Inventors: Torleif Carlsen; Charles B. Hansen

RELATION TO OTHER APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority through United States Provisional Application 63359675 filed on July 8, 2022.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Subsea vehicles such as remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) currently used in subsea environments for survey, construction, drill support, completion, and inspection, maintenance, and repair (IMR) activities are relatively large. Sometimes, there is a need to inspect a narrow region or a constricted area where the large subsea vehicle cannot enter due to size constraints of the large subsea vehicle.

[0003] In addition, a work class ROV or AUV often requires large amounts of power, either through tethered power or batteries, which make them difficult to integrate into a resident platform.

FIGURES

[0004] Various figures are included herein which illustrate aspects of embodiments of the disclosed inventions.

[0005] Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an exemplary system;

[0006] Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a subsea tool system docked at a subsea location; and

[0007] Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a subsea tool system.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS [0008] This disclosure describes a small size subsea vehicle which is designed to comprise the form of a subsea tool. In subsea conditions, multiple tools such as intervention tools, manipulator jaws, torque tools, cleaning tools, and the like which are required to perform IMR work are connected to a subsea vehicle for performing one or more respective tool functions. These tools are either taken from a surface vessel or may be placed in a tooling cage or tooling basket (resident tooling) which may be disposed near a work site. These tools may be carried by the subsea vehicle itself or in a tooling basket. These tools may include a common drive interface that allows quick connect/ disconnect with the subsea vehicles (ROVs and AUVs). As described herein, a plug and play (quick connect/disconnect) type small size ROV tool with a main ROV can perform IMR or intervention work (e.g., collecting samples; capture in canister or scrape; cathodic probe (CP); etc.) or post completion activities or in subsea narrow or constricted areas.

[0009] In a first embodiment, referring generally to Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, subsea tool system 102 comprises housing 202, comprising a predetermined footprint which is configured to fit within a predetermined space; small remotely operated vehicle 206 comprising a predetermined size smaller than a narrow region or a constricted area where a larger subsea vehicle cannot enter due to size constraints of the larger subsea vehicle; main vehicle adapter 208 adapted to operatively connect small remotely operated vehicle 206 to main vehicle 100; and tether management system TMS 210 disposed at least partially within housing 202, TMS 210 adapted to provide an adaptive length tether connection between small remotely operated vehicle 206 and housing 202.

[0010] In embodiments, small remotely operated vehicle 206 comprises a diameter of around 300 mm and a length of around 435 mm.

[0011] TMS 210 typically comprises one or more cable retrievers 211 and cable 204 operatively connected to cable retriever 211 and small remotely operated vehicle 206, where cable retriever 21 1 is adapted to selectively spool in or spool out cable 204. Typically, TMS 210 further comprises electric motor 212 operatively connected to main vehicle adapter 208 and powered through inductive coupler 213, pinless power connector 214, or both inductive coupler 213 and pinless power connector 214. Cable retriever 211 may comprise winch 215 or drum 216, with or without slip rings, or both winch 214 and drum 216. Power source 220 may be present and operatively in communication with TMS 210, e.g., through main vehicle adapter 208. In embodiments, power source 220 is disposed within non-moving parts of TMS 210, within cable retriever 211, inside housing 202, or within both housing 202 and TMS 210.

[0012] In embodiments, a power connection between the mini-ROV tool and a Main ROV is typically through a tooling interface which provides pinless inductive connection which provides rotational, mechanical power, and communication between a mini-ROV tool and Main ROV. Also, there could be multiple main ROVs through which the mini-ROV tool could be connected via tooling interface. Power source 220 comprises a battery pack of a power capacity sufficient to be the main power source for subsea tool system 102 or be configured to be a power source that acts as a buffer power source to enable small remotely operated vehicle 206 to draw more power than what is induced to enable stability in high currents and extend operation duration. In embodiments where it is present, the battery pack may be capable of being trickle charged or charged via a tether, a non-fiber cable, or a fiber cable.

[0013] Main vehicle adapter 208 may comprises a male adapter 208 configured to connect with main vehicle 100 through tooling interface 104 to provide power to subsea tool system 102. [0014] Housing 202 typically comprises a corrosion resistant material, e.g., titanium (Ti), high pitting resistance number (PREn) steel, a polymer, or an elastomer, or the like, or a combination thereof. [0015] In embodiments, small remotely operated vehicle 206 may comprise one or more lighting systems 301, cameras 302, sensors 303, a predetermined set of thrusters 307 configured to assist movement of small remotely operated vehicle 206 while maneuvering in a subsea environment, or the like, or a combination thereof. If present, sensor 303 may comprise a pressure sensor, a position sensor, a depth sensor, a CP/Potential reader, a PH sensor, or an environment sensor.

[0016] In embodiments, small remotely operated vehicle 206 comprises mini tooling kit 308 which may comprise a sampling box and/or plurality of sampling equipment, a small gripper, a scrapper, or the like, or a combination thereof.

[0017] Referring now to Fig. 1, a system for performing light subsea intervention work may comprise main vehicle 100, a tool interface 104 comprising a common drive interface 104a and a power interface 104b, subsea tool system 102, as described herein above, a predetermined set of tools 103, each tool of the predetermined set of tools comprising a common drive interface 103a, such as an intervention tool, a manipulator jaw, a torque tool, a cleaning tool, a resident subsea tool, or a tool required to perform IMR work; and tool repository 115 configured to selectively store the predetermined set of tools, which may comprise a surface vessel, a tooling cage, or a tooling basket.

[0018] Although it can comprise various shapes, main vehicle 100 typically comprises rounded front end 100a and rounded aft end 100b. These ends 100a, 100b tend to limit a tendency of main vehicle 100 to get stuck in constricted areas such as pipeline, tank, inside template envelope and similar constricted areas. If rounded, there is less of a tendency of tangling or being stuck in a narrow region. [0019] Tool interface 104 may be capable of providing simultaneous mechanical bidirectional torque/rotational power and communication via induction. In embodiments, tool interface 104 comprises a pinless inductive connection configured to provide rotational power, mechanical power, data communication between small remotely operated vehicle 206 tool and main vehicle 100, or a combination of rotational power, mechanical power, and communication between small remotely operated vehicle 206 tool and main vehicle 100. Data communication generally comprises communication of data and command signals between main vehicle 100 and secondary subsea vehicle 101 or small remotely operated vehicle 206 using an inductor provided on and between tooling interface 104 and male adapter 208 of subsea tool system 102.

[0020] In addition, tool interface 104 may be configured to transfer power to small remotely operated vehicle 206 using an inductor and may further comprise mechanical drive interface 104c.

[0021] Common drive interface 104a may comprise a plug and play interface.

[0022] Referring additionally to Fig. 2, subsea tool system 102 is typically connected semipermanently (but detachably) to subsea infrastructure or subsea asset 300 (such as subsea x-trees, manifolds, pipelines, subsea control unit and similar subsea structures) via a tool interface connection (adaptive mechanical and pinless power drive interface) provided on subsea infrastructure 300. In that manner, subsea tool system 102 may be a standalone unit which draws power and receives data through subsea asset/infrastructure 300 via tooling interface 104. Subsea tool system 102 may be remotely controlled from nearby surface installation or from a remote location.

[0023] Main vehicle 100 may comprise a plurality of main vehicles 100, and, if so, tool interface 104 comprises multiple main ROV interfaces 104 operative to interface small remotely operated vehicle 206 tool to the plurality of main vehicles 100. Main vehicle 100 may comprise a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), a subsea drone, a dredging vehicle, a subsea crawler, a hybrid underwater vehicle, a resident remotely operated vehicle, or a skid.

[0024] In the operation of exemplary methods, referring back to Fig. 1, a subsea tool system as described above uses main vehicle 100 to position subsea tool system 102 at a predetermined subsea location and a first tool 103 selected from a predetermined set of tools 103, each tool of the predetermined set of tools 103 comprising a common drive interface 103a. The selected first tool 104 is operatively connected to tool interface 104. Subsea tool system 102 may be remotely controlled from a surface installation or from a remote location or both.

[0025] When desired, the selected first tool 103 is detached from tool interface 104 subsea, a second tool 103 selected from the predetermined set of tools 103; and the selected second tool operatively connected to tool interface 104 subsea.

[0026] Where the main vehicle comprises a surface vehicle, the surface vehicle may be used to position subsea tool system 102 at the predetermined subsea location.

[0027] As desired, subsea tool system 102 may be detachably connected to subsea infrastructure or subsea asset 300 after positioning subsea tool system 102 at the predetermined subsea location. Where subsea infrastructure or subsea asset 300 comprises a tooling interface connection, subsea tool system 102 may be operatively connected to subsea infrastructure or subsea asset 300 via that tooling interface connection; power provided to subsea tool system 102 through subsea asset or subsea infrastructure 300 via tooling interface 104; and a data connection established between subsea tool system 102 and subsea asset or subsea infrastructure 300 via the tooling interface connection. Where tool interface 104 comprises a detachable wet mate connector tied to subsea infrastructure, power and data communication may be provided through the detachable wet mate connector and the tooling interface connection.

[0028] The predetermined set of tools 103 may be placed into a tooling cage or tooling basket near the predetermined subsea location along with subsea tool system 102 and small remotely operated vehicle 206 used to carry subsea tool system 102 in the tooling basket along with the predetermined set of tools 103 to a desired location.

[0029] Where the main vehicle comprises a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) or an autonomously operated vehicle (AUV), subsea tool system 102 may be cocked on a semipermanent tooling basket to facilitate easy replacement of subsea tool system 102 in case subsea tool system 102 fails or gets damaged or gets stuck or needs to be relocated to enable expanded use of subsea tool system 102. For example, if subsea tool system 102 is faulty or is not working properly, TMS 210 may use its tether to retrieve subsea tool system 102 back to a static unit/cage. [0030] Subsea tool system 102 may function as an antenna that is capable of receiving and transferring communication signals wirelessly from a separate subsea vehicle.

[0031] The foregoing disclosure and description of the inventions are illustrative and explanatory. Various changes in the size, shape, and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrative construction and/or an illustrative method may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.