Patent Application
20170067309
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to blowout preventers, and more specifically, to an improved hinged bonnet for use in a blowout preventer ram unit.
Blowout preventers are used extensively throughout the oil and gas industry in order to prevent undesirable fluid flow from the wellbore through the wellhead. The two categories of blowout preventers that are most prevalent are ram blowout preventers and annular blowout preventers. Blowout preventer stacks frequently utilize both types, typically with at least one annular blowout preventer stacked above several ram blowout preventers. Accordingly, typical blowout preventers may include a main body to which various types of ram units may be attached. The ram units in ram blowout preventers allow for both the shearing of the drill pipe and the sealing of the blowout preventer. Typically, a blowout preventer stack may be secured to a wellhead and may provide a safe means for sealing the well in the event of a system failure.
In a typical blowout preventer, a ram bonnet assembly may be attached to the main body using a number of high tensile bolts or studs. The bolts or studs are positioned through a flange of the bonnet assembly to couple the bonnet assembly to the body. In some blowout preventers, the bonnet assembly can include a bonnet door that is hinged to the body. This allows the bonnet assembly to be held in a desired position relative to the body while the bolts or studs are connected. In addition, the hinged bonnet assembly allows for easy access to the inside of the ram unit. It is desirable to provide a hinged bonnet assembly that enables easy maintenance for parts of the blowout preventer that might become worn or damaged.
The present disclosure relates to an improved blowout preventer. More particularly, in certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an improved hinged bonnet for use in a blowout preventer ram unit and other improvements.
In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a blowout preventer including a body defining intersecting horizontal and vertical passageways extending through the body. The blowout preventer also includes a bonnet including a ram unit capable of seating in the ram location of the body and a bonnet door removably coupled to a first side of the body. The blowout preventer further includes a pin or hinge adapter disposed along the body and defining a hinge axis, and a hinge rotatably coupled to the hinge adapter. The hinge is coupled to the bonnet door to rotate the bonnet about the hinge axis, and the hinge and the bonnet door are selectively separable.
In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a system including a bonnet door and a hinge. The bonnet door includes a flanged portion for removably coupling a bonnet having the bonnet door to a body of a blowout preventer. The hinge is coupled to the bonnet door for rotating the bonnet about a hinge axis relative to a hinge adapter disposed on the body. The hinge and the bonnet door are selectively separable while the bonnet door is coupled to the body of the blowout preventer.
In a further embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method including routing hydraulic fluid from a hinge adapter coupled to a body of a blowout preventer into a hinge of the blowout preventer and from the hinge into a bonnet door that is bolted to the body and fluidly coupled to the hinge. The method also includes routing the hydraulic fluid through flowpaths in the bonnet door to actuate a cylinder disposed in a bonnet having the bonnet door. The method further includes selectively removing the hinge from the bonnet door while the bonnet door remains bolted to the body of the blowout preventer.
The features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. While numerous changes may be made by those skilled in the art, such changes are within the spirit of the invention.
A more complete and thorough understanding of the present embodiments and advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present disclosure relates to an improved blowout preventer. More particularly, in certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an improved blowout preventer comprising a metal-to-metal seal and other improvements.
Generally, embodiments of the disclosure are directed to a blowout preventer with a hinged bonnet assembly having components designed to improve the maintenance and serviceability of the blowout preventer. Existing blowout preventers with hinged bonnet assemblies typically include a body and a bonnet door that is hinged (i.e., rotatably coupled via a pin or adapter) to the body. Often the portion of the bonnet door that hinges to the body is positioned such that it sticks out from the body of the blowout preventer. In this position, the hinged portion is susceptible to impact from other equipment, which can damage this portion of the bonnet door. Since the bonnet door often includes specially designed internal hydraulic fluid pathways for routing fluid to operate the ram unit, the bonnet door cannot be welded to repair the damaged portion of the door. Instead, the bonnet door must be removed from the body and replaced with another door. Furthermore, at times, the pin (or adapter) that the bonnet door is attached to can become worn out, requiring replacement. This can involve removing the entire bonnet door along with the pin. The process of removing the bonnet door can take an undesirable amount of time and energy, since several bolts may have to be removed from the bonnet door and the body.
The disclosed blowout preventer includes a hinged bonnet assembly designed to address the drawbacks associated with existing blowout preventers. The disclosed blowout preventer generally includes a bonnet assembly having a bonnet door and a hinge for rotatably coupling the bonnet door to a hinge adapter disposed along a body of the blowout preventer. The hinge is selectively separable from the bonnet door such that the hinge can be disconnected from the bonnet door while the bonnet door remains coupled to a side of the body of the blowout preventer. The separable hinge may allow an operator to access, remove, and replace the hinge if the hinge becomes worn or impacted during operation. In addition, the hinge may be selectively removed to provide access to a pin or hinge adapter component coupled to the body. The hinge may be removed from the bonnet door faster than the bonnet door can be removed from the body, thereby decreasing the time required to perform maintenance on certain portions of the blowout preventer.
Turning now to the drawings,
The body 12 includes bores that define intersecting horizontal and vertical passageways extending through the body 12. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the body 12 includes one vertical passageway intersected by two horizontal passageways. Each horizontal passageway forms a ram location for a corresponding one of the two ram units 14. Although two ram units 14A and 14B are shown in a stacked arrangement in the illustrated embodiment, it should be noted that other embodiments of the blowout preventer 10 may be designed with fewer or more ram units 14 being utilized with the body 12 to shear and seal a tubular element.
Each ram unit 14 may include two opposing shear blades (not shown) designed to be actuated together via one or more actuation components of the ram unit 14 to shear a wellbore tubular and seal the blowout preventer 10. The wellbore tubular (not shown) may be generally positioned between the shear blades of the blowout preventer, extending through the vertical passageway of the body 12. The wellbore tubular may be a joint or string of drill pipe, casing, production tubing, or some other tubular component extending into a wellbore formed through a subterranean formation. During normal drilling, completion, and production operations at a well site, the shear blades may be held in open positions separated from one another to allow the wellbore tubular to pass through the blowout preventer 10. In the event of a system failure downhole, the blowout preventer 10 may actuate the shear blades toward each other and into shearing engagement with the wellbore tubular. This may cause the ram units 14 to close and seal the wellbore tubular.
Each ram unit 14 may include two distinct bonnet assemblies 16 disposed on opposite sides of the body 12 of the blowout preventer 10. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the ram unit 14A includes the two corresponding bonnet assemblies 16A, while the ram unit 14B includes the two corresponding bonnet assemblies 16B. In each ram unit 14, the bonnet assemblies 16 are designed to actuate and bring the shear blades of the blowout preventer 10 together through the horizontal passageway in the body 12 to shear the wellbore tubular and seal the blowout preventer 10.
As shown, the blowout preventer 10 may also include outlets 18 extending from the body 12 in transverse directions from the corresponding bonnet assemblies 16. The outlets 18 may be disposed at opposite ends of another set of horizontal passageways formed through the body 12.
In certain embodiments, the bonnet assemblies 16 may be specifically designed to satisfy the operation requirements of the BOP with regard to operating pressure and design forces required to shear and seal the wellbore tubular. Each bonnet assembly 16 generally includes a bonnet door 20 removably coupled to one side of the body 12. As illustrated, each bonnet door 20 may include a flanged portion 22 coupled to the body 12 via bolts 24, for example.
The bonnet door 20 may generally function as a housing for an actuation component of the bonnet assembly 16. For example, the bonnet door 20 may define an internal chamber that acts as a hydraulic cylinder. The bonnet assembly 16 may also include an operating piston (and shaft) 26 and a cylinder liner 28 disposed within the hydraulic cylinder of the bonnet door 20. A ram block adapter 30 may be disposed at the end of the operating shaft 26 extending toward the body 12. This ram block adapter 30 may be used to couple the shaft 26 to one of the shear blades for the particular ram unit 14.
Hydraulic fluid flowpaths (not shown) may be formed in the bonnet door 20 to direct hydraulic fluid from a source to the cylinder chamber on each end of the operating piston 26. Hydraulic fluid may be routed to one side of the piston 26 or the other to actuate the piston 26 in a direction toward or away from the body 12. For example, when it is desirable to shear and seal a wellbore tubular in the blowout preventer 10, the bonnet door 20 may route hydraulic fluid into a side of the piston chamber facing away from the body 12, while routing fluid away from the side of the piston chamber closer to the body 12. The change in hydraulic pressure within the chamber may force the operating piston and shaft 26 toward and into the horizontal passageway of the body 12, where the shear blade connected to the adapter 30 can help shear the wellbore tubular. Reversing the flow of hydraulic fluid through the bonnet door 20 may reverse the actuation of the piston 26 to reopen the shear blocks of the ram unit 14.
In some embodiments, one or more of the blowout preventer ram units 14 may include a booster cylinder 32 added to the bonnet assembly 16. A booster piston 34 and booster shaft 36 may be disposed in the booster cylinder 32 to provide auxiliary power for closing the ram unit 14. As shown in
An end cap 38 and locking screw 40 may be disposed over the end of each bonnet assembly 16, regardless of whether the particular bonnet assembly 16 includes a booster cylinder 32 or just the bonnet door 20. The end cap 38 may define an outer wall of the cylindrical chamber of the bonnet door 20 or the booster cylinder 32, as shown. In some embodiments, the blowout preventer 10 may include one or more lifting eyes 42 disposed at various lift points along an upper surface of the blowout preventer 10.
In the disclosed embodiments, the bonnet assemblies 16 are hinged to the body 12 of the blowout preventer 10. Specifically, the blowout preventer 10 may include a pin 43 disposed along and coupled to the body 12. In the illustrated embodiment, a hinge adapter 44 is coupled directly to the body 12, and the pin 43 is disposed through the hinge adapter 44. As shown, the hinge adapter 44 and the pin 43 extend along the body 12 to define a longitudinal hinge axis. It should be noted that other embodiments of the blowout preventer 10 may have other arrangements for coupling a hinge 46 to the body 12, such as just a pin 43 (without an adapter) disposed along and coupled to the body 12, or integral with the body 12.
The disclosed blowout preventer 10 also includes a hinge 46 rotatably coupled to the body 12 via the pin 43 and/or hinge adapter 44. The hinge adapter 44 may be a ported adapter including built in hydraulic fluid flowpaths for directing hydraulic fluid to the hinge 46. In some embodiments, the hinge adapter 44 may form part of a hydraulic fluid manifold. The hinge 46 is generally coupled to the bonnet door 20, and the hinge 46 may include hydraulic fluid flowpaths for routing hydraulic fluid between the flowpaths of the hinge adapter 44 and/or pin 43 and the flowpaths formed in the bonnet door 20. In this manner, each hinge 46 helps to route hydraulic fluid to the corresponding bonnet assembly 16 to actuate the piston(s) of the ram unit 14.
The hinge 46, being coupled to the bonnet door 20, allows the bonnet door 20 to rotate about the hinge axis when the bonnet door 20 is not directly coupled to the body 12 (e.g., via bolts 24). This enables the bonnet door 20 (and entire bonnet assembly 16) to swing away from the body 12 of the blowout preventer after removal of the bolts 24. By hinging the bonnet assembly 16 to the body 12 in this manner, the system allows relatively easy access to the internal components of the bonnet assembly 16 when maintenance or reconfiguration of the one or more cylinder/piston assemblies (e.g., 26, 28, 34, 36) is desired.
As described in detail below, the hinge 46 may be selectively separable from the bonnet door 20, allowing the hinge 46 to be removed from the bonnet door 20 while the bonnet door 20 remains coupled to the body 12 (e.g., via bolts 24). This may enhance the serviceability of various components of the blowout preventer 10. In addition, constructing the hinge 46 as a separate piece from the bonnet door 20 may improve the manufacturing process and reduce the costs for replacing worn components on the blowout preventer 10.
As mentioned above, the hinge 46 is an entirely separate piece from the bonnet door 20, and the hinge 46 can be removably coupled to the bonnet door 20. That is, the hinge is not integral with the bonnet door, as is the case in many existing blowout preventers.
In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge 46 may include two ported hinge connection portions 72, a main body 74, and two arms 76 extending in a transverse direction from the main body 74. The hinge 46 may connect to the hinge adapter/pin described above via the hinge connection portions 72. As shown, the hinge 46 may be coupled to the bonnet door 20 at the arms 76 and/or the main body 74. For example, as shown in
The hinge 46 may include fluid flowpaths built into the main body 74 of the hinge 46 to route hydraulic fluid to and/or from the various piston chambers within the bonnet assembly 16. For example, the hinge 46 may include a first flowpath 78A extending from a ported hinge connection opening 80A in one of the hinge connection portions 72 to a connector part of the main body 74 designed to abut the bonnet door 20. Similarly, the hinge 46 may include a second flowpath 78B extending from a ported hinge connection opening 80B in the other hinge connection portion 72 to the connector part of the main body 74 designed to abut the bonnet door 20.
This connector part of the main body 74 is designed to abut a flowpath connector portion 70 of the bonnet door 20. The flowpath connector portion 70 may extend laterally from the rest of the bonnet door 20 to connect flowpaths 82A and 82B formed through the bonnet door 20 with the corresponding flowpaths 78A and 78B formed through the hinge 46. The connected flowpaths 78A and 82A enable routing of hydraulic fluid to or from a first side of the one or more piston chambers disposed in the bonnet assembly 16 via the hinge 46. The connected flowpaths 78B and 82B enable routing of hydraulic fluid to or from the opposing second side of the one or more piston chambers disposed in the bonnet assembly 16 via the hinge 46.
In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the hinge 46 may include two apertures 90A (one disposed through each of the arms 76) and another two apertures 90B disposed through the main body 74. The apertures 90A through the arms 76 enable fastening mechanisms to be disposed vertically through the arms 76 of the hinge 46 to couple the hinge 46 to the flanged portion of the bonnet door. At the same time, the apertures 90B through the main body 74 enable fastening mechanisms to be disposed horizontally through the main body 74 and into the flowpath connector portion of the bonnet door. Thus, the apertures 90A and 90B are generally oriented to facilitate coupling the hinge 46 to the bonnet door via fastening mechanisms disposed through the components in two orthogonal directions. This may facilitate a relatively stable connection, and keep the fluid flowpaths through the hinge 46 and the bonnet door properly aligned with each other.
As shown in
As shown in
Again, the hinge 46 is selectively separable from the bonnet door 20, as shown in
Removing the hinge 46 from the bonnet door 20 may involve loosening or removing the fastening mechanisms used to couple the hinge 46 to the bonnet door 20. The removal process may also involve removing the hinge adapter and/or pin from the body 12 along with the hinge 46. Once the hinge 46 is removed, the hinge 46 may be replaced, repaired, inspected, and/or cleaned as desired.
The removable hinge 46 allows for improved serviceability of the blowout preventer 10. For example, if the hinge 46 becomes damaged while the blowout preventer 10 is moved about a well site or in response to unintentional impact from another piece of well equipment, the hinge 46 itself may be field replaceable. As shown, the hinge 46 may generally stick out further from the body 12 than the other components of the blowout preventer 10, making it more likely to be impacted. A damaged hinge 46 may be replaced without the entire bonnet door 20 or bonnet assembly 16 needing to be replaced. This reduces the cost and weight of replacement parts for portions of the blowout preventer 10 that are more likely to be damaged in the field. In addition, replacing just the hinge 46 takes less time than replacing a combined hinge and bonnet door, since the separate bonnet door 20 does not have to be removed from the body 12 by removing a large number of bolts 24.
The removable hinge 46 also makes the blowout preventer 10 more maintenance friendly than blowout preventers that have a hinge fully integrated with the bonnet door. Specifically, the separable hinge 46 enables an operator to more easily access the flowpaths of the hinge 46 and the flowpaths formed within the bonnet door 20. That way, if trash, debris, or cuttings get into the hydraulic fluid pathways of the blowout preventer 10, an operator may more easily access the hinge 46 and/or bonnet door 20 to clean out the fluid pathways.
In addition, the separate hinge 46 and bonnet door 20 components may be relatively easier to manufacture separately than as integral components. For example, the fluid pathways through the hinge 46 and the bonnet door 20 may be formed by drilling fewer channels into the components. In addition, by manufacturing these components separately, an operator may be able to design a more effective or differently shaped hinge 46 than would be available if the hinge and bonnet were constructed as one piece.
As illustrated, the booster cylinder 32 may be incorporated into the bonnet 16 as an add-on assembly 110. The add-on assembly 110 may include the booster cylinder 32, the booster shaft 36, the booster piston 34, and a fastening mechanism 112 for coupling the booster shaft 36 to the operating piston 26. The add-on assembly 110 may be used to retro-fit existing bonnet assemblies that only feature a single operating cylinder. To that end, the add-on assembly 110 may be shaped to fit onto a specific interface pattern 114 of the first operating cylinder (e.g., bonnet door 20 and cylinder liner 28), thereby enabling the booster add-on assembly 110 to be coupled to the back end of the bonnet door 20. In addition, the add-on assembly 110 may include an interface pattern 116 at its back end that matches the interface pattern 114 of the first operating cylinder. This allows the add-on assembly 110 to interface with the existing end cap 38. The same end cap 38 may therefore be used with both a single cylinder bonnet assembly as well as the bonnet assembly 16 with the booster cylinder add-on assembly 110.
Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alternations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
