System and method for establishing tubular connections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9784054-B2
Application number	US-201414444830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2014
Priority date	Jul 28, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A drilling system includes a multi-function sub configured to be coupled to a top drive of a drilling rig and configured to be coupled to a tubular in order to selectively transfer a torque from the top drive to the tubular. The multi-function sub includes a torque sensing component configured to measure the torque provided from the top drive to the tubular via the multi-function sub, a clutch configured to suspend a transfer of torque from the top drive to the tubular when the clutch is released, and a clutch actuator communicatively coupled to the torque sensing component and configured to release the clutch when the torque measured by the torque sensing component is greater than a threshold torque value. The multi-function sub also includes a compensator configured to enable the multi-function sub to move the tubular in an axial direction relative to the top drive.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drilling system, comprising:
a multi-function sub configured to be coupled to a top drive of a drilling rig and configured to be coupled to a tubular in order to selectively transfer a torque from the top drive to the tubular, wherein the multi-function sub comprises:
a torque sensing component configured to measure the torque provided from the top drive to the tubular via the multi-function sub;
a clutch configured to suspend a transfer of torque from the top drive to the tubular when the clutch is released;
a clutch actuator coupled to the torque sensing component and configured to release the clutch when the torque measured by the torque sensing component is greater than a threshold torque value;
a compensator configured to enable movement of the tubular in an axial direction relative to the top drive; and
a housing having the clutch and the compensator disposed therein.

2. The drilling system of claim 1 , wherein the multi-function sub comprises a first portion configured to be coupled to the top drive and a second portion configured to be coupled to the tubular, wherein the first and second portions are configured to rotate together when the clutch engages the first and second portions with each other, and wherein the compensator is configured to enable the first and second portions to move in the axial direction relative to each other.

3. The drilling system of claim 2 , wherein the torque sensing component is a separate component threaded into engagement with at least one of the first and second portions of the multi-function sub.

4. The drilling system of claim 2 , wherein the torque sensing component is integral with at least one of the first and second portions of the multi-function sub.

5. The drilling system of claim 1 , wherein the clutch actuator comprises a spring configured to release when the torque provided from the top drive to the tubular is greater than the threshold torque value.

6. The drilling system of claim 1 , wherein the clutch comprises a hydraulic drum clutch.

7. The drilling system of claim 1 , wherein the clutch comprises a multi-plate disc clutch.

8. The drilling system of claim 1 , wherein the clutch comprises an electrical clutch.

9. The drilling system of claim 1 , wherein the clutch comprises a disc brake or caliper clutch, wherein the clutch is hydraulically actuated, pneumatically actuated, or mechanically actuated.

10. The drilling system of claim 1 , wherein the compensator comprises a hydraulic chamber and a piston disposed in the hydraulic chamber, wherein a position of the piston within the hydraulic chamber corresponds with a position of the tubular relative to the top drive along the axial direction.

11. The drilling system of claim 1 , wherein the multi-function sub comprises a tension sensing component configured to measure a tension force on the multi-function sub, wherein the compensator is communicatively coupled to the tension sensing component and is configured to enable movement of the tubular in the axial direction relative to the top drive based on the tension measured by the tension sensing component.

12. The drilling system of claim 11 , comprising a control component configured to:
receive a signal indicative of the measured torque from the torque sensing component;
receive a signal indicative of the measured tension from the tension sensing component; and
output control signals to the clutch actuator and to the compensator based on the signals indicative of the measured torque and measured tension.

13. The drilling system of claim 12 , wherein the control component is external to the multi-function sub and is configured to communicate wirelessly with the multi-function sub.

14. A drilling system, comprising:
a multi-function sub comprising:
a housing;
a first portion configured to be coupled to a top drive and a second portion configured to be coupled to a tubular, wherein the multi-function sub is configured to selectively transfer a torque from the first portion to the second portion;
a clutch disposed in the housing and configured to engage the first and second portions with each other such that they rotate together about an axis and to allow the first and second portions to rotate freely relative to one another about the axis when the clutch is released;
a clutch actuator coupled to the clutch and configured to release the clutch when the torque transferred from the first portion to the second portion reaches a threshold torque level; and
a compensator disposed in the housing and configured to enable the first and second portions to move relative to each other along an axial direction of the axis.

15. The drilling system of claim 14 , wherein the clutch actuator comprises a spring set to release when the torque transferred from the first portion to the second portion is greater than the threshold torque level.

16. The drilling system of claim 14 , wherein the multi-function sub comprises a torque sensing component configured to measure the torque transferred from the first portion to the second portion, wherein the clutch actuator is communicatively coupled between the torque sensing component and the clutch and configured to release the clutch when the torque measured by the torque sensing component reaches the threshold level.

17. The drilling system of claim 14 , wherein the compensator comprises a hydraulic chamber and a piston disposed in the hydraulic chamber, and wherein the clutch is configured to selectively engage or disengage an outer surface of the compensator from an inner surface of the housing.

18. The drilling system of claim 17 , wherein the first portion comprises the housing and the second portion comprises the compensator and a quill extending downward from the piston.

19. The drilling system of claim 17 , wherein the first portion comprises the compensator and a quill extending upward from the piston and the second portion comprises the housing.

20. A method, comprising:
transferring a torque from a rotating top drive to a tubular via a multi-function sub coupled between the top drive and the tubular;
measuring the torque transferred to the tubular via a torque sensing component disposed in the multi-function sub;
determining that the torque measured by the torque sensing component is greater than a torque threshold;
based on the determination that the torque measured by the torque sensing component is greater than the torque threshold, releasing a clutch of the multi-function sub such that a lateral surface of the clutch moves in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the multi-function sub to suspend a transfer of the torque from the rotating top drive to the tubular; and
enabling the tubular to move relative to the top drive in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the multi-function sub via a compensator disposed in the multi-function sub.

Assignees

• Tesco Corp

Inventors

• Wilson James Tyler
• Bowley Ryan Thomas
• Coombe Brent James-William
• Maxwell Colin Trevor
• Greening Doug Christian

Classifications

• E21B17/042

  Threaded · CPC title

• E21B19/166 Primary

  Arrangements of torque limiters or torque indicators · CPC title

• E21B3/035 Primary

  with slipping or elastic transmission · CPC title

• E21B3/022

  Top drives · CPC title

• E21B19/16

  Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints (E21B19/20 takes precedence) · CPC title