Eventos Anais de eventos
COBEM 2023
27th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Development of a inspection tool for flexible pipes integrity test: annular flooded detection
Submission Author:
Carlos Alberto Nogueira Junior , SC , Brazil
Co-Authors:
Carlos Alberto Nogueira Junior, Ismael José Secco, Doglas Negri, Eduardo Vieira, Andrea Piga Carboni, João Vítor Herrmann
Presenter: Carlos Alberto Nogueira Junior
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2023.COB2023-1062
Abstract
Flexible pipelines play a vital role in the offshore industry, serving as essential structures for various functions, for instance, oil extraction and gas lifting. A major issue currently faced is the lifespan reduction of flexible pipelines due to annular flooding, which compromises its structures. Regular inspections of flexible pipelines are crucial for ensuring their integrity and preventing operational issues. Therefore, the discussion about inspection techniques highlights the advantages of the depressurization technique for diagnosing annulus conditions. This paper presents an excerpt of a research, focusing on describing the design and simulation of the anchor mechanism for a subsea tool capable of detecting flooded annulus using depressurization technique, allowing for the inspection of the entire pipeline section at once. The authors describe the design process from the mechanism synthesis to the 3D concept. Additionally, kinematics and rigid body dynamics simulation were conducted. The developed tool demonstrated its effectiveness in quickly self-centering anchoring to pipeline end-fittings, providing a robust alternative for operations in the challenging subsea environment. Overall, this research presents a valuable contribution to the field of flexible pipeline inspections, addressing the need for remote and efficient techniques to ensure the integrity of offshore oil and gas infrastructure.
Keywords
Inspection Tool, subsea robotics, flexible pipe, offshore engineering, Subsea Oil & Gas, linkage mechanism
