Coiled Tubing Electrical Power Splice

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019106948-A1
Application number	US-201715726593-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 6, 2017
Priority date	Oct 6, 2017
Publication date	Apr 11, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A splice connects segments of coiled tubing and power cable together. The splice has a base and a head, each having an interior conical surface and a collet with fingers that deflect inward in gripping engagement with one of the segments in response to axial movement of the head collet and the base collet. A compression sleeve extends between the base collet and the head collet and exerts forces on the collets while the base and head are being secured together. An insulator tube slides over each of the power conductors. A retainer ring for each insulator tube grips one of the power conductors and abuts a shoulder in the insulator tube to prevent movement of the insulator tube along the power conductor.

First claim

1 . A power cable and load supporting assembly for downhole well equipment, comprising:
a lower coiled tubing and power cable segment for supplying power to the downhole well equipment, the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment having three insulated lower power conductors, the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment having a severed upper end, the lower power conductors protruding upward from the severed upper end of the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment; an upper coiled tubing and power cable segment for support by a wellhead, the upper coiled tubing and power cable segment having three insulated upper power conductors, the upper coiled tubing and power cable segment having a severed lower end, the upper power conductors protruding downward from the severed lower end; a splice connecting the lower and upper coiled tubing and power cable segments, comprising: a base having a lower opening into which the severed upper end of the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment is inserted; a base wedge member within the base in gripping engagement with the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment; a head having an upper opening into which the severed lower end of the upper coiled tubing and power cable segment is inserted; a head wedge member within the head in gripping engagement with the upper coiled tubing and power cable segment; the base having an upper end that secures to a lower end of the head, defining a load path from the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment through the base and the head to the upper coiled tubing and power cable segment; and a plurality of electrical connectors, each joining one of the lower power conductors to one of upper power conductors.

2 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each of the base and the head wedge members comprises a collet having inwardly deflecting fingers.

3 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the base wedge member moves into gripping engagement with the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment in response to downward movement of the base wedge member within the base; the head wedge member moves into gripping engagement with the upper coiled tubing and power cable segment in response to upward movement of the head wedge member within the head; and the assembly further comprises: a compression sleeve extending between the base wedge member and the head wedge member, the compression sleeve exerting a downward force on the base wedge member and an upward force on the head wedge member in response to securing the base and the head together.

4 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the upper end of the base has a set of threads and the lower end of the head has a set of threads, such that rotation of the base and the head relative to each other secure the threads of the base to the threads of the head; and the rotation of the base and the head relative to each other acts on the compression sleeve to exert the upward and downward forces.

5 . The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lower compression ring between a lower end of the compression sleeve and the base wedge member; an upper compression ring between an upper end of the compression sleeve and the head wedge member; and wherein each of the upper and lower compression rings comprises two partly cylindrical halves.

6 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the base has a base conical surface having a decreasing diameter in a downward direction; the base wedge member comprises a base collet with fingers that deflect inward into gripping engagement with the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment as the base wedge member is moved downward relative to the base conical surface; the head has a head conical surface having a decreasing diameter in an upward direction; and the head wedge member comprises a head collet with fingers that deflect inward into gripping engagement with the upper coiled tubing and power cable segment as the head wedge member is moved upward relative to the head conical surface.

7 . The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of insulator tubes, each sliding over one of the lower power conductors, one of the upper power conductors and one of the electrical connectors; and a plurality of retainer rings, each in gripping engagement with one of the lower and upper power conductors and with one of the insulator tubes to prevent sliding movement of the insulator tubes relative to the electrical connectors.

8 . The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of rigid lower insulator tubes, each sliding over one of the lower power conductors; a plurality of rigid upper insulator tubes, each sliding over one of the upper power conductors; each of the lower insulator tubes having an upper end that secures to a lower end of one of the upper insulator tubes; a plurality of lower retainer rings, each gripping one of the lower power conductors and in abutment with an upward facing shoulder of one of the lower insulator tubes; and a plurality of upper retainer rings, each gripping one of the upper power conductors and in abutment with a downward facing shoulder of one of the upper insulator tubes.

9 . A power cable and load supporting assembly for downhole well equipment, comprising:
a lower coiled tubing and power cable segment for supporting and supplying power to the well equipment, the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment having an insulated lower power conductor, the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment having a severed upper end, the lower power conductor protruding upward from the severed upper end of the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment; an upper coiled tubing and power cable segment for support by a wellhead, the upper coiled tubing and power cable segment having an insulated upper power conductor, the upper coiled tubing and power cable segment having a severed lower end, the upper power conductor protruding downward from the severed lower end; a splice connecting the lower and upper coiled tubing and power cable segments, comprising: a base having a lower opening into which the severed upper end of the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment inserts, the base having an interior conical surface with a decreasing diameter in a downward direction, the base having an upper threaded end; a base collect in engagement with the conical surface of the base, the base collect having fingers that deflect inward in gripping engagement with the lower coiled tubing and power cable segment in response to downward movement of the base collet in the conical surface of the base; a head having an upper opening into which the severed lower end of the upper coiled tubing and power cable segment inserts, the head having an interior conical surface with a decreasing diameter in an upward direction, the head having a threaded lower end that secures to the threaded upper end of the base; a head collet in engagement with the conical surface of the head, the head collet having fingers that deflect inward in gripping engagement with the upper coiled tubing and power cable segment in response to upward movement of the head collet in the conical surface of the head; a compression sleeve extending between the base collet and the head collet, the compression sleeve exerting a downward force on the base collet and an upward force on the head collet in response to securing the upper threaded end of the base to the lower threaded end of the head; and an electrical connector joining the lower power conductor to the upper power conductor.

10 . The assembly according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a lower compression ring between a lowe

Assignees

• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• O'Grady Kenneth
• Roy David R
• Strattan Scott C
• Mack John
• Thompson Joseph Scott

Classifications

• E21B17/023

  Arrangements for connecting cables or wirelines to downhole devices · CPC title

• H01R13/521

  Sealing between contact members and housing, e.g. sealing insert · CPC title

• H02G15/117

  for multiconductor cables · CPC title

• H02G9/06

  in underground tubes or conduits; Tubes or conduits therefor · CPC title

• H02G3/04

  Protective tubing or conduits, e.g. cable ladders or cable troughs · CPC title