JP3611273B2 - Method and apparatus for offshore connection of liquefied natural gas transfer hose - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for connecting a liquefied natural gas transfer pipe at an offshore base to a fluid receiving fixed pipe in a floating body such as a shuttle tanker.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Due to the diversification of energy sources and the enhancement of global environment conservation, rapid growth in demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) using natural gas with low CO ₂ emissions and high energy efficiency is predicted.
[0003]
Marine gas fields that are the supply source for this demand are large-scale and those with a short shore distance are economically viable even if a fixed pipeline is installed from the offshore production facility to the land base and LNG is recovered. However, small-scale and large rip-off distances are not targeted for development because it is difficult to secure economic efficiency with existing technology. It is a well-known fact that many people are sleeping. In order to provide a stable supply of natural gas in the future, it is urgent to develop offshore gas fields that are small in size and have a long separation distance.
[0004]
Currently, in some offshore oil fields with large shoreline distances, a method of transferring heavy crude oil by connecting a floating offshore base and a shuttle tanker directly with a flexible hose has already been put into practical use. The current state of cargo handling at sea has not yet been put into practical use for the following reasons.
[0005]
In other words, when using a flexible hose, it is necessary to have a flexible hose with a sufficient length to follow the movement and distance between the offshore base or tanker and the shuttle tanker. The hose will be connected as if it floated on the surface of the sea.
[0006]
In the case of LNG, the fluid temperature is -164 ° C, which is extremely low, and even if the flexible hose has some heat insulation effect, if the flexible hose is immersed in seawater, the area around the flexible hose will freeze, and the role of the flexible hose Will not be able to withstand use.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In view of the problems in the prior art as described above, the present invention allows a flexible hose for transferring liquefied natural gas passed from an offshore base to a floating body such as a tanker to be properly operated without touching the sea surface. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus that can be accurately connected to a fixed pipe on the floating body.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To attain the above object, offshore connection methods LNG transfer hose of the invention, the floating body in the vicinity pipe of the same base for transferring fluid as equipped with liquefied natural gas to the base of the sea When connecting to the fixed pipe for receiving fluid, the pipe is moved from the base of the boom of the crane installed at the base to the middle position of the boom, and then separated downward as a flexible hose. The hose is positioned above the water surface, and the tip of the hose is supported by a suspension rope suspended from the boom of the crane , and the hose is suspended from the pulley at the middle of the boom. The hose is also supported by a cable , and then the tip of the hose is aligned and connected to the fixed pipe in the floating body.
[0009]
In the method of the present invention described above, a pipe for transferring liquefied natural gas at an offshore base has a pipe middle portion extending from the base of the boom of the crane on the base to an intermediate position of the length of the boom, and a hanging from the crane. Since a vertical surface including a flexible hose suspended portion supported at the tip by a suspended rope is formed, the vertical surface also rotates by turning the boom of the crane toward a floating body such as a tanker. Thus, the pipe intermediate portion and the hose hanging portion are appropriately directed to a tanker as a floating body.
[0010]
And by controlling the undulation of the boom and the hanging length of the suspension rope, the tanker and the like can be accurately aligned with the fixed pipe, and thus the tip of the hose hanging portion And a fixed pipe in a floating body such as a tanker can be easily connected.
[0011]
In addition, the hose hanging portion is supported by the hanging rope hanging from the pulley at the middle portion of the boom when the hoisting control of the boom and the hanging length control of the hanging rope are received. is because they are operated so as not to contact the sea, and during the transfer of cryogenic LNG can escape freezing of the outer circumference of the hose depending portion, the more flexible the hose hanging portion, of the Variations in the distance between the base and the floating body are appropriately absorbed.
[0012]
Moreover, offshore coupling device of the liquefied natural gas transfer hose of the invention includes a pipe for instrumented liquefied natural gas transported to the base of the sea, and a crane installed on the base, the pipe is, the A flexible hose that has a pipe intermediate portion that is arranged from the base of the boom of the crane to an intermediate position of the length of the boom, and that is connected to the intermediate portion of the pipe via a swivel joint and hangs downward. It has a portion, and slings for supporting the same flexible hose hanging part minute to hold the same flexible hose depending portion to above water surface depending from the upper pulley than the swivel joint in the boom, the hose depending portion A hose with a clamp mechanism that holds the tip and aligns and connects to the fluid receiving fixed pipe in the floating body near the base. It is characterized in that the coupling means are provided.
[0013]
In the apparatus of the present invention described above, the liquefied natural gas transfer pipe installed in the offshore base is suspended as a flexible hose from the middle boom position of the crane on the base via a swivel joint, and the tip of the hose hanging portion Is supported by a suspension line from an upper position in the boom of the crane, the swinging of the hanging portion of the hose is smoothly allowed by the swivel joint.
[0014]
In order to prevent the flexible hose hanging portion from coming into contact with the sea surface, the hose hanging portion needs to be hung from a relatively high position in the middle of the boom in the crane boom. The suspension of the flexible hose is coupled with the support of the tip of the hose by the suspension rope of the crane by the installation of a suspension rope pulley arranged above the swivel joint to support the intermediate portion of the flexible hose. The part is properly held.
[0015]
The tip of the suspended portion of the flexible hose held in this way is hung on the floating body by controlling the swing and undulation of the boom of the crane and the suspended length of the suspension rope, and the hose alignment connecting means with a clamp mechanism It is connected to the fixed pipe on the floating body while being positioned more accurately.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a description will be given of an offshore connection method and a connection device for a liquefied natural gas transfer hose as an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a hose aligning / connecting means with a clamp mechanism in the above apparatus.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 1, fluid collected from an underground gas field or oil field in the ocean is stored in a tank of the ocean base 1 as a floating body or a deck portion supported by legs on the sea floor. At that time, the natural gas is subjected to a low-temperature liquefaction treatment. The liquefied natural gas as a resource obtained in this way is carried out by the shuttle tanker 2 as a floating body approaching the vicinity of the base 1, but the fluid is transferred through the pipe 5 equipped in the base 1. It is.
[0018]
In the present embodiment, in particular, the pipe 5 is disposed so as to from the root of the boom 4 of the crane 3 that is erected on an end portion of the base 1 along the intermediate position until the boom 4 length of the boom 4 The boom-attached pipe intermediate portion 5 a and the flexible hose suspension portion 5 b that hangs down from the pipe intermediate portion 5 a via the boom-equipped swivel joint 6 and separates from the boom 4 are arranged.
[0019]
And the front-end | tip part 5c of the flexible hose drooping part 5b is supported by the suspension rope 8 suspended from the pulley 4a of the front-end | tip part of the boom 4, and control of turning of the boom 4 and undulation in the crane 3 and suspension of the suspension rope 8 are carried out. It is guided to the hose aligning / connecting means 7 with a clamp mechanism on the tanker 2 by controlling the length.
[0020]
The support of the hose depending portion 5b is not only slings 8 from the pulley 4a of the boom tip, also Ru supported by slings 9 from above the boom intermediate portion of the pulley 4b than swivel joint 6.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 2, the hose aligning and connecting means 7 with a clamp mechanism includes a guide rail 12 fixed on the tanker 2 as a floating body, and a fixed pipe 17 for receiving fluid on the tanker 2 guided by the rail 12. A groove-type member 10 for receiving a hose that can slide toward the flange 17f with the coupler 18 is provided on one side of the groove-type member 10 so that the hose tip 5c received by the groove-type member 10 can be gripped. A clamp member 11 attached via a hinge 13 is provided, and a hydraulic cylinder 14 for opening and closing the clamp member 11 via a lever 15 is also provided. A screw-type or hydraulic-type drive rod 16 capable of moving the groove-type member 10 forward and backward along the guide rail 12 is provided on the tanker 2.
[0022]
The bracket 14a that pivotally supports the base end of the cylinder 14 so that the hydraulic cylinder 14 can slide integrally with the groove member 10 on the deck of the floating body 2 is connected to the groove member 10 by the connecting member 10a. Is bound to
[0023]
In addition, it is desirable to provide an inclined guide plate 19 that can guide the hose tip 5c to descend from above in cooperation with the clamp member 11 in the inclined state in which the clamp member 11 is opened sideways. Furthermore, the hose tip 5c is provided with a flange 5f that can be joined to the flange 17f of the fixed pipe 17.
[0024]
In the method of the present embodiment, the liquefied natural gas transfer pipe 5 at the offshore base 1 is connected to the intermediate part of the length of the boom 4 from the root part of the boom 4 in the crane 3 on the base 1. And the vertical surface including the flexible hose hanging portion 5b supported by the suspension ropes 8 and 9 suspended from the crane 3, the boom 4 of the crane 3 is turned in the direction of the tanker 2. As a result, the vertical surface also turns, so that the pipe intermediate portion 5a and the hose hanging portion 5b are appropriately directed to the tanker 2 without being twisted and without contacting the sea surface .
[0025]
Then, by controlling the undulation of the boom 4 and the hanging length of the suspension ropes 8 and 9, the tanker 2 can be accurately aligned with the fixed pipe 17, and in this way the hose hanging portion 5b The tip 5c and the fixed pipe 17 in the tanker 2 are easily connected.
[0026]
Further, the hose hanging portion 5b is operated so that the hose hanging portion 5b does not come into contact with the sea surface when the hoisting control of the boom 4 and the hanging length of the suspension ropes 8 and 9 are controlled. by the can be avoided freezing hands of the circumference of the hose depending portion 5b upon transfer of fluid as LNG, further flexibility of the hose depending portion 5b, variations in the mutual distance between the base 1 and the tanker 2 described above It will be properly absorbed.
[0027]
Further, in the apparatus of the present embodiment, the liquefied natural gas transfer pipe 5 installed in the base 1 on the ocean is connected to the flexible hose hanging portion 5b from the intermediate position in the boom 4 of the crane 3 on the base 1 via the swivel joint 6. Since the tip 5c of the hose hanging portion 5b is supported by the suspension ropes 8 and 9 from the upper position of the boom 4 of the crane 3, the swivel joint 6 can smoothly swing the hose hanging portion 5b. Will be allowed.
[0028]
And in order to prevent the flexible hose hanging part 5b from coming into contact with the sea surface, it is necessary to hang the hose hanging part 5b from a relatively high position in the middle part of the boom 4 in the boom 4 of the crane 3. By installing the pulley 4b for the swivel joint 6 and the suspension rope 9 , the flexible hose hanging portion 5b is appropriately held together with the support of the hose tip 5c by the suspension ropes 8 and 9 of the crane 3.
[0029]
The tip portion of the flexible hose hanging portion 5b held in this way is suspended on the tanker 2 by turning and raising / lowering the boom 4 of the crane 3 and controlling the hanging length of the suspension ropes 8 and 9, and the clamping mechanism. It is connected to the fixed pipe 17 on the tanker 2 while being accurately positioned by the attached hose alignment connecting means 7. That is, after the hose tip 5c lowered to the groove member 12 is gripped by the clamp member 11 by the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 14, the flange 5f of the hose tip 5c together with the groove member 12 is moved by the operation of the drive rod 16. The fixed pipe 17 moves forward toward the flange 17f with the coupler 18, and after the flanges 5f and 17f are joined, the coupler 18 performs clamping and crimping between the flanges.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the method and apparatus for connecting the liquefied natural gas transfer hose offshore according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the method of the present invention, a pipe for transferring liquefied natural gas at an offshore base has an intermediate pipe portion extending from the base of the boom of the crane on the base to an intermediate position of the length of the boom; Since a vertical surface including a flexible hose hanging part supported at the tip by a suspended suspension rope is formed, the vertical surface is also turned by turning the boom of the crane toward a floating body such as a tanker. By turning, the pipe intermediate part and the hose hanging part are appropriately directed to the tanker or the like. And by controlling the undulation of the boom and the hanging length of the suspension rope, the tanker and the like can be accurately aligned with the fixed pipe, and thus the tip of the hose hanging portion And a fixed pipe in a floating body such as a tanker can be easily connected. In addition, when the hose hanging portion receives the boom raising and lowering control and the hanging length control of the hanging rope, the hose hanging portion is hung with its middle portion hanging from the pulley of the middle portion of the boom. because being supported by the rope is manipulated so as not to contact the sea, and during the transfer of cryogenic LNG can escape freezing of the outer circumference of the hose depending portion, the more flexible the hose depending portion, Variations in the distance between the base and the floating body are appropriately absorbed.
(2) In the apparatus of the present invention, the liquefied natural gas transfer pipe installed in the offshore base is suspended as a flexible hose from the middle boom position of the crane on the base via a swivel joint, and the tip of the hose hanging portion Since the portion is supported by a suspension line from an upper position in the boom of the crane, the swinging portion of the hose can be smoothly allowed to swing by the swivel joint. In order to prevent the flexible hose hanging portion from coming into contact with the sea surface, the hose hanging portion needs to be hung from a relatively high position in the middle of the boom in the crane boom. The flexible hose is coupled with the support of the tip of the hose by the suspension rope of the crane by installing the suspension rope pulley disposed above the swivel joint to support the intermediate portion of the flexible hose. The hanging portion is properly held. The tip of the suspended portion of the flexible hose held in this way is hung on the floating body by controlling the swing and undulation of the boom of the crane and the suspended length of the suspension rope, and the hose alignment connecting means with a clamp mechanism It is connected to the fixed pipe on the floating body while being positioned more accurately.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which the method of the present invention is carried out using an offshore connecting device for a liquefied natural gas transfer hose as one embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view showing a hose aligning / connecting means with a clamp mechanism in the apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Ocean base 2 Tanker (floating body)
3 Crane 4 Boom 4a, 4b Pulley 5 Liquefied natural gas transfer pipe 5a Pipe intermediate part 5b Flexible hose hanging part 5c Hose tip 5f Flange 6 Swivel joint 7 Hose alignment connecting means 8 with clamp mechanism, 9 Suspension cable
10 Channel member for receiving hose
11 Clamp member
12 Guide rail
13 Hinge
14 Hydraulic cylinder
15 Lever
16 Driving rod
17 Fixed piping
17f Flange
18 coupler
19 Inclined guide plate

Claims (2)

A pipe for transporting a fluid as liquefied natural gas that is provided on the base of the sea when connected to the fluid receiving fixed pipe in floating near the same base, the pipe crane installed in the base boom Along the boom from the root to the middle position of the boom, the flexible hose is separated downward and the hose is positioned above the water surface while the tip of the hose is attached to the crane. The hose is supported by a suspension line suspended from the boom , and the hose is also supported by a suspension line suspended from a pulley at the middle of the boom , and then the tip of the hose is aligned with the fixed pipe in the floating body. A method for connecting offshore liquefied natural gas transfer hoses, characterized in that they are connected. A pipe for transferring liquefied natural gas installed in an offshore base and a crane installed on the base are provided, and the pipe extends from the base of the boom of the crane to an intermediate position of the length of the boom. In order to hold the flexible hose drooping portion above the water surface, having a flexible hose drooping portion that is connected to the pipe middle portion via a swivel joint and droops downward. and slings to support the same flexible hose hanging part content depends from the upper pulley than the swivel joint in the boom grips the leading end portion of the hose depending portion to the fluid receiving fixed pipe in floating near the base characterized in that the clamping mechanism with a hose matching connecting means for connecting in alignment is provided, liquefied natural gas shift Offshore coupling device of use hose.

Images