A downhole laser rotary cutting tool

Abstract

The application discloses a downhole laser rotary cutting tool, which comprises a continuous pipe, an upper connector, an upper outer shell, a motor, an upper screw rod, an upper limiting body, an upper slip ring, an upper movable rod, an upper support frame, a pulley, a center pipe, a rotating mechanism, a laser cutting mechanism, a via hole electric slip ring, a lower connector, a lower outer shell, a double-output-shaft motor, a lower screw rod, a lower limiting body, a lower slip ring, a lower movable rod, a lower support frame and a wheel hub motor. The rotating mechanism comprises an outer shell, a rotor, a bearing, a sealing element, a retainer ring, a flange, an optical fiber rotary joint and an electric slip ring. The laser cutting mechanism comprises a connecting pipe, a lower connector and a laser. When the application reaches a downhole working position, a power supply is started, the motor drives the tool to rotate, the laser emits laser to rotate and cut downhole casings, and meanwhile, the wheel hub motor on the support frame at the lower end drives the whole tool to move, so that the downhole laser cutting can be flexibly adjusted and adapted to work under different well conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of downhole oil well operation technology, and specifically to a downhole laser rotary cutting tool. Background Technology

[0002] Laser cutting is a technology that uses a laser beam to cut materials. It involves using a high-energy laser beam to instantly heat the material, causing it to evaporate or melt at the focal point, thus achieving the cutting purpose. Downhole laser cutting refers to the use of laser cutting technology in underground environments. This technology can be used in mines, tunnels, or other environments requiring underground operations. Laser cutting utilizes a high-energy laser beam to cut materials, thus enabling fast and accurate completion of the work. Common downhole cutting methods include mechanical cutting, hydraulic cutting, and drilling and blasting. These methods have limitations in cutting efficiency, operational risks, and adverse impacts on the surrounding environment. Compared to these methods, laser cutting technology allows for non-contact cutting, reducing the danger to operators. Furthermore, due to the linear propagation characteristics of the laser beam, downhole laser cutting allows for precise positioning and cutting, thereby improving work efficiency and quality.

[0003] Currently, downhole laser cutting tools have some shortcomings, such as low cutting efficiency, high material loss, and high cost, and they cannot adapt to complex downhole environments. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a downhole laser rotary cutting tool and method. The tool is placed in the downhole where it needs to be cut, the power is turned on, the motor drives the tool to rotate, and the laser emits laser light to begin rotary cutting the downhole casing, etc. At the same time, the hub motor on the lower support mechanism drives the entire tool to move, so as to achieve flexible adjustment of downhole laser cutting and adapt to different well conditions.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A downhole laser rotary cutting tool includes a continuous tube, an upper connector, an upper outer shell connected to the outside of the upper connector, a motor installed inside the upper outer shell, an upper screw connected to the output shaft end of the motor, an upper limit body connected above the upper screw, an upper slip ring installed on the outside of the upper screw, an upper movable rod connected to one side of the upper slip ring, the other end of the upper movable rod connected to an upper support frame, the upper outer shell connected above the upper support frame, a pulley connected below the upper support frame, a central tube connected to the lower end of the upper connector, a rotating mechanism installed inside the central tube, a laser cutting mechanism connected below the rotating mechanism, a through-hole electric slip ring connected below the laser cutting mechanism, a lower connector connected below the through-hole electric slip ring, a lower outer shell installed on the outside of the lower connector, a dual-output shaft motor installed inside the lower connector, an upper output shaft end of the dual-output shaft motor connected to the lower end of the laser cutting mechanism via the through-hole electric slip ring, a lower screw connected to the lower output shaft end of the dual-output shaft motor, a lower limit body connected below the lower screw, a lower sliding ring installed on the outside of the lower screw, a lower movable rod installed outside the lower sliding ring, the other end of the lower movable rod connected to a lower support frame, and a hub motor connected below the lower support frame.

[0007] The continuous tube includes water pipes, air pipes, cables, and optical fibers, each corresponding to a different channel, and is connected to a rotating mechanism inside the central tube via an upper connector. The water and air pipes are connected to the outer casing of the rotating mechanism inside the central tube via the upper connector. Part of the cable is connected to the motor through a through-hole below the upper connector and the upper connector, and part is connected to the slip ring of the rotating mechanism.

[0008] The rotating mechanism includes a housing, a rotor, bearings, seals, retaining rings, flanges, fiber optic rotary connectors, and electric slip rings. The rotor is connected to the housing via bearings, and a retaining ring is installed above the bearings. A groove is provided inside the housing, and a seal is installed in the groove. The lower part of the housing is threaded to the lower part of the central tube. The upper part of the rotor is fixedly connected to the rotor end of the fiber optic rotary connector and the electric slip ring via flanges. The fiber optic rotary connector and the electric slip ring are installed in the central through hole inside the rotor.

[0009] The laser cutting mechanism includes a connecting pipe, a lower connector, and a laser. The connecting pipe is threaded to the bottom of the rotor of the rotating mechanism. The upper and lower parts of the lower connector are connected to the bottom of the rotor and the laser, respectively. Water pipes, air pipes, cables, and optical fibers are connected to the laser through the rotating mechanism and the lower connector.

[0010] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the upper connector is provided with a locking plate inside, which clamps the continuous tube to achieve tensile and torsional resistance and ensure that the continuous tube does not move.

[0011] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the number of motors is set to 3, which are distributed circumferentially along the outer wall of the upper connector. The number of the upper screw connecting the output shaft end and the upper limit positioner connected above the upper screw is also set to 3.

[0012] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the number of the upper movable rod, upper support frame, lower movable rod, and lower support frame is set to 3, which are distributed around the entire circumference of the tool, and the movable rod and the support frame are connected by pins.

[0013] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the rotor of the rotating mechanism has two holes extending to the bottom inside, and a trapezoidal groove corresponding to the outside, which enables the flow of the medium. The outer shell of the rotating mechanism has two through holes on its outer side, which cooperate with the trapezoidal groove of the rotor, and are connected to water pipes and air pipes through corresponding medium connectors.

[0014] As a further technical solution of the present invention, a channel is provided on one side of the inner wall of the connecting tube of the laser cutting mechanism. The cable enters the channel of the connecting tube through the lower connector and connects to the rotor end of the through-hole slip ring. The cable connects to the dual-output shaft motor through the through-hole slip ring to provide power to it.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0016] 1. This invention uses a motor to drive the screw to rotate, causing the connector on it to reciprocate linearly, which in turn drives the movable rod and support frame to move, enabling the invention to be centered downhole. At the same time, a hub motor is installed below the lower support frame, which, after starting, can drive the entire tool to move along the well wall, facilitating tool adjustment downhole and enabling it to work both vertically and horizontally downhole.

[0017] 2. Through the rotating mechanism, water pipes, optical fibers, etc. in the continuous tube will not interfere with each other during the rotation process. This tool can perform 360° rotational cutting downhole to meet the cutting needs under different conditions.

[0018] 3. A cable channel is provided on one side of the inner wall of the connecting tube of the laser cutting mechanism to provide power to the dual output shaft motor below, which greatly improves the efficiency of tool use, eliminates material loss, and reduces cutting costs. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of embodiments of the invention and constitute a part of this invention, are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the mechanism of the present invention;

[0022] Among them, 1-continuous tube, 2-upper connector, 3-upper outer shell, 4-motor, 5-upper screw, 6-upper limit body, 7-upper slip ring, 8-upper movable rod, 9-upper support frame, 10-pulley, 11-center tube, 12-rotating mechanism, 13-laser cutting mechanism, 14-through-hole electric slip ring, 15-lower connector, 16-lower outer shell, 17-dual output shaft motor, 18-lower screw, 19-lower limit body, 20-lower slip ring, 21-lower movable rod, 22-lower support frame, 23-hub motor, 24-upper connector, 121-outer shell, 122-rotor, 123-bearing, 124-seal, 125-retaining ring, 126-flange, 127-fiber optic rotary joint, 128-electric slip ring, 131-connecting tube, 132-lower connector, 133-laser. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0024] Example:

[0025] A downhole laser rotary cutting tool includes a continuous tube 1, an upper connector 2, an upper outer shell 3 connected to the outside of the upper connector 2, a motor 4 installed inside the upper outer shell 3, an upper screw 5 connected to the output shaft end of the motor 4, an upper limit switch 6 connected above the upper screw 5, an upper slip ring 7 installed on the outside of the upper screw 5, an upper movable rod 8 connected to one side of the upper slip ring 7, an upper support frame 9 connected to the other end of the upper movable rod 8, the upper outer shell 3 connected above the upper support frame 9, a pulley 10 connected below the upper support frame 9, a central tube 11 connected to the lower end of the upper connector 2, a rotating mechanism 12 installed inside the central tube 11, and a laser cutting mechanism 13 connected below the rotating mechanism 12. The cutting mechanism 13 is connected to a through-hole electric slip ring 14 below, and a lower connector 15 is connected below the through-hole electric slip ring 14. A lower outer shell 16 is installed on the outside of the lower connector 15. A dual-output shaft motor 17 is installed inside the lower connector 15. The upper output shaft end of the dual-output shaft motor 17 is connected to the lower end of the laser cutting mechanism 13 through the through-hole electric slip ring 14. The lower output shaft end of the dual-output shaft motor 17 is connected to a lower screw 18. A lower limit body 19 is connected below the lower screw 18. A lower sliding ring 20 is installed on the outside of the lower screw 18. A lower movable rod 21 is installed on the outside of the lower sliding ring 20. The other end of the lower movable rod 21 is connected to a lower support frame 22. A hub motor 23 is connected below the lower support frame 22.

[0026] The continuous tube 1 includes water pipes, air pipes, cables, and optical fibers, each corresponding to a different channel. It is connected to the rotating mechanism 12 inside the central tube 11 via the upper connector 24 below. The upper connector 2 has a locking mechanism inside, which grips the continuous tube 1 to achieve tensile and torsional resistance, ensuring that the continuous tube 1 will not move.

[0027] An upper outer shell 3 is mounted on the outside of the upper connector 2. Three motors 4 are installed inside the upper outer shell 3, arranged circumferentially along the outer arm of the upper connector 2. Correspondingly, there are also three upper screws 5 connecting to the output shaft end and three upper limiters 6 connected above the upper screws 5. Three upper movable rods 8 and three upper support frames 9 are arranged circumferentially around the entire tool. The upper movable rods 8 and upper support frames 9 are connected by pins. When the motors 4 start and drive the upper screws 5 to rotate, the upper slip ring 7 will perform a linear reciprocating motion, driving the movement of the upper movable rods 8 and upper support frames 9. After reaching the working position, the upper support frame 9 opens.

[0028] The rotating mechanism 12 includes a housing 121, a rotor 122, a bearing 123, a seal 124, a retaining ring 125, a flange 126, an optical fiber rotary connector 127, and an electric slip ring 128. The rotor 122 is connected to the housing 121 via the bearing 123. A retaining ring 125 is installed above the bearing 123. A groove is provided inside the housing 121, and a seal 124 is installed in the groove. The lower part of the housing 121 is threadedly connected to the lower part of the central tube 11. The upper part of the rotor 122 is fixedly connected to the rotor end of the optical fiber rotary connector 127 and the electric slip ring 128 via the flange 126. The optical fiber rotary connector 127 and the electric slip ring 128 are installed in the central through hole inside the rotor.

[0029] The rotor 122 has two holes extending to the bottom inside, and a corresponding trapezoidal groove on its outer side to allow for media flow. The outer casing 121 has two through holes on its outer side, which mate with the trapezoidal grooves of the rotor 122, connecting to water pipes and air pipes via corresponding media connectors. When the rotor 122 rotates, it drives the internal media to rotate as well, without affecting the water pipes and air pipes in the outer casing 121. The rotor 122 connects to the rotor end of a fiber optic rotary connector and an electric slip ring at its top, allowing the optical fiber and cable to rotate within the fiber optic rotary connector and electric slip ring under the rotor's influence without interference.

[0030] The laser cutting mechanism 13 includes a connecting pipe 131, a lower connector 132, and a laser 133. The connecting pipe 131 is threadedly connected to the lower part of the rotor 122 of the rotating mechanism 12. The upper and lower parts of the lower connector 132 are connected to the bottom of the rotor 122 and the laser 133, respectively. Water and air pipes transmit the medium to the laser 133 through holes inside the rotor 122, achieving the purpose of water cooling and air blowing for the laser 133. An optical fiber is connected to the laser 133 through a through hole in the center of the rotor 122 and the lower connector 132, providing a light source for the laser 133. A channel is opened on one side of the inner wall of the connecting pipe 131, and a cable is installed in the channel. The cable is connected to the rotor end of the through-hole electric slip ring 14 below the connecting pipe 131, achieving relative stationarity between the cable and the laser cutting mechanism 13 during rotation. The cable is connected to the dual-output shaft motor 17 through the through-hole electric slip ring 14, providing power to it.

[0031] A lower outer shell 16 is mounted on the outside of the lower connector 15, and the upper end of the lower connector 15 is connected to the lower end of the through-hole slip ring 14. A dual-axis motor 17 is installed inside the lower connector 15. The upper output shaft of the dual-axis motor 17 is connected to the lower part of the connecting tube 131, and the other output shaft is connected to the lower screw 18. The two output ends of the dual-axis motor 17 control the rotation respectively. The upper end drives the laser cutting mechanism 13 and the rotating mechanism 12 to rotate, and the lower end drives the lower screw 18 to rotate, ensuring the sequential operation of the tools.

[0032] The number of lower movable rods 21 and lower support frames 22 is set to three, distributed around the entire circumference of the tool. The lower movable rods 21 and lower support frames 22 are connected by pins. The lower end of the dual-output shaft motor 17 starts and drives the lower screw 18 to rotate. The lower sliding ring 20 performs linear reciprocating motion, which drives the movement of the lower movable rods 21 and lower support frames 22. After reaching the working position, the lower support frame 22 opens up and cooperates with the upper movable rod 8 and upper support frame 9 to ensure the centering of the device.

[0033] A hub motor 23 is installed at the lower end of the lower support frame 22, and a pulley 10 is installed at the lower end of the upper support frame 9. After the hub motor 23 is started, the pulley 10 acts as a driven component, driving the entire tool to move along the well wall and begin cutting work in a horizontal well of a certain diameter.

[0034] The working principle of this invention patent:

[0035] After placing the downhole laser rotary cutting tool at the desired cutting position, power is supplied to the motor 4 inside the upper housing 3 and the dual-output shaft motor 17 inside the lower connector 15. The upper screw 5 and lower screw 18 begin to rotate, driving the upper slip ring 7 and lower slip ring 20, as well as their connected upper movable rod 8 and lower movable rod 21, to open the upper support frame 9 and lower support frame 22. The support frames ensure the tool is centered and fixed. After positioning, the laser 133 emits laser light, measures the cutting distance, and adjusts its power. The laser 133 then emits the laser light required for cutting and begins operation, performing rotary cutting under the action of the dual-output shaft motor to meet different cutting requirements. When the entire tool needs adjustment, the hub motor 23 is activated, moving the tool along the well wall to the corresponding position, repeating the above steps to complete the cutting task.

Claims

1. A downhole laser rotary cutting tool, characterized in that: The system includes a continuous tube (1), an upper connector (2), an upper outer shell (3) connected to the outside of the upper connector (2), a motor (4) installed inside the upper outer shell (3), an upper screw (5) connected to the output shaft end of the motor (4), an upper limit switch (6) connected above the upper screw (5), an upper slip ring (7) installed on the outside of the upper screw (5), an upper movable rod (8) connected to one side of the upper slip ring (7), an upper support frame (9) connected to the other end of the upper movable rod (8), an upper outer shell (3) connected above the upper support frame (9), a pulley (10) connected below the upper support frame (9), a central tube (11) connected to the lower end of the upper connector (2), a rotating mechanism (12) installed inside the central tube (11), a laser cutting mechanism (13) connected below the rotating mechanism (12), and a laser cutting mechanism. (13) The lower part is connected to the through hole electric slip ring (14), the lower part is connected to the lower connector (15), the lower outer shell (16) is installed on the outside of the lower connector (15), the lower connector (15) is installed with a dual output shaft motor (17), the upper output shaft end of the dual output shaft motor (17) is connected to the lower end of the laser cutting mechanism (13) through the through hole electric slip ring (14), the lower output shaft end of the dual output shaft motor (17) is connected to the lower screw (18), the lower screw (18) is connected to the lower limit body (19), the lower screw (18) is installed with a sliding ring (20) on the outside of the lower screw (18), the lower movable rod (21) is installed on the outside of the sliding ring (20), the other end of the lower movable rod (21) is connected to the lower support frame (22), and the lower support frame (22) is connected to the hub motor (23). The rotating mechanism (12) includes a housing (121), a rotor (122), a bearing (123), a seal (124), a retaining ring (125), a flange (126), an optical fiber rotary connector (127), and an electric slip ring (128). The rotor (122) is connected to the housing (121) through the bearing (123). A retaining ring (125) is installed above the bearing (123). A groove is provided inside the housing (121), and a seal (124) is installed in the groove. The lower part of the housing (121) is threadedly connected to the lower part of the central tube (11). The upper part of the rotor (122) is fixedly connected to the rotor end of the optical fiber rotary connector (127) and the electric slip ring (128) through the flange (126). The optical fiber rotary connector (127) and the electric slip ring (128) are installed in the central through hole inside the rotor. The laser cutting mechanism (13) includes a connecting pipe (131), a lower connector (132), and a laser (133); the connecting pipe (131) is threaded to the lower part of the rotor (122) in the rotating mechanism (12), and the upper and lower parts of the lower connector (132) are connected to the bottom of the rotor (122) and the laser (133) respectively; a channel is opened on one side of the inner wall of the connecting pipe (131), and a cable is installed in the channel. The cable is connected to the rotor end of the through-hole electric slip ring (14) below the connecting pipe (131); The lower connector (15) is fitted with a lower outer shell (16) on its outer side. The upper end of the lower connector (15) is connected to the lower end of the through-hole slip ring (14). A dual-output shaft motor (17) is installed inside the lower connector (15). The upper output shaft of the dual-output shaft motor (17) is connected to the lower part of the connecting pipe (131), and the other output shaft is connected to the lower screw (18). The two output ends of the dual-output shaft motor (17) control the rotation respectively. The upper end drives the laser cutting mechanism (13) and the rotating mechanism (12) to rotate, and the lower end drives the lower screw (18) to rotate.

2. The downhole laser rotary cutting tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The continuous tube (1) includes a water pipe, an air pipe, a cable, and an optical fiber, each corresponding to a different channel. It is connected to the rotating mechanism (12) in the central tube (11) through the upper connector (24) below. The water pipe and the air pipe are connected to the outer shell (121) of the rotating mechanism (12) in the central tube (11) through the upper connector (24). Part of the cable is connected to the motor (4) through the through hole below the upper connector (24) and the upper connector (2), and part of the cable is connected to the electric slip ring (128) of the rotating mechanism (12).

3. The downhole laser rotary cutting tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the lower movable rod (21) and the lower support frame (22) is set to 3, distributed around the entire circumference of the tool. The lower movable rod (21) and the lower support frame (22) are connected by pins. The lower end of the dual-shaft motor (17) is started, driving the lower screw (18) to rotate. The lower sliding ring (20) makes a linear reciprocating motion, thereby driving the movement of the lower movable rod (21) and the lower support frame (22). After reaching the working position, the lower support frame (22) is opened and cooperates with the upper movable rod (8) and the upper support frame (9). The lower end of the lower support frame (22) is equipped with a hub motor (23), and the lower end of the upper support frame (9) is equipped with a pulley (10). After the hub motor (23) is started, the pulley (10) acts as a driven member, driving the entire tool to move along the well wall.

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