Patent Application
20170175491
This invention relates to guide funnels used to guide a piece of subsea equipment for connection to a wellhead, a mating component of a subsea stack, or to a blowout preventer (“BOP”) test stump.
Guide funnels are well-known in the art for guiding a piece of subsea equipment such as a BOP stack onto a wellhead. As the stack is landed, the guide funnel captures the wellhead and guides the stack along the funnel's taper until the wellhead and the connector are mated. Manufacturers and drilling operators also use guide funnels to guide a connector onto a mandrel.
Prior art guide funnels are single-body welded designs. This makes the funnels bulky, heavy, difficult to handle, and costly to make. Additionally, damage to any one part of the funnel may require complete replacement of the funnel. When used on a test stump, the stump's connector must be removed in order to install the funnel.
US 2013/0075104 A1 to Hughes discloses a guide funnel having a plurality of different diameter cylindrical sections which are aligned concentric with, and set inside, one another so that the funnel can be extended for use or collapsed for transport. While this funnel might be easier to handle in its collapsed state, the funnel is more complicated in design than the single piece funnels and shares those funnels' shortcomings in the other areas.
A guide funnel made according to this invention is a segmented funnel that allows each segment to be spaced apart from an adjacent segment and individually connected on to a connector.
In a preferred embodiment, the guide funnel includes segments that have a means of fastening to the connector or to each other. A funnel wall surface of the segment runs at an oblique angle between a bottom end of the segment and an inner circumferential edge of the top end of the segment.
The width of the funnel wall surface is sized so that, when the guide funnel is in an assembled state, a continuous or discontinuous funnel wall is formed between adjacent segments. Preferably, to save weight a discontinuous funnel wall is formed.
The bottom end of the segment can include an arcuate-shaped ring segment that forms a portion of an outer periphery of the guide funnel. The arcuate-shaped ring segment is sized so that, when the guide funnel is in the assembled state, a continuous ring is formed at a bottom end of the assembled guide funnel. Alternatively, a continuous ring can be secured to the bottom end of the assembled funnel.
The top end of the segment can be sized so that, when the guide funnel is in the assembled state, a side of the top end abuts a side of an adjacent top end. The top end can include an adaptor ring secured to the inner circumferential edge of the top end. The adaptor ring, which can be temporarily attached to the segments, allows the same segments to provide a different size guide funnel depending upon the size of the ring used (e.g. 27 inch, 30 inch).
A preferred method of guiding a piece of subsea equipment downwardly into an aligned position with a mating component includes the steps of forming a guide funnel by connecting a plurality of segments to the piece of subsea equipment. The segments each have a means of fastening to a connector. A funnel wall surface of the segment runs at an oblique angle between a bottom end of the segment and an inner circumferential edge of the top end of the segment. When assembled, a continuous or discontinuous funnel wall is formed between adjacent segments.
Objectives of this invention include providing a guide funnel that, compared to prior art guide funnels, weighs considerably less, is less costly to manufacture and maintain, and is easier to install. Additionally, the connector does not have to be removed from the mandrel. The segments also provide a fixed height to the guide funnel, so there is no need for retaining means like in the prior art to lock the funnel into its extended state
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Preferably, a width “w” of the funnel wall surface 40, which can be tapered, can be sized to form a continuous or discontinuous funnel wall 11 in a circumferential direction between adjacent segments 20 when the guide funnel 10 is in the assembled state. The funnel wall surface 40 forms the solid wall portion 13 of the funnel wall 11.
The top end 30, which can be T-shaped, spans a distance between an arcuate inner circumferential edge 31 and an outer circumferential edge 39. At least one fastener (connector) 33 or fastener (connector) hole 35 is included.
The bottom end 50 includes an arcuate-shaped ring segment 51. The ring segment 51 is sized so that, when the guide funnel 10 is in its assembled state, a continuous ring 53 is formed along an outer periphery 15 of the guide funnel 10. Alternatively, the ring segment 51 can be excluded (see e.g.
One or more vertical supports 61, located toward the outer circumferential edge 39 of the top end 30, connect the top end 30 to the bottom end 50. At least one angled support 63 can also be provided to connect the top end 30 to a rearward face 43 of the funnel surface 40. The rearward face 43 of the funnel wall surface 40 can include ribs 45.
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A continuous ring 53 can be attached to the bottom end 50 of the assembled segments 20. At the top end 30, an adaptor ring 25 can be attached to the inner circumferential edge 31 of the segments 20. By using a different size adaptor ring 25, the same segments 20 provide different size guide funnel 10 (e.g. 27 inch, 30 inch). A flange 32 located at the inner circumferential edge 31 of the top end 21 provides means to connect the segment 20 to the ring 25. Compared to a single body design, the segmented guide funnel can provide significant weight reduction.
The segments 20 of the various embodiments can be made out of a plastic via injection molding, made out of a single sheet of metal by folding, or by forging, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for welds.
A method of guiding a piece of subsea equipment downwardly into an aligned position with a wellhead, mating component, or a test stump, includes the step of forming a guide funnel 10 which has a discontinuous funnel wall 11 by connecting a plurality of segments 20 to the piece of subsea equipment.
The preferred embodiments discussed above provide examples of the guide funnel. The scope of the invention is defined by the following claims and includes the full range of equivalents to which the recited elements are entitled.
