes can be single-walled or of double-walled pipe-in-pipe (PiP) construction.
Other elongate elements such as auxiliary pipes and cables may be included in a conduit, extending in parallel with the other pipes of the conduit to carry fluids, power and data signals between the towheads. Longitudinally-distributed transverse spacers may hold the various pipes and other elongate elements of the bundle relative to each other
Foundations, fixings or anchors such as staples or pins may be spaced along a conduit to support the conduit, to fix the conduit to the seabed and to prevent the conduit sinking excessively into the seabed.
Multiple pumping stations and/or heating units may be distributed along the length of the conduit, like repeater stations on a data transmission line, to maintain the pressure and temperature of the working fluid.
The conduit is apt to be towed out to an installation site in multiple sections that are each a few kilometres in length. In this respect, the maximum length of each section may be constrained by the availability of land at onshore fabrication facilities such as spoolbases or yards. However, a conduit can be made as long as required by fabricating it from multiple sections coupled end-to-end.
A towable conduit section can be prefabricated, assembled and tested onshore or in sheltered water before it is towed offshore for installation. Sections can be joined underwater or at the surface. Conveniently, multiple sections can be joined inshore at the surface, towed together to an installation site as a single unit and installed on the seabed simultaneously in one operation.
Various towing methods may be used to transport conduit sections to an offshore installation site. In particular, the sections may be towed at various depths in the water. Sections may be surface-towed at or near to the surface, or near the seabed to protect them from the influence of surface water dynamics. Mid-water towing may be preferred, for example using the controlled-depth towing method or CDTM as known in the art for installing pipeline bundles.
Stacking major components of the turbo-generator assembly along the vertical central axis simplifies installation and maintenance, allowing the assembly as a whole, or any of its major components, to be lowered from or raised to the surface together or separately. Subsea-releasable, ROV-operable fastenings may be provided between the stacked components for this purpose so that the assembly may be assembled or disassembled subsea.
The or each supply duct could be provided with one or more valves that are capable of controlling or blocking fluid flow. For example, one-way valves may allow water to enter the housing of the turbo-generator assembly but block the egress of gas from the housing.
A Pelton turbine is preferred for its compactness and efficiency. However, in principle, the turbine could be different type of turbine such as a Francis turbine. It may also be possible to replace the turbine with a different machine to drive the generator, such as a screw expander or other positive-displacement machine.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820600.3 | Dec 2018 | GB | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2019/085745 | 12/17/2019 | WO | 00 |
