Annulus connection
View Patent ↗Apparatus and methods for terminating an end of flexible pipe body, the apparatus comprising an elongate end fitting body, associated with a central longitudinal axis, comprising a connector flange region securable in a back-to-back relationship to a further end fitting body and disposed at a first end of the elongate end fitting body, an open mouth at a remaining end of the end fitting body, a central flange region disposed between the first end and the remaining end and a neck region between the central flange and the connector flange, wherein the neck region comprises a radially inner end fitting neck region portion and a radially outer end fitting neck region portion that is spaced apart from and is radially outside the radially inner end fitting neck region portion to provide an enclosed chamber region therebetween.
1 . An apparatus for terminating an end of a flexible pipe body, comprising:
an elongate end fitting body, associated with a central longitudinal axis, comprising a connector flange region securable in a back-to-back relationship to a further end fitting body and disposed at a first end of the elongate end fitting body, an open mouth at a remaining end of the end fitting body, a central flange region disposed between the first end and the remaining end and a neck region between the central flange and the connector flange; wherein
the neck region comprises a radially inner end fitting neck region portion and a radially outer end fitting neck region portion that is spaced apart from and is radially outside the radially inner end fitting neck region portion such that the region between the radially outer end fitting neck region and the radially inner end fitting neck region is substantially enclosed;
the elongate end fitting body further defining a through hole disposed through the central flange of the elongate end fitting body and in fluid communication with a chamber between the radially outer end fitting neck region and the radially inner end fitting neck region, the diameter of the through hole being smaller than the width of the chamber.
2 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
the radially inner end fitting neck region portion comprises a generally cylindrical outer surface and the radially outer end fitting neck region portion comprises a generally cylindrical inner surface that is disposed in a concentric or eccentric spaced apart relationship with the cylindrical outer surface.
3 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
the radially inner end fitting neck region portion and the radially outer end fitting neck region portion are disposed in a pipe-in-pipe relationship.
4 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connector flange region, and central flange region and radially inner end fitting neck region portion are integrally formed.
5 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the elongate end fitting body comprises:
a termination member that includes the connector flange region, the neck region and a first portion of the central flange region; and
a core member that comprises a further portion of the central flange region and an elongate nose region extending from the further central flange region portion and that includes a radially inward facing support surface region proximate to the remaining end.
6 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
an outer casing securable to the central flange region; and
an activation flange securable to the outer casing.
7 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an enclosed chamber region between the radially inner end fitting neck region portion and radially outer fitting neck region portion, wherein the enclosed chamber region comprises an elongate annulus shaped region.
8 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the enclosed chamber region provides a passageway portion that extends across a whole length of the neck region.
9 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:
a vent passage comprising a first fluid communication passageway portion, that comprises said a passageway portion, that includes a first fluid inlet/outlet port proximate to an end of the first fluid communication passageway portion and a further fluid inlet/outlet port on an end surface of the connector flange region distal to the open mouth.
10 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:
at least one active agent disposed in the enclosed chamber region.
11 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:
at least one filter element each disposed proximate to at least one of a first end and a remaining end of the enclosed chamber region in which the active agent is disposed.
12 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:
the active agent comprises an oxygen scavenger and/or a de-hydrating agent and/or a corrosion inhibitor and/or a chemical for removing hydrogen sulfide and/or a chemical for removing carbon dioxide and/or a dye or colour indicating chemical.
13 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein each active agent is in the form of a powdered solid and/or solid granules and/or a liquid.
14 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the enclosed chamber houses auxiliary equipment.
15 . A method of terminating an end of flexible pipe body, comprising the steps of:
providing flexible pipe body that comprises a fluid retaining layer, at least one armour layer and an outer sheath;
providing an elongate end fitting body, comprising a connector flange region, a central flange region and a neck region between the connector flange region and the central flange region, at a free end of the flexible pipe body, said end fitting body supporting a terminated end of at least one layer of the flexible pipe body, thereby providing a vent passage that comprises a first fluid communication passageway portion provided by an enclosed chamber region between a radially inner end fitting neck portion and a radially outer end fitting neck region portion in fluid communication with a flexible pipe annulus associated with the flexible pipe body;
securing an outer casing to the central flange region; and
securing an activation flange to the outer casing.
16 . The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein providing the elongate end fitting body comprises:
providing a radially inner end fitting neck region portion that comprises a cylindrical outer surface; and
providing a radially outer end fitting neck region portion that comprises a generally cylindrical inner surface that is disposed in a concentric or eccentric spaced apart relationship with the cylindrical outer surface.
17 . The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein providing the fluid communication passageway portion comprises:
providing a first fluid inlet/outlet port proximate to an end of the first fluid communication passageway portion and a further fluid inlet/outlet port on an end surface of the connector flange distal to an open mouth of the end fitting body.
18 . A method of venting fluid from a flexible pipe annulus, comprising the steps of:
selectively opening at least one valve member thereby fluidly connecting a vent passage between a flexible pipe annulus, located between an inner fluid retaining layer and an outer sheath of flexible pipe body, and an exhaust port; and
subsequently venting fluid from the flexible pipe annulus via the vent passage through an enclosed chamber region, that is disposed in a neck region of an elongate end fitting body between a radially inner end fitting neck region portion and a radially outer end fitting neck region portion that is spaced apart from and is radially outside the radially inner end fitting neck region portion.
19 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising:
venting fluid from the flexible pipe annulus via a first fluid communication passageway portion that comprises the enclosed chamber region and via a further fluid communication passageway portion that extends across the connector flange region.
20 . The method as claimed in claim 19 , further comprising:
venting fluid from the flexible pipe annulus via a still further fluid communication passageway portion that comprises either a through bore through the central flange and an aligned tube having an open end in a tensile armour termination cavity, or a through bore through a core portion of the end fitting body.