Qwik Connect
connector series were originally designed for shallower, lower pressure applications with shorter deployments. But today’s requirements for 10k psi high-pressure performance and deployments measured in weeks, not hours, call for both better mechanical design and harder 90 Shore-rated seals. Many subsea applications utilize electrical and optical Pressure Balanced Oil Filled (PBOF) cables. PBOF cables use a compensating fluid-filled elastomeric tube as a conduit for the electrical and fiber optic lines. The elastomeric conduit allows the ocean pressure to transfer to the compensating fluid, equalizing the pressure differential. PBOF
Clearance Gap
Installed O-Ring
O-Ring Under Pressure
O-Ring Extrusion
Extrusion Failure
^O-rings with proper shore hardness can prevent the extrusion problems shown in this diagram.
Next to mechanical design, the proper application of materials science has the greatest impact on high-pressure sealing. Metallic and non-metallic materials must be evaluated for temperature extremes, fluid compatibility, abrasion resistance, gas decompression, and conductivity. Shore hardness is a particularly critical material selection criterion in high-pressure sealing applications as it directly impacts material performance under pressure. Extrusion gaps in the designed- for clearance between metal sub-assemblies, for example, can be problematic for O-rings with Shore hardness ratings under 90. Many legacy subsea
technology has been widely utilized in ocean science exploration, drilling systems, production
control systems, towed sonar arrays, and most
^NOAA’s Hercules ROV recovers a basalt recruitment block experiment from the sea floor
importantly, for the interconnection of subsea floor structures and equipment. Special PBOF connectors are employed to enable the ROV to connect and disconnect flying lead PBOF cables for maintenance or equipment replacement. Glenair has developed a superior PBOF technology design that allows for faster, easier assembly and ease-of-repair in the field, and the utilization of both straight and sweeping, non-constricting 45° and 90° elbows. These improvements and a host of others are now available in Glenair SeaKing high-pressure connectors and coming soon in our revolutionary SuperG55 series. The SubSea/Marine Team at Glenair invites you to enjoy the rest of this special edition of QwikConnect and to contact the factory for applications and design-in support.
<PBOF cables on Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute’s next-generation Doc Ricketts ROV. Photo: Bill Abbott/Flickr
Qwik Connect n October 2016
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