Patent Application
20180216425
The present disclosure relates to a drill string. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for disassembling components of a drill string.
It is well known in the art to use a drill rig for performing a drilling operation in the earth's surface. There are many types of drill configurations that can be used on a drill rig for performing the drilling operation. Some examples of drill string configurations that may be implemented for use with the drill rig may include, but is not limited to, a tri-cone drill configuration, or a down-the-hole (DTH) drill configuration. It is known to persons skilled in the art that each of the drill configurations may include components that are similar or dissimilar to components from the other drill string configurations. In an example, the tri-cone drill may include a tri-cone bit, a bit sub-adaptor, a drill pipe, a top sub-adaptor, and a shock-sub while in another example, the DTH drill may include a bit, a hammer, a bit sub-adaptor, a hammer-cum-drill pipe, a top sub-adaptor, and a shock-sub.
U.S. Publication 2015/0315859 discloses a system for accomplishing disassembly of components present in a drill string. However, the system of the '859 publication employs numerous tools for performing the disassembly. Moreover, a manner of operation associated with the system of the '859 publication may be tedious, cumbersome and time-consuming.
In addition, it has been observed that in many cases, conventional drill rigs are typically designed for use with a single type or configuration of drill string therewith. Accordingly, tools present on such conventional drill rigs are also provided to accomplish assembly or disassembly of the single type or configuration of drill string that is designated for use with the drill rig. However, in some cases, manufacturers may be desirous of producing a drill rig that can interchangeably accommodate drill bits from multiple drill configurations. In such cases, it may be required to consequently provide tools that are compatible for use with components associated with each type of drill string from the multiple drill string configurations.
Further, it has also been observed that for installation of tools typically present on conventional drill rigs, an amount of space required is significantly large. When mounted on a deck of a drill rig, such large amount of space may often be at a premium due to other considerations, such as to allow room for facilitating movement of the tools or installation of other components of the drill rig.
Hence, there is a need for a simple, compact, and cost-effective system that is designed to facilitate quick and easy assembly or disassembly of drill strings from multiple drill string configurations.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, a system for disassembling components of a drill string includes a primary wrench, a secondary wrench, and a bit removal basket. The primary wrench is swivelably supported on a mast and is located at a fixed height along the mast. The primary wrench has a pair of jaws wherein at least one of the jaws is moveable in relation to the other. The secondary wrench is disposed in an opposing relation to the primary wrench and is adjustable in height relative to the primary wrench. The secondary wrench is configured to define a pair of beveled faces thereon. The pair of beveled faces are adapted to restrict a rotational movement of at least one component of the drill string vis-à-vis a pair of flat surfaces present on the at least one component of the drill string. The bit removal basket is disposed at a position lower than the secondary wrench. The bit removal basket is configured to define an opening therethrough. A shape of the opening is configured to correspond with profiles of at least two types of drill bits, one of the at least two types of drill bits being present for use in the drill string.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for disassembling components a drill string includes locating a primary wrench at a height corresponding to a clamping zone of at least one component of the drill string. The method further includes locating a secondary wrench at a height lower than the height of the primary wrench. The method further includes providing a bit removal basket at a height lower than a position of the secondary wrench, the bit removal basket defining an opening configured to correspond with profiles of at least two types of drill bits, one of the at least two types of drill bits being present for use in the drill string. If disassembly of at least one of the two types of drill bits from the at least one component is desired, then the method includes operably rotating the at least one component relative to the at least one of the two types of drill bits using the primary wrench while the at least one of the two types of drill bits is rotationally restricted in the opening of the bit removal basket. If disassembly of a pair of components from one another is desired, then the method includes operably rotating a first one of the components relative to a second one of the components using the primary wrench while the second one of the components is rotationally restricted by the secondary wrench.
Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to same or like parts. Moreover, references to various elements described herein are made collectively or individually when there may be more than one element of the same type. However, such references are merely exemplary in nature. It may be noted that any reference to elements in the singular may also be construed to relate to the plural and vice-versa without limiting the scope of the disclosure to the exact number or type of such elements unless set forth explicitly in the appended claims.
Referring to
As shown in
Referring back to
With reference to
It may be noted that the ‘clamping zone’ disclosed herein is also applicable to other portions 500 of the drill string 300/400 such as a pipe-to-pipe connection 502 of the tri-cone drill 300 or the DTH drill 400 which, in an embodiment of this disclosure, is exemplarily shown in
The secondary wrench 112 is disposed in an opposing relation to the primary wrench 110. Additionally, the secondary wrench 112 is located at a position lower than the primary wrench 110. The secondary wrench 112 is configured to define a pair of beveled faces 120 thereon. The pair of beveled faces 120 are adapted to restrict a rotational movement of at least one component of the drill string 300/400 vis-à-vis a pair of flat surfaces 312 present on the at least one component of the drill string 300/400 which as shown in
The bit removal basket 114 is disposed at a position lower than the secondary wrench 112. In an embodiment as shown in
In the illustrated embodiment of
The bit removal basket 114 is configured to define an opening 138 therethrough. In the particular embodiment of
Additionally, referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In embodiments of this disclosure, it has been contemplated that the secondary wrench 112 is disposed lower in position than the primary wrench 110 and would be configured to generally remain fixed in such lower position than the primary wrench 110. However, in other embodiments, it is alternatively contemplated that in order to correspond with a position of the flat surfaces 312 from the drill pipe 304, the hammer-cum-drill pipe 406, or the second one of the drill pipes 506 from the pipe-to-pipe connection 502 in which the flat surfaces 312 could shift by a small distance along an axis of the drill string 300/400 during operation of the drill rig, the secondary wrench 112 could be slidably supported on the frame 102 so that when such variation in the position of the flat surfaces 312 occurs from one component to another or one type of component to another, the secondary wrench 112 can easily be adjusted in height relative to the primary wrench 110 to coincide or correspond with the position of the flat surfaces 312 and when engaged with the flat surfaces 312, restrict the given component from the rotating about its respective axis.
If disassembly of at least one of the two types of drill bits from the at least one component i.e., i.e., the tri-cone bit 302 from the drill pipe 304 or the hammer bit 402 from the hammer-cum-drill pipe 406 is desired, then at step 808, the method 800 includes operably rotating the at least one component i.e., the drill pipe 304 or the hammer-cum-drill pipe 406 using the primary wrench 110 relative to the at least one of the two types of drill bits i.e., the tri-cone bit 302 or the hammer bit 402 while the at least one of the two types of drill bits i.e., the tri-cone bit 302 or the hammer bit 402 is rotationally restricted in the opening 138 of the bit removal basket 114.
If disassembly of a pair of components i.e., the first drill pipe 504 from a second one of the drill pipes 506 is desired (see
Various embodiments disclosed herein are to be taken in the illustrative and explanatory sense, and should in no way be construed as limiting of the present disclosure. All directional references (e.g., top, bottom, above, below, lower) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and may not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the system and/or method disclosed herein. Moreover, all joinder references (e.g., attached, affixed, joined, abut, associated, connected, and the like) are only used to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and may not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the system and/or method disclosed herein. Therefore, joinder references, if any, are to be construed broadly. Moreover, such joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected to each other.
Additionally, all numerical terms, such as, but not limited to, “primary”, “secondary”, “first”, “second”, “third” or any other ordinary and/or numerical terms, should also be taken only as identifiers, to assist the reader's understanding of the various elements, embodiments, variations and/or modifications of the present disclosure, and may not create any limitations, particularly as to the order, or preference, of any element, embodiment, variation and/or modification relative to, or over, another element, embodiment, variation and/or modification.
It is to be understood that individual features shown or described for one embodiment may be combined with individual features shown or described for another embodiment. The above described implementation does not in any way limit the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is to be understood although some features are shown or described to illustrate the use of the present disclosure in the context of functional components, such features may be omitted from the scope of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.
When disassembly of the tri-cone bit 302 or the hammer bit 402 from the pipe 304/406 is desired, the bit removal basket 114 is moved into the bit removal position (as shown in
When disassembly of the first one of the pipes 504 from the second one of the pipes 506 in the pipe-to-pipe connection 502 is desired, the bit removal basket 114 may be allowed to remain in the bit removal position (as shown in
From the foregoing, it is evident that embodiments of the present disclosure have applicability for use and implementation in disassembling components of a drill string. Although two types of drill string configurations i.e., the tri-cone drill 300 and the DTH drill 400 are disclosed herein, it may be noted that the system 100 of the present disclosure can also be suitably applied to numerous other types of structurally equivalent drill string configurations known to persons skilled in the art. Moreover, although the present disclosure has been explained in reference to disassembly of components or portions of a drill string 300/400/500, it should be noted that the system 100 of the present disclosure can also be used for assembling the various components or portions of a drill string 300/400/500.
As the two wrenches 110 and 112 of the system 100 do not move along a height of the frame 102 and the mast 104 respectively, and only the bit removal plate 132 of the bit removal basket 114 is rendered with a height adjustability feature, the system 100 of the present disclosure is rendered in a compact configuration and utilizes less space than most traditionally designed arrangements known for disassembling components of a drill string. Also, the compact configuration and space claim of the present system 100 facilitates additional room for installation and operation of numerous other components of a drill rig in the vicinity of the frame 102 and/or the mast 104 if required. Further, with implementation of the system 100 disclosed herein, components of a drill string can be assembled or disassembled quickly thereby facilitating operators or technicians of drill rigs to reduce time and effort in accomplishing an assembly or disassembly of components required in a drill string.
While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.
