Loss circulation material blender

Abstract

The loss circulation material blender, is a device that conveys raw, incoming LCM and mixes this LCM completely and intimately with wet drilling mud. The instant invention is comprised of a dry LCM hopper assembly, a wet mix hopper assembly and a transport frame. The dry LCM hopper assembly is comprised of a dry LCM hopper, a cutting tray, an air inlet, and a conveying means to transport the dry LCM from the dry hopper to the wet mix hopper assembly. The wet mix hopper assembly is comprised of a wet mix chamber, a wet mix chamber track, wet mix chamber slides, a wet mix chamber lid, a wet mix chamber lid hinge, a mud re-circulation line, a mud manifold, a mud manifold bull plug, plurality of mud jets, a dry LCM inlet, and a splatter plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic of the orientation of the instant invention relative to the LCM supply truck and the mud supply pits.

FIG. 2 is a schematic of the dry LCM hopper assembly.

FIG. 3 is a schematic of the wet LCM hopper assembly.

FIG. 4 is a schematic of the mud jets and the discharge of the dry LCM hose.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of the instant invention stored in the frame in the transportation-ready configuration.

FIG. 6 is another illustration of the instant invention stored in the frame in the transportation-ready configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The instant invention, the loss circulation material blender, is a device that conveys raw, incoming LCM and mixes this LCM completely and intimately with wet drilling mud. In its most general configuration, the loss control material blender comprises an air moving means for creating an airflow, an LCM mixing means for adding the LCM to the air flow, transport piping or hoses, a mud pumping means, and a mixing means for adding LCM to the mud. More specifically, the instant invention is comprised of a dry LCM hopper assembly 200, a wet mix hopper assembly 300 and a transport frame 500.

The dry LCM hopper assembly 200 is comprised of a dry LCM hopper 201, a cutting tray 204, an air inlet 203, and a conveying means to transport the dry LCM from the dry hopper to the wet mix hopper assembly. The cutting tray 204 is further comprised of an impeller 205. As raw LCM material is added to the LCM hopper, the LCM passes into the cutting tray 204 and through the impeller 205. The impeller 205 serves to reduce the size of the LCM materials through vigorous mechanical motion. In one preferred embodiment of the instant invention, the conveying means is a dry LCM blower 201 and a dry LCM transport hose 105. In one preferred embodiment of the instant invention the dry LCM blower is a rotary vane blower. The dry LCM blower receives dry LCM from the dry LCM hopper 201 via the impeller 205 and conveys the dry LCM through the LCM transport hose 105 to the wet mix hopper assembly 300. The movement of LCM through the LCM hopper, the cutting tray 204 and the impeller 205 is aided by compressed air that is introduced to the dry LCM hopper 201 via the air inlet 203. In the process of being transported through the dry LCM blower 201, the dry LCM is reduced in size further in the conveying means. For example, in the preferred embodiment of the instant invention using a rotary blower, the blower decreases the size of the dry LCM further through the vigorous mechanical action of the blower.

The wet mix hopper assembly 300 is comprised of a wet mix chamber 307, a wet mix chamber track 305, wet mix chamber slides 311, a wet mix chamber lid 309, a wet mix chamber lid hinge 310, a mud re-circulation line 301, a mud manifold 302, a mud manifold bull plug 308, plurality of mud jets 303, a dry LCM inlet 306, and a splatter plate 304.

The dry LCM inlet 306 is connected to the dry LCM transport hose 105. The dry LCM transport hose conveys dry, chopped LCM from the dry LCM hopper assembly 200 to the wet mix hopper assembly 300 via the LCM transport hose 105. The dry LCM inlet 306 introduces the dry LCM to the wet mix hopper 300 at high velocity and pressure to be mixed with the re-circulating mud.

A pair of wet mix chamber slides 311 are affixed to the bottom and slides of the wet mix hopper assembly 300. These slides 311 are located on the sides and bottom of the wet mix hopper assembly 300 and allow the wet mix hopper assembly 300 to slide along a pair of tracks 305 affixed to the top of the mud pits. In most applications, a plurality of mud pits are used for various purposes including serving as a suction pit and a storage pit. The wet mix hopper assembly 300 is located atop of a these multi-chamber mud pits, and LCM must be discharged into a selected pit. Through the use of the slides 311 and tracks 305 the wet mix hopper assembly 300 can be positioned as needed along the tracks 305 and on top of a selected mud pit.

The transport frame is comprised of the transport frame supports 501 and safety guards 502. The components of the instant invention, the dry LCM hopper assembly 200 and the wet mix hopper assembly 300, can be positioned inside a transport frame 500. The entire instant invention with the components configured within the transport frame (see FIG. 5 and FIG. 6) can be easily transported with a small truck such as a pick-up truck.

The transport frame 500 also serves as a dry LCM hopper assembly support and allows the dry LCM hopper assembly 200 to be mounted on top of the transport frame 500. Mounting the dry LCM hopper assembly 200 on top of the transport frame 500 allows for LCM to be easily unloaded from a truck into the dry LCM hopper assembly 200 as depicted in FIG. 1. In this configuration, the safety guards 502 are rotated upwards and locked in place to protect users from accidentally falling into the dry LCM hopper assembly 200 and being injured.

In the best mode of use of the instant invention the components of the instant invention, the dry LCM hopper assembly 200 and the wet mix hopper assembly 300, are unpacked from the transport frame 500. The transport frame 500 is placed near an unloading position for a truck. The dry LCM hopper assembly 200 is placed on top of the transport frame 500. The wet mix hopper assembly 300 is placed on top of the mud pits 102 so that the slides 311 engaged with the tracks 305. The wet mix hopper assembly 300 is then positioned under the pre-mix pit 102, the suction pit 103, or the storage pit 104, or another pit as the application requires. The LCM transport hose 105 is connected to the dry LCM hopper assembly 200 and the wet mix hopper assembly 300.

In the best mode operation of the instant invention, as material is unloaded from the truck as illustrated in FIG. 1 material is placed inside the dry LCM hopper assembly 200. The dry LCM is blown into the cutting tray 204 through the impeller 205 where the first size reduction of the LCM takes place. The compressed air from the air inlet 203 blows the dry LCM down further into the dry LCM hopper 201. The chopped LCM is conveyed into the blower 202 where further size reduction takes place. The blower 202 conveys the LCM material to the wet mix hopper assembly 300.

In the wet mix hopper assembly 300, mud being pumped from a mud re-circulation pump is forced into the mud re-circulation line 301. The mud is injected into the manifold 302 and then is discharged from the manifold in the plurality of mud jets 303. LCM from the dry LCM hopper assembly 200 is transported through the LCM transport hose 105 and into the dry LCM inlet 306. The LCM is discharged from the dry LCM inlet 306 at high velocity and pressure into the wet mix chamber 307.

The wet mud being discharged from the plurality of mud jets 303 and the dry LCM being discharged from the LCM inlet 306 intersect and strike each other in the vicinity of the splatter plate 304. As dry LCM is impinges the mud the LCM becomes intermixed with the mud. Further mixing occurs as the mixed streams strike the splatter plate 304. As the LCM-mud mixture falls down the splatter plate, the LCM continues to intermix with the mud. Lastly, the LCM-mud mixture falls out the bottom of the wet mix hopper assembly 300 and into the mud pit over which wet mix hopper assembly 300 is positioned. At this point the mud with the LCM is pumped down hole to provide the necessary function of the mud and LCM.

Claims

1) A loss control material blender comprising an air moving means for creating an airflow,an LCM mixing means for adding the LCM to the air flow,transport piping,mud pumping means, andmixing means for adding LCM to the mud.

2) The loss control material blender described in claim 1 where the LCM mixing means is a dry LCM hopper assembly, andthe mixing means to for adding LCM to the mud is a wet mix hopper assembly.

3) The loss control material blender described in claim 2 where the dry LCM hopper assembly is comprised of a dry LCM hopper,a cutting tray,an air inlet,a blower, and

4) The loss control material blender described in claim 2 where the wet mix hopper assembly is comprised of a wet mix chamber,a mud manifold,plurality of mud jets,a splatter plate, andthe means to mix the wet mud with the dry LCM is accomplished by impinging the output stream from the plurality of mud jets and the output from a dry LCM inlet line together to effect mixing.

5) The loss control material blender described in claim 4 where the means to mix the wet mud with the dry LCM is comprised of the mixed streams impinging on a splatter plate to further mix the LCM and the mud.

6) The loss control material blender described in claim 5 where the wet mix hopper assembly is comprised of a pair of wet mix chamber tracks,a pair of wet mix chamber slides,a wet mix chamber lid,a wet mix chamber lid hinge,a mud re-circulation line, anda mud manifold bull plug.

7) The wet mix hopper assembly comprised of a wet mix chamber,a mud manifold,a plurality of mud jets,a splatter plate, andthe means to mix the wet mud with the dry LCM is accomplished by impinging the output stream from the plurality of mud jets and the output from a dry LCM inlet line together to effect mixing.

8) A method of using a loss control material blender comprising an air moving means for creating an airflow,an LCM mixing means for adding the LCM to the air flow,a means of transporting dry LCM,mud pumping means, andmixing means for adding LCM to the mud.

9) The method of using a loss control material blender described in claim 8 comprising a dry LCM hopper assembly,a wet mix hopper assembly,a means to mix the wet mud with the dry LCM, anda conveying means.

10) The method of using a loss control material blender described in claim 8 where the dry LCM hopper assembly is comprised of a dry LCM hopper,a cutting tray,an air inlet,a blower, and