Hydraulic ball injector for fracturing wellhead

Abstract

A hydraulic ball injector for a fracturing wellhead comprises a ball storage barrel, a barrel cover, a slide wall plate, a base flange, a rectangular end plate and a hydraulic oil cylinder. A ball storage barrel internally provided with a spiral slide way is formed by welding an outer barrel pipe, an inner barrel pipe, a round bottom plate, paired spiral guide plates, vertical baffles and hinged plates. The periphery of the barrel cover is bent downwards, an elastic bolt is welded on one side of the barrel cover, two hinge plates are welded on the other side of the barrel cover, and the barrel cover is connected with the ball storage barrel through a B-shaped pin shaft, a flat washer and a cotter pin; a transverse slide way is formed by welding two slide way wall plates and a rectangular end plate below a round bottom plate of the ball storage barrel and above a base flange; a double-acting hydraulic oil cylinder connected with a single piston rod and a lug ring and provided with a rectangular flange at the front end is fixed on the rectangular end plate through a bolt and a spring washer; a rectangular ball taking sliding block is inserted into the transverse sliding way, a through hole in the inner end of the rectangular ball taking sliding block is connected with a lug ring of the hydraulic oil cylinder through an A-shaped pin shaft, and the hydraulic drive ball injector is simple in structure, unified in control and reliable in action.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to oil and gas drilling equipment, in particular to a hydraulic ball thrower for a fracturing wellhead. Background Art

[0002] At present, the vast majority of horizontal well staged fracturing operations still use the backward method of manually dropping soluble balls, that is, it is necessary to carry soluble balls for fracturing manually and climb up the high fracturing wellhead device repeatedly to complete the ball dropping work; it is not only laborious and time-consuming, but also close contact with ultra-high pressure drilling and production equipment, and there is a safety risk of being harmed by leaked fracturing fluid. Some existing fracturing ball throwers at home and abroad are mostly driven by complex motors, and there are problems such as "not matching the hydraulic automatic control system of the fracturing wellhead device, complex product structure, poor reliability, difficult manufacturing, and high price", which affect their popularization and application. Therefore, it is very necessary to design a hydraulic ball thrower with simple structure, reliable quality, easy control and good quality, which can be matched with the hydraulically driven fracturing wellhead device. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic ball thrower for a fracturing wellhead to solve the problems of low efficiency and unsafety of manual ball throwing, and the incompatibility and impracticality of existing ball throwers, thereby comprehensively improving the automation level of fracturing operations.

[0004] The present invention comprises a ball storage barrel, a barrel cover, a slideway wall plate, a base flange, a rectangular end plate, a hydraulic oil cylinder and a ball-taking slide block, and has the following characteristics: the ball storage barrel uses a coaxial outer barrel tube, an inner barrel tube and a round bottom plate as a shell, two parallel spiral guide plates and two vertical baffles are welded between the outer barrel tube and the inner barrel tube to form a spiral slideway, two hinge plates are symmetrically welded at the upper edge of the outer barrel tube, and a locking hole is drilled on the opposite side of the two hinge plates; the periphery of the barrel cover is bent downward, an elastic latch is welded at the position with the hole, and two hinge plates are symmetrically welded on the opposite sides of the elastic latch, and the two hinge plates on the barrel cover side and the two hinge plates on the upper side of the ball storage barrel are connected by a thinner B A rectangular pin shaft and a flat washer are connected with a split pin; two rectangular slide wall panels and a rectangular end plate with a center hole and four threaded holes are symmetrically welded to form a rectangular transverse slide below the round bottom plate of the ball storage barrel and above the base flange; a double-acting, single-piston rod and earring-connected hydraulic cylinder with a rectangular flange at the front end is fixed to the rectangular end plate at one end of the transverse slide wall panel with four bolts and spring washers, a rectangular ball-taking slider is inserted into the transverse slide between the two slide wall panels, and the inner end through hole of the ball-taking slider is connected to the earring of the hydraulic cylinder with a thicker A-type pin shaft to form an integral device with a ball throwing function.

[0005] Since the present invention adopts a spiral guide plate and its slope to automatically convey the soluble balls in sequence, no complicated selection and conveying mechanism is required, which greatly simplifies the internal structure of the ball thrower; the soluble balls are arranged in a spiral shape along the periphery of the ball storage barrel, which effectively utilizes the space in the barrel, increases the number of stored balls, and reduces the volume of the ball thrower; the ball taking slider is driven by a hydraulic cylinder to throw the balls, which can be directly connected to the hydraulic valve automatic control system in the fracturing wellhead device, thereby achieving the effects of simplified structure, unified control, coordinated action and reliable operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 It is a full cross-sectional schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0007] Figure 2 The present invention Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure viewed from above at the AA section in the middle;

[0008] Figure 3 It is a right-side reduced schematic diagram with a partial cross-section of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0009] Figure 4 The present invention Figure 1 A zoomed-out schematic diagram of the middle base flange in direction B.

[0010] The names of the parts indicated by the numbers in the accompanying drawings are as follows:

[0011] 1. Ball storage barrel, 1-1. Outer barrel tube, 1-2. Inner barrel tube, 1-3. Round bottom plate, 1-4. Spiral guide plate, 1-5. Vertical baffle, 1-6. Hinge plate, 2. Barrel cover, 2-1. Elastic latch, 2-2. Hinge plate, 3. Slide wall plate, 4. Base flange, 5. Rectangular end plate, 6. Hydraulic cylinder, 7. Bolt, 8. Spring washer, 9. Ball retrieval slider, 10. Type A pin, 11. Type B pin, 12. Flat washer, 13. Cotter pin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0013] Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The present invention is composed of a ball storage barrel 1, a barrel cover 2, a slide wall plate 3, a base flange 4, a rectangular end plate 5, a hydraulic cylinder 6, a ball-taking slider 9, a bolt 7, a spring washer 8, an A-type pin 10, a B-type pin 11, a flat washer 12, and a cotter pin 13; wherein the base flange 4 is connected to the valve at the upper end of the fracturing wellhead device by a stud nut, and the hydraulic cylinder 6 is connected to the hydraulic control cabinet in the fracturing wellhead device by a hydraulic oil pipe. After more than ten soluble balls are filled in the ball storage barrel 1 at one time, the ball throwing operation can be carried out under the control of the hydraulic control cabinet in the fracturing wellhead device.

[0014] The ball storage barrel 1 of the present invention uses a coaxial outer barrel tube 1-1, an inner barrel tube 1-2 and a round bottom plate 1-3 as a shell, and two parallel spiral guide plates 1-4 and two vertical baffles 1-5 are welded between the outer barrel tube 1-1 and the inner barrel tube 1-2 to form a spiral slideway; the round bottom plate 1-3 in the ball storage barrel 1 has a center hole with the same diameter as the center hole of the base flange 4, so as to facilitate positioning during overall welding; a notch slightly larger than the diameter of the largest soluble ball for fracturing is cut at the edge of the round bottom plate 1-3, so as to facilitate the soluble ball in the barrel to slide out; the two parallel spiral guide plates 1-4 in the ball storage barrel 1 are both 360° short sections, whose outer edges are in contact with the inner wall of the outer barrel tube 1-1, and whose inner edges are in contact with the inner wall of the inner barrel tube 1-1. The outer wall of the barrel tube 1-2 is in contact with each other, and the spiral angle of the spiral guide plate 1-4 is uniformly set to a value between 15° and 25°. The distance between the upper and lower spiral guide plates 1-4 is slightly larger than the diameter of the largest soluble ball for fracturing to ensure that the soluble ball can pass smoothly. The upper and lower ends of the upper and lower spiral guide plates 1-4 are staggered in the horizontal direction by the position of the largest soluble ball for fracturing. A vertical baffle plate 1-5 is welded at the lower end of the upper spiral guide plate 1-4 and the upper end of the lower spiral guide plate 1-4, respectively. The lower ends of the upper and lower spiral guide plates 1-4 are respectively butt-welded with two ray edges on the edge notch of the inner circular bottom plate 1-3 of the ball storage barrel 1, thereby forming a spiral slideway with upper and lower openings. Two hinge plates 1-6 are symmetrically welded at the upper edge of the outer barrel tube 1-1, and a locking hole is drilled opposite the two hinge plates 1-6 for connecting the barrel cover 2.

[0015] The periphery of the barrel cover 2 of the present invention is bent downward, and an elastic latch 2-1 is welded at the part with the hole. Two hinge plates 2-2 are symmetrically welded to the opposite sides of the elastic latch 2-1. The two hinge plates 2-2 on the side of the barrel cover 2 are connected to the two hinge plates 1-6 on the upper side of the ball storage barrel 1 by a thinner B-shaped pin shaft 11, a flat washer 12 and a split pin 13. The elastic latch 2-1 in the barrel cover 2 is composed of a spring, a latch with a tail rod and an angle, and a cylindrical pin that crosses the handle and the latch in a handle with a blind hole; the cylindrical pin can reciprocate in the axial slot in the middle of the handle to control the telescopic distance of the latch angle. Use two fingers to pull the cylindrical pin in the elastic latch 2-1 outward to open the barrel cover 2 upwards; press the barrel cover 2 or the elastic latch 2-1 downward by hand, and the bevel of the latch will automatically extend and lock the hole on the upper side of the ball storage barrel 1 to prevent mud and sand from entering the inside of the ball thrower and the fracturing wellhead device.

[0016] The two rectangular slide wall panels 3 of the present invention are symmetrically welded to the bottom of the circular bottom plate 1-3 of the ball storage bucket 1 on the upper side and symmetrically welded to the top of the base flange 4 on the lower side. A rectangular end plate 5 with a center hole and four threaded holes is also welded to one end of the slide, forming a rectangular transverse slide with one end unobstructed; a double-acting, single-piston rod and earring-connected hydraulic cylinder 6 with a rectangular flange at the front end is fixed to the rectangular end plate 5 at one end of the transverse slide with four bolts 7 and a spring washer 8.

[0017] The rectangular ball-taking slider 9 of the present invention is an integral part, which can be cast or welded with steel plates; there is a square hole running through the middle, and both the inner and outer ends are square tubes with blind holes, and a through hole with a step on the upper side is drilled at the edge center line of the inner end square tube. The ball-taking slider 9 is inserted into the transverse slideway between the two slideway wall panels 3, and the inner end through hole of the ball-taking slider 9 is connected to the earring of the hydraulic cylinder 6 by a thick A-type pin 10; driven by the hydraulic cylinder 6, the ball-taking slider 9 moves back and forth in the rectangular transverse slideway, taking out a soluble ball from the ball storage bucket 1 each time, and delivering it to the fracturing wellhead device through the center hole of the base flange 4.

[0018] Figure 4 In the present invention, the outer diameter of the base flange 4 is slightly larger than or equal to the outer diameter of the valve flange on the fracturing wellhead device connected thereto, and the central hole diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the largest soluble ball for fracturing; the bolt holes symmetrically distributed on the base flange 4 have the same size as the bolt holes on the valve flange connected thereto, but the numbers of the two are different, that is, the bolt holes located between the two slideway wall panels 3 do not need to be processed.

Claims

1. A hydraulic ball thrower for a fracturing wellhead, comprising a ball storage bucket, a bucket cover, a slideway wall plate, a base flange, a rectangular end plate, a hydraulic cylinder and a ball-taking slide block, characterized in that: The ball storage barrel uses a coaxial outer barrel tube, inner barrel tube and round bottom plate as a shell, two parallel spiral guide plates and two vertical baffles are welded between the outer barrel tube and the inner barrel tube to form a spiral slideway, two hinged plates are symmetrically welded at the upper edge of the outer barrel tube, and a locking hole is drilled opposite the two hinged plates; the periphery of the barrel cover is bent downward, an elastic latch is welded at the position with the hole, and two hinged plates are symmetrically welded on the opposite sides of the elastic latch, and the two hinged plates on the side of the barrel cover are connected to the two hinged plates on the top of the ball storage barrel by a thinner B-type pin shaft, a flat washer and a cotter pin; Two rectangular slide wall panels and a rectangular end plate with a center hole and four threaded holes are symmetrically welded to form a rectangular transverse slide below the bottom plate and above the base flange; a double-acting, single-piston rod and earring-connected hydraulic cylinder with a rectangular flange at the front end is fixed to the rectangular end plate at one end of the transverse slide wall panel with four bolts and spring washers, and a rectangular ball-taking slider is inserted into the transverse slide between the two slide wall panels. The inner end through hole of the ball-taking slider is connected to the earring of the hydraulic cylinder with a thicker A-type pin shaft to form an integral device with a ball-throwing function.

2. The hydraulic ball thrower for fracturing wellhead according to claim 1 is characterized by: The center hole of the round bottom plate in the ball storage barrel has the same diameter as the center hole of the base flange, and a notch slightly larger than the diameter of the largest soluble ball for fracturing is cut at the edge of the round bottom plate.

3. The hydraulic ball thrower for fracturing wellhead according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two parallel spiral guide plates in the ball storage barrel are both 360° short sections, whose outer edges are in contact with the inner wall of the outer barrel tube, and whose inner edges are in contact with the outer wall of the inner barrel tube. The spiral rise angle of the spiral guide plates is uniformly set at a value between 15° and 25°, and the distance between the upper and lower spiral guide plates is slightly larger than the diameter of the largest soluble ball for fracturing; the upper and lower ends of the upper and lower spiral guide plates are staggered in the horizontal direction by the position of the largest soluble ball for fracturing, and a vertical baffle is respectively welded at the lower end of the upper spiral guide plate and the upper end of the lower spiral guide plate, and the lower ends of the upper and lower spiral guide plates are respectively butt-welded to the two ray edges on the edge notch of the inner circular bottom plate of the ball storage barrel.

4. The hydraulic ball thrower for fracturing wellhead according to claim 1 is characterized by: The rectangular ball-taking slider is an integral part, which can be cast or welded from steel plates; there is a square hole running through the middle, and both the inner and outer ends are square tubes with blind holes, and a through hole with a step on the top is drilled at the edge midline of the inner end square tube.

5. The hydraulic ball thrower for fracturing wellhead according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the base flange is slightly larger than or equal to the outer diameter of the valve flange on the fracturing wellhead device connected to it, and its central hole diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the largest soluble ball for fracturing; the size of the symmetrically distributed bolt holes on the base flange is the same as the size of the bolt holes on the valve flange connected to it, but the number of the two is different, that is, the bolt holes located between the two slide wall panels do not need to be processed.

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