Pipe drive sealing system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9896893-B2
Application number	US-201615174784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2011
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

Present embodiments are directed to a gripping device configured to couple with a pipe element. A housing of the gripping device is configured to extend over and at least partially around a distal end of the pipe element. Torsional clamp devices are configured to engage an outer circumferential surface of the pipe element with frictional engagement features that extend radially inward from the housing. A sealing mechanism is configured to shift a pipe seal relative to the housing and into engagement with the distal end of the pipe element and to facilitate fluid flow through the gripping device into the pipe element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pipe drive system, comprising:
a gripping device configured to couple with a pipe element;
a housing of the gripping device configured to extend over and at least partially around a distal end of the pipe element;
torsional clamp devices configured to engage an outer circumferential surface of the pipe element with frictional engagement features that extend radially inward from the housing; and
a sealing mechanism configured to shift a pipe seal relative to the housing and into engagement with an end-most face of the distal end of the pipe element to facilitate fluid flow through the gripping device into the pipe element.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sealing mechanism comprises a seal piston partially disposed within a piston housing, wherein the seal piston is configured to be linearly actuated along a rotational axis of the gripping device.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the seal piston comprises an upper seal coupled or integral with an upper portion of the seal piston and a lower seal coupled or integral with a lower portion of the seal piston.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the lower seal comprises main body portion and a neck portion extending from the main body portion, wherein the neck portion is configured to extend into the distal end of the pipe element when the sealing mechanism is engaged with the pipe element.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the main body portion comprises at least one groove formed in an axial surface of the main body portion and at least one seal disposed in the at least one groove, wherein the at least one seal is configured to engage with the end-most face of the distal end of the pipe element when the sealing mechanism is engaged with the pipe element.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one seal comprises a single crush O-ring or a hydraulic face lip seal.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the lower seal comprises a thread engaging feature disposed about the neck portion, wherein the thread engaging feature is configured to engage and align with internal threads of the distal end of the pipe element when the sealing mechanism is engaged with the pipe element.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the thread engaging feature comprises a frustum shape.

9. The system of claim 4 , wherein the neck portion comprises at least one seal configured to engage with an internal diameter of the pipe element when the sealing mechanism is engaged with the pipe element.

10. A method of assembling or disassembling a drill string, comprising:
engaging a housing of a gripping device and a distal end of a drillpipe element such that the distal end of the drillpipe element is within the housing and a tool joint of the drillpipe element is aligned with elevator blocks;
actuating elevators to engage the tool joint with the elevator blocks, wherein the elevator blocks extend through openings in the housing of the gripping device;
actuating a seal mechanism such that a pipe seal within the gripping device is moved relative to the housing and into engagement with an axial face of the distal end of the drillpipe element; and
engaging a circumferential area of the drillpipe element with torsional clamping devices of the gripping device.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising confirming that the tool joint is aligned with the elevator blocks by detecting a position of a portion of the drillpipe element within the housing with a sensing feature.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein actuating the seal mechanism comprises hydraulically actuating a seal piston such that the seal piston slides down a piston housing and forces a lower seal of the seal piston into engagement with the axial face of the distal end of the drillpipe element.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein hydraulically actuating the seal piston such that the seal piston slides down the piston housing comprises inserting a neck portion of the lower seal into the distal end of the drillpipe element.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein inserting the neck portion of the lower seal into the distal end of the drillpipe element comprises engaging a thread engaging feature disposed about the neck portion with internal threads of the distal end of the drillpipe element.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein inserting the neck portion of the lower seal into the distal end of the drillpipe element comprises engaging a lip seal disposed about the neck portion with an internal diameter of the drillpipe element.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein hydraulically actuating the seal piston such that the seal piston slides down the piston housing comprises engaging a hydraulic rod lip seal of the seal mechanism with the circumferential area of the drillpipe element.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein engaging the circumferential area of the drillpipe element with torsional clamping devices of the gripping device comprises actuating at least one hydraulic cylinder to drive die clamps radially inward to frictionally engage with the drillpipe element.

18. A system, comprising:
a gripping device configured to couple with a pipe element;
a housing of the gripping device comprising a cavity configured to receive a distal end of the pipe element; and
a sealing mechanism within the gripping device, wherein the sealing mechanism comprises:
a piston housing;
a seal piston at least partially disposed within the piston housing, wherein the seal piston is configured to be linearly actuated relative to the piston housing along a rotational axis of the gripping device;
an upper seal coupled to the seal piston and disposed on a first side of the piston housing; and
a lower seal coupled to the seal piston and disposed on a second side of the piston housing opposite the first side, wherein the lower seal is configured to engage with an end-most face of the distal end of the pipe element, and wherein engagement of the sealing mechanism with the pipe element establishes a sealed engagement between the gripping device and the pipe element to facilitate fluid flow between the gripping device and the pipe element.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the lower seal comprises:
a main body;
an axial seal housed within the main body, wherein the axial seal is configured to engage with the end-most face of the distal end of the pipe element;
a neck portion extending from the main body, wherein the neck portion is configured to be disposed within the distal end of the pipe element when the sealing mechanism is engaged with the pipe element; and
a frustum-shaped thread engagement feature disposed about the neck portion, wherein the frustum-shaped thread engagement feature is configured to engage with internal threads of the pipe element when the sealing mechanism is engaged with the pipe element.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the axial seal comprises a single crush O-ring or a hydraulic face lip seal.

Assignees

• Tesco Corp

Inventors

• Leman Michael Everett
• Bowley Ryan Thomas
• Yajure Edgar Fernando
• Greening Doug

Classifications

• E21B19/00

  Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables · CPC title

• E21B19/163

  piston-cylinder actuated · CPC title

• E21B19/07

  Slip-type elevators · CPC title

• E21B19/161

  using a wrench or a spinner adapted to engage a circular section of pipe (E21B19/168 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B19/165 Primary

  Control or monitoring arrangements therefor · CPC title