Tubular stress measurement system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9765579-B2
Application number	US-201314139334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2013
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

Present embodiments are directed to a tubular stress measurement system including a first sensor configured to detect a parameter indicative of an axial or circumferential position of the plurality of grapples and a calculation system configured to calculate an internal stress on the tubular based on the parameter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a tubular grappling system, comprising:
a mandrel;
an actuator disposed about and coupled to the mandrel; and
a plurality of grapples coupled to the actuator, wherein the actuator is configured to translate the plurality of grapples along angled surfaces of the mandrel, and the plurality of grapples is configured to engage with an inner diameter of a tubular; and

a tubular stress measurement system, comprising:
a first sensor configured to detect a parameter indicative of an axial or circumferential position of the plurality of grapples; and
a calculation system configured to calculate an internal stress on the tubular based on the parameter,

wherein the tubular stress measurement system comprises a magnet coupled to the actuator, wherein the first sensor comprises a magnetometer configured to detect a magnetic field strength of the magnet, wherein the magnet is disposed on an axial end of a piston sleeve of the actuator, and wherein the piston sleeve is coupled to the plurality of grapples.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the magnet is a cylindrical or rectangular rare earth magnet.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tubular stress measurement system comprises a junction box coupled to the actuator, wherein the junction box comprises a printed circuit board coupled to the first sensor and a signal transmitter configured to send data from the junction box to the calculation system.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the calculation system comprises one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions comprising:
instructions adapted to calculate a radial travel distance of the plurality of grapples based on the parameter indicative of the axial or circumferential position of the plurality of grapples.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the radial travel distance of the plurality of grapples is a radial travel distance of the plurality of grapples after the plurality of grapples have contacted an inner diameter of the tubular.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the executable instructions comprise instructions adapted to calculate an internal stress on the tubular based on the radial travel distance of the plurality of grapples.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a hydraulic piston, wherein the hydraulic piston comprises the piston sleeve disposed about the mandrel and coupled to the plurality of grapples.

8. The system of claim 7 , comprising a first pressure sensor configured to measure a first pressure on a first side of the hydraulic piston and a second pressure sensor configured to measure a second pressure on a second side of the hydraulic piston.

9. A method, comprising:
detecting a first parameter indicative of an axial or circumferential position of a plurality of grapples configured to engage with an inner diameter of a tubular;
calculating a radial travel distance of the plurality of grapples based on the first parameter indicative of the axial or circumferential position of the plurality of grapples using one or more processors of a calculation system; and
calculating an internal stress on the tubular based on the radial travel distance of the plurality of grapples using the one or more processors of the calculation system.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein detecting the first parameter indicative of the axial or circumferential position of the plurality of grapples configured to engage with the inner diameter of the tubular comprises detecting a magnetic field strength of a magnet coupled to the grapples with a magnetometer.

11. The method of claim 9 , comprising detecting a second parameter indicative of contact between the plurality of grapples and the inner diameter of the tubular using a pressure sensor system of the top drive.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein detecting the second parameter indicative of contact between the plurality of grapples and the inner diameter of the tubular comprises detecting a pressure increase within a hydraulic piston configured to actuate the plurality of grapples.

13. The method of claim 9 , comprising translating the plurality of grapples in an axial or circumferential direction with an actuator.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising translating the plurality of grapples along angled surfaces of a mandrel disposed between the plurality of grapples.

15. A system, comprising:
a data collection system; and
a calculation system,
wherein the data collection system comprises:
a magnet coupled to a plurality of grapples configured to engage with an inner diameter of a tubular;
a magnetometer coupled to an actuator housing of an actuator, wherein the actuator is configured to axially actuate the plurality of grapples, wherein the magnetometer is axially aligned with the magnet; and
a signal transmitter coupled to the actuator and configured to transmit a measurement detected by the magnetometer to the calculation system,

wherein the calculation system comprises:
one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions comprising:
instructions configured to calculate a radial travel distance of the plurality of grapples based on the measurement detected by the magnetometer; and
instructions configured to calculate an internal stress on the tubular based on the radial travel distance of the plurality of grapples.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the measurement comprises a magnetic field strength of the magnet.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the calculation system comprises an alarm configured to activate when the internal stress meets or exceeds a threshold value.

Assignees

• Tesco Corp

Inventors

• Greening Douglas
• Mihai Marinel
• Dewald Brian
• Saw Piew Soe

Classifications

• E21B19/06 Primary

  Elevators, i.e. rod- or tube-gripping devices · CPC title

• E21B7/20

  Driving or forcing casings or pipes into boreholes, e.g. sinking; Simultaneously drilling and casing boreholes · CPC title

• E21B47/007 Primary

  Measuring stresses in a pipe string or casing (for locating blocked portions of pipes E21B47/09) · CPC title

• E21B47/0006

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B3/022

  Top drives · CPC title