Automatic connecting device for circulating short section and control method

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of drilling equipment and tools, and discloses an automatic connecting device for a circulating short section and a control method.The automatic connecting device for the circulating short section comprises the circulating short section, a connector and a mechanical arm, the circulating short section comprises a short section body and a piston body, the short section body is provided with a positioning cavity, and a first bypass hole is formed in the side wall of the positioning cavity; the piston body is slidably connected to the positioning cavity, a second bypass hole is formed in the side wall of the piston body, and a starting cavity is formed between the piston body and the short section body; the connector is arranged at the tail end of the mechanical arm, the tail end of the connector is connected with a drilling fluid pipeline, the mechanical arm is configured to drive the connector to move towards the circulating short section and hold the connecting part of the circulating short section, and the piston body slides in the positioning cavity so that the circulating short section can be switched between a straight-through state and a bypass state. The device realizes automatic connection of the drilling fluid pipeline and the circulating nipple, has the characteristics of simplicity and convenience in operation, safety, reliability, high applicability and the like, and remarkably improves the operation safety and the automation level.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of drilling equipment and tools, and in particular to an automatic connection device for a circulation nipple and a control method. Background Art

[0002] During conventional drilling, when connecting a single root or a column, the pump must be stopped to terminate the circulation of the drilling fluid, and then the single root or column connection operation can be carried out. After the single root or column connection is completed, the pump is turned on to restart the circulation. Therefore, pressure fluctuations and cuttings sedimentation will inevitably occur at the bottom of the well when connecting a single root or a column. In complex formations such as narrow density windows, high temperature and high pressure, and in special process wells such as large displacement / horizontal wells and underbalanced wells, it is very easy to cause well kicks, well leakage, gas invasion, well wall collapse, and drill sticking, which seriously affect drilling safety.

[0003] Continuous circulation is an effective means and method to solve the above problems, that is, when connecting a single root or a column, the drilling fluid is cut off and diverted to maintain continuous circulation of the drilling fluid, so that a stable equivalent circulation density and uninterrupted discharge of drill cuttings can be achieved during the entire drilling period, significantly improving drilling safety. To achieve continuous circulation when connecting a single root or a column, one of the methods is to pre-install a circulation short section that can realize the switching control of the drilling fluid at the upper end of each single root or column. The basic principle is: a valve is installed on the internal center through hole and the lateral bypass hole of the short section, and the steering control of the drilling fluid is realized by alternately opening and closing the two valves, so that the drilling fluid can flow into the drill string from the center channel or from the bypass channel, and then the single root or column connection operation is completed while maintaining the continuous circulation of the drilling fluid.

[0004] Connecting the drilling fluid pipeline to the bypass hole is an important step in the operation of the circulation nipple. Since it is a pressurized operation, there are great risks. The operation process of the circulation nipple disclosed in the prior art is manual or semi-automatic. During manual operation, workers still need to enter the dangerous area, which poses a great safety hazard and is difficult to adapt to the needs of full automation development. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic connection device and control method for a circulation nipple, so as to solve the potential safety hazard problem in the manual or semi-automatic operation of the circulation nipple.

[0006] To achieve this object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] The circulating nipple automatic connection device comprises:

[0008] A circulation nipple, the circulation nipple comprising a nipple body and a piston body, the nipple body having a positioning cavity, the two ends of the positioning cavity being respectively connected to the upper port and the lower port of the nipple body, the side wall of the positioning cavity being provided with a first bypass hole; the upper port being connected to a top drive assembly, the top drive assembly being used to provide a first drilling fluid; the positioning cavity having an upper limit and a lower limit; the piston body being slidably connected to the positioning cavity, the side wall of the piston body being provided with a second bypass hole, the second bypass hole being provided with a bypass valve, and the upper part of the second bypass hole being provided with a main valve; a starting cavity being provided between the piston body and the nipple body, the starting cavity being connected to the outside of the nipple body;

[0009] A connector, wherein the front end of the connector can hold the connection part of the circulation nipple to seal the start-up chamber and the first bypass hole, and the rear end of the connector is connected to the drilling fluid pipeline to provide the second drilling fluid; when the piston body is in the lower limit position under the pressure of the first drilling fluid, the circulation nipple is in a straight-through state; when the piston body is in the upper limit position under the pressure of the second drilling fluid, the circulation nipple is in a bypass state;

[0010] A robotic arm, wherein the connector is disposed at the end of the robotic arm, and the robotic arm is configured to drive the connector to move toward the circulation short section.

[0011] Optionally, the circulating short section also includes a spring, a spring cavity is provided between the outer wall of the top end of the piston body and the inner wall of the short section body, the spring is arranged in the spring cavity, a through hole is provided on the short section body to connect the spring cavity and the outside, and the piston body can compress the spring when sliding upward.

[0012] Optionally, the circulation sub also includes an anti-rotation mechanism, and the anti-rotation mechanism includes:

[0013] Steel ball, the outer wall of the bottom end of the piston body is provided with an axial slide groove, and the steel ball is stopped and limited in the slide groove;

[0014] A screw plug is provided with a threaded hole on the short section body, and the screw plug is threadably connected to the short section body and stops at the steel ball.

[0015] Optionally, the connector comprises:

[0016] A connector body, the rear end of which is connected to the drilling fluid pipeline;

[0017] An arm, the arm being arranged at the front end of the connector body, the arm being capable of rotating to open or close to release or hold the circulation nipple;

[0018] A locking arm is arranged at the front end of the connector body, and the locking arm can be rotated to open or close to unlock or lock the holding arm.

[0019] Optionally, an annular groove is provided on the inner side wall of the arm, and when the arm holds the circulation short section tightly, an annular sealing cavity is formed between the annular groove and the connection part of the circulation short section.

[0020] Optionally, a slot is provided on the locking arm, the inner wall of the slot is a wedge-shaped surface, and all normals on the wedge-shaped surface are located on the same side of the center of the rotation axis of the locking arm, so that the positive pressure generated by the holding arm on the slot can drive the locking arm to rotate in the direction of clamping the holding arm, thereby forming self-locking.

[0021] Optionally, the robotic arm comprises:

[0022] A column, wherein the column is fixed by a base, and a lifting platform is provided on the column, and the lifting platform can be lifted and lowered along the column;

[0023] A telescopic arm, one end of which is hinged to the lifting platform and the other end of which is provided with a terminal support;

[0024] A telescopic cylinder, a cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder is hinged to the lifting platform, a piston rod of the telescopic cylinder is hinged to the telescopic arm, the telescopic cylinder can drive the telescopic arm to extend or contract to achieve horizontal movement of the terminal support, and the connector is connected to the terminal support.

[0025] Optionally, the circulating short joint automatic connection device further includes a control system and connected to the control system:

[0026] A lifting displacement sensor, which is arranged on the lifting platform and is used to detect the position of the lifting platform;

[0027] A telescopic position sensor, provided on the telescopic arm or the lifting platform, for detecting the telescopic state of the telescopic arm;

[0028] A positioning probe, the positioning probe is arranged on the connector and is used to detect the distance between the connector and the circulation nipple;

[0029] An arm position sensor is provided on the arm and is used to detect the opening and closing state of the arm;

[0030] A lock arm position sensor is arranged on the lock arm and is used to detect the opening and closing state of the lock arm.

[0031] The present invention also provides a circulation pup joint automatic connection control method. According to the circulation pup joint automatic connection device provided by the present invention, the circulation pup joint automatic connection control method is as follows:

[0032] In the initial state, the circulation sub is in a straight-through state, and the first drilling fluid flows from the upper port to the lower port;

[0033] When the circulation nipple is converted from the straight-through state to the bypass state, the connector is installed at the end of the mechanical arm, and the mechanical arm drives the connector to move to the circulation nipple; the connector holds the circulation nipple tightly and seals the start-up chamber and the first bypass hole on the circulation nipple; the drilling fluid pipeline is opened, and the second drilling fluid is injected into the connector and the circulation nipple. As the pressure of the second drilling fluid in the start-up chamber increases, the second drilling fluid pushes the piston body to move upward until the upper limit position, the first bypass hole and the second bypass hole are connected, the bypass valve is opened, and the second drilling fluid flows to the lower port; the top drive assembly is closed, the main valve is closed, and the circulation nipple is converted to the bypass state;

[0034] When the circulation nipple is converted from the bypass state to the straight-through state, the top drive assembly is first opened to provide the first drilling fluid, so that the main valve is opened; then the drilling fluid pipeline is closed and the pressure is released, the bypass valve is closed, and the piston body moves downward to the lower limit position under the action of the first drilling fluid, the first bypass hole and the second bypass hole are misaligned and not connected, and the circulation nipple is converted to the straight-through state.

[0035] Optionally, the process in which the robot arm drives the connector to move to the circulation nipple and holds the circulation nipple 1 is controlled by a control system, specifically:

[0036] Mounting the connector on a terminal support of the robotic arm;

[0037] The positioning probe is arranged on the lower end face of the connector. After the positioning probe determines that there is no obstacle between the connector and the drill pipe connected to the lower port of the circulation nipple, the mechanical arm lifts the lowering platform to lift the connector to the specified height position. During the rising process of the connector, the positioning probe continuously detects the distance between the connector and the drill pipe. When the positioning probe detects that the distance between the connector and the drill pipe decreases by more than a set value and tends to be stable, the mechanical arm stops lifting the lifting platform, and uses the lifting displacement sensor to measure the corresponding height values ​​L1 and L2 when the distance starts to decrease and just reaches a stable value, respectively. The height difference L2-L1 is compared with the dimension L3 of the joint transition part of the drill pipe to obtain a deviation value. If the deviation value is less than the threshold value, it is considered that the height measurement is accurate, otherwise it is measured again.

[0038] After confirming that the height measurement is accurate, the height value L2, the length dimension L4 of the joint of the drill pipe, and the distance dimension L5 between the joint of the drill pipe and the connection part of the circulation sub are added to obtain the distance L0 between the connection part of the circulation sub and the drilling floor;

[0039] The mechanical arm lifts the connector to a height matching the connection part, and then continues to extend the telescopic arm so that the connector contacts the connection part of the circulation short section;

[0040] The arm holding cylinder is used to push the arm to rotate, and the circulation short section is tightly held together with the connector body, and the locking arm is pushed by the locking arm cylinder to clamp the arm, thereby completing the automatic connection.

[0041] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0042] The automatic connection device for the circulation nipple of the present invention adopts a circulation nipple with a piston structure, and a drilling fluid pipeline is arranged on the connector. When the circulation nipple needs to be switched from a straight-through state to a bypass state, the connector is driven to the circulation nipple by a mechanical arm, and the connector can hold the connection part of the circulation nipple tightly, so as to realize the automatic connection between the drilling fluid pipeline and the circulation nipple; the connector can seal the starting chamber and the first bypass hole while holding the connection part of the circulation nipple tightly, and the second drilling fluid can be remotely provided through the drilling fluid pipeline, and the second drilling fluid can push the piston body upward to the upper limit through the starting chamber so that the second drilling fluid can pass through the starting chamber. The circulation sub is in bypass state, and at the same time, the first drilling fluid provided by the top drive assembly at the top of the circulation sub is remotely closed, realizing remote on-off control of the circulation sub and remote switching control of the circulation channel in the circulation sub, overcoming the deficiency of the prior art that workers still need to enter dangerous areas for manual operation. It has the characteristics of simple operation, safety, reliability, strong applicability, etc., significantly improving the operation safety and automation level, realizing full-automatic operation of the circulation sub, eliminating the potential safety hazards in previous manual operations, and eliminating the need for workers to enter dangerous areas throughout the process, significantly improving the operation safety and automation level. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the automatic connection device for a circulating short section provided in an embodiment of the present invention (in a state where the telescopic arm is extended);

[0044] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the straight-through state of the circulation short section in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of bypass state of the circulation subsection in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 4 This is a front view of the state where the connector is tightly holding the circulation short section in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 5 is a side view of a state in which the connector is tightly holding the circulation short section in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the enlarged structure of the middle A area;

[0049] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the connector in an open state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the automatic connection device of the circulating short section provided in an embodiment of the present invention (the telescopic arm is in the retracted state).

[0051] In the figure:

[0052] 1. Circulation nipple; 2. Connection part; 3. Connector; 4. Positioning probe; 5. Mechanical arm; 6. Drilling fluid pipeline; 7. Faucet; 8. Hose; 9. Drill pipe; 10. Nipped body; 11. Piston body; 12. Main valve; 13. Bypass valve; 14. Spring; 15. Anti-rotation mechanism; 16. Start chamber; 17. Spring chamber; 18. Second bypass hole; 19. First bypass hole; 20. Lower port; 21. Upper port; 22. Screw plug; 23. Steel ball; 24. Slide; 25. Connector body; 26. Body sealing ring; 27. Arm; 28. Arm Sealing ring; 29, annular sealing chamber; 30, arm holding cylinder; 31, locking arm; 32, arm locking cylinder; 33, slot; 34, arm holding position sensor; 35, locking arm position sensor; 36, wedge surface; 37, normal line; 38, locking arm shaft; 39, positive pressure; 40, base; 41, column; 42, lifting platform; 43, lifting cylinder; 44, telescopic arm; 45, telescopic cylinder; 46, terminal support; 47, forearm; 48, rear arm; 49, connecting plate; 50, gear pair; 51, lifting displacement sensor; 52, telescopic position sensor; 53, laser or infrared. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only parts related to the present invention, rather than all structures, are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0054] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected", "connected", and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0055] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0056] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and other directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description and simplification of operation, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operate in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish in the description and have no special meaning.

[0057] The embodiment of the present invention provides a circulating short joint automatic connection device, such as Figure 1-Figure 8As shown, it includes a circulation pup joint 1, a connector 3 and a mechanical arm 5. The circulation pup joint 1 adopts a piston structure, specifically including a pup joint body 10 and a piston body 11. The pup joint body 10 has a positioning cavity, and the two ends of the positioning cavity are respectively connected to the upper port 21 and the lower port 20 of the pup joint body 10, and the side wall of the positioning cavity is provided with a first bypass hole 19; the upper port 21 is connected to the top drive assembly, and the top drive assembly is used to provide the first drilling fluid. When the circulation pup joint 1 is in a straight-through state, the top drive assembly provides the first drilling fluid for operation. The positioning cavity has an upper step surface and a lower step surface, and the upper step surface and the lower step surface serve as the upper limit and the lower limit respectively; the piston body 11 is slidably connected to the positioning cavity, and the side wall of the piston body 11 is provided with a second bypass hole 18, and the second bypass hole 18 is provided with a bypass valve 13, and the second bypass hole 18 is provided with a main valve 12 above the second bypass hole 18; a starting cavity 16 is provided between the piston body 11 and the short section body 10, and the starting cavity 16 is connected to the outside of the short section body 10, and the starting cavity 16, the second bypass hole 18 and the first bypass hole 19 are all axially arranged within the range of the connecting part 2 of the circulation short section 1; the front end of the connector 3 can hold the connecting part 2 of the circulation short section 1 tightly to The start-up chamber 16 and the first bypass hole 19 are sealed, and the tail end of the connector 3 is connected to the drilling fluid pipeline 6 to provide the second drilling fluid; when the piston body 11 is in the lower limit position under the pressure of the first drilling fluid, the circulation nipple 1 is in a straight-through state, the bypass valve 13 is in a closed state, and the first drilling fluid flows from the upper port 21 to the lower port 20 and enters the drill pipe 9; when the piston body 11 is in the upper limit position under the pressure of the second drilling fluid, the circulation nipple 1 is in a bypass state, and the second drilling fluid flows from the first bypass hole 19, the second bypass hole 18 and the bypass valve 13 to the lower port 20 and enters the drill pipe 9, and the main valve 12 is in a closed state. The connector 3 is arranged at the end of the mechanical arm 5, and the mechanical arm 5 is configured to drive the connector 3 to move toward the circulation nipple 1.

[0058] The automatic connection device for the circulation nipple of the present invention adopts a circulation nipple 1 with a piston structure, and a drilling fluid pipeline 6 is arranged on a connector 3. When the circulation nipple 1 needs to be switched from a straight-through state to a bypass state, the mechanical arm 5 is used to drive the connector 3 to the circulation nipple 1, and the connector 3 can hold the connection part 2 of the circulation nipple 1 tightly, so as to realize the automatic connection between the drilling fluid pipeline 6 and the circulation nipple 1; the connector 3 can seal the starting chamber 16 and the first bypass hole 19 while holding the connection part 2 of the circulation nipple 1 tightly, and the second drilling fluid can be remotely provided through the drilling fluid pipeline 6, and the second drilling fluid can push the piston body 11 upward to the upper limit through the starting chamber 16 so that the second drilling fluid can be automatically connected to the circulation nipple 1. The first bypass hole 19 is connected to the second bypass hole 18, and the circulation sub 1 is in a bypass state. At the same time, the first drilling fluid provided by the top drive assembly at the top of the circulation sub 1 is remotely closed, thereby realizing remote on-off control of the circulation sub 1 and remote switching control of the circulation channel in the circulation sub 1, overcoming the deficiency of the prior art that workers still need to enter dangerous areas for manual operation. The invention has the characteristics of simple operation, safety, reliability, strong applicability, etc., which significantly improves the operation safety and automation level, realizes the full-automatic operation of the circulation sub 1, eliminates the potential safety hazards existing in previous manual operations, and eliminates the need for workers to enter dangerous areas throughout the process, thereby significantly improving the operation safety and automation level.

[0059] Among them, the top drive assembly includes a faucet 7 (or a water pump) and a water hose 8. The faucet 7 is connected to the upper port 21. One end of the water hose 8 is connected to the faucet 7, and the other end is connected to the remote fluid supply end. The first drilling fluid entering the water hose 8 is controlled by the remote end, and there is no need for workers to enter the work site for manual operation. Therefore, while the connection is automatic, the operation safety is improved. Similarly, one end of the drilling fluid pipeline 6 is connected to the connector 3 to connect the circulation short section 1, and the other end of the drilling fluid pipeline 6 is connected to the remote fluid supply end. The second drilling fluid entering the drilling fluid pipeline 6 is remotely controlled to improve the operation safety. In this embodiment, the main valve 12 and the bypass valve 13 are both one-way valves, which can be opened and closed under the hydraulic action of the first drilling fluid and the second drilling fluid, and are automatically controlled and simple in structure. Of course, in some embodiments, the main valve 12 and the bypass valve 13 can also be electric valves for remote control.

[0060] Optionally, the circulation nipple 1 further comprises a spring 14 , which is disposed between the top of the piston body 11 and the inner wall of the nipple body 10 , and the spring 14 can be compressed when the piston body 11 slides upward.

[0061] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the two ends of the spring 14 respectively abut the inner wall of the short section 10 and the outer wall of the top end of the piston body 11, and the spring 14 is sleeved on the piston body 11. In the straight-through state, the elastic force of the spring 14 and the pressure of the first drilling fluid act together to enable the piston body 11 to stop at the lower limit. In the bypass state, the second drilling fluid needs to overcome the elastic force of the spring 14 to push the piston body 11 upward. When the first drilling fluid stops, the pressure above the main valve 12 is released, the spring 14 rebounds, and the piston body 11 stops at the upper limit.

[0062] Optionally, a spring cavity 17 is provided between the outer wall of the top end of the piston body 11 and the inner wall of the short segment body 10 , the spring 14 is provided in the spring cavity 17 , and a through hole is provided on the short segment body 10 to connect the spring cavity 17 and the outside.

[0063] When the circulation sub 1 is in straight-through state, Figure 2 , the pressure in the starting chamber 16 applied to the outside of the piston body 11 is less than the sum of the pressure in the spring chamber 17 and the elastic force of the spring 14, the spring 14 supports the piston body 11 to make it in the original position (lower limit), the second bypass hole 18 and the first bypass hole 19 are misaligned and not connected to each other, the bypass valve 13 is closed, the main valve 12 is opened, and the first drilling fluid flows from the upper port 21 of the circulation short section 1 to the lower port 20; in the bypass state, the pressure in the starting chamber 16 applied to the outside of the piston body 11 is greater than the sum of the pressure in the spring chamber 17 and the elastic force of the spring 14, the piston body 11 compresses the spring 14 upward to slide, the second bypass hole 18 is aligned with the first bypass hole 19, the bypass valve 13 is opened, the main valve 12 is closed, and the second drilling fluid flows from the second bypass hole 18 and the first bypass hole 19 to the lower port 20. When the pressure at the upper port 21 of the circulation short section 1 is greater than the pressure at the lower port 20, the main valve 12 opens, otherwise it closes; when the second bypass hole 18 and the first bypass hole 19 are aligned, and the liquid pressure in the bypass pipeline is greater than the pressure at the lower port 20, the bypass valve 13 opens, otherwise it closes.

[0064] Optionally, the circulation short section 1 further includes an anti-rotation mechanism 15, which includes a steel ball 23 and a screw plug 22. The outer wall of the bottom end of the piston body 11 is provided with an axial slide groove 24, and the steel ball 23 is stopped and limited in the slide groove 24; the short section body 10 is provided with a threaded hole, and the screw plug 22 is threadedly connected to the short section body 10 and stops at the steel ball 23, and the steel column 23 is pushed into the slide groove 24, so that the piston body 11 can only slide axially. The anti-rotation mechanism 15 prevents the piston body 11 from rotating relative to the short section body 10 when sliding up and down, ensuring that the second bypass hole 18 and the first bypass hole 19 can be aligned.

[0065] Optionally, the connector 3 includes a connector body 25, an arm 27 and a locking arm 31, the rear end of the connector body 25 is connected to the drilling fluid pipeline 6; the arm 27 is arranged at the front end of the connector body 25, and the arm 27 can be rotated open or closed to release or clamp the circulation short section 1; the locking arm 31 is arranged at the front end of the connector body 25, and the locking arm 31 can be rotated open or closed to unlock or lock the arm 27.

[0066] Combination Figure 4-Figure 7 One end of the arm 27 is rotatably connected to the connector body 25, and a positioning rod is provided at the other end. The arm 27 has a shape that matches the shape of the connection part 2, such as a circle. When the arm 27 hugs the connection part 2, a closed circular ring is formed between the front arc surface of the connector body 25 and the arm 27 to hug the connection part 2. The connector body 25 is hinged with an arm cylinder 30, and the output end of the arm cylinder 30 is hinged with the arm 27 so that it rotates and opens and provides a clamping force. Similarly, the connector body 25 is hinged with a locking arm cylinder 32, and the output end of the locking arm cylinder 32 is hinged with a locking arm 31 so that the locking arm rotates and opens and provides a locking force for the locking arm 31. The locking arm 31 is locked by tightening the positioning rod at the end of the arm 27. In this embodiment, the end of the connector body 25 is connected to the drilling fluid pipeline 6 through a union.

[0067] Optionally, an annular groove is provided on the inner side wall of the arm 27 , and when the arm 27 holds the circulation nipple 1 tightly, an annular sealing chamber 29 is formed between the annular groove and the connecting portion 2 of the circulation nipple 1 .

[0068] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 An annular groove is provided between the arc surface of the front end of the arm 7 and the connector body 25. Along the axial direction, the height of the annular sealing cavity 29 formed between the annular groove and the outer wall of the connection part 2 needs to be able to seal the start cavity 16 and the first bypass hole 19. The side wall of the short section 10 is provided with a through hole connected to the start cavity 16 so that the second drilling fluid can enter the start cavity 16 through the through hole to push the piston body 11 to slide upward. In order to improve the sealing performance of the annular sealing cavity 29, at least two body sealing rings 26 are provided at the front end of the connector body 25, and at least two arm sealing rings 28 are provided on the inner wall of the arm 7. The at least two body sealing rings 26 and the at least two arm sealing rings 28 are semi-circular and are respectively provided on the upper and lower sides of the annular sealing cavity 29 for sealing. When the arm 27 is in a clamped state, the semi-circular body sealing rings 26 and the arm sealing rings 28 at the corresponding upper and lower positions are respectively connected as a whole to form an annular sealing ring to seal the upper and lower sides of the annular sealing cavity 29.

[0069] Optionally, a slot 33 is provided on the locking arm 31, and the inner wall of the slot 33 is a wedge-shaped surface 36. All normals 37 on the wedge-shaped surface 36 are located on the same side of the center of the locking arm shaft 38, so that the positive pressure 39 generated by the arm 27 on the slot 33 can drive the locking arm 31 to rotate in the direction of clamping the arm 27, thereby forming self-locking.

[0070] like Figure 6 As shown, when the arm 27 is closed and the locking arm 31 is also closed, the slot 33 on the locking arm 31 can be sleeved on the positioning rod on the arm 27, and the inner wall of the slot 33 is set as a wedge surface 36, which is conducive to the slot 33 to further hold the circulation short section 1 to prevent it from loosening. The locking arm shaft 38 refers to the connecting hinge shaft between the locking arm 31 and the connector body 25.

[0071] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, the robotic arm 5 includes a column 41, a telescopic arm 44 and a telescopic cylinder 45. The column 41 is fixed by a base 40. A lifting platform 42 is provided on the column 41, and the lifting platform 42 can be lifted and lowered along the column 41; one end of the telescopic arm 44 is hinged to the lifting platform 42, and the other end is provided with a terminal support 46; the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder 45 is hinged to the lifting platform 42, and the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder 45 is hinged to the telescopic arm 44. The telescopic cylinder 45 can drive the telescopic arm 44 to extend or contract to achieve horizontal movement of the terminal support 46, and the terminal support 46 is connected to the connector 3.

[0072] like Figure 1 and Figure 8 As shown, the function of the robot arm 5 is to send the connector 3 to the circulation sub 1 to automatically connect it so that the circulation sub 1 can switch between the straight-through state and the bypass state under the pressure of the first drilling fluid and the second drilling fluid. The first drilling fluid and the second drilling fluid are remotely controlled, and the connector 3 is automatically controlled and connected through the robot arm 5, avoiding manual on-site operation at the circulation sub 1, improving the safety of the operation site, and having a high degree of automation and high work efficiency.

[0073] like Figure 8 As shown, a driving mechanism is provided on the column 41, and the driving mechanism is preferably a lifting cylinder 43. A support bearing is installed between the lifting platform 42 and the column 41. The lifting cylinder 43 drives the lifting platform 42 to move up and down along the column 41. The telescopic arm 44 includes a front arm 47 and a rear arm 48, both of which adopt a parallelogram connecting rod structure. The end of the front arm 47 and the front end of the rear arm 48 are hinged to the same connecting plate 49, and synchronous rotation is achieved through a pair of external meshing gear pairs 50 with a transmission ratio of 1:1. The end of the rear arm 48 is hinged to the lifting platform 42, and a terminal support 46 is installed at the front end of the front arm 47. The connector 3 is fixedly connected to the terminal support 46. When the telescopic cylinder 45 drives the rear arm 48 to rotate and extend, the front arm 47 is driven by the gear pair 50 to rotate and extend synchronously, so that the terminal support 46 moves forward and backward in the horizontal direction.

[0074] Optionally, the automatic connection device of the circulation short section 1 also includes a control system and a lifting displacement sensor 51, a telescopic position sensor 52, a positioning probe 4, an arm holding position sensor 34 and an arm locking position sensor 35 connected to the control system, wherein the lifting displacement sensor 51 is arranged on the lifting platform 42 (or arranged on the column 41) to detect the height position of the lifting platform 42, so as to adjust the height position of the connector 3. The telescopic position sensor 52 is arranged on the telescopic arm 44 or the lifting platform 42 (or on the rear arm 48), and is used to detect the telescopic state of the telescopic arm 44, so as to obtain the relative position of the rear arm 48 and the lifting platform 42. The lifting displacement sensor 51 and the telescopic position sensor 52 can be a proximity switch or a displacement sensor. The positioning probe 4 is arranged on the connector 3 to detect the distance between the connector 3 and the circulation short section 1 and to detect obstacles in front of the connector 3 so that the connector 3 can move smoothly; the arm position sensor 34 is arranged on the arm 27 (or on the connector body 25) to detect the opening and closing state of the arm 27; the locking arm position sensor 35 is arranged on the locking arm 31 (or the connector body 25) to detect the opening and closing state of the locking arm 31. The opening and closing state is determined by detecting the relative rotational position of the arm 27 and the locking arm 31 with the connector body 25. In this embodiment, the positioning probe 4 is composed of a camera and a rangefinder. The camera is used to determine the type of object in front of the connector 3, and the rangefinder is used to measure the distance between the connector 3 and the object in front. The arm position sensor 34 and the locking arm position sensor 35 can be a proximity switch or a displacement sensor.

[0075] The control system determines the current state of the connector 3 by receiving detection signals from various sensors (including the lifting displacement sensor 51, the telescopic position sensor 52, the positioning probe 4, the arm holding position sensor 34 and the arm locking position sensor 35) and realizes automatic connection and switching control between the connector 34 and the circulation short section 1 by controlling the movement of the driving mechanism (including the arm holding cylinder 30, the arm locking cylinder 32, the lifting cylinder 43 and the telescopic cylinder 45).

[0076] The present invention also provides a circulation pup joint automatic connection control method. According to the circulation pup joint automatic connection device provided by the present invention, the circulation pup joint automatic connection control method is as follows:

[0077] In the initial state, the circulation sub 1 is in a straight-through state, and the first drilling fluid flows through the upper port 21 to the lower port 20;

[0078] When the circulation nipple 1 is converted from the straight-through state to the bypass state, the connector 3 is installed at the end of the mechanical arm 5, and the mechanical arm 5 drives the connector 3 to move to the circulation nipple 1; the connector 3 holds the circulation nipple 1 tightly and seals the starting chamber 16 and the first bypass hole 19 on the circulation nipple 1; the drilling fluid pipeline 6 is opened, and the second drilling fluid is injected into the connector 3 and the circulation nipple 1. As the pressure of the second drilling fluid in the starting chamber 16 increases, the second drilling fluid pushes the piston body 11 to move upward to the upper limit position, the first bypass hole 19 and the second bypass hole 18 are connected, the bypass valve 13 is opened, and the second drilling fluid flows to the lower port 20; the top drive assembly is closed, the main valve 12 is closed, and the circulation nipple 1 is converted to the bypass state;

[0079] When the circulation sub 1 is converted from the bypass state to the straight-through state, the top drive assembly is first opened to provide the first drilling fluid, so that the main valve 12 is opened; then the drilling fluid pipeline 6 is closed and the pressure is released, the bypass valve 13 is closed, and the piston body 11 moves downward to the lower limit position under the action of the first drilling fluid, the first bypass hole 19 and the second bypass hole 18 are misaligned and not connected, and the circulation sub 1 is converted to the straight-through state.

[0080] In the above automatic connection control method, the process in which the robot arm 5 drives the connector 3 to move to the circulation short section 1 and holds the circulation short section 1 is controlled by the control system, combined with Figure 8 , specifically including:

[0081] The connector 3 is mounted on the terminal support 46. The positioning probe 4 is set on the lower end surface of the connector 3. After the camera determines that there is no obstacle between the connector 3 and the drill rod 9, the mechanical arm 5 lifts the lowering platform 42 at a speed of ≥5mm / s to lift the connector 3 to the specified height position. During the rising process of the connector 3, the positioning probe 4 continuously detects the distance between the connector 3 and the drill rod 9. When the positioning probe 4 detects that the distance reduction from the drill rod 9 is greater than the set value (such as more than 10mm) and tends to be stable through the laser or infrared ray 53 sent by the rangefinder, the mechanical arm 5 stops rising, and the corresponding heights L1 and L2 when the distance starts to decrease and just reaches the stable value are measured by the lifting displacement sensor 51, and the height difference L2-L1 is compared with the known drill rod 9 joint transition part size L3. If the deviation is less than the threshold (such as the deviation value ≤5mm), it can be considered that the height measurement is accurate, otherwise it is re-measured according to the previous steps. After confirming that the height measurement value is accurate, add L2 to the known joint length dimension L4 of the drill pipe 9 and the distance dimension L5 between the circulation sub 1 to obtain the distance L0 between the connection part 2 of the circulation sub 1 and the drilling floor. Use the mechanical arm 5 to lift the connector 3 to a height that matches the connection part 2 of the circulation sub 1, such as making the height of the lower end surface of the connector body 25 greater than L0 by about 5-10mm, and then continue to extend the telescopic arm 44 so that the connector 3 rests on the connection part 2, use the arm cylinder 30 to push the arm 27 to rotate, and hold the circulation sub 1 together with the connector body 25, and use the locking arm cylinder 32 to push the locking arm 31 to clamp the arm 27.

[0082] After the control system collects the signals of the arm position sensor 34 and the lock arm position sensor 35 and confirms the clamping, it opens the second drilling fluid circulation channel of the drilling fluid pipeline 6, allowing the second drilling fluid to flow into the annular sealing chamber 29 between the connector 3 and the circulation sub 1, gradually increasing the second drilling fluid pressure to 1-2MPa, pushing the piston body 11 to compress the spring 14 to slide, until the bypass valve 13 on the piston body 11 is aligned with the first bypass hole 19 on the sub body 10. The second drilling fluid pressure in the annular sealing chamber 29 continues to increase, and the pressure in the start chamber 16 connected through the through hole increases accordingly, so that when the liquid pressure is greater than the first drilling fluid pressure at the lower port 20 of the circulation sub 1, the bypass valve 13 is opened, and then the hose 8 is closed to stop providing the first drilling fluid circulation channel and relieve the pressure, so that the first drilling fluid pressure at the upper port 21 of the circulation sub 1 is lower than the second drilling fluid pressure at the lower port 20, and the main valve 12 is closed, so that the circulation sub 1 is switched from the through state to the bypass state.

[0083] On the contrary, the first drilling fluid circulation channel of the hose 8 is opened first, the main valve 12 is opened, and then the second drilling fluid circulation channel of the drilling fluid pipeline 6 is closed and the pressure is released, so that the bypass valve 13 is closed, the piston body 11 returns to its original position under the action of the spring 14, the bypass valve 13 and the second bypass hole 18 on the piston body 11 are misaligned and disconnected from the first bypass hole 19 on the short section body 10, and the circulation short section 1 is switched from the bypass state to the straight-through state. After determining that the pressure in the annular sealing chamber 29 drops to zero, the locking arm 31 and the holding arm 27 are opened in turn, and the mechanical arm 5 retracts to separate the connector 3 from the circulation short section 1. An automatic switching of the circulation short section 1 is completed.

[0084] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, various obvious changes, readjustments and substitutions can be made without departing from the protection scope of the present invention. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. The automatic connection device for circulating short joints is characterized by: include: A circulation pup joint (1), comprising a pup joint body (10) and a piston body (11), wherein the pup joint body (10) has a positioning cavity, the two ends of the positioning cavity are respectively connected to an upper port (21) and a lower port (20) of the pup joint body (10), and a first bypass hole (19) is provided on the side wall of the positioning cavity; the upper port (21) is connected to a top drive assembly, and the top drive assembly is used to provide a first drilling fluid; the positioning cavity has an upper limit and a lower limit; the piston body (11) is slidably connected to the positioning cavity, a second bypass hole (18) is provided on the side wall of the piston body (11), a bypass valve (13) is provided on the second bypass hole (18), and a main valve (12) is provided above the second bypass hole (18); a starting cavity (16) is provided between the piston body (11) and the pup joint body (10), and the starting cavity (16) is connected to the outside of the pup joint body (10); A connector (3), the front end of which is capable of tightly hugging the connection portion (2) of the circulation nipple (1) to seal the start-up chamber (16) and the first bypass hole (19), and the rear end of which is connected to a drilling fluid pipeline (6) to provide a second drilling fluid; When the piston body (11) is in the lower limit position under the pressure of the first drilling fluid, the circulation nipple (1) is in a straight-through state; when the piston body (11) is in the upper limit position under the pressure of the second drilling fluid, the circulation nipple (1) is in a bypass state; A mechanical arm (5), the connector (3) being arranged at the end of the mechanical arm (5), and the mechanical arm (5) being configured to drive the connector (3) to move toward the circulation short section (1).

2. The automatic connection device for circulating short joints according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The circulation pup joint (1) further comprises a spring (14); a spring cavity (17) is provided between the outer wall of the top end of the piston body (11) and the inner wall of the pup joint body (10); the spring (14) is arranged in the spring cavity (17); a through hole is provided on the pup joint body (10) to connect the spring cavity (17) and the outside; and the spring (14) can be compressed when the piston body (11) slides upward.

3. The automatic connection device for circulating short joints according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The circulation sub (1) further comprises an anti-rotation mechanism (15), wherein the anti-rotation mechanism (15) comprises: A steel ball (23), wherein the outer wall of the bottom end of the piston body (11) is provided with an axial slide groove (24), and the steel ball (23) is stopped and limited in the slide groove (24); A screw plug (22) is provided with a threaded hole on the short section body (10), and the screw plug (22) is threadedly connected to the short section body (10) and stops at the steel ball (23).

4. The automatic connection device for circulating short joints according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The connector (3) comprises: A connector body (25), the rear end of which is connected to the drilling fluid pipeline (6); An arm (27), the arm (27) being arranged at the front end of the connector body (25), the arm (27) being capable of rotating to open or close to release or hold the circulation nipple (1); A locking arm (31), wherein the locking arm (31) is arranged at the front end of the connector body (25), and the locking arm (31) can be rotated to open or close to unlock or lock the holding arm (27).

5. The automatic connection device for circulating short joints according to claim 4 is characterized in that: An annular groove is provided on the inner side wall of the embracing arm (27). When the embracing arm (27) embraces the circulation nipple (1), an annular sealing cavity (29) is formed between the annular groove and the connection part (2) of the circulation nipple (1).

6. The automatic connection device for circulating short joints according to claim 5 is characterized in that: The locking arm (31) is provided with a slot (33), the inner wall of the slot (33) is a wedge-shaped surface (36), and all normal lines (37) on the wedge-shaped surface (36) are located on the same side of the center of the locking arm rotation axis (38) of the locking arm (31), so that the positive pressure (39) generated by the holding arm (27) on the slot (33) can drive the locking arm (31) to rotate in the direction of clamping the holding arm (27), thereby forming a self-locking state.

7. The automatic connection device for circulating short joints according to claim 6 is characterized in that: The mechanical arm (5) comprises: A column (41), wherein the column (41) is fixed by a base (40), and a lifting platform (42) is provided on the column (41), and the lifting platform (42) can be lifted and lowered along the column (41); A telescopic arm (44), one end of which is hinged to the lifting platform (42), and the other end of which is provided with a terminal support (46); A telescopic cylinder (45), wherein the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder (45) is hinged to the lifting platform (42), and the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder (45) is hinged to the telescopic arm (44). The telescopic cylinder (45) can drive the telescopic arm (44) to extend or contract to achieve horizontal movement of the terminal support (46), and the connector (3) is connected to the terminal support (46).

8. The automatic connection device for circulating short joints according to claim 7 is characterized in that: Also includes a control system and connected to the control system: A lifting displacement sensor (51), the lifting displacement sensor (51) being arranged on the lifting platform (42) and used for detecting the position of the lifting platform (42); A telescopic position sensor (52), arranged on the telescopic arm (44) or on the lifting platform (42), and used for detecting the telescopic state of the telescopic arm (44); A positioning probe (4), the positioning probe (4) being arranged on the connector (3) and used for detecting the distance between the connector (3) and the circulation nipple (1); An arm position sensor (34) is provided on the arm (27) and is used to detect the opening and closing state of the arm (27); A lock arm position sensor (35) is arranged on the lock arm (31) and is used to detect the opening and closing state of the lock arm (31).

9. The automatic connection control method of the circulating short section is characterized by: The automatic connection device for a circulating short joint according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is characterized in that the automatic connection control method for a circulating short joint comprises the following steps: In the initial state, the circulation sub (1) is in a straight-through state, and the first drilling fluid flows through the upper port (21) to the lower port (20); When the circulation sub (1) is converted from the straight-through state to the bypass state, the connector (3) is installed at the end of the mechanical arm (5), and the mechanical arm (5) drives the connector (3) to move to the circulation sub (1); the connector (3) holds the circulation sub (1) tightly and seals the start-up chamber (16) and the first bypass hole (19) on the circulation sub (1); the drilling fluid pipeline (6) is opened, and the second drilling fluid is injected into the connector (3) and the circulation sub (1); as the pressure of the second drilling fluid in the start-up chamber (16) increases, the second drilling fluid pushes the piston body (11) to move upward until the upper limit position, the first bypass hole (19) and the second bypass hole (18) are connected, the bypass valve (13) is opened, and the second drilling fluid flows to the lower port (20); the top drive assembly is closed, the main valve (12) is closed, and the circulation sub (1) is converted to the bypass state; When the circulation nipple (1) is converted from the bypass state to the straight-through state, the top drive assembly is first opened to provide the first drilling fluid, so that the main valve (12) is opened; then the drilling fluid pipeline (6) is closed and the pressure is released, the bypass valve (13) is closed, and the piston body (11) moves downward to the lower limit under the action of the first drilling fluid, the first bypass hole (19) and the second bypass hole (18) are misaligned and not connected, and the circulation nipple (1) is converted to the straight-through state.

10. The automatic connection control method of the circulation sub according to claim 9, characterized in that: The process in which the mechanical arm (5) drives the connector (3) to move to the circulation short section (1) and holds the circulation short section (1) is controlled by a control system, specifically: Mounting the connector (3) on a terminal support (46) of the mechanical arm (5); The positioning probe (4) is arranged on the lower end surface of the connector (3). After the positioning probe 4 determines that there is no obstacle between the connector (3) and the drill rod (9) connected to the lower port (20) of the circulation nipple (1), the mechanical arm (5) lifts the lowering platform (42) to lift the connector (3) to a specified height position. During the lifting process of the connector (3), the positioning probe (4) continuously detects the distance between the connector (3) and the drill rod (9). When the positioning probe (4) detects that the distance between the connector (3) and the drill rod (9) decreases by more than a set value and tends to be stable, the mechanical arm (5) stops lifting the lifting platform (42) and uses a lifting displacement sensor (51) to respectively measure the corresponding height values ​​L1 and L2 when the distance starts to decrease and just reaches a stable value. The height difference L2-L1 is compared with the joint transition portion size L3 of the drill rod (9) to obtain a deviation value. If the deviation value is less than a threshold value, it is considered that the height measurement is accurate. Otherwise, the measurement is repeated. After determining that the height measurement is accurate, the height value L2, the joint length dimension L4 of the drill pipe (9), and the distance dimension L5 between the joint of the drill pipe (9) and the connection part (2) of the circulation sub (1) are added together to obtain the distance L0 between the connection part (2) of the circulation sub (1) and the drilling floor surface; The mechanical arm (5) lifts the connector (3) to a height matching the connecting portion (2), and then continues to extend the telescopic arm (44) so ​​that the connector (3) contacts the connecting portion (2) of the circulation nipple (1); The arm holding cylinder (30) is used to push the arm holding arm (27) to rotate, and together with the connector body (25), the circulation short section (1) is tightly held, and the arm locking cylinder (32) is used to push the locking arm (31) to clamp the arm holding arm (27), thereby completing the automatic connection.

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