TUBULAR THREADED JOINT

Abstract

A threaded joint (1) having a longitudinal axis (x), said joint comprising a first tubular component (C1) and a second tubular component (C2) screwed to each other, a first axial length BSL between an internal female butt surface (23) and an external female butt surface (21) being greater than a second axial length PSL between an internal male butt surface (13) and an external male butt surface (11), the first axial length BSL and the second axial length PSL being such that a gap (30) is formed between the external male butt surface (11) and the external female butt surface (21), said gap (30) being suitable to be closed by contact between the external male butt surface (11) and the external female butt surface (21) when an axial compressive load is applied.

Description

TUBULAR THREADED JOINT Technical field The invention relates to the field of tubular threaded joints. More specifically, the invention relates to metallic tubular threaded joints used in the oil and gas, energy, or storage industries, and specifically for applications such as hydrocarbon well drilling, hydrocarbon transportation, carbon capture, or geothermal energy. Background of the technique In this document, a threaded joint is understood to mean an assembly consisting of substantially tubular, metallic components assembled together by screwing. The tubular components may be tubes or any type of connecting piece commonly used in the field of the invention, such as sleeves. Such metallic tubular components preferably have a yield strength greater than or equal to 450 MPa. Each tubular component includes an end portion provided with a male threaded area or a female threaded area intended to be screwed into a corresponding end portion of a similar component. Assembled in this way, threaded tubular components constitute what is known as a joint or connection. These joints are subjected to a wide variety of axial tensile or compressive stresses, internal or external fluid pressure, bending, or even torsional stresses, which may be combined and whose intensity may fluctuate. Sealing must be ensured despite these stresses and despite the harsh conditions of use on the construction site. 239287 2214690 of 17 In recent years, operator demands in the field of invention have evolved. Thus, operators are increasingly demanding that threaded joints offer improved resistance to all these stresses, specifically when the tensile load applied to the joint exceeds its yield strength. To address this request, the prior art describes in patent EP3572612: a tubular threaded joint comprising a tubular female end extending from a main body of a first tubular element and a tubular male end extending from a main body of a second tubular element. This joint has two staggered threaded portions, between which a first stop is arranged. The joint further comprises a second stop formed by a male free end and an internal female shoulder. The threads of the tubular components forming this joint have load-bearing flanks and engagement flanks with exactly the same pitch. The disadvantage of such a joint is that axial play persists at the level of the load-bearing flanks and / or the engagement flanks of the thread. When such a joint is subjected to high mechanical stresses, there is a high risk of this axial play generating leaks.Due to this axial play, the grease added during coupling, specifically to limit the risk of leakage, is stored in the gaps formed between the bearing flanks and the mating flanks. Thus, when such a joint passes from a first state of tension to a second state of compression, the gaps that were open in the first state of tension close again, thereby opening new gaps between the thread flanks that were in contact in the first state of tension, but are no longer in contact in the second state of tension. Such a transition from a... 239287 2214690 2 of 17 The transition from one stress state to another involves a movement of the grease from the gaps that were open in the seal's first stress state to the gaps formed when the seal transitions to the second stress state. With such movement of the grease in the thread, the bearing flanks and the engagement flanks are alternately spaced from one another, then directly in contact, and vice versa, depending on the stress state of the seal. The fact that the thread flanks regularly come into direct contact significantly increases the risk of seizure, which greatly reduces the seal's service life. Consequently, such seals must be changed frequently, making maintenance complex for operators and generating additional operating costs. Summary In order to mitigate the aforementioned drawbacks, a first purpose of the invention is to significantly reduce the risk of seizure at the level of a threaded joint, while simultaneously improving the threaded joint's resistance to mechanical stress. Furthermore, a second purpose of the invention is to reduce the operating costs generated by the use of the threaded joint, while simplifying operations on the construction site. Thus, the invention provides a threaded joint having a longitudinal axis x, said joint comprising a first tubular component and a second tubular component, the first tubular component and the second tubular component being screwed together, - the first component comprising a first tube and a male element arranged at one end of said first tube, the male element comprising successively from the first 239287 2214690 of 17 tube towards an internal male stop surface of said male element: an external male stop surface, at least a first male threaded part having a self-locking tightening variable width thread profile and the internal male stop surface, - the second component comprising a second tube and a female element arranged at one end of said second tube, the female element comprising successively from the second tube towards a female external abutment surface of said female element: a female internal abutment surface, at least one first female threaded portion having a self-locking tightening variable width thread profile, a female lip and the female external abutment surface, a first axial length BSL between the female internal abutment surface and the female external abutment surface being greater than a second axial length PSL between the male internal abutment surface and the male external abutment surface, the first axial length BSL and the second axial length PSL being such that a gap is formed between the male external abutment surface and the female external abutment surface,said gap being suitable to be closed by contact between the male external abutment surface and the female external abutment surface when an axial compression load is applied. The gap formed between the male external stop surface and the female external stop surface relieves the compressive stress exerted on the thread flanks when the compressive load exceeds the seal's elasticity limit. Thus, when the tubular components are screwed together and an axial compressive load is applied, the male external stop surface and the female external stop surface come into contact. 239287 2214690 of 17 as soon as the axial compression load exceeds the yield point of the threads. This results in the compression load being immediately distributed, on the one hand, over the thread flanks and, on the other hand, over the surfaces of the male and female external stops. This load distribution maintains the tightness conferred by the threading. This architecture of the male and female elements thus allows for a seal that exhibits improved compression performance, specifically beyond its yield point. The internal diameter of a gasket decreases axially from the external stop surfaces to the internal stop surfaces. Therefore, an external stop surface is necessarily larger than an intermediate stop surface, and an intermediate stop surface is necessarily larger than an internal stop surface. Therefore, the fact that the stop contact is made between the external stop surfaces allows for a larger stop contact surface and, therefore, a higher torque capacity than a gasket whose stop contact is made at the level of an internal or intermediate shoulder. In other words, the fact that the stop contact is made between the external stop surfaces allows for greater axial compression loads to be supported compared to a stop contact made at the level of an internal or intermediate shoulder. Variable width, self-locking threads such as those used in the invention prevent the formation of a gap at the level of the joint thread. Thus, when the first tubular component and the second tubular component are screwed together and no axial compression load is applied, the integrity and, in particular, the 239287 2214690 of 17 sealing, of the joint are produced entirely by the torque generated by the contact between, on the one hand, the load-bearing flanks and the engagement flanks of the thread of the first tubular component and, on the other hand, the load-bearing flanks and the engagement flanks of the thread of the second tubular component. Consequently, with such a joint, it is not necessary to use grease to obtain sealing, which reduces the amount of grease used and, therefore, reduces operating costs. Furthermore, due to the absence of axial play between the threads, the risk of seizure during a change in stress state, for example, during a transition from a tensile state to a compression state, the risk of seizure is practically zero and, consequently, the service life of such a joint is significantly increased. According to one embodiment, the male element comprises an external male housing extending from the external male abutment surface to the male threaded portion. According to one embodiment, the male external abutment surface has an inclination of angle α with respect to a first axis y, said first axis y being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis x and so that the female external abutment surface has an inclination of angle β with respect to a second axis y'', said second axis y'' being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis x, the angles α and β being such that the male external abutment surface and the female external abutment surface are substantially parallel. In other words, the angles α and β are substantially equal. Thanks to these characteristics, regardless of the value of the angles α and β, the male external stop surface and the female external stop surface always face each other, to present a maximum contact surface between them, which improves the performance of the compression seal. 239287 2214690 6 of 17 For the sake of clarity, it is specified herein that, in the present application, any given value of the angle α corresponds to an angle value measured counterclockwise between the male external abutment surface and the y-axis. Likewise, any given value of the angle β corresponds to an angle value measured counterclockwise between the female external abutment surface and the y-axis. In one embodiment, the y-axis and the male external abutment surface are coaxial, and the y''-axis and the female external abutment surface are coaxial. The angles α and β formed in this way are either zero angles or plane angles. A zero angle is defined as having a value of 0°, and a plane angle is defined as having a value of 180°. According to one embodiment, the angles α and β both have either a value of 0° or a value of 180°. According to one embodiment, the angles α and β are such that: 0°< α <30° and 0°<β<30°. Beyond 30°, when an axial compression load is applied to the seal, the lip may begin to flex, which risks leading to lip breakage. According to one embodiment, the angles α and β are such that: 0°< α <10° and 0°<β<10°. According to one embodiment, the angles α and β are such that: 0°< α <5° and 0°<β<5°. When a joint experiences an axial compression load, and specifically when this load exceeds the elasticity limit of the joint, the end of the female element tends to experience a mechanical force directed radially toward the outside of the pipe. This phenomenon tends to reduce the contact surface between the external abutment surface. 239287 2214690 of the 17 male and female external stop surfaces, which tends to reduce the compression performance of the seal. Such values ​​for the angles of inclination of the male and female external stop surfaces allow the force to be directed radially toward the interior of the pipe and, therefore, avoid this phenomenon. According to one embodiment, the gap has an axial length between 0.10 mm and 1.75 mm. Preferably, the gap has an axial length between 0.10 mm and 0.82 mm and even more preferably between 0.10 mm and 0.63 mm; ideally, the gap has an axial length between 0.10 mm and 0.50 mm. This allows the gap to close again and therefore leads to an improvement in compressive strength in an optimal manner according to the compression capabilities involved in the field of the invention. Preferably, the gap has an axial length such that: BSL x(0.5%) / 4 <intersticio (30)<BSL x0.7 % donde BSL está en mm. The minimum value allows to lighten the compressive stress exerted on the thread flanks when the load applied in compression exceeds the elasticity limit of the gasket from 25% of the compression capacity of the gasket according to the invention. The maximum value allows to lighten the compressive stress exerted on the thread flanks when the load applied in compression reaches 100% of the compression capacity of the gasket according to the invention. Definitions In the present application, the screwed state is understood as the fact that the tubular components are 239287 2214690 of 17 joined together to form a seal adapted for use in the field of the invention. By way of example, tightness can be mentioned as a necessary property for the use of the seal in a field of the invention. Axial length is understood to be a length that extends and is measured along the longitudinal axis x. For the sake of clarity, a manner in which the first axial length BSL and the second axial length BSL can be measured is presented herein. Thus, the first axial length BSL can be measured from a first female inner radial end to a second female inner radial end. Therefore, the distance between the points radially projected onto the x-axis is taken. Similarly, the second axial length PSL can be measured from a first male inner radial end to a second male inner radial end. Therefore, the distance between the points radially projected onto the x-axis is likewise taken. A self-locking clamping thread is understood to mean that the thread of the male thread has an axially increasing width in a first direction and the thread of the female thread has an axially increasing width in a second direction, said second direction being opposite to the first direction. The width of the self-locking clamping threads, such as those used in the invention, can vary axially, i.e. along the longitudinal axis x and / or radially, i.e. along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis x. When the width of the threads varies radially, the threads then have a dovetail profile. 239287 2214690 of 17 Please note that, for the so-called wedge threading, the threaded parts are proposed with a different pitch value for the supporting flank and for the fitting flank, so that the helix of this type of threading proposes a tooth width that increases as the helix turns, from one end to the other, decreasing the defined gaps between the turns of this helix according to the same progression. It should be noted that, within the scope of the invention, a stop surface is suitable for abutment contact, but is not necessarily so once the joint is in the screwed state. Brief description of the figures The invention will be better understood and other objectives, details, characteristics and advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the course of the following description of several particular embodiments of the invention, given solely for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the present application is not limited to the precise arrangements, structures, features, embodiments, and appearance indicated. The drawings are not drawn to scale and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims to the embodiment(s) shown in these drawings. It should therefore be understood that when features mentioned in the claims are followed by references, such references are incorporated solely for the purpose of improving the understanding of the claims and do not, in any case, limit the scope of the latter. [fig. 1] Figure 1 is a schematic of a longitudinal sectional view of a threaded joint whose two components 239287 2214690 of 17 tubulars are screwed together, according to an embodiment of the invention (threading not shown). [fig. 2] Figure 2 is a schematic of a close-up view of detail A of the threaded joint according to the invention of Figure 1 (threading not shown). [Fig. 3] Figure 3 is a schematic close-up view of a variant of detail A of a threaded joint according to an embodiment of the invention (threading not shown). Description of the Embodiments Figure 1 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of a threaded joint 1 comprising a first tubular component C1 and a second tubular component C2 screwed together, according to an embodiment of the invention. The first tubular component C1 comprises a first tube 10 and a male element 15. The male element 15 is arranged at one end of the first tube 10. The male element 15 is directly adjacent to the first tube 10. The male element 15 extends axially from a male external abutment surface 11 to a male internal abutment surface 13. The male element 15 comprises successively, from the male external abutment surface 11: a male external housing 14, a male threaded portion 12 having a self-locking tightening variable width thread profile (not shown) and the male internal abutment surface 13. Although the threading is not described in detail in this patent application, those skilled in the art may refer to patent EP2999841 which describes a self-locking threading suitable for use in any embodiment of the present invention. The male external stop surface 11 extends radially between a first male outer radial end 16 and a first male inner radial end 18. The first male inner radial end 18 may be a thread having a 11 239287 2214690 of 17 radius of curvature between 0.1 mm and 5.0 mm and which joins the male external stop surface 11 and the male external housing 14. The male inner stop surface 13 extends radially between a second male outer radial end 17 and a second male inner radial end 19. The second male outer radial end 17 and the second male inner radial end 19 may be broken edges or fillets each having a respective radius of curvature and each being directly adjacent to the male inner stop surface 13. The male external housing 14 extends from the first inner male radial end 18 to the beginning of the male threaded portion 12. The male external housing 14 has an unthreaded surface which may be cylindrical or frustoconical in shape. In Figure 1, the male external housing 14 has a cylindrical unthreaded surface which forms a right angle to the male external abutment surface 11, in other words, the unthreaded surface of the male external housing 14 and the male external abutment surface 11 are orthogonal. The male threaded portion 12 is conical, for example with a half-taper angle of between 0.5° and 5°, preferably between 1° and 3°. The male threaded portion 12 is arranged on the outside of the male element and extends from the male outer housing 14 to the second male outer radial end 17. The threading (not shown) of the threaded portion 12 has a self-locking, variable width thread profile, such as a wedge type thread. The second tubular component C2 comprises a second tube 20 and a female element 25. The female element 25 is arranged 12 239287 2214690 of 17 at one end of the second tube 20. The female element 25 is directly adjacent to the second tube 20. The female element 25 extends axially from a female external stop surface 21 to a female internal stop surface 23. The female element 25 comprises successively, from the female external stop surface 21: a female lip 24, a threaded portion 12 having a self-locking, variable width thread profile (not shown), a female internal housing 28 and the female internal stop surface 23. The female external stop surface 21 and the male external stop surface 11 are arranged facing each other to delimit a gap 30 between them. In Figure 1, the gap 30 has an axial length of 0.43 mm. The female external stop surface 21 extends radially between a first female outer radial end 29 and a first female inner radial end 26. The first female inner radial end 26 may be a broken edge or a fillet having a radius of curvature between 0.1 mm and 5.0 mm and directly adjacent the female external stop surface 21. The female internal abutment surface 23 is arranged opposite the male internal abutment surface 13 and at a distance from it, for example, at an axial distance between 2 mm and 15 mm. The female internal abutment surface 23 extends from a second female inner radial end 27 to the female internal housing 28. The female internal abutment surface 23 may be straight or rounded to form a fillet. In Figure 1, the female internal abutment surface 23 forms a fillet having a radius of curvature whose value may be, for example, between 0.2 mm and 6.0 mm, preferably between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. 239287 2214690 of 17 The female lip 24 has an inner surface 31 that faces the male outer housing 14. The inner surface 31 is an unthreaded surface and has a cylindrical shape. The inner surface 31 extends from the first female inner radial end 26 to a distal thread flank 32 of the female threaded portion 22. The female threaded portion 22 has a taper substantially equal to that of the male threaded portion 12. The female threaded portion 22 is arranged on the inside of the female element 25 and extends from the internal female housing 28 to the distal thread flank 32. The threading (not shown) of the threaded portion 22 has a self-locking, variable width thread profile, such as an English wedge type thread. The female inner housing 28 is directly adjacent to the thread formed by the female inner stop surface 27 and extends to the female threaded portion 22. The female inner housing 28 has an unthreaded surface that may be cylindrical or frustoconical in shape. In Figure 1, the female inner housing 28 has a cylindrical unthreaded surface. A first axial length BSL extends and is measured axially between the first female inner radial end 26 and the second female inner radial end 27, thus taking the distance between the points projected radially onto the x-axis. The first axial length BSL may be between 60 mm and 300 mm, preferably between 100 mm and 250 mm and even more preferably between 110 mm and 225 mm. In Figure 1, the first axial length BSL is 217 mm. A second axial length PSL extends and is measured axially between the first inner male radial end 18 and the second inner male radial end 19, therefore, it is 14 239287 2214690 of 17 takes the distance between the points projected radially onto the x-axis. The first axial length PSL may be between 60 mm and 300 mm, preferably between 100 mm and 250 mm and even more preferably between 110 m and 225 m. In Figure 1, the second axial length PSL is 208 mm. Figure 2 illustrates a close-up view of detail A of the threaded joint schematized in Figure 1. The gap 30 is delimited by the male external abutment surface 11 and the female external abutment surface 21. The male external abutment surface 11 and the female external abutment surface 21 are parallel. According to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 which corresponds to that of Figure 1, the male external abutment surface 11 and the female external abutment surface 21 are orthogonal to the longitudinal axis x of the threaded joint 1. In other words, according to this embodiment, the male external abutment surface 11 forms with the axis y an angle α which is a plane angle or a zero angle. In the same way, the female external abutment surface 21 forms with the axis y" an angle β which is a plane angle or a zero angle. The axes y and y" are both orthogonal to the longitudinal axis x. The gap 30 thus formed between the male external abutment surface 11 and the female external abutment surface 21 has an axial length which may be between 0.10 mm and 1.75 mm. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the gap 30 has an axial length of 0.43 mm. Figure 3 illustrates a close-up view of a variant of detail A schematized in Figure 2. According to this variant, the male external abutment surface 11 is inclined at an angle α with respect to the y axis and the female external abutment surface 21 is inclined at an angle β with respect to the y axis. The y and y axes are both orthogonal to the y axis. 2214690 15 of 17 longitudinal x. The angle α may have a value between 0.1° and 30°, preferably between 0.1° and 10°, even more preferably between 0.1° and 5°. The angle β may have a value between 0.1° and 30°, preferably between 0.1° and 10°, even more preferably between 0.1° and 5°. In the embodiment of Figure 3, the angle α and the angle β both have a value of 15°. The gap 30 thus formed between the male external abutment surface 11 and the female external abutment surface 21 has an axial length which may be between 0.10 mm and 1.75 mm. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the gap 30 has an axial length of 0.43 mm. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to put the aforementioned invention into practice is the one that is clear from the present description of the invention. 239287 2214690 of 17 JUAN MANUEL LÓPEZ MAÑÁN - 20254306623 Digitally signed by PORTALTRAMITES - INPI Date: 2023.03.23 15:42:16 -03:00 Reason: Digitally signed by the INPI Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina 2214690

Claims

1. A threaded joint (1) having a longitudinal axis (x), said joint comprising a first tubular component (C1) and a second tubular component (C2), the first tubular component (C1) and the second tubular component (C2) being screwed to each other, - the first component (C1) comprising a first tube (10) and a male element (15) disposed at one end of said first tube (10), the male element (15) comprising successively from the first tube (10) to an internal male stop surface (13) of said male element: an external male stop surface (11), at least a first male threaded portion (12) having a self-locking variable-width thread profile, and the internal male stop surface (13), - the second component (C2) comprising a second tube (20) and a female element (25) disposed at one end of said second tube (20),comprising the female element (25) successively from the second tube (20) towards an external female stop surface (21) of said female element: an internal female stop surface (23), at least a first female threaded portion (22) having a self-locking variable-width thread profile, a female lip (24) and the external female stop surface (21), a first axial length BSL between the internal female stop surface (23) and the external female stop surface (21) being greater than a second axial length PSL between the internal male stop surface (13) and the external male stop surface (11), the first axial length BSL and the second axial length PSL being such that a gap (30) is formed between the external male stop surface (11) and the external female stop surface (21),said gap (30) being suitable to close by contact between the male external stop surface (11) and the female external stop surface (21) when an axial compressive load is applied. Seven claims follow.