Drill rig apparatuses with directly driven shaft & drilling fluid pump systems

Abstract

A drilling rig system with a main shaft or shaft-like structure driven directly by an AC motor; the system in one aspect for pumping fluid (e.g., but not limited to, drilling fluid), the system having, in certain aspects, pump apparatus with a pumping section and a motor section, the pumping section having an inlet and an outlet, the motor section having a drive shaft for connection to a pump pinion shaft for reciprocating in and out of the pumping section to alternately suck fluid into the inlet and pump fluid out the outlet, and the motor being directly connected to the pump pinion shaft, and methods for using such a system.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]This invention is directed to: drill rig apparatuses (machines, devices, apparatuses, systems) with a driven shaft driven by an AC motor directly connected to the driven shaft without the use of intermediate gear reductions or torque multipliers; drilling fluid pump systems used in drilling wellbores in the earth; and to methods of the use of such apparatuses and systems.[0003]2. Description of Related Art[0004]A wide variety of drilling systems, apparatuses, and methods are disclosed in prior developments including, but not limited to, the disclosures in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,944,547; 6,918,453; 6,802,378; 6,050,348; 5,465,799; 4,995,465; 4,854,397; and 3,658,138, all incorporated fully herein for all purposes. Prior developments include a wide variety of drilling systems, apparatuses, machines and devices which use a powered shaft driven by a motor with an intermediate apparatus between the motor and the powered shaft such...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The present invention discloses, in certain aspects, a fluid pumping system, also known as a mud pump system (in certain particular aspects a drilling fluid pumping system), for pumping fluid (e.g., but not limited to, drilling fluid or mud used in wellbore operations). In certain aspects an AC motor (or motors) operates a pump apparatus to pump the fluid. In certain aspects of systems according to the present invention in which one or more AC (alternating current) motors applies power directly, increased efficiencies are possible, inefficiencies associated with non-direct drive systems are eliminated, overall size and space requirements are reduced, and / or overall system weight is reduced.

Problems solved by technology

Certain prior, known mud pumps and mud pump systems have relatively complex, relatively large, and relatively heavy drive systems with typical connecting rods, eccentric shafts, belts, pulleys, chains and sprockets, gears and / or other speed reduction apparatus.

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