Insulation enclosure with compliant independent members

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9896886-B2
Application number	US-201414438038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2014
Priority date	Jun 25, 2014
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

An example insulation enclosure includes an outer shell having an open end and a top end, and an inner shell arranged within the outer shell and including a plurality of sidewall members and a top member. Each sidewall member is independently moveable relative to one another and to the top member, and the plurality of sidewall members and the top member each include a support member and insulation material positioned on the support member. One or more compliant devices arranged between the outer shell and at least one of the plurality of sidewall members and the top member, the one or more compliant devices biasing the at least one of the plurality of sidewall members and the top member against adjacent outer surfaces of a mold disposable within the inner shell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An insulation enclosure, comprising:
an outer shell having an open end and a top end;
an inner shell arranged within the outer shell and including a plurality of sidewall members and a top member, wherein each sidewall member is independently moveable relative to one another and to the top member, and wherein the plurality of sidewall members and the top member each include a support member and insulation material positioned on the support member; and
one or more compliant devices extending inwardly from the outer shell and outwardly from the at least one of the plurality of sidewall members, the one or more compliant devices biasing the at least one of the plurality of sidewall members against adjacent outer surfaces of a mold disposable within the inner shell.

2. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the outer shell comprises:
an outer frame;
an inner frame; and
an insulation material positioned between the inner frame and the outer frame.

3. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the one or more compliant devices are at least one of a spring and an actuation device.

4. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the insulation material is a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, ceramic fiber, ceramic fabric, ceramic wool, ceramic beads, ceramic blocks, moldable ceramics, woven ceramic, cast ceramic, fire brick, carbon fiber, graphite blocks, shaped graphite blocks, polymer beads, polymer fiber, polymer fabric, nanocomposites, a fluid in a jacket, metal fabric, metal foam, metal wool, a metal casting, any composite thereof, and any combination thereof.

5. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising a reflective coating positioned on an inner surface of at least one of one or more of the support members and the outer shell.

6. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising an insulative coating positioned on at least one of the following: an inner surface of one or more of the support members, an outer surface of one or more of the support members, and a surface of the outer shell.

7. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the support member of at least one of the plurality of sidewall members and the top member is positioned on an interior of the inner shell and the insulation material is positioned on an exterior of the inner shell.

8. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the support member of at least one of the plurality of sidewall members and the top member is positioned on an exterior of the inner shell and the insulation material is positioned on an interior of the inner shell.

9. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the support member for at least one of the plurality of sidewall members and the top member includes a footing that extends horizontally from the support member.

10. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the support member for at least one of the plurality of sidewall members and the top member includes an inner support member and an outer support member offset from the inner support member, and wherein the insulation material is positioned between the inner and outer support members.

11. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising a thermal element in thermal communication with at least one of the top member and one or more of the plurality of sidewall members to impart thermal energy to the mold.

12. The insulation enclosure of claim 11 , wherein the thermal element comprising an element selected from the group consisting of a heating element, a heat exchanger, a radiant heater, an electric heater, an infrared heater, an induction heater, a heating band, heated coils, heated fluids (flowing or static), an exothermic chemical reaction, or any combination thereof.

13. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of sidewall members includes multiple sidewall segments stacked atop one another, each sidewall segment being movably coupled to an adjacent inner surface of the outer shell with the one or more compliant devices.

14. The insulation enclosure of claim 13 , wherein a thermal resistance of the multiple sidewall segments increases from a bottom of the inner shell toward a top of the inner shell.

15. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , wherein a horizontal cross-sectional shape of at least one of the inner and outer shells is polygonal, circular, or ovular.

16. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sidewall members are arcuate.

17. The insulation enclosure of claim 16 , wherein adjacent sidewall members of the plurality of sidewall members are interleaved and slidingly engageable with one another when the inner shell radially expands or radially contracts.

18. The insulation enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the one or more compliant devices are further arranged between the outer shell and the top member to bias the top member against an adjacent outer surface of the mold.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Cook Iii Grant O
• Ownby Clayton A
• Thomas Jeff G

Classifications

• E21B10/42

  Rotary drag type drill bits with teeth, blades or like cutting elements, e.g. fork-type bits, fish tail bits (characterised by wear resisting parts E21B10/46; by conduits or nozzles for drilling fluid E21B10/60; by detachable or adjustable parts E21B10/62) · CPC title

• C21D9/663 Primary

  Bell-type furnaces · CPC title

• E21B10/00

  Drill bits (specially adapted for deflecting the direction of boring {E21B7/064}; with means for collecting substances E21B27/00) · CPC title

• E21B10/602 Primary

  the bit being a rotary drag type bit with blades · CPC title

• C21D9/00

  Heat treatment, e.g. annealing, hardening, quenching or tempering, adapted for particular articles; Furnaces therefor · CPC title