Umbilicals brochure - Aker Solutions

Keep your field flowing
10
Our umbilicals concept
Aker Solutions is the global market leader for steel tube umbilicals. Our steel tube
umbilical is characterised by long lay (pitch) length of the components and all
components supported within channel elements.
Features and advantages
Longitudinal channel elements,
or profiles, provide multi-purpose
functionality; give protection, correctly
space the internal elements in the
umbilical cross-section and maximise
flexibility for the individual components
to move axially. They provide individual
support for each of the internal elements,
hold high installation tensioner loads,
and protect against dropped objects
and sharp edges. The design offers
high cross section lay-out flexibility and
improved fatigue capacity. The channel
elements protect all components from
any external damage in the factory;
ensuring components are effectively
protected through all umbilical
manufacturing processes and spooling.
A majority of failures to umbilicals
occur during installation. Aker Solutions
offers increased robustness - reducing
risk of damage during installation and
operation.
Our steel tube umbilical:
Accepts very high installation crush
load from tensioner
Absorbs the impact energy from
dropped object efficiently through
elastic deformation
Accepts compressive loads,
e.g. at touch down
Offers increased protection of the
umbilical components from e.g.
sharp edges
Has no armour, thus can be bent in
any direction and “bird caging” is
eliminated
Should a failure occur, the long lay
length and the spacing of the individual
umbilical components facilitate
predictable opening of the umbilical
package and repair or replacement of
damaged components.
Improved umbilical performance:
Efficient utilisation of the strength of
the tubes in the cross section
Low internal contact forces translate
to improved fatigue capacity
Internal elements move relative to
each other at places where bending
occurs, resulting in low frictional
effects
High torsion stability
The umbilical is tuned to meet
any water depth or environmental
condition by adding weight or
stiffness elements in the cross
section
Preferable and predictable conditions
inside the umbilical cross-section
mean umbilicals with superduplex
tubes operate reliably in warm
seawater and up to 65° Celsius
without tube sheathing
Enhanced deepwater dynamic
umbilical
Aker Solutions’ patented carbon fibre
rod technology increases umbilical axial
stiffness for deepwater applications.
This technology is used on both steel
tube production control umbilicals as
well as power umbilicals. By using this
technology Aker Solutions allows for
increased strength with little impact
on the overall weight. This reduces
structural reinforcement on the host
platform, reduces logistical costs, and
increases installability. Carbon fibre
reinforcement is also used to improve
fatigue capacity.
Metallic tubes:
Maximum reliability, long and
predictable service life
No migration/permeation of fluids
through the walls of the steel tubing
Constant and low tube surface
roughness
The hydraulic response time and flow
resistance will not alter over the years
Unlimited internal/external line
pressure
No risk of collapse of fluid conduit