Patent Application
20120125598
The present disclosure relates generally to equipment utilized and operations performed in conjunction with a subterranean well and, in an embodiment described herein, more particularly provides for remote operation of a rotating control device bearing clamp.
A conventional rotating control device may require human activity in close proximity thereto, in order to maintain or replace bearings, seals, etc. of the rotating control device. It can be hazardous for a human to be in close proximity to a rotating control device, for example, if the rotating control device is used with a floating rig.
Therefore, it will be appreciated that improvements are needed in the art of constructing rotating control devices. These improvements would be useful whether the rotating control devices are used with offshore or land-based rigs.
Representatively illustrated in
It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that the area (known as the “moon pool”) surrounding the top of the riser assembly 14 is a relatively hazardous area. For example, the rig 16 may heave due to wave action, multiple lines and cables 18 may be swinging about, etc. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce or eliminate any human activity in this area.
Seals and bearings in a rotating control device (such as the RCD 12) may need to be maintained or replaced, and so one important feature of the RCD depicted in
Referring additionally now to
Rotating control devices are also known by the terms “rotating control head,” “rotating blowout preventer” and “rotating diverter” and “RCD.” A rotating control device is used to seal off an annulus 24 formed radially between a body 26 of the rotating control device and a tubular string 28 (such as a drill string) positioned within a flow passage 42 which extends longitudinally through the rotating control device.
For this purpose, the rotating control device includes one or more annular seals 30. To permit the seals 30 to rotate as the tubular string 28 rotates, bearing assemblies 32 are provided in a bearing housing assembly 33. The bearing housing assembly 33 provides a sealed rotational interface between the body 26 of the rotating control device, and its annular seal(s) 30.
A clamp 34 releasably secures the housing assembly 33 (with the bearing assembly 32 and seals 30 therein) to the body 26, so that the bearing assembly and seals can be removed from the body for maintenance or replacement. However, in the prior art configuration of
Referring additionally now to
The chambers 64, 66 may be connected via lines 20 to a pressure source 56 (such as a pump, compressor, accumulator, pressurized gas chamber, etc.) and a pressure control system 58. Pressure is delivered to the chambers 64, 66 from the pressure source 56 under control of the control system 58.
For example, when it is desired to unclamp the clamp device 22, the control system 58 may cause the pressure source 56 to deliver a pressurized fluid flow to one of the lines 20 (with fluid being returned via the other of the lines), in order to cause the piston 62 to displace in one direction. When it is desired to clamp the clamp device 22, the control system 58 may cause the pressure source 56 to deliver a pressurized fluid flow to another of the lines 20 (with fluid being returned via the first line), in order to cause the piston 62 to displace in an opposite direction. The control system 58 could comprise a manually operated four-way, three-position valve, or a more sophisticated computer controlled programmable logic controller (PLC) and valve manifold, etc., interconnected between the pressure source 56 and the clamp device 22.
The control system 58 can control whether a pressure differential is applied from the chamber 64 to the chamber 66 (as depicted in
The control system 58 is preferably remotely located relative to the rotating control device 12. At least, any human interface with the control system 58 is preferably remotely located from the rotating control device 12, so that human presence near the rotating control device is not needed for the clamping and unclamping processes.
A position sensor 80 (such as, a visual, mechanical, electrical, proximity, displacement, magnetic, position switch, or other type of sensor) may be used to monitor the position of the piston 62 or other component(s) of the clamp device 22 (such as, the clamp sections 68). In this manner, an operator can confirm whether the clamp device 22 is in its clamped, unclamped or other positions.
Referring additionally now to
However, the configuration of
When the piston 62 is displaced to its clamped position (as depicted in
As with the configuration of
Although the profiles 70 in the configurations of
Referring additionally now to
However, in the configuration of
When it is desired to unclamp the bearing housing assembly 33, pressure is applied to the chamber 64 via the line 20, thereby displacing the piston 62 upward against the biasing force exerted by the biasing device 76, as depicted in
Another configuration of the clamp device 22 is representatively illustrated in
In the example of
Other types of unclamping devices may be used, if desired. For example, a threaded fastener (such as a bolt or threaded rod, etc.) could be threaded into the piston to displace the piston and compress the biasing device 76.
Note that the clamp sections 68 of
The line 20 in the configuration of
Although the RCD 12 in its various configurations is described above as being used in conjunction with the floating rig 16, it should be clearly understood that the RCD can be used with any types of rigs (e.g., on a drill ship, semi-submersible, jack-up, tension leg, land-based, etc., rigs) in keeping with the principles of this disclosure.
Although separate examples of the clamp device 22 are described in detail above, it should be understood that any of the features (such as the position sensor 80 of
The piston 62, clamp sections 68, biasing device 76 and/or other components of the clamp device 22 can be carried on the housing assembly 33 (as in the example of
It may now be fully appreciated that the above disclosure provides advancements to the art of operating a clamp device on a rotating control device. The clamp device 22 can be remotely operated, to thereby permit removal and/or installation of the bearing assembly 32 and seals 30, without requiring human activity in close proximity to the RCD 12.
The above disclosure provides to the art a rotating control device 12 which can include a housing assembly 33, a body 26 and a clamp device 22 which releasably secures the housing assembly 33 to the body 26, the clamp device 22 including a piston 62 which radially displaces a clamp section 68.
The piston 62 may radially displace the clamp section 68 into latched engagement with a profile 70.
The clamp section 68 can comprise a continuous ring (as depicted in
The piston 62 may be annular shaped. The piston 62 may encircle a flow passage 42 which extends longitudinally through the rotating control device 12.
The piston 62 may displace longitudinally when the clamp section 68 displaces radially.
The rotating control device 12 can also include an unclamping device 82 which displaces the piston 62 without a pressure differential being created across the piston 62. The unclamping device 82 may threadedly engage the piston 62.
The rotating control device 12 can also include a position sensor 80 which senses a position of the piston 62.
The clamp section 68 can be locked into engagement with a profile 70 when the body 26 is internally pressurized.
The above disclosure also provides to the art a well system 10 which can comprise a rotating control device 12 which includes at least one seal 30 which seals off an annulus 24 between a body 26 of the rotating control device 12 and a tubular string 28 which extends longitudinally through the rotating control device 12. The rotating control device 12 can also include a piston 62 which displaces longitudinally and selectively clamps and unclamps a housing assembly 33 to the body 26.
It is to be understood that the various embodiments of the present disclosure described herein may be utilized in various orientations, such as inclined, inverted, horizontal, vertical, etc., and in various configurations, without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. The embodiments are described merely as examples of useful applications of the principles of the disclosure, which is not limited to any specific details of these embodiments.
Of course, a person skilled in the art would, upon a careful consideration of the above description of representative embodiments of the disclosure, readily appreciate that many modifications, additions, substitutions, deletions, and other changes may be made to the specific embodiments, and such changes are contemplated by the principles of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited solely by the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2010/057540 | Nov 2010 | US | national |
This application claims the benefit under 35 USC §119 of the filing date of International Application Serial No. PCT/US10/57540, filed 20 Nov. 2010. The entire disclosure of this prior application is incorporated herein by this reference.
