Design Challenges for Power & All Electric Control Umbilicals

Abstract

Since the first umbilicals were developed and installed to control and preserve subsea equipment they have continued to evolve to ensure effective operation in an increasingly challenging subsea environment. New material technologies, complex analysis tools and umbilical designs, such as in , have been developed to ensure umbilical systems operate through-out their service life irrespective of the ambient temperature, fatigue loading, hyperbaric pressure and tensile loads applied. Typical Control and Chemical Injection Umbilical Arangement The subsea industry needs to adapt to the challenge of reducing capital expenditure (CAPEX) costs due to reduced oil price. The potential cost savings could be realised through adapting the subsea processing system to treat processed fluids on the seabed together with utilising longer step out systems from existing facilities. This could drive a new step in umbilical evolution. To support the potential evolution of subsea processing systems, the conventional control umbilical must evolve to incorporate the supply of electrical power and potentially electrical control to replace hydraulic control over long step out distances. This has a significant influence on the design of the umbilical system, introducing several new challenges which need to be addressed through material selection and advanced analysis techniques. This paper will provide an overview of the potential evolution of the Next Generation All Electric umbilical and outline the design challenges and methods developed to maximise the reliability of the umbilical system.