Continuous rod transport system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9873366-B2
Application number	US-201414502435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Sep 28, 2009
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A transport system has a dedicated trailer for transporting a small transport reel (i.e., <18-ft in diameter) of continuous rod to the field. The trailer has a pedestal that can pivot the reel. A hub motor on the pedestal can turn the reel, and a transfer unit and rod bender on the trailer can curve or straighten the rod when being fed into or out of the reel. A power and hydraulic system operates the various hydraulic components on the trailer. In other aspects, the transport system includes stands that can hold the small transport reels on a trailer within a defined transport envelope. When empty, these stands can be stacked on top of one another on the trailer for return to a facility.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of coiling continuous rod into a transport reel for holding the coiled rod, the continuous rod being coilable into and out of the transport reel and being installable into and out of a well with an injection system, the continuous rod having a rigidity such that the continuous rod coils inside the transport reel and expands outward against an inside dimension thereof, the method comprising:
conveying the continuous rod along its axial length toward the transport reel;
coiling the continuous rod in the transport reel by rotating the transport reel and feeding the length of the continuous rod into the transport reel through an annular slot about an edge on one side of the transport reel;
providing a deformed curvature in the rigidity of a first portion of the continuous rod while conveying the continuous rod toward the transport reel by permanently bending the first portion of the continuous rod at an angle relative to its axial length to facilitate coiling the continuous rod a first number of times against the inside dimension of the transport reel; and
coiling a second portion of the continuous rod without the permanent bending a second number of times in the transport reel by ceasing the permanent bending of the continuous rod at the angle after the first portion of the continuous rod has been coiled the first number of times in the transport reel; and
preventing uncoiling of the coiled rod from one or more portions of the annular slot in the rotating transport reel while coiling the continuous rod therein by rotating one or more gates to close off the one or more portions of the annular slot.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein conveying the continuous rod along its axial length toward the transport reel comprises feeding the continuous rod through a rod transfer unit disposed on a transport trailer for transporting the transport reel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein conveying the continuous rod along its axial length toward the transport reel comprises feeding the continuous rod through a rod transfer unit of a winding system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein conveying the continuous rod along its axial length toward the transport reel comprises guiding the continuous rod with a guide tube adjacent the transport reel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein coiling the continuous rod in the transport reel comprises turning the transport reel with a motor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein preventing uncoiling of the coiled rod from the one or more portions of annular slot in the transport reel by using the one or more gates disposed on the transport reel.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein preventing uncoiling of the coiled rod from the one or more portions of the annular slot in the transport reel by using the one or more gates disposed on a transport trailer for transporting the transport reel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein permanently bending the continuous rod at the angle relative to its axial length comprises bending the continuous rod with a rod bender unit disposed on a transport trailer for transporting the transport reel.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein permanently bending the continuous rod at the angle relative to its axial length comprises bending the continuous rod with a rod bender unit of a winding system.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein coiling the first and second portions of the continuous rod in the transport reel comprises allowing the length of the continuous rod fed through the annular slot to expand outward against an inner dimension inside the transport reel.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising unwinding the continuous rod from the transport reel by:
uncoiling the continuous rod from the transport reel by rotating the transport reel and feeding the continuous rod out of the annular slot in the transport reel;
preventing premature uncoiling of the coiled rod from the one or more portions of the annular slot in the rotating transport reel while uncoiling the continuous rod therefrom by rotating the one or more gates to close off the one or more portions of the annular slot;
permanently straightening the uncoiled rod relative to its axial length; and
conveying the straightened rod to the injection system at the well.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein preventing premature uncoiling of the coiled rod from the one or more portions of the annular slot in the transport reel by using the one or more gates disposed on the transport reel.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein preventing premature uncoiling of the coiled rod from the one or more portions of the annular slot in the transport reel by using the one or more gates disposed on a transport trailer for transporting the transport reel.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein permanently straightening the uncoiled rod relative to its axial length comprises straightening the continuous rod with a rod bender unit disposed on a transport trailer for transporting the transport reel.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein conveying the straightened rod to the injection system at the well comprises feeding the straightened rod through a rod transfer unit disposed on a transport trailer for transporting the transport reel.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising unwinding the continuous rod from the transport reel by:
uncoiling the second portion of the continuous rod the second number of times from the transport reel;
conveying the second portion of the continuous rod along its axial length away from the transport reel to the injection system at the well;
removing the deformed curvature in the rigidity of the continuous rod while uncoiling the first portion of the continuous rod the first number of time from the transport reel by permanently straightening the uncoiled rod at another angle relative to its axial length; and
conveying the first portion of the straightened rod to the injection system at the well.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein uncoiling the continuous rod from the transport reel further comprises preventing premature uncoiling of the coiled rod from the annular slot in the transport reel by using the one or more gates disposed on the transport reel.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein uncoiling the continuous rod from the transport reel further comprises preventing premature uncoiling of the coiled rod from the annular slot in the transport reel by using the one or more gates disposed on a transport trailer for transporting the transport reel.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein conveying the continuous rod along its axial length away from the transport reel comprises guiding the continuous rod with a guide tube adjacent the transport reel.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein permanently straightening the uncoiled rod at the other angle relative to its axial length comprises straightening the continuous rod with a rod bender unit disposed on a transport trailer for transporting the transport reel.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein conveying the straightened rod to the injection system at the well comprises feeding the straightened rod through a rod transfer unit disposed on a transport trailer for transporting the transport reel.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein uncoiling the first and second portions of the continuous rod from the transport reel comprises feeding the length of the continuous rod out of the transport reel through an annular slot about an edge on one side of the transport reel.

Assignees

• Weatherford Lamb Inc
• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Basler Hermann
• Penner Jonathan Paul

Classifications

• B21C47/24

  Transferring coils to or from winding apparatus or to or from operative position therein; Preventing uncoiling during transfer · CPC title

• B21C47/28

  Drums or other coil-holders · CPC title

• B65H75/20

  Skeleton construction, e.g. formed of wire {(perforated supports for textile materials to be treated D06B23/042)} · CPC title

• B65H75/364

  the stored material being coiled · CPC title

• B60P3/035 Primary

  for transporting reel units · CPC title