A subsea umbilical is the link between the host facility (onshore/offshore) and the subsea production system.
The umbilical provides transmission of electric and fibre optic signals, electrical power, hydraulic fluids and injection of chemical fluids through respectively electric-and/or fibre optic cables and steel tubes.
Our advanced steel tube umbilical design provides reliability and durability.
Aker Solutions provides cost effective and technically advanced steel tube umbilical concept and technology.
Traditionally, the cable and umbilical industry bundle the elements at steep helix angle where they are protected from excessive loading by armouring layers.
Aker Solutions patented steel tube umbilical concept is to utilise the capacity in the tube as strength elements.
Produced at Aker Solutions' specialist umbilical manufacturing facilities in Norway and the US, our steel tube umbilicals are custom designed for individual project specifications, and offer the following advantages:
- Low helix lay-angle, limited internal radial force generated at high umbilical tension, high torsion stability
- Helical elements radial supported in separate conduits, high crush load capacity for deepwater installation, improved fatigue properties
- All tubes, electrical, and fibre optic elements are individually protected and separated by PVC conduits - no need of separate armouring layers
- PVC profiles provide multi-purpose functionality, protection and correctly spaces the internal elements in the umbilical cross section
- Extremely good protection for impact loads - the PVC profiles absorb the impact energy efficiently through elastic deformation
- Avoid tubes from bird-caging even at high compression loads
- Lower weight than competition: weight members may be added if required for seabed stability
- Good capability to take high loads in installation tensioner
- High cross section lay-out flexibility
- In dynamic services, the internal elements move relative to each other. Low frictional effects
- Known and predictable levels of friction between the PVC conduit and the functional element
- Improved chemical compatibility. Super duplex stainless steel tube is compatible to all commonly used hydraulic fluids and injection chemicals (including methanol)
- No migration/permeation of fluids through the walls of the steel tubing
- Constant and low tube surface roughness
- Long and predictable service life
- No limit with respect to internal/external line pressure. The tubing is individually dimensioned for each project.
- No risk of hose collapse
Our umbilical systems are equally well suited for static applications to fixed platforms and dynamic applications from floating production facilities.