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Actuators
Volume 14
Issue 11
10.3390/act14110536
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Design and Performance Analysis of a Subsea Wet-Mateable Connector Seal for Subsea Drilling Rigs

by
Liang Xiong
1,
Xiaolian Zhang
2,*,
Shuo Zhao
3,4,
Lieyu Tian
1,
Bingyi Hu
5,
Yang Lv
1,
Jinsong Lu
1,
Ailiyaer Ahemaiti
1,
Zhaofei Sun
6,
Fuyuan Li
3 and
Junguo Cui
3
1
Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, China Geological Survey, Guangzhou 511458, China
2
Guangdong Bureau of Coal Geology, Guangzhou 510030, China
3
College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580, China
4
Golden Stallion Electromechanical Technology Co., Ltd., Qingdao 266555, China
5
Wenzhou Huahai Sealing Component Co., Ltd., Wenzhou 325024, China
6
Nanjing Quanxin Cable Technology Co., Ltd., Nanjing 211106, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Actuators 2025, 14(11), 536; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14110536
Submission received: 5 September 2025 / Revised: 25 October 2025 / Accepted: 4 November 2025 / Published: 5 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Control Systems)
Versions Notes

Abstract

As terrestrial oil and gas resources continue to decline, deep-sea oil and gas development has become a strategic priority. A wide range of production equipment must be deployed on the seabed, among which subsea wet-mateable connectors are indispensable. To address the challenges of high pressure, low temperature, and corrosion in deep-sea environments, this study proposes a cooperative sealing strategy between the annular protrusion on the entry casing and a sliding sleeve. The leakage per single mate/demate cycle is quantified under varying insertion speeds and pressure differentials. By examining the effects of protrusion geometry, insertion speed, friction coefficient, and radial compression on sealing performance, the optimal parameters are identified: a friction coefficient of 0.15 and a trapezoidal-rib seal with 0.015 mm radial compression for dynamic sealing, yielding a contact pressure of 27.5 MPa and a mating/demating force of 197.26 N—satisfying the manipulation requirements of a remotely operated vehicle. Hydrostatic pressure tests demonstrate that the dynamic sealing design of the underwater connector achieves a balance between high reliability and low insertion resistance, and the prototype meets the operational requirements for deep-sea service.
Keywords: subsea wet-mateable connector; friction coefficient; radial expansion; dynamic sealing; finite element simulation subsea wet-mateable connector; friction coefficient; radial expansion; dynamic sealing; finite element simulation

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Xiong, L.; Zhang, X.; Zhao, S.; Tian, L.; Hu, B.; Lv, Y.; Lu, J.; Ahemaiti, A.; Sun, Z.; Li, F.; et al. Design and Performance Analysis of a Subsea Wet-Mateable Connector Seal for Subsea Drilling Rigs. Actuators 2025, 14, 536. https://doi.org/10.3390/act14110536

AMA Style

Xiong L, Zhang X, Zhao S, Tian L, Hu B, Lv Y, Lu J, Ahemaiti A, Sun Z, Li F, et al. Design and Performance Analysis of a Subsea Wet-Mateable Connector Seal for Subsea Drilling Rigs. Actuators. 2025; 14(11):536. https://doi.org/10.3390/act14110536

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xiong, Liang, Xiaolian Zhang, Shuo Zhao, Lieyu Tian, Bingyi Hu, Yang Lv, Jinsong Lu, Ailiyaer Ahemaiti, Zhaofei Sun, Fuyuan Li, and et al. 2025. "Design and Performance Analysis of a Subsea Wet-Mateable Connector Seal for Subsea Drilling Rigs" Actuators 14, no. 11: 536. https://doi.org/10.3390/act14110536

APA Style

Xiong, L., Zhang, X., Zhao, S., Tian, L., Hu, B., Lv, Y., Lu, J., Ahemaiti, A., Sun, Z., Li, F., & Cui, J. (2025). Design and Performance Analysis of a Subsea Wet-Mateable Connector Seal for Subsea Drilling Rigs. Actuators, 14(11), 536. https://doi.org/10.3390/act14110536

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