Underwater thermal connector assembly

Abstract

An underwater thermal connector has mating plug and receptacle units configured for releasable mating engagement to form a sealed thermal connection for transferring heat into or out of subsea equipment housing and pipe lines. The receptacle unit has an inner chamber containing thermally conductive media and having a forward end opening which is sealed in the unmated condition, an outer thermally insulating chamber surrounding the inner chamber, a first thermal contact in the inner chamber, and a thermal conductor or heat pipe communicating with the first thermal contact and extending out of an outer end of the unit. The plug unit has at least one thermal conductor or heat pipe having an outer end and extending forward through a rear manifold and terminating in a thermal contact pin which engages the first thermal contact when the units are in mating engagement.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An underwater thermal connector, comprising:
 a plug unit having an outer shell having a forward end and a rear end, an inner thermally insulating manifold, and at least one first thermal conductor comprising a pin extending through the thermally insulating manifold and having a forward end portion that projects in a forward direction from the thermally insulating manifold and has a first thermal contact at its forward end;   a receptacle unit having an outer shell having a forward end and a rear end, at least one contact chamber inside the shell containing a thermally conductive medium, and at least one second thermal contact in the contact chamber configured for thermal engagement with the first thermal contact in a mated condition of the units;   at least one second thermal conductor in communication with the second thermal contact and extending from the contact chamber out of the rear end of the outer shell of the receptacle unit;   the plug and receptacle units being movable between an unmated condition and a mated, sealed condition in which they are in releasable mating engagement and the first and second thermal contacts are in thermally conductive communication; and   the contact chamber having a sealable forward end opening through which the pin extends in the mated condition of the units, the sealable forward end opening sealing against the pin in the mated condition of the units.   
     
     
         2 . The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second thermal conductors comprise heat pipes, each heat pipe having a forward end inside the respective plug and receptacle units and a rear end comprising a thermal interface, one of said thermal interfaces communicating with a heat source and the other thermal interface communicating with a heat sink. 
     
     
         3 . The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive medium in the contact chamber is a fluid and a compliant member of thermal insulation material surrounds said contact chamber and has a forward end wall in which said sealable forward end opening is located, said compliant member flexing to compensate for pressure and volumetric variations within said contact chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the second thermal contact comprises a contact socket and the receptacle unit further comprises a shuttle piston of thermally insulating material extending in a forward direction through the contact socket and being movable between a retracted position inside the contact chamber in the mated condition of the units and an advanced position in which the forward end is sealably engaged in the forward end opening of the contact chamber and the shuttle piston and the forward end opening form a forward end seal in the unmated condition of the units. 
     
     
         5 . The connector of  claim 4 , further comprising a biasing member urging the shuttle piston into sealing engagement with the forward end opening of the contact chamber in the unmated condition of the units. 
     
     
         6 . The connector of  claim 5 , wherein the forward end portion of the first thermal conductor is configured to extend through the forward end opening of the contact chamber and urge the shuttle piston into the retracted position in the mated condition of the units, the first thermal contact engaging in the contact socket and the first thermal conductor being in sealing engagement with the forward end opening of the contact chamber in the mated condition of the units. 
     
     
         7 . The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the plug unit has two or more first thermal conductors comprising pins extending through the thermally insulating manifold, each pin having a respective first thermal contact at a forward end of the respective pin, and the receptacle unit has two or more second thermal contacts and a corresponding number of second thermal conductors in communication with respective second thermal contacts, each first thermal contact being positioned for alignment and mating engagement with a respective second thermal contact in a mated condition of the units. 
     
     
         8 . The connector of  claim 7 , wherein each thermal conductor comprises a heat pipe having a thermal interface located outside the rear end of the respective plug or receptacle unit. 
     
     
         9 . The connector of  claim 1 , further comprising a second chamber containing thermal insulating media surrounding the first chamber, the second chamber having a second outer peripheral wall of compliant, thermally insulating material. 
     
     
         10 . The connector of  claim 9 , further comprising a third chamber surrounding the second chamber between the second outer peripheral wall and outer shell of the receptacle unit, the outer shell having at least one port communicating with the third chamber whereby the second outer peripheral wall is exposed to the surrounding medium via the port for pressure compensation purposes. 
     
     
         11 . The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the outer shells of the plug and receptacle units are of low thermal conductivity metal. 
     
     
         12 . A subsea thermal connector assembly, comprising:
 a thermal connector having opposite first and second ends and comprising first and second connector units movable between an unmated condition and a mated condition in which they are in releasable mating engagement, each connector unit having a forward end and a rear end, the forward end facing the forward end of the other connector unit during mating engagement of the units;   the first connector unit having an outer shell, an inner thermally insulating manifold, and at least one first thermal conductor comprising a pin extending through the thermally insulating manifold and having a forward end portion that projects forwards from the thermally insulating manifold and has a first thermal contact at its forward end;   the second connector unit having an outer shell, at least one contact chamber inside the shell containing a thermally conductive medium, at least one second thermal contact in the contact chamber configured for thermal engagement with the first thermal contact in a mated condition of the units, and at least one second thermal conductor in communication with the second thermal contact and extending from the contact chamber out of the rear end of the outer shell of the second connector unit;   the contact chamber having a sealable forward end opening through which the pin extends in the mated condition of the units, the sealable forward end opening sealing against the pin in the mated condition of the units;   the first and second thermal conductors each having at least one outer thermal contact at an outer end of the respective the thermal connector unit;   a first thermal interface for communication with a heat sink and connected to the at least one outer thermal contact at one of the ends of the thermal connector and a second thermal interface for communication with a heat source and connected to the at least one outer thermal contact at the other end of the thermal connector.   
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the first thermal interface is a finned heat exchanger and the heat sink comprises a subsea environment surrounding the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first thermal interface includes a thermoelectric generator and the heat sink comprises a subsea environment surrounding the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the second thermal interface is a wall of a subsea electronics housing and the heat source comprises heat generating components inside the subsea housing. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the second thermal interface is a subsea pipe for transport of a fluid medium comprising petroleum liquid or gas from a subsea well, and the heat source comprises the fluid medium. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second thermal conductors comprise heat pipes. 
     
     
         18 . A method of transferring heat into or out of subsea equipment, comprising:
 thermally connecting a first thermal interface at a rear end of a first heat pipe in a first connector unit of a releasably mateable subsea thermal connector to a heat source or sink, the first connector unit having a sealable opening which communicates with a thermal contact chamber inside the first connector unit and is sealed in an unmated condition of the first connector unit; and   releasably mating a second connector unit with the first connector unit, the second connector unit containing a second heat pipe having a forward end contact and configured for sealing engagement through the sealable opening in the first connector unit into the thermal contact chamber during mating of the units, wherein the second heat pipe communicates with a second thermal interface at its rear end which is in communication with a heat sink or a heat source; and a forward end contact of the second heat pipe is in thermal communication with a forward end of the first heat pipe in the mated condition of the units.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the subsea thermal connector extends through a wall of a subsea housing, the heat source comprises heat generating electronic equipment inside the subsea housing and the heat sink comprises seawater surrounding the subsea housing. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein one of the thermal interfaces comprises a subsea pipe carrying petroleum liquid or gas from a subsea well, and the heat source comprises petroleum liquid or gas from a subsea well travelling through the pipe. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second thermal interface comprises a finned heat exchanger or a thermoelectric generator.