Charge tube with self-locking alignment fixtures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017268317-A1
Application number	US-201415503669-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 10, 2014
Priority date	Sep 10, 2014
Publication date	Sep 21, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods used in perforation tool assemblies and more particularly charge tubes and self-locking alignment fixtures. The perforation tool assembly comprises an alignment fixture having a plurality of slots and a charge tube having a plurality of protrusions on an end of the charge tube that engage the plurality of slots on the alignment fixture. The perforation tool assembly can also include an alignment finger on an outer edge of the alignment fixture that aligns the charge tube radially with respect to a gun body. The alignment fixture can be formed of steel or a powdered metal. The slots on the alignment fixture can be formed by water-jet cutting, machining, molding, or casting. A plurality of charges can be disposed within the charge tube once assembled. The alignment finger on the alignment fixture can engage a milled slot on an interior surface of the gun body.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A perforation tool assembly comprising:
an alignment fixture having a plurality of slots; and a charge tube having a plurality of protrusions on an end of the charge tube that engage the plurality of slots of the alignment fixture when the alignment fixture is secured onto the charge tube.

2 . The perforation tool assembly of claim 1 further comprising an alignment finger on a circumferential outer edge of the alignment fixture that aligns the charge tube radially with respect to a gun body when the charge tube is received in the gun body.

3 . The perforation tool assembly of claim 2 further comprising a gun body having a milled slot on an interior surface and into which the alignment finger is engage.

4 . The perforation tool assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of protrusions on the charge tube protrude outward from the plurality of slots of the alignment fixture when the charge tube is fully engaged with the alignment fixture.

5 . The perforation tool assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of protrusions on the charge tube have ends that are flush with an end of the alignment fixture when the charge tube is fully engaged with the alignment fixture.

6 . The perforation tool assembly of claim 1 wherein the alignment fixture is formed of at least one of steel, a powdered metal, an Aluminum Alloy, a plastic material and a rubber material.

7 . The perforation tool assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of slots on the alignment fixture are formed by cutting using a water-jet, machining, molding or casting the alignment fixture.

8 . The perforation tool assembly of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of charges disposed within the charge tube when the alignment fixture is secured onto the charge tube.

9 . The perforation tool assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of slots comprises a first slot on the alignment fixture and a second slot on the alignment fixture and the plurality of protrusions on the charge tube comprise a first protrusion that engages the first slot of the alignment fixture and a second protrusion that engages the second slot on the alignment fixture.

10 . An apparatus comprising:
a self-locking alignment fixture having a plurality of slots that receive a plurality of protrusions on a charge tube; an alignment finger on the self-locking alignment fixture that engages with an interior surface of a gun body when the charge tube is received in the gun body, the alignment finger aligning the charge tube with scallops on an exterior surface of the gun body.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a plurality of charges disposed within the charge tube.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the alignment finger further aligns the plurality of charges with the scallops.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the alignment fixture is formed of at least one of steel powdered metal, an Aluminum Alloy, a plastic material and a rubber material.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the alignment finger engages a milled slot on the interior surface of the gun body.

15 . The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the plurality of slots on the alignment fixture are formed by cutting using a water-jet, machining, molding or casting the alignment fixture.

16 . A method of assembling part of a perforation tool assembly, the method comprising:
aligning a plurality of slots on an alignment fixture with a plurality of protrusions on a charge tube that is being received within a gun body; inserting the alignment fixture into the charge tube so that the plurality of protrusions on the charge tube are inserted into the plurality of slots on the alignment fixture; and rotating the alignment fixture until the alignment fixture locks into place with respect to the charge tube.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the alignment fixture locks into place by elastically deforming the protrusions on the charge tube to engage with the slots in the alignment fixture.

18 . The method of claim 16 further comprising inserting the charge tube into the gun body.

19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising aligning the alignment finger on the alignment fixture with the alignment slot on an interior surface of the gun body when inserting the charge tube into the gun body.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Von Kaenel Scott Randall
• Kamp William Martin
• Ward Austin

Classifications

• E21B43/116 Primary

  Gun or shaped-charge perforators · CPC title