The hybrid vertebrae bend restrictor (Hybrid VBR) is a new cable protection system made of a mixture of steel and polyurethane materials. It is used in deepwater oil and gas development and subsea energy systems to protect key cable components from excessive bending and corrosion.
Structural features
The hybrid VBR consists of steel pipe sections and polyurethane pipe sections to meet the structural and buoyancy requirements of different locations:
• Steel pipe section: arranged near the interface between VBR and equipment, this area bears the main bending load. Steel has extremely high structural strength to ensure full support in high-stress areas.
• Polyurethane pipe section: arranged in the part away from the support interface, the material itself has near-neutral buoyancy, provides flexible protection without increasing the structural burden, and reduces the overall system weight.
This material partitioning design ensures that the bend restrictor achieves the best balance between structural rigidity and ease of operation.
Advantages of use
The hybrid vertebral bend limiter has shown many advantages in engineering practice, especially for the installation of deep and large-sized cables:
• Lighter: Compared with traditional all-steel VBR, the hybrid structure significantly reduces the weight of the product, making it easier to transport, hoist and assemble manually, especially suitable for offshore construction environments with limited space and construction period.
• Cost savings: By replacing some steel sections with polyurethane sections, the manufacturing cost can be reduced by 5-30%, bringing significant economic benefits to customers.
• Stronger compatibility: It can support larger diameter, longer and heavier umbilical cables, making it an ideal choice for deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil and gas projects.
• Improved installation efficiency: The polyurethane section is more flexible and lighter, making on-site installation more efficient, shortening the construction time of the installation vessel and reducing operating costs.
Customizable design
Hybrid VBR is highly customizable and can be optimized according to the needs of different engineering projects:
• Customize the adapter interface of the umbilical outer diameter and structural form;
• Optional steel/polyurethane segment combinations of different lengths and quantities;
• Structural simulation and verification can be performed according to the project water depth, bending radius requirements, and load conditions;
• The material can be upgraded to super duplex stainless steel or high-performance polyurethane to improve corrosion resistance and service life.
The hybrid vertebral bend limiter optimizes weight, cost and installation convenience while ensuring structural strength through a scientific combination of materials. It is an ideal solution for the current deepwater umbilical cable protection field. Whether it is for standard applications or extreme deepwater projects, we can provide professional and customized design and manufacturing support to help your subsea engineering be safer and more efficient.
If you need to obtain product drawings, selection suggestions or technical consultation, please feel free to contact us.
