Side packer assembly with support member for ram blowout preventer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9976374-B2
Application number	US-201514947805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Nov 20, 2015
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

A blowout preventer (“BOP”) includes a housing comprising a vertical bore extending through the housing and ram cavities intersecting the bore and a pair of opposing ram assemblies, with each ram assembly movably positionable within a ram cavity and comprising a side packer assembly. The side packer assembly comprises an upper plate, a lower plate, an elastomeric body positioned between the upper plate and the lower plate and comprising elastomeric material, and a support member positioned between the upper plate and the lower plate and configured to confine movement of the elastomeric body when sealing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ram assembly of a blowout preventer (“BOP”) comprising:
a ram body comprising:
a side cavity formed on a side of the ram body; and
a top cavity formed on a top of the ram body;

a top seal is positionable within the top cavity;
a side packer assembly positionable within the side cavity, the side packer assembly comprising:
an upper plate;
a lower plate;
an elastomeric body positioned between the upper plate and the lower plate and comprising elastomeric material;
a support member positioned between the upper plate and the lower plate and configured to confine movement of the elastomeric body; and
an attachment member configured to removably couple the side packer assembly to the top seal.

2. The ram assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support member is configured to confine movement of the elastomeric body to the lateral direction when sealing within the BOP.

3. The ram assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support member comprises a support block that is coupled to the upper plate and the lower plate.

4. The ram assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ram assembly comprises a shear ram assembly.

5. A blowout preventer (“BOP”), comprising:
a housing comprising:
a vertical bore extending through the housing; and
ram cavities intersecting the bore; and

a pair of opposing ram assemblies, each ram assembly movably positionable within a ram cavity and comprising:
a side cavity formed on a side of the ram assembly with a side packer assembly positionable within the side cavity,
a top cavity formed on a top of the ram assembly with a top seal positionable within the top cavity;
the side packer assembly comprising:
an upper plate;
a lower plate;
an elastomeric body positioned between the upper plate and the lower plate and comprising elastomeric material;
a support member positioned between the upper plate and the lower plate and configured to confine movement of the elastomeric body when sealing; and
an attachment member configured to removably couple the side packer assembly to the top seal.

6. The BOP of claim 5 , wherein the support member is configured to confine movement of the elastomeric body to the lateral direction.

7. The BOP of claim 5 , wherein each ram assembly comprises another side packer assembly with the side packer assemblies positioned on opposite sides of each ram assembly.

8. The BOP of claim 5 , wherein the support member extends between the upper plate and the lower plate.

9. The BOP of claim 8 , wherein the support member is coupled to the upper plate and the lower plate.

10. The BOP of claim 9 , wherein the support member, the upper plate, and the lower plate comprise an integral support structure for the elastomeric body.

11. The BOP of claim 8 , wherein the support member comprises a front planar face extending between the upper plate and the lower plate.

12. The BOP of claim 5 , wherein the support member comprises a support block.

13. The BOP of claim 5 , wherein the ram assemblies comprise shear ram assemblies configured to shear an object positioned within the bore of the housing.

14. The BOP of claim 5 , wherein:
the ram assemblies are movable within the ram cavities between an open position and a closed position; and
the side packer assemblies are configured to form a seal against each other and against the housing when the ram assemblies are in the closed position.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Araujo Raul
• Lambert Jeffrey

Classifications

• E21B29/00

  Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming of pipes in boreholes or wells; Reconditioning of well casings while in the ground · CPC title

• E21B33/063 Primary

  for shearing drill pipes (cutting of wireline E21B29/04) · CPC title