Christina C Ross

US Patent:

6397948, Jun 4, 2002

Filed:

Nov 3, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/433413

Inventors:

Michael R. Williams - Houston TX
John A. Johansen - Kongsberg, NO
Christina A. Ross - Houston TX
David E. Wendt - Houston TX
Sylvester A. Joan - Houston TX
Stanley J. Rogala - Katy TX

Assignee:

FMC Technologies, Inc. - Chicago IL

International Classification:

E21B 43013

US Classification:

166363, 114221 A, 83701

Abstract:

A load limiting break away arrangement for a subsea umbilical includes telescoping inner and outer bodies. The inner body includes multiple cross-bored holes; the outer body has slotted openings on its top and bottom sides. A shearing blade is positioned at one end of a top slot of the outer body. Individual umbilical tubes pass through a bottom slot of the outer body, through individual holes in the inner body and out a top slot of the outer body for attachment to multiple quick connect couplers on an umbilical termination head of an Umbilical Termination Assembly (UTA) and of an Electro-Hydraulic Distribution Module (EHDM). Tension resistant actuation members run between the UTA and EHDM so that when a snag of an umbilical occurs, the inner and outer bodies are pulled apart and the tubes are severed one by one by the blade of the outer body.