Patent Application
20210381320
Tubular drilling, reaming and running tools are mechanisms used in well bore completion services and are used to grip, rotate and reciprocate sections of tubular or an entire string of tubulars installed in an oil and gas wellbore. The engagement, dis-engagement and operation of tubular(s) can be performed mechanically using the power provided by the top drive or by using an external source of energy.
Conventional mechanically activated tubular drilling, reaming and running tools require a torsional reaction against the tubular to operate, engage or disengage the tool. Typically, the “bumper plate” is designed to engage the exposed face of the tubular and requires a compressive load at this interface. The friction component of this compressive load provides said torsional resistance. The ability or lack thereof for these types of tubular drilling, reaming, and running tools to develop adequate torsional resistance consistently, is dependent on many factors including set-down load, friction enhancing components, materials and inner springs.
The exposed face of the tubular is usually the female half of a threaded connection, sometimes referred to as a coupling. Depending on the frictional resistance between the coupling face and the tool has proven to be problematic because a considerably small surface area of the tubular face implies a great and sometimes dangerous set-down force required to generate adequate torsional resistance. This can cause severe damage to the tubular connection and therefore cause catastrophic failure including loss of life and possible loss of control of the well.
Thus, there is a need for a mechanically activated tool that is not dependent on this set down force or the frictional characteristics on the tubular connection.
In a preferred embodiment, the present inventions rely on fluid pressure to provide an alternative means to facilitate the torque reaction required to set or release slips from a pipe and eliminate the need for set down force or other frictional measures on a tubular.
One method utilized to create this reaction force relies on a series of gears interconnected with each other through a fluid driven clutch that can be engaged and disengaged. The hold back torque generated through the clutch driven system when coupled to a power screw female (threaded nut), can convert the rotational motion of the top drive to axial motion of the slips facilitating the tool to grip or release the tubular.
Another technique to create the reactionary force is to utilize a series of axial pistons attached to the moveable half of a hirth coupling, or other friction member, e.g. brake pad material or similar material used to create frictional forces between two surfaces sufficient to transfer torque. In the current inventions the preferred method is a hirth coupling. However, this is not the only device that can be used.
Shifting the torsional reaction from tool-tubular interface to the top drive-tubular running tool interface eliminates potential damage to the critical threads of both the pin and receiving female threads of the tubular.
Both methods of the current inventions provide the reaction force (torque) from the rig's top drive system. This eliminates the need to rely on the friction created between the female end of the tubular and tool.
It will be evident with the inventions that little to no set down weight on the tubular is needed to facilitate setting or releasing the slips. The first embodiment of the current inventions utilizes a power screw (male thread) and nut (female thread). The female thread is kept from rotating via a series of gears and a fluid operated clutch. The gear arrangement delivers a multiplication effect to the torque output of the clutch.
The clutch essentially acts as a holding brake to the female thread until the desired torque and thereby the set force on the tubular is reached. The driller can engage the clutch from the driller's cabin and re-engage at any time in case the slips need to reset on the pipe.
The clutch/gearbox assembly can achieve the reaction torque from several static components on a rig, the top drive or the bails being one such example and can be activated via fluid (hydraulic or pneumatic) or electronic activation.
Other features, aspects and advantages of the present inventions will become apparent from the following discussion and detailed description.
The foregoing summary, as well as any detailed description of the preferred embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the drawings and figures contained herein. To illustrate the inventions, the drawings and figures show certain preferred embodiments. It is understood, however, that the inventions are not limited to the specific methods and devices disclosed in such drawings or figures. Further, any depicted dimensions or material selections are illustrative only and are not intended to be, and should not be construed as, limiting in any way.
Reference numbers depicted in the attached drawings correspond to the following components:
While the inventions will be described in connection with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the scope of protection is not intended to limit the inventions to those embodiments. On the contrary, the scope of protection is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the inventions as defined by the appended claims.
In the drawings, certain features well established in the graphics are omitted in the interest of descriptive clarity. Such features may include weld lines, threaded fasteners, surface finishes, etc.
Once the clutch is engaged, the top drive can now turn counterclockwise in order to release the slips. Once the top drive turns counterclockwise, the power screw male 312 turns with the tool body 104 through the torque key(s) 316. This torque is translated into axial force through the power screw female 311. Push plate 310 does not rotate due to engagement with push plate bearings 313 and 314 while the top drive rotates.
Pressure on clutch assembly 210 must be present the entire time the tool is releasing or setting in order for the tool to deliver the holding torque required to the power screw female 311. When the tool is in operation, clutch assembly 210 is released and freely rotates.
The top drive rotates clockwise which turns the power screw male thread 312 with the main tool shaft 104 through the torque key 316. The torque keys 316 allow the power screw male thread 312 to rotate at the set top drive torque to set the tool to the correct axial force. This torque is translated to axial force through the power screw female thread 311. The push plate 310 pushes the slips 303 through the main slip push bars 307 and secondary slip push bars 304 onto the pipe. This axial force pushing down on the slips 303 allows sufficient gripping force to resist rotational and axial load on the tubular.
An alternate method that can be used with the current inventions has a piston driven moveable hirth coupling transferring the reaction force onto the female nut of the power screw. This enables the movement of the slip assemblies to engage or dis-engage from the pipe. Once the engagement I disengagement is complete, the pressure to the actuator is relieved and the hirth coupling is disengaged by way of the spring assemblies pulling the hirth out of engagement automatically.
In this embodiment, the torque reaction of the female nut of the power screw is provided by the bails via the anti-rotation deck. This plate meets bails which act as a back stop for the reaction of the screw nut being screwed together. The anti-rotation deck is the preferred method, but not the only method. A bracket could also loosely grip the outside of the gripper box, or the top plate could be anchored to the gripper box with a bolt on bracket.
With fluid power, the movable hirth half 507 is forced to mate with the lower fixed coupling half 403. This action makes the two halves come together and become torsionaly mated. This couples the anti-rotation deck 401 with the female power screw thread 406 which enables the deck to be held against the top drive's bails. This restricts tool rotation while the top drive is in use, rotating the power screw 407. With the female power screw thread 406 held, it traverses down the male power screw thread 407. Trunnion slots 405 keep the trunnions located (not shown) on the female nut from rotating. This converts rotational torque into axial force, moving the slip push plate carrier 409 which will set or release the slips depending on rotation (clockwise to set and counterclockwise to release).
Once the slips are set or released, the fluid actuated movable hirth is released, and the return springs 504 pull the movable hirth out of harm's way.
Torque resisted by the anti-rotation deck 401, is transmitted through the movable hirth coupling half 507 with the help of the torque pins 502. The torque pins 502 move in an axial plane with the movable hirth coupling half 507. The air breather ports 508 prevents build up of gas behind torque pins 502 when moving axially. The fluid pistons 505 receive the fluid through the fluid port 506 and fluid supply galley 509. The fluid port is sealed by the static seal ring 501 which in turn are sealed by the static O-ring seals 510.
The gripper box extend port, as well as any other usable ports on the rotary joint manifold (not shown), supplies the fluid axial piston assembly 500 with fluid. However other sources of fluid power mounted internally on the casing running tool or external to the casing running tool can be used to provide fluid to either method of operating the tool. A regenerative system using fluid from a reservoir or an external power unit are examples of such sources.
It is to be understood that the inventions disclosed herein are not limited to the exact details of construction, operation, exact materials or embodiments shown and described. Although specific embodiments of the inventions have been described, various modifications, alterations, alternative constructions, and equivalents are also encompassed within the scope of the inventions. Although the present inventions may have been described using a particular series of steps, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the scope of the present inventions is not limited to the described series of steps. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will be evident that additions, subtractions, deletions, and other modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the inventions as set forth in the claims set forth below. Accordingly, the inventions are therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. None of the claim language should be interpreted pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the word “means” is recited in any of the claim language, and then only with respect to any recited “means” limitation.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/035,424, filed Jun. 5, 2020, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63035424 | Jun 2020 | US |
