FLEXIBLE PIPE BODY AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE
A flexible pipe body and method of manufacturing a flexible pipe body are disclosed. The pipe body includes a carcass layer ( 303 ) including a plurality of adjacent interlocked annular elements ( 301 ), each annular element comprising a main body portion communicating with a male connection region and a female connection region, the male connection region for interlocking with a corresponding female connection region of an adjacent annular element and the female connection region for interlocking with a corresponding male connection region of an adjacent annular element, and a filler material filling an annulus area defined by the main body portion, male connection region and female connection region.
1 . A flexible pipe body, comprising:
a carcass layer including a plurality of adjacent interlocked annular elements, each annular element comprising
a main body portion communicating with a male connection region and a female connection region, the male connection region for interlocking with a corresponding female connection region of an adjacent annular element and the female connection region for interlocking with a corresponding male connection region of an adjacent annular element, and
a filler material filling an annulus area defined by the main body portion, male connection region and female connection region.
2 . A flexible pipe body as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the male connection region comprises a hooked region and the female connection region comprises a valley region.
3 . A flexible pipe body as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the annular elements comprise a polymer or composite casing forming the main body portion, the male connection region and the female connection region.
4 . A flexible pipe body as claimed in claim 3 wherein the casing comprises HDPE.
5 . A flexible pipe body as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the filler material comprises a material with a density that is equal to or higher than the density of water and equal to or lower than twice the density of water, at the temperature of use.
6 . A flexible pipe body as claimed in claim 1 wherein the filler material comprises concrete, cement, aggregate, metal powder, glass, sand, ceramic, gypsum, or the like, with or without a resin or ceramic binder, or a combination thereof.
7 . A flexible pipe body as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the filler material comprises an insulator material.
8 . A flexible pipe body as claimed in claim 7 wherein the insulator material is a syntactic foam or beads, or aerogel.
9 . A flexible pipe body as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of annular elements each comprise an independent hoop element provided in a side-by-side coaxial relationship along a bore region of the flexible pipe body.
10 . A method of manufacturing a flexible pipe body, comprising:
providing a plurality of annular elements comprising
a main body portion communicating with a male connection region and a female connection region, the male connection region for interlocking with a corresponding female connection region of an adjacent annular element and the female connection region for interlocking with a corresponding male connection region of an adjacent annular element, and
a filler material filling an annulus area defined by the main body portion, male connection region and female connection region; and
interlocking a first of the plurality of annular elements with a further, adjacent annular element by urging one of the male or female connection portions with a corresponding respective female or male connection portion of the adjacent annular element.
11 . A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the step of providing the plurality of annular elements comprises providing a casing to define the annulus area, and then filling the casing with the filler material.
12 . A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the casing is moulded by blow moulding, compression moulding, injection moulding or rotational moulding.
13 . A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the casing is moulded as a unitary piece.
14 . A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the step of providing the plurality of annular elements comprises first forming the filled annulus area as a hoop element having the main body portion, male connection region and female connection region, and then providing a casing around the hoop element.
15 . A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the casing is moulded around the hoop element by compression moulding or injection moulding.
16 . A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the male connection region comprises a hooked region and the female connection region comprises a valley region.
17 . A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the casing comprises polymer or composite material.
18 . A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the casing comprises HDPE.
19 . A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the filler material comprises a material with a density that is equal to or higher than the density of water and equal to or lower than twice the density of water, at the temperature of use.
20 . A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the filler material comprises concrete, cement, aggregate, metal powder, glass, sand, ceramic, gypsum, or the like, with or without a resin or ceramic binder, or a combination thereof
21 . A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the filler material comprises an insulator material.
22 . A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the insulator material is a syntactic foam or beads, or aerogel.
23 .- 24 . (canceled)