Transocean Innovation Labs Ltd

Andrew Leach

Matthew Boike

Luis R Pereira

Stephen Fairfax

This disclosure includes methods for testing hydraulically-actuated devices and related systems. Some hydraulically-actuated devices have a housing defining an interior volume and a piston disposed within the interior volume and dividing the interior volume into a first chamber and a second chamber, where the piston is movable relative to the housing between a maximum first position and a maximum second position in response to pressure differentials between the first and second chambers. Some methods include: (1) moving the piston to the first position by varying pressure within at least one of the first and second chambers such that pressure within the second chamber is higher than pressure within the first chamber; and (2) while the piston remains in the first position: (a) reducing pressure within the second chamber and/or increasing pressure within the first chamber; and (b) increasing pressure within the second chamber and/or decreasing pressure within the first chamber.

Methods for assessing the reliability of hydraulically-actuated devices and related systems

Some of the present systems include a hydraulic power storage system having an accumulator configured to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically actuated device to actuate the hydraulically actuated device and a drain in fluid communication with the accumulator and including a valve that is actuatable to drain hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic power storage system such that an internal pressure of the accumulator is reduced and a flow restrictor configured to reduce a flow rate of hydraulic fluid through the valve, a hydraulic pump configured to pressurize the accumulator, a pressure sensor configured to capture data indicative of the internal pressure of the accumulator, and a processor configured to actuate the hydraulic pump to increase the internal pressure of the accumulator if the internal pressure of the accumulator, as indicated in data captured by the pressure sensor, falls below a threshold pressure.

Reliability assessable systems for actuating hydraulically actuated devices and related methods

This disclosure includes systems and methods for actuating hydraulically-actuated devices.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Andrew Leach