INTERCONNECTION FEATURE
Design considerations for highly ruggedised Connectors for subsea applications
As oil and gas producers push their technology to find ever deeper sources of supply, there is a growing need for long-distance, high-temperature and high-pressure communications devices and sensors. Enabling those technologies are highly ruggedised connectors designed specifically for deep water environments, as Steve Thumbeck Ametek SCPexplores
T
he reliability and robustness of interconnect components are critical
considerations for electrical equipment used in subsea applications. The corrosive nature of sea water and the effect of depth pressures combine to create a unique set of challenges for undersea connectors. Those connectors must be rugged and safe, while maintaining their effectiveness under extreme conditions. The slightest leak or connection failure can lead to equipment failure with potentially disastrous effects. The protection of power connections, signal electronics, and fibre optic signalling each have unique requirements. The design of these highly ruggedised connectors relies on many factors to ensure safety and effectiveness. Each contact must be individually sealed in connector housings suited to the environment in which it will be used. For underwater applications, specifications must include the protection of the socket and plug contacts from seawater seepage. Reliability is a must for continuous subsea mating under a wide range of temperatures and pressures.
CONNECTOR TYPES There are two principle connector types used in underwater applications: Wet- Mate Connectors (WMCs) and Dry-Mate Connectors (DMCs). WMCs are mated to an assembly or piece of equipment while submerged in water. DMCs, on the other hand, are mated above the water or in a dry environment. The assembled equipment is then submerged underwater. WMCs find application in the oil and gas industry largely on subsea “Christmas trees, the assembly of valves, spools and fittings used to regulate the flow from oil and gas wells, where WMCs are used to communicate electric signals from sensors under a wide range of high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) conditions. These connectors typically are
developed using the latest technology, / ELECTRONICS ELECTRONICS | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2019 27
WET-MATE CONNECTION As shown in figure 3, the sealed receptacle with its concentric contacts features an oil-filled primary chamber to prevent water ingress. Each electrical band is protected further within an individual secondary oil-filled chamber when mated. All chambers have individual seals, so that the failure of any one seal does not compromise the connector’s overall integrity. A central female pin, axially
and then tested and re-tested to ensure they will maintain the highest quality and standards under extreme operating conditions. As example, the Elite Series Wet-Mate connector from Ametek SCP is a 3-channel connector designed to operate reliably in extreme subsea and downhole oil and gas environments. This HPHT connector is just 15.8mm in diameter and has been functionally tested to 1034 bar and temperatures as high as 150o
C. These devices features a distinctive
design in which concentric contacts are individually sealed within pressure- balanced, oil-filled plug and receptacle connector housings. That configuration protects both the plug and socket contacts from the external seawater environment and ensures the highest level of reliability, along with repeated subsea mating capabilities under extreme pressures and temperatures.
Figure 1: AMETEK connector
Figure 2:
Subsea wet-mate HPHT connector
displaceable in the central passage, prevents water ingress or loss of oil when not mated. A main insulated plug core with contact bands on the connector displaces the female pin during the mating process. The plug core is protected by an outer sleeve that covers the contacts in the oil-filled chamber. Each half is individually sealed, and, when mated, the whole assembly is pressure balanced minimising stresses within the sealing areas.
Figure 3:
Wet mate connector diagram
DRY-MATE CONNECTION DMCs are connected, or mated, above the waterline before the connector, cable assembly and related equipment are submerged. DMCs are most often used to connect communications and power equipment and are designed to protect sensitive electronics and cables from being flooded. O-rings are used to seal the connector halves to keep water from reaching the electrical and/or fibre-optic contacts. The latest DMCs consider the risks involved in an application and offer design options that reduce those risks and improve operating performance. These higher performing contacts help satisfy an increasing demand in the oil and gas industry for distributed sensing systems that are now part of intelligent well system designs along with other emerging distributed acoustic and temperature monitoring systems.
Ametek SCP
www.ametekscp.com T: +1-401-596-6658
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