Subsea tool changer

Abstract

A subsea tool changer comprises a housing; a rotatable carousel rotatably mounted within the housing and adapted to receive a plurality of selectively removable tools; a tool changer that can select a predetermined one of the plurality of tools from the carousel; and a power drive adapted to provide a predetermined function to a tool selected by the tool changer, the power drive further comprising a first power drive interface. In typical use, a selectively removable tool is placed onto the rotatable carousel which is rotated so that a desired selectively removable tool is positioned adjacent to a tool driver which is then mated with the desired selectively removable tool. The tool changer and mated selected removable tool are moved outward toward an outer boundary of the housing and the tool changer extended at least partially outside the housing outward towards a predetermined tool working position. The tool changer is then pivoted to position the selected removable tool to its predetermined tool working position.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method of providing a tool for subsea use, comprising:
 a. placing a selectively removable tool onto a carousel rotatably mounted within a housing, the carousel comprising an upper surface exposed to the housing open interior, the selectively removable tool configured to selectively couple with and decouple from a power drive and be stowed into and extracted from a desired one of a plurality of tool retainers, the selectively removable tool comprising a common tool power interface, the power drive comprising:
 i. a first power drive interface; 
 ii. a power drive tool mating end adapted to selectively engage and disengage the selectively removable tool and selectively couple the first power drive interface with and decouple the first power drive interface from the selectively removable tool's common tool power interface; and 
 iii. a power source interface operatively coupled to the first power drive interface, the power source interface adapted to operatively couple to a power source, receive power from the power source, and provide that power to the first power interface without the power source interface making and breaking its connection to the power source when the first power drive interface is selectively coupled and decoupled to the selectively removable tool's common tool power interface; 
   b. moving a selectively extendable tool changer movably disposed at least partially within the housing into a first position within the housing, the selectively extendable tool changer comprising:
 i. a tool changer first end disposed within the housing; and 
 ii. a tool changer second end disposed opposite the tool changer first end towards the housing open side wall, the power drive pivotably connected to the tool changer second end, the tool changer adapted to:
 1. selectively insert the power drive tool mating end into a selectively removable tool stowed in one of the plurality of tool retainers; 
 2. extract the power drive and the selectively removable tool from that tool retainer; 
 3. flip the extracted selectively removable tool and power drive from a first position to a second position that is substantially 180° from the first position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the extracted tool; 
 4. selectively flip the extracted selectively removable tool and power drive from the second position back to the first position; and 
 5. reseat the extracted selectively removable tool back into one of the plurality of tool retainers; 
 
   c. pivotably connecting the power drive to the tool changer second end;   d. rotating the carousel so that a desired one of the selectively removable tools is positioned adjacent to the tool driver, the desired one of the selectively removable tool stowed in one of a plurality of tool retainers;   e. mating the desired selectively removable tool with the tool driver by inserting the power drive tool mating end into the desired selectively removable tool;   f. extracting the power drive and the desired selectively removable tool from that tool retainer; and   g. flipping the extracted selectively removable tool and power drive from a first position to a second position that is substantially 180° from the first position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the extracted tool.   
     
     
         2 . The method of providing a tool for subsea use of  claim 1 , wherein mating the desired selectively removable tool with the tool driver by inserting the power drive tool mating end into the desired selectively removable tool further comprises extending the tool changer and the mated selected removable tool outward toward an outer boundary of the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The method of providing a tool for subsea use of  claim 1 , further comprising retracting the tool changer at least partially into the housing after flipping the extracted selectively removable tool and power drive from a first position to a second position. 
     
     
         4 . The method of providing a tool for subsea use of  claim 1 , further comprising extending the tool changer at least partially outside the housing outward towards a predetermined tool working position after flipping the extracted selectively removable tool and power drive from a first position to a second position. 
     
     
         5 . The method of providing a tool for subsea use of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a. rotating the carousel so that the flipped selectively removable tool is positioned adjacent to the tool driver when the selectively removable tool is to be disengaged from the tool driver;   b. mating the desired selectively removable tool with the tool driver by inserting the power drive tool mating end into the desired selectively removable tool;   c. selectively flipping the mated selectively removable tool and power drive from the second position back to the first position; and   d. reseating the extracted selectively removable tool back into one of the plurality of tool retainers.   
     
     
         6 . The method of providing a tool for subsea use of  claim 5 , further comprising pivoting the tool changer to position the selected removable tool to its predetermined tool working position. 
     
     
         7 . The method of providing a tool for subsea use of  claim 8 , wherein pivoting the tool changer to position the selected removable tool to its predetermined tool working position further comprises pivoting the tool driver to allow the selected removable tool to be positioned at least partially outside the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The method of providing a tool for subsea use of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a. pivoting the tool changer to position the selected removable tool to its stowable position;   b. retracting the tool changer at least partially inside the housing outward towards a predetermined tool storage position;   c. disengaging the selected removable tool from the drive interface;   d. extending the tool changer at least partially out from the housing;   e. retracting the tool changer and the mated selected removable tool inward toward an inner portion of the housing;   f. disengaging the desired selectively removable tool from the tool driver;   g. rotating the carousel so that the selected removable tool is positioned adjacent to a storage position; and   h. stowing the selectively removable tool into the storage position.   
     
     
         9 . The method of providing a tool for subsea use of  claim 1 , further comprising latching the mated selected removable tool. 
     
     
         10 . The method of providing a tool for subsea use of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a. using a mechanically rotatable connector to connect to a desired selectively removable tool; and   b. securely latching the desired selectively removable tool to the tool driver.