Claims
- 1. A control device for controlling the orientation of a directional drilling tool, the control device adapted to be coupled to a drilling tubular; comprising:
- (a) a first casing:
- (b) an orienting device carried by said first casing, said orienting device including an electric motor and an intermediate transmission actuated by said motor, and
- (c) a second casing disposed downhole of the first casing for rotating the directional drilling tool, said second casing coupled to and rotatable relative to the first casing upon actuation of the intermediate transmission by said electric motor.
- 2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the electric motor is constructed as a brushless three-phase alternating current motor.
- 3. The control device of claim 2 wherein the electric motor further comprises a rotor with an inner hollow drive shaft.
- 4. The control device of claim 2, the intermediate transmission further comprising:
- (a) a hydraulic pump operable by the electric motor in a reversible mode; and
- (b) a hydraulic positioning piston adapted to be actuated by the hydraulic pump, the hydraulic positioning piston capable of imparting a rotary drive to a bearing on the second casing by a screw thread guide.
- 5. The control device of claim 4, further comprising:
- (a) a coaxial drive shaft for the second casing, and
- (b) a connecting mechanism coupled to the positioning piston and the coaxial drive shaft for imparting motion of the positioning piston to the coaxial drive shaft;
- the screw thread guide being between the first casing portion and the positioning piston.
- 6. The control device of claim 5, further comprising a measuring and control device disposed above the orienting device, and wherein the measuring and control rotates in synchronism with the second casing.
- 7. The control device of claim 6, further comprising a tubular carrier housing that accommodates the electric motor, the hydraulic pump and the control valve assembly, said tubular carrier housing being supported by the drive shaft.
- 8. The control device of claim 4, wherein the control device has in the region of its end remote from the orienting device an electrical rotation transmitting device for an electrical connection to the non-rotatably supported part of an electrical rapid-action connecting device.
- 9. The control device of claim 8, further comprising
- (a) a connection part for coupling the first casing to the drilling tubular, said connection part including a guide part engaging around the contact part of the electrical rapid-action connecting device; and
- (b) a cap nut for attaching the connection part to the tubing.
- 10. The control device of claim 1, the intermediate transmission further comprising:
- (a) a hydraulic pump operable by the electric motor in a reversible mode; and
- (b) a hydraulic positioning piston adapted to be actuated by the hydraulic pump, the hydraulic positioning piston capable of imparting a rotary drive to a bearing on the second casing by a screw thread guide.
- 11. The control device of claim 10, further comprising:
- (a) a coaxial drive shaft for the second casing, and
- (b) a connecting mechanism coupled to the positioning piston and the coaxial drive shaft for imparting motion of the positioning piston to the coaxial drive shaft;
- the screw thread guide being between the first casing portion and the positioning piston.
- 12. The control device of claim 11, further comprising a measuring and control device disposed above the orienting device, and wherein the measuring and control rotates in synchronism with the second casing.
- 13. The control device of claim 12, further comprising a tubular carrier housing that accommodates the electric motor, the hydraulic pump and the control valve assembly, said tubular carrier housing being supported by the drive shaft.
- 14. The control device of claim 13, wherein the orienting device is electrically connected to the measuring and control device via an electrical quick-action connecting device.
- 15. The control device of claim 12, wherein the orienting device is electrically connected to the measuring and control device via an electrical quick-action connecting device.
- 16. The control device of claim 10, wherein the positioning piston can be hydraulically locked in any position between a first and second extreme positions by means of the control valves.
- 17. The control device of claim 10, wherein the control device and the upper part of the orienting device define with the first casing portion an annular space through which drilling mud is able to flow.
- 18. The control device of claim 17, wherein the drive shaft and the second casing portion jointly bound a central drilling mud passage which, via a connecting passage in the upper end of the drive shaft, communicates with the annular space in the outer casing part.
- 19. The control device of claim 10, wherein the control device has in the region of its end remote from the orienting device an electrical rotation transmitting device for an electrical connection to the non-rotatably supported part of an electrical rapid-action connecting device.
- 20. The control device of claim 19, further comprising
- (a) a connection part for coupling the first casing to the drilling tubular, said connection part including a guide part engaging around the contact part of the electrical rapid-action connecting device; and
- (b) a cap nut for attaching the connection part to the tubing.
- 21. The control device of claim 1, wherein the electric motor has a drive shaft operatively coupled to a multi-stage planetary gear mechanism, the multi-stage planetary gear mechanism having an output shaft driving the second casing.
- 22. The control device of claim 21, wherein the output shaft of the planetary gearing comprises a extension part which extends through the drive shaft of the electric motor and the electric motor.
- 23. The control device of claim 22, wherein the output shaft of the planetary gearing and the second outer casing part jointly bound a central drilling mud passage.
- 24. The control device of claim 23, further comprising a clamping member freewheeling mechanism associated with a bearing part of the second casing for transmitting the reaction moment of the directional drilling tool to the first casing.
- 25. The control device of claim 22, further comprising a clamping member freewheeling mechanism associated with a bearing on the second casing for transmitting the reaction moment of the directional drilling tool to the first casing.
- 26. The control device of claim 21, wherein an extension drives a measuring and control device in the first casing via the orienting device in synchronism with the second casing.
- 27. The control device of claim 26, further comprising a clamping member freewheeling mechanism associated with a bearing part of the second casing for transmitting the reaction moment of the directional drilling tool to the first casing.
- 28. The control device of claim 21, wherein the orienting device further comprises a tubular housing block which is mounted for coaxial rotation in the first casing and which supports a winding of the electric motor.
- 29. The control device of claim 28, wherein the control device is rotationally rigidly supported on the housing block of the orienting device.
- 30. The control device of claim 28, wherein the output shaft of the planetary gearing is coupled to the housing block of the orienting device in an area above the winding of the electric motor.
- 31. The control device of claim 21, further comprising a clamping member freewheeling mechanism associated with a bearing on the second casing for transmitting the reaction moment of the directional drilling tool to the first casing.
- 32. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control device has in the region of its end remote from the orienting device an electrical rotation transmitting device for an electrical connection to the non-rotatably supported part of an electrical rapid-action connecting device.
- 33. The control device of claim 32, further comprising
- (a) a connection part for coupling the first casing to the drilling tubular, said connection part including a guide part engaging around the contact part of the electrical rapid-action connecting device; and
- (b) a cap nut for attaching the connection part to the tubing.
- 34. A method of controlling the orientation of a directional drilling tool, the control device adapted to be coupled to a drilling tubular; comprising:
- (a) coupling a first casing of a control device to the drilling tubular;
- (b) coupling a second casing of the control device, said second casing disposed downhole of the first casing, to the directional drilling tool; and
- (c) using an electric motor on an orienting device carried by the first casing to actuate an intermediate transmission in the orienting device, thereby causing the intermediate transmission to rotate the second casing relative to the first casing.
- 35. The method of claim 34, further comprising coupling a drive shaft of the electric motor to a multi-stage planetary gear mechanism, and using an output shaft of the multi-stage planetary gear mechanism to rotate the second casing.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
96109136 |
Jun 1996 |
EPX |
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of Patent Application No. 96109136.0 filed on Jun. 7, 1996 with the European Patent Office.
US Referenced Citations (29)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0497405 |
Aug 1992 |
EPX |
1268938 |
Mar 1972 |
GBX |
8002582 |
Nov 1980 |
WOX |