Submarine electrical heating system, method to remedy and treat hydrates and use of the said system

Abstract

A system and method are able to generate and dissipate heat internally to a certain submarine equipment by applying electric power, aiming to aid in the remediation and treatment of hydrate, which was formed in its inside, aiming its effective spreading. The said system is specially suitable to be used in submarine equipments involved in the fluids flowing linked to Oil and Gas Industry, and includes a cavity filled with a fluid suitable for heat transfer, in which a penetrator is installed thereon interlinking an encapsulated resistance to a compensated hose filled with dielectric oil housing inner electrical wires. The said hose has an electrical connector suitable for operating with ROV in its end.

Claims

1. A submarine electrical heating system, comprising: a body of a submarine equipment; a cavity formed in the body and filled with a fluid suitable for heat transfer; a penetrator installed in the cavity having an O-ring type sealing barrier, thereby sealing the fluid suitable for heat transfer within the cavity; an encapsulated resistance disposed in the cavity and coupled to the penetrator, the encapsulated resistance positioned to generate heat within the cavity; a compensated hose filled with dielectric oil, the penetrator interlinking the encapsulated resistance to the compensated hose, the compensated hose housing inner electrical wires; and an electrical connector in an end of the compensated hose, the electrical connector being a point of contact with an energy source.

2. The system, according to claim 1, wherein the submarine equipment is any submarine equipment involved in fluids flowing systems employed in the Oil and Gas Industry.

3. The system, according to claim 2, wherein the submarine equipment is selected between slide type valves, ball type valves, monophasic flow gauges or multiphasic flow gauges.

4. The system, according to claim 1, wherein the energy source is a ROV.

5. The system, according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is subsea wet-mate connector type.

6. A method to remedy and treat hydrates, comprising: i) providing the coupling of an energy source to the electrical connector of the submarine electrical heating system according to claim 1; ii) providing the supply of electric power to the encapsulated resistance; iii) changing the said electrical energy into thermal energy through the encapsulated resistance within the cavity; and iv) providing the thermal energy spreading throughout the environment of the equipment and surroundings of the said equipment.

7. A method to remedy and treat hydrates, comprising: 1) providing the submarine electrical heating system according to claim 1; 2) applying the system for remedying and treating hydrates aiming an effective dissociation of said hydrates in fluids flowing systems in the Oil and Gas Industry.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

(1) The present invention will be described in the following regarding the attached FIGURE, which represents a schematic form and not limitative to its scope.

(2) FIG. 1 represents a partial schematic form of the cross section of a submarine equipment according to the present invention illustrating its main components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) In a first aspect, the present invention provides an internal heating system for submarine equipments, by applying electric power. According to the present invention it becomes possible to promote the remediation of hydrates formed inside the equipment by supplying heating.

(4) The said system is formed by a cavity (B) arranged in the body of a submarine equipment (A), filled with a fluid suitable for heat transfer (thermal fluid) (I) and in which a penetrator (C) is installed coupled to an encapsulated resistance (D). The said penetrator (C) acts as a barrier for external environment and ensures the cavity (B) is with the atmospheric pressure due to an O-ring type sealing barrier (J).

(5) The other side of the penetrator (C) is interlinked to a compensated hose (E) to support the sea bottom pressure, provided with inner electrical wires (G) and being filled with dielectric oil (H).

(6) The opposed side of the hose is ended in an electrical connector subseawet mate connector suitable to operate with a ROV (F), working as point of contact with the energy source (K) received from the said ROV.

(7) The energy received is then changed into heat through Joule effect, in a way the resistance exposure to electrical energy for a determined period of time will result in the production of thermal energy, according to equations below:
P (watts)=EI=E*2/R(i)
R=E*2/P(ii)
where P=watts; E=volts; I=amperes; and R= (ohms).

(8) As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the documents of the state of the art mentioned above disclose methods wherein the heat is generated in a place outside that on where it must act to, then, be directed to the place where hydrates to be dissociated are met, occurring by conduction. In the present invention the system acts in a more located form, which is able to generate heat internally to the equipment and dissipate it by its surrounding reaching efficiently the hydrates agglomerate. In this way, the present invention avoids the problems presented by the methods of the state of the art, as for example, heat loss, high energetic demand, low efficiency, among other drawbacks.

(9) In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for remedying and treating hydrates aiming its effective spreading, applicable to a submarine equipment and comprising the steps of: i) provide the coupling of an energy source to an electrical connector of the submarine electrical heating system; ii) provide the electric power supply to an encapsulated internal electrical resistance; iii) change the said electrical energy into thermal energy through the said electrical resistance; iv) provide the thermal energy spreading throughout the environment inside the equipment and its surrounding.

(10) In a third aspect, the present invention refers the use of the submarine electrical heating system according to the present invention for remedying and treating hydrates aiming its effective spreading, in fluids flowing systems in the Oil and Gas Industry.