Compartmented Underwater Equipment

Abstract

Packaging apparatus for mounting underwater equipment to be used in oil and/or gas well operations into a receptacle arranged in a subsea flow conduit. A retrievable body member provided with a compartment for containing the underwater equipment has at least two exterior wall surfaces which mate with counterpart interior wall surfaces within the receptacle. The latter surfaces define a cavity or chamber into which the body member is plugged through an entrance opening in the body member. The body member and receptacle each have flow path openings which are aligned when the body member is inserted into the receptacle chamber. At least one surface of the receptacle slants inwardly from the entrance thereof and at least one other surface extends linearly from the entrance thereof. These surfaces face corresponding exterior surfaces on the body member when the body member is positioned in the receptacle cavity. The spaces between the mating surfaces of the body member and receptacle surrounding the flow passageways are sealed off. The body member is releasably locked to the receptacle entrance after insertion into the receptacle cavity. To ensure proper alignment and orientation of the body member within the receptacle, additional guides such as a groove formed on the flat surface of the receptacle and a lug formed on the flat mating surface of the body member, engagable in the groove may be used.

Parent Case Text

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 855,110, filed Sept. 4, 1969, and since abandoned.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns underwater equipment for use in oil and/or gas well operations and particularly concerns a plug-in pressure-compartmented envelope or package for containing components for use in underwater operations and a receptacle for such package.

A major consideration in the effective utilization of underwater equipment components is the packaging thereof for easy installation and removal for maintenance purposes. The packaging member (referred to herein as "retrievable body member" or "body member") should have structural features sufficiently versatile to permit mounting a variety of components such as valves, diverters, chokes, pig inserters, sensors, actuators, etc., and to provide a pressure-compartmentalized envelope, together with the receptacle structure. Further, insertion and removal of the retrievable body into and from the receptacle should require only simple plug-in and withdrawal motions capable of being performed by remotely operable manipulators or by divers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the invention resides in apparatus for mounting underwater equipment comprising a body member; a receptacle having a chamber formed therein for receiving said body member, said chamber being defined by at least two walls and an entrance opening for said body member, at least one of said walls slanting inwardly from said entrance so as to gradually decrease the cross-sectional area of said chamber from the entrance thereof, and at least one other of said walls extending inwardly linearly from said entrance, said receptacle having flow path openings therein extending from the exterior thereof through at least two of said receptacle walls; said body member having a cavity formed therein and having counterpart external walls with respect to said receptacle walls for mating therewith and flow path openings in said body member extending from said cavity through said body member wall to meet flush and in alignment with said openings in said receptacle walls when said body member is inserted in said receptacle chamber. Sealing means are arranged on each side of said wall openings for sealing off the space between the mating surfaces of said receptacle and body member. Locking means is provided on the entrance of the receptacle and on the body member cooperating to releasably lock the body member in the receptacle chamber. A flow control valve or other operating component is packaged in the body member cavity. The linearly extending walls of the body member and receptacle may be provided with guide members such as a lug and groove to ensure that the body member is properly positioned in the receptacle cavity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a partly sectional view of a body member containing a valve and mounted in a receptacle in accordance with the teachings of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the receptacle illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the receptacle illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the body member illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the body member illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is another side view of the body member illustrated in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, there is shown a fixed dimension receptacle 10 permanently mounted in an underwater manifold or piping system (not shown). Receptacle 10 is formed with a bore or chamber 11 which is defined by four walls 13, 14, 15 and 16. Receptacle 10 is also formed with two openings or passageways 17 and 18 located on opposite sides of chamber 11. Opposing walls 13 and 14 slant inwardly from the entrance 20 of receptacle 10 across the areas of openings 17 and 18 in walls 13 and 14, respectively. Entrance 20 of receptacle 10 is also provided with a flange 21 containing a plurality of spaced-apart locking lugs 22. Opposing walls 15 and 16 extend linearly and each is provided with a guide key-way 23 and 24.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4-6, a body member 25 for insertion and retrieval from chamber 11 of receptacle 10 is formed with four exterior walls 26, 27, 28 and 29. Walls 26 and 27 slant in the same direction and same angle as walls 13 and 14, respectively, or receptacle 10. Body member 25 is provided with a cavity 30 and openings or passageways 31 and 32 which are flush and aligned with openings 17 and 18, respectively, of receptacle 10. Linearly extending walls 28 and 29 have keys 35 and 36, respectively, for engagement in guide key-ways 23 and 24, respectively. The rear of body member 25 contains a flange 40 having a shoulder 42. As seen in FIG. 1, a lock ring 41 has a shoulder 41a which engages shoulder 42 of flange 40 and, upon rotation, engages locking lugs 22 of receptacle 10. A valve housing 50 is bolted to body member 25 by a plurality of bolts and nuts 52, 53. A valve stem 55 is connected to a valve gate 56 shown positioned in cavity 30. Suitable seal rings 57 and 58 and O-ring seals designated 59 are provided. Valve stem 55 is connected at its other end to a rotatable nut 60. Valve stem 55 extends through an opening 61 in valve housing 50 and through an opening 62 in body member 25. Sealing rings 70a,b and 71a,b mounted on the outer wall of body member 25 are positioned on each side of connecting passageways 17-31 and 32-18 when body member 25 is fully inserted in receptacle 10. A seal test port 75 is connected to the mating surfaces of receptacle 10 and body member 25 between seals 70a,b; 71a,b. As seen in FIG. 4, slots 80 and 81 are formed in coupling 51 and body member 25 as a guide for gate 56.

As shown in FIG. 1, the planes of the sealing surfaces are arranged to provide full-bore passage of fluid flow without change of direction. The engagement of the sealing surface is with a simple, single rectilinear motion of insertion of body member 25 into receptacle 10. Seals 70a,b and 71a,b may be mechanically energized seals. The sealing gaskets or rings 70a,b, 71a,b are preferably retrievable with body member 25 to permit replacement of deformable seal members. Any number of seal surfaces can be provided to achieve the desired degree of pressure compartmentation needed.

In operation, body member 25 with the valve apparatus including housing 50, rotatable nut 60 and valve stem 55, secured to body member 25 by studs 52 and nuts 53, is positioned adjacent receptacle 10 and partly inserted into the receptacle by a manipulator tool, now shown. At this time, guide keys 35 and 36 engage guide key-ways 23 and 24. The manipulator tool continues insertion of body member 25 into receptacle 10 until the surfaces mate as illustrated in FIG. 1 and seals 70a,b and 71a,b seal off passageways 18-32, 31-17. The manipulator tool rotates locking ring 41 until the locking ring engages and locks into lugs 22. Alternatively, the locking ring may be threaded into threads formed on receptacle 10. Locking may otherwise be achieved by conventional mechanical connections; i.e., flanges or hubs or clamps.

Gate 56 of the valve may be actuated by a manipulator tool connected to rotatable nut 60 to cause gate 56 to be positioned in or out of the flow passageways.

The procedure for removing body member 25 and the valve connected to it from receptacle 10 is the reverse of that described above.

Although in the preferred embodiment, two opposing linear walls and two opposing slanted walls are used, other wall arrangements are possible so long as two (one set) mating walls slant inwardly from the entrance of the receptacle in order to effect a wedge-type seal.

Claims

Having fully described the apparatus and objects and advantages of our invention, we claim:

1. Apparatus for use in underwater operations comprising:

a retrievable body member;

a receptacle having a chamber formed therein for receiving said body member, said chamber having an entrance opening for said body member, and two opposing walls slanting inwardly away from said entrance opening such that the cross-sectional area of said chamber decreases away from the entrance opening thereof, said receptacle having two additional openings therein, each extending from the exterior thereof through a different one of said two slanting receptacle walls, said body member having a cavity formed therein and having opposing convergent external walls for mating with said two slanting receptacle walls and openings therein extending from said cavity through said body member walls to meet flush and in alignment with said openings in said receptacle walls when said body member is inserted in said receptacle chamber;

said receptacle and said body member having additional mating walls, guide means arranged on said additional mating walls for guiding said body member into and out of said receptacle;

continuous sealing means surrounding said openings in said body member and said two additional openings in said receptacle for sealing off space between said mated slanting walls of said body member and said receptacle when said body member is inserted into said receptacle and said sealing means is in said sealing position; and

underwater equipment mounted in said cavity, said underwater equipment being insertable into and retrievable from said receptacle with said body member, said underwater equipment being isolated from and out of contact with said sealing means when said body member is inserted into said receptacle and while said body member is being inserted into and retrieved from said receptacle, respectively.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said additional mating walls of said body member and said receptacle extend linearly.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said underwater equipment comprises a valve member operable to control flow of fluid through said body member and receptacle.

4. Apparatus for use in underwater operations comprising:

a retrievable body member;

a receptacle having a chamber formed therein for receiving said body member, said chamber having an opening for said body member, and two walls slanting inwardly from said opening such that the cross-sectional area of said chamber decreases from the opening thereof, said receptacle having additional openings therein extending from the exterior thereof through said two slanting receptacle walls, said body member having a cavity formed therein and having external walls for mating with said receptacle walls and openings therein extending from said cavity through said body member walls to meet flush and in alignment with said openings in said receptacle walls when said body member is inserted in said receptacle chamber, said body member and said receptacle each having two walls extending linearly;

continuous sealing means surrounding each of said openings in said body member for sealing off space between said mated slanting walls of said body member and said receptacle when said body member is inserted into said receptacle and said sealing means is in sealing position;

underwater equipment mounted in said cavity, said underwater equipment being insertable into and retrievable from said receptacle with said body member; and

releasable wedging and locking means engaging said receptacle and said body member for wedging said body member into said receptacle to effect a wedge-type seal between said sealing means and said mating slanted walls and lock said body member in said receptacle.

5. Apparatus for use in underwater operations comprising:

an underwater receptacle provided with a chamber having an open end and four walls surrounding said chamber, said receptacle being also provided with flow passageways through two walls thereof terminating in said chamber, two of said opposing walls being slanted from the open end at least past said flow passageways, each of the other two opposing walls being linear and containing guide means formed thereon extending through said receptacle;

a retrievable body member for insertion into said receptacle chamber provided with four external walls for mating with said four receptacle walls, two opposing body member walls being slanted and the other two opposing walls being linear, each of said linear walls of said body member containing means for engaging said guide means on said receptacle, said body member having openings therein extending through said body member walls to meet flush and in alignment with said flow passageways of said receptacle when said body member is inserted in said receptacle chamber;

continuous sealing means surrounding each of said flow passageways in said receptacle and openings in said body member for sealing off space between said mated slanting walls of said body member and said receptacle when said body member is inserted into said receptacle and said sealing means is in said sealing position; and

underwater equipment mounted in and connected to said body member and insertable into and retrievable from said receptacle with said body member, said underwater equipment being separate from and out of contact with said external walls of said body member.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 5 in which said guide means includes a key-way and said means on said body member for engaging said guide means includes a lug for engagement with said key-way.

7. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 including releasable wedging and locking means engaging said receptacle and said body member cooperating therewith to wedge said body member into said receptacle to effect a wedge type seal between said sealing means and said mating slanted walls and to releasably lock said body member in said receptacle.

8. Apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said underwater equipment comprises valve means operable to control flow of fluid through said passageways.

9. Apparatus for mounting underwater equipment comprising:

a body member;

a receptacle having a chamber formed therein for receiving said body member, said chamber having an opening for said body member, and two walls slanting inwardly from said opening such that the cross-sectional area of said chamber decreases from the opening thereof, said receptacle having additional openings therein extending from the exterior thereof through said two slanting receptacle walls, said body member having a cavity formed therein and having external walls for mating with said receptacle walls and openings therein extending from said cavity through said body member walls to meet flush and in alignment with said openings in said receptacle walls when said body member is inserted in said receptacle chamber;

continuous sealing means surrounding each of said openings in said body member for sealing off space between said mating slanted walls of said body member and said receptacle when said body member is inserted into said receptacle and said sealing means is in sealing position;

said body member and said receptacle each having two walls extending linearly;

releasable locking means engaging said receptacle and said body member for locking said body member in said receptacle chamber and effecting a wedge-type seal between said sealing means and said mating slanted walls; and

port means extending through said receptacle and terminating at openings in said mating slanted walls for use in testing said sealing means; said port means openings being located farther in a radial direction from the axis of said openings in said receptacle than said sealing means.

10. Apparatus as recited in claim 9 in which each of said sealing means comprises two spaced apart annular seal members, said port means extending to said mating slanted walls between said seal members.

11. Apparatus for mounting underwater equipment comprising:

an underwater receptacle provided with a chamber having an open end and four walls surrounding said chamber, said receptacle also being provided with flow passageways through two walls thereof terminating in said chamber, two of said opposing walls being slanted from the open end at least past said flow passageways, each of the other two opposing walls being linear and containing guide means including a key-way formed thereon extending through said receptacle;

a body member for insertion into said receptacle chamber provided with four external walls for mating with said four receptacle walls, two opposing body member walls being slanted and having openings therein and the other two opposing walls being linear, each of said linear walls of said body member containing means including a lug for engaging said guide means on said receptacle;

continuous sealing means surrounding each of said flow passageways in said receptacle and said openings in said body member for sealing off space between said mating slanted walls of said body member and said receptacle when said body member is inserted into said receptacle and said sealing means is in sealing position; and

port means formed in said receptacle extending therethrough and terminating at openings in said mating slanted wall for use in testing said sealing means; said port means openings being located farther in a radial direction from the axis of said passageways in said receptacle than said sealing means.

12. Apparatus as recited in claim 11 in which each of said sealing means comprises two spaced apart annular seal members, said port means extending to said mating slanted walls between said seal members.

13. Apparatus for mounting underwater equipment comprising:

a body member;

a receptacle having a chamber formed therein for receiving said body member, said chamber having an opening for said body member, and two walls slanting inwardly from said opening such that the cross-sectional area of said chamber decreases from the openings thereof, said receptacle having additional openings therein extending from the exterior thereof through said two slanting receptacle walls, said body member having a cavity formed therein and having external walls for mating with said receptacle walls and openings therein extending from said cavity through said body member walls to meet flush and in alignment with said openings in said receptacle walls when said body member is inserted in said receptacle chamber;

continuous sealing means surrounding each of said openings in said body member for sealing off space between said mating slanted walls of said body member and said receptacle when said body member is inserted into said receptacle and said sealing means is in sealing position;

said body member and said receptacle each having two walls extending linearly; and

releasable locking means engaging said receptacle and said body member for locking said body member in said receptacle chamber and effecting a wedge-type seal between said sealing means and said mating slanted walls including a rotatable locking ring and lugs on said receptacle having tapered surfaces and a shoulder on said body member, said locking ring engaging said tapered surfaces and said shoulder to lock said body member in said receptacle and position said sealing means in sealing position.

14. Apparatus for mounting underwater equipment comprising:

an underwater receptacle provided with a chamber having an open end and four walls surrounding said chamber, said receptacle also being provided with flow passageways through two walls thereof terminating in said chamber, two of said opposing walls being slanted from the open end at least past said flow passageways, each of the other two opposing walls being linear and containing guide means including a key-way formed thereon extending through said receptacle;

a body member for insertion into said receptacle chamber provided with four external walls for mating with said four receptacle walls, two opposing body member walls being slanted and having openings therein and the other two opposing walls being linear, each of said linear walls of said body member containing means including a lug for engaging said guide means on said receptacle;

continuous sealing means surrounding each of said flow passageways in said receptacle and said openings in said body member for sealing off space between said mating slanted walls of said body member and said receptacle when said body member is inserted into said receptacle and said sealing means is in sealing position; and

means engaging said receptacle and said body member cooperating therewith to releasably lock said body member in said receptacle chamber and to effect a wedge-type seal between said sealing means and said mating slanted walls, including a rotatable locking ring and lugs on said receptacle having tapered surfaces and a shoulder on said body member, said locking means engaging said tapered surfaces and said shoulder to lock said body member in said receptacle and position said sealing means in sealing position.