JPS6223760Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to an underwater cargo handling piping system for transporting crude oil, etc. from a moored buoy on the surface of the water via an underwater upstream pipe to an underwater facility, or in the opposite direction.

Underwater cargo handling piping equipment is used for cargo handling operations to and from tankers anchored at offshore anchorages.

As shown in FIG. 1, in this cargo handling piping system, the tip of a riser pipe 12 is connected to a mooring buoy 10 floating on the surface of the water, and the base of this riser pipe 12 is connected to an underwater facility 14. is connected to onshore facilities through underground. Therefore, the tanker has a main line hose (not shown) moored to the buoy 10.
By connecting the standpipe 12 to the tip of the standpipe 12 through the tanker, the tanker can carry out cargo handling operations to and from onshore facilities while moored offshore. This riser pipe 12 is made of a flexible pipe in order to cope with changes in the tide level, external forces due to the movement of tankers, etc., and can be used to cope with changes in the specific gravity of the crude oil, etc. being transported, gas retention in the pipe, and even changes in the material being transported. A buoyancy tank 16 is installed in the middle of the riser pipe 12 for the purpose of eliminating the complicated buoyancy adjustment.
A format (called Steep S) is adopted.

Although this cargo handling piping system is designed to sufficiently respond to changes in the specific gravity of the crude oil being transported and prevent kinks from occurring in the middle of the hose, gas was concentrated in the riser pipe due to changes in crude oil temperature. In some cases, it may not be possible to respond adequately and a kink may occur. In addition, when transporting LPG or crude oil gas alone, there is a risk that kinks may occur at the bend due to gasification under no pressure, so the buoyancy tank 16 and mooring buoy 1
0, it is necessary to add large weights at equal intervals, and the installation work becomes complicated. Furthermore, the buoyancy tank 16 is at a relatively shallow sea area and is at risk of being collided with when a tanker approaches.

The present invention takes the above-mentioned facts into account, and provides an underwater cargo handling piping system that sufficiently copes with large changes in the specific gravity of transported materials and gas generation, does not cause kinks, and is free from the possibility of collision with tankers. is the purpose.

In the underwater cargo handling piping system according to the present invention, the lower end of a vertical pipe whose one end is connected to a mooring buoy on the water surface is attached to one end of a rigid U-shaped body, a weight is attached to this U-shaped body, and the other end of this U-shaped body is attached underwater. It is attached to the tip of the riser pipe, the base of the water riser pipe communicates with the underwater facility, and a buoyancy means is attached along the length of the water riser pipe to create excessive buoyancy. This eliminates the need for a float and is designed to respond to changes in the specific gravity of the substance being transported by the buoyancy means of a weight and an underwater uppipe.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mooring buoy 10 is floating above the water surface 20 as in the conventional case, and one end of a vertical pipe 22 is connected to its lower end. This vertical tube 22 is made of a flexible rubber hose, and the other end is connected to one end of a U-shaped tube 24 via a flange 26.

This U-shaped tube 24 is made of a rigid body such as a metal tube, and the other end of the U-shaped tube 24 is connected to the tip of a riser tube 28 via a flange 30. This riser pipe 28
The other end is connected to an underwater facility 14, which passes through the underground 32 and is connected to a land facility (not shown).

Like the vertical pipe 22, the riser pipe 28 is made of a flexible rubber hose, and a plurality of floats 34 are attached to the middle part thereof. These floats 34 have a cylindrical shape as shown in detail in FIG. are fixed at equal intervals to create buoyancy in the riser pipe 28. The buoyant force due to these floats 34 also increases the buoyancy of the riser 28 when the heaviest transported material moves into the riser 28.
It is designed to hold the body in an upward U-shape to provide excessive buoyancy.

A projecting piece 40 projects from the middle portion of the U-shaped tube 24, and pivotally supports a projecting piece 46 of a weight 44 via a pin 42. This weight 44 resists the buoyant force of the gas and maintains the vertical pipe 22 vertically and without slack even when gas is generated by the substance being transported into the vertical pipe 22 and the riser pipe 28. It is designed to maintain an upward protruding shape.

It is preferable that a plurality of chains (not shown) are strung diagonally between the mooring buoy 10 and the underground 32 to prevent movement due to tidal currents.

To explain the operation of this embodiment configured in this way, it is possible to cope with floating and sinking of the mooring buoy 10 due to tidal level fluctuations by changing the curvature of the riser pipe 28.

Further, by connecting a main line hose of a tanker (not shown) to the mooring buoy 10 and communicating with the vertical pipe 22, cargo handling operations between land facilities and the tanker can be performed. If the transportation fluid in this cargo handling operation is extremely light or if gas is generated from the transportation fluid, a large buoyant force will be generated on the riser pipe 28 and a force will act to change its curvature.
4 pulls the U-shaped pipe 24 toward the underground direction against this generated buoyant force, so the curvature of the riser pipe 28 does not change greatly.

Further, even when the transported substance has a large weight, the riser pipe 28 is made to float too much by the float 34, so there is similarly no large change in curvature, and there is no risk of kink or the like occurring. Further, since the connection portion between the vertical pipe 22 and the riser pipe 28 is communicated by the rigid U-shaped pipe 24, the transported material can be reliably passed through regardless of changes in the weight of the transported material.

In addition, in this embodiment, unlike the conventional example, a buoyancy tank or the like is not connected to the riser pipe 28, so there is no risk of the riser coming into contact with a tanker even in shallow waters.

Although the above embodiment has a structure in which the vertical pipe and the riser pipe are made of separate pipe materials, the middle part of a single flexible pipe material is passed into the U-shaped pipe 24 to form one part as a vertical pipe and the other part as a vertical pipe. A standpipe structure is also applicable.

Next, FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a U-shaped guide 50 is used as the U-shaped body. This U-shaped guide 50 has a C-shaped cross section with a notch 52 formed along the longitudinal direction in a part of the pipe material, and its inner diameter accommodates the pipe material 54 that serves both the vertical pipe 22 and the riser pipe 28 of the above embodiment. It is preferably slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the tube material 54.

Further, near both ends of the U-shaped guide 50 in the axial direction, enlarged diameter portions 5 whose inner diameters rapidly expand toward both ends.
6 is formed to prevent damage due to contact with the tubing 54. Note that a projecting piece 40 for attaching a vertical weight is also fixed to this U-shaped guide 50.

The U-shaped guide 5 of this embodiment configured in this way
0 inserts an arbitrary position in the middle part of the tube material 54 from the notch 52 or from the axial end and deforms it into a U-shape,
One can be a vertical pipe and the other can be a riser pipe. Therefore, a vertical pipe of any length can be constructed regardless of the depth of the water. In particular, when the tube material 54 is assembled by connecting unit tube materials of a fixed length in series, unlike the above embodiments, the length of the vertical tube is not limited to a length that is a multiple of the unit tube materials, but can be an intermediate length.

As explained above, in the underwater cargo handling piping system according to this committee, the lower end of the vertical pipe, one end of which is connected to a mooring buoy on the water surface, is attached to one end of a rigid U-shaped body, and a weight is attached to this U-shaped body. The other end was attached to the tip of the underwater upstream pipe, the base of the underwater upstream pipe communicated with the underwater facility, and buoyancy means was attached along the length of this underwater upstream pipe to make it overly buoyant, so that the specific gravity of the substance being transported was It has the excellent effect of sufficiently dealing with changes and gas generation, eliminating the risk of kinks occurring, and eliminating the possibility of interference with tankers.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a side view showing a conventional underwater cargo handling piping system, Fig. 2 is a side view showing an embodiment of the underwater cargo handling piping system according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a partially enlarged sectional view of Fig. 2; 4 is a perspective view showing a U-shaped guide according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the U-shaped guide shown in FIG. 4. 10...Mooring buoy, 20...Water surface, 22...Vertical pipe, 24...U-shaped pipe, 28...Rise pipe, 32
...underground, 34...float, 44...weight, 5
4...Pipe material.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) The lower end of a vertical pipe, one end of which is connected to a mooring buoy on the water surface, is attached to one end of a rigid U-shaped body, a weight is attached to this U-shaped body, and the other end of this U-shaped body is attached. is attached to the tip of an underwater upstream pipe, the base of the underwater upstream pipe communicates with an underwater facility, and a buoyancy means is attached along the longitudinal direction of the underwater upstream pipe to provide excessive buoyancy. (2) The underwater cargo handling piping device according to claim 1, wherein the U-shaped body is a U-shaped pipe. (3) The vertical pipe and the underwater upstream pipe are formed of mutually communicating pipe materials, and the middle part of the pipe material is attached to a U-shape to form a U-shape. Underwater cargo handling piping equipment. (4) The underwater cargo handling piping system according to claim 1, wherein the buoyancy means is a plurality of floats attached along the longitudinal direction of the underwater upstream pipe.