Abb Offshore Systems Limited

Richard K O Barratt

Robert Duane Fross

A volume compensator has a body with an axial chamber containing a piston assembly that is biased to one side by a spring. The compensator is coaxially mounted with a female coupler to a protective cover for a hydraulic interface plate. The female coupler has an axial bore containing a poppet assembly with an axial bleed port that extends into a receptacle on the end of the female coupler. The receptacle receives a male coupler on the interface plate. The male coupler contains a poppet assembly with a solid poppet that seals in high pressure hydraulic fluid. When the cover is secured to the interface plate, the male coupler is inserted into the receptacle and a small amount of sea water is trapped in between. The trapped sea water is forced through the bleed port and female coupler, and into the compensator where it displaces the piston and spring in the compensator. When the tips of poppets engage, high pressure hydraulic fluid is released into the female coupler and compensator where it is retained. When the cover is detached from the interface plate, the tips of the poppets disengage to seal off the high pressure hydraulic fluid. As the male coupler is withdrawn from the receptacle, the spring returns the piston to its starting position and ambient sea water is drawn into the chamber in the compensator.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Richard K O Barratt