Abrasive suspension machining device for internal machining of pipes or bores

Abstract

The invention relates to an abrasive suspension machining device for the internal machining of pipes or bores (2) with a high-pressure suspension supply device (30), at least one nozzle head (12) for dispensing at least one high-pressure suspension jet (14), which is connected to the high-pressure suspension supply device (30) via a high-pressure line (16), and at least one drive device (20) for moving the nozzle head (12), which is arranged at a distance from the nozzle head (12) and is coupled to the high-pressure line (16) for its movement in such a way that the nozzle head (12) can be moved in a bore (2) by moving the high-pressure line (16), as well as a method for machining a pipe or a bore (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an abrasive suspension processing device for the internal processing of pipes or bores, in particular to remove deposits or blockages inside the pipes or bores or to create openings.

[0002] When drilling for fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas, the problem arises that these boreholes may be intentionally or unintentionally blocked. In particular, disused boreholes are often sealed by plugs. There are cases where it is intended to remove such plugs from the boreholes. Abrasive suspension machining systems are known for this purpose, in which jets of abrasive suspension are applied via a nozzle head, removing the plugs inside the borehole or pipe. Such a device is known, for example, from WO 2015 / 124182 or WO 2018 / 215074 A1. The nozzle heads known from the prior art have a complex design with rotary and feed drives.

[0003] The object of the invention is to provide an improved abrasive suspension processing device and a corresponding method, which are robustly constructed and guarantee a high and reliable drilling or material removal performance with high operational safety.

[0004] This problem is solved by an abrasive suspension processing device with the features specified in claim 1 and a method with the features specified in claim 12. Preferred embodiments are described in the dependent claims, the following description, and the accompanying figures.

[0005] The abrasive suspension machining device according to the invention is designed for the internal machining of pipes or bores, in particular for removing deposits and blockages or for creating openings (e.g., by sidetracking, window erosion, and / or slot erosion) in pipes or bores in the field of oil or natural gas production. The machining device has a high-pressure suspension supply unit which provides a suspension consisting of a liquid and an added abrasive under high pressure. High pressure is understood to mean a pressure greater than 200 bar, preferably greater than 300 bar. The machining device also has at least one nozzle head for dispensing at least one high-pressure suspension jet.The nozzle head has at least one nozzle that forms a high-pressure suspension jet and is preferably directed in a defined direction when the nozzle head is inserted into a pipe, in the direction in which material is to be removed. For example, the nozzle can be directed forward or angled forward to the feed axis to remove material located in front of the nozzle head, such as to remove a blockage in the pipe by material removal. The removed material is flushed away by the fluid of the suspension and can be conveyed to the surface through the bore. The nozzle head is connected to the high-pressure suspension supply system via a high-pressure line, through which the high-pressure suspension is fed to the nozzle head. The suspension can thus be supplied to the nozzle head, for example, from above the Earth's surface or the sea surface.

[0006] To move the nozzle head within the bore or pipe, the processing device includes at least one drive unit that is arranged at a distance from the nozzle head. This means that, unlike in the prior art, the drive for the nozzle head is not located directly on the nozzle head. According to the invention, the drive unit is instead coupled to the high-pressure line, so that the high-pressure line is initially moved by the drive unit, and the movement of the high-pressure line, in turn, moves the nozzle head. In other words, the movement of the high-pressure line is transferred to the nozzle head. This can occur over a very long length, so that the drive unit can preferably be located at the end of the pipe or bore, i.e., above the sea surface or the earth's surface. This makes it possible to position the components of the drive unit outside the bore or bore.The pipe should be arranged so that the nozzles can be made larger and easily accessible during operation. This allows for a simpler overall nozzle head design, resulting in a more reliable processing device.

[0007] In a first embodiment, the drive unit can include a rotary drive for rotating the high-pressure line, that is, for rotating the high-pressure line about its longitudinal axis. The nozzle head is fixedly connected to the high-pressure line so that the nozzle head rotates together with the high-pressure line. This allows the nozzle assembly located in the nozzle head to be rotated, thereby moving the high-pressure jets exiting the nozzle head. This enables material removal over a larger area. The rotary drive for rotating the high-pressure line can, for example, be designed such that an entire reel or winding device for the high-pressure line is rotated on its surface. Alternatively, the rotary drive can engage the high-pressure line with suitable power transmission means, for example, friction and / or positive locking, to rotate it about its longitudinal axis.

[0008] The rotary drive is preferably designed to rotate the high-pressure line, and thus the nozzle head, at a speed between 0 and 200 rpm. The rotational speed can preferably be further varied, for example, by a suitable control device for the rotary drive. When the rotational speed is 0 rpm, the rotary drive is stopped, and the nozzle head can be operated without rotation. According to a further preferred embodiment of the rotary drive, the rotational speed of the high-pressure line generated by it is between 0 and 100 rpm, and according to another possible embodiment, between 0 and 50 rpm. With such a slow rotational speed, reliable material removal in front of the nozzle head can be achieved.

[0009] The rotary drive can be designed to produce a rotary motion or rotation in a first and / or opposite second direction of rotation, i.e., a rotation clockwise or counterclockwise. The direction of rotation can be changed via the rotary drive, for example, by adjusting a suitable control device. Such a rotation means that the rotary drive rotates the high-pressure line multiple times by 360 degrees in the same direction during operation, preferably continuously or at a constant speed. Alternatively or additionally, the rotary drive can be designed to perform an oscillating rotary motion. In the oscillating rotary motion, the rotary drive alternately changes the direction of rotation, with the resulting rotation of the high-pressure line preferably being less than 360 degrees in each direction.The rotary drive can be designed in such a way that the rotation can be switched or changed between a constant rotation and an oscillating rotary motion via a control device of the rotary drive.

[0010] In another possible embodiment, the rotary drive is designed such that it can apply an additional torque of between 0.1 and 10 kNm, preferably between 0.1 and 5 kNm, while the rotary movement is already underway. This means that the rotary drive is designed to initially generate sufficient torque to move or rotate the high-pressure line with the nozzle head in the bore or pipe at the set rotational speed. In other words, the rotary drive generates a torque large enough to overcome the frictional forces occurring in the bore or pipe. Furthermore, to ensure reliable material removal via the high-pressure suspension jet, it is preferred to be able to apply an additional torque within the aforementioned range.

[0011] In a further embodiment, the drive unit also includes a feed drive, which is preferably provided in addition to the rotary drive described above. The feed drive is designed for the linear movement of the high-pressure line and thus the nozzle head. The feed drive primarily serves to insert the high-pressure line, with the nozzle head located at its front end, into a bore or pipe. For this purpose, the feed drive is designed to advance a very long high-pressure line, for example, over several hundred meters. Furthermore, the feed drive is designed to advance the nozzle head at a suitable feed rate, adapted to the removal rate of the nozzle head, during operation, in order to keep pace with the ongoing material removal process.

[0012] The feed drive is advantageously designed for operating the nozzle head such that it can advance the high-pressure line at a speed between 0 and 500 mm / min, more preferably between 0 and 200 mm / min or between 0 and 100 mm / min. These are preferred feed rates for operating the nozzle head, i.e., during continuous material removal by at least one emerging high-pressure suspension jet. Other feed rates, particularly higher ones, can be selected when inserting and withdrawing the nozzle head from the pipe or bore. It is possible to stop the nozzle head during material removal, thus setting a feed rate of 0 mm / min, for example, to process difficult-to-remove material with the high-pressure suspension jet over a longer period.With the feed stopped, for example the nozzle head can be rotated further via the rotary drive.

[0013] The feed drive is preferably designed for linear forward and backward movement of the high-pressure line, with a feed or return force preferably in the range of a maximum of 40,000 to 50,000 N. This enables, on the one hand, the insertion and withdrawal of the high-pressure line into the bore. However, the forward and backward movement of the high-pressure line can also be advantageous during machining while the nozzle head is in operation, for example, to be able to shift the focus of a nozzle arrangement in the nozzle head in a linear direction during material removal or to facilitate the flushing out of removed material during machining.

[0014] The drive device preferably includes a control device by which the described feed and rotary movements can be controlled, regulated and adjusted as desired, particularly preferably on the basis of acquired sensor data.

[0015] According to a further embodiment, the high-pressure suspension supply system comprises a high-pressure pump and a mixing device for adding abrasive to a liquid or carrier fluid. This mixing device can be arranged upstream or downstream of the high-pressure pump. That is, with an upstream arrangement, a previously formed suspension is brought to the desired high pressure by the high-pressure pump. With a downstream arrangement of the mixing device, the liquid is first brought to the desired pressure level by the high-pressure pump, and then the abrasive is added to the high-pressure liquid, for example, by passing the high-pressure liquid through a container with abrasive.

[0016] As described, the high-pressure line can be very long to enable machining at great depths or over a long length of pipe. Thus, the high-pressure line can have a feed length greater than 20 meters, preferably greater than 200 meters, and more preferably greater than 500 meters.

[0017] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive unit comprises at least one sensor unit or is connected to one. This makes it possible, for example, to acquire, optionally digitize, and evaluate process parameters, particularly in real time. Furthermore, a control unit of the drive unit can, for example, be signal-connected to the sensor unit. The sensor unit is configured to acquire and optionally evaluate a feed and / or restoring force due to the tool engagement, a torque, a feed path, and / or a rotation angle of the high-pressure line in a suitable manner in order to monitor and control the material removal or erosion process. This data can be used to control the feed movement and the rotational movement via the described drive unit.For example, a control device can be designed to reverse the direction of rotation, retract the nozzle head, or perform similar actions when a maximum torque is exceeded. Furthermore, monitoring the feed force can detect, for instance, that the desired material removal is not being achieved by the high-pressure suspension jet in front of the nozzle head and that the nozzle head is instead resting on the material being removed. If such a condition is detected, the feed can be stopped and, if necessary, the nozzle head can be retracted. The maximum feed force might be, for example, 50,000 or 40,000 N. If such a feed force is exceeded, it can be concluded that the nozzle head is resting on the material being removed, and appropriate measures can be taken, such as stopping the feed or reversing the feed direction.Alternatively or additionally, a measured torque could also be considered. This is preferably done in a specially designed control unit that controls the drive unit and is connected to the sensor unit via a signal. The control unit can be designed to automate the described process steps or to display certain operating states to an operator, who can then use suitable adjustment means on the control unit to modify the control of the drive unit as desired.

[0018] In addition to the described processing device, the invention relates to a method for processing a pipe or bore using at least one high-pressure abrasive suspension jet. The method can preferably be carried out using the abrasive suspension processing device described above. It should be understood that the process sequences described above with reference to the processing device also represent preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention. According to the method according to the invention, at least one high-pressure abrasive suspension jet is applied inside the pipe or bore from a nozzle head, in particular from at least one nozzle arranged in the nozzle head. During processing, the nozzle head is moved within the pipe or bore via a high-pressure line connected to the nozzle head.When applying the suspension jet, the high-pressure line is preferably moved or advanced linearly in the direction of the pipe or bore. Alternatively or additionally, the high-pressure line can be rotated to rotate the nozzle head during the application of the suspension jet, allowing it to move over a larger area and thus remove material from a greater surface.

[0019] The nozzle head can be designed to have at least one nozzle directed forward, or partially forward, in the feed direction. Alternatively or additionally, nozzles can be arranged that direct the suspension jet at least partially radially outwards with respect to the feed direction or longitudinal axis of the pipe, in order to machine the bore wall. Furthermore, alternatively or additionally, rearward-facing nozzles, i.e., nozzles directed against the feed direction, could be provided, for example, to assist in flushing away the material being removed.

[0020] The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures. These show: Fig. 1 an application example for an abrasive suspension processing device according to the invention, and Fig. 2 an abrasive suspension processing device according to the invention.

[0021] An abrasive suspension machining device can be used, for example, to machine a deep sea borehole, such as those used in oil production. Fig. Figure 1 schematically illustrates such an application example. In this example, a conveying pipe 2, extending from the seabed 4 into the depths, has a closure 6. To remove the material 6 or the closure 6 from the conveying pipe 2, an abrasive suspension processing device is used. This device is deployed from a conveying platform 10 located above the water surface 8. Instead of a conveying platform 10, another base or platform, for example a ship, could also be used. The processing device according to the invention could also be used on land. The abrasive suspension processing device has a nozzle head 12, which has several nozzles from which high-pressure suspension jets 14 are emitted. The nozzles are oriented such that the high-pressure suspension jets 14 are directed forward toward the material 6 to be removed.The high-pressure suspension is supplied to the nozzle head 12 via a high-pressure line 16, which extends from the conveying platform 10 to the nozzle head 12. A suspension supply device 30, as described in more detail below, is arranged on the conveying platform 10. In this example, the dispensed liquid and the removed material 6 are discharged via a return line 18. However, discharge could also occur directly through the space between the high-pressure line 16 and the conveying pipe 2, as shown in [reference]. Fig. 2 is shown.

[0022] Fig. Figure 2 schematically shows an example of an abrasive suspension processing device according to the invention. In the Fig. In the example shown in Figure 2, the nozzle head 12 also has radially and rearwardly directed nozzles, so that high-pressure suspension jets 14 are directed in different directions. It is understood that different nozzle arrangements can be used depending on where in the pipe 2 material is to be removed. In the example shown in Figure 2, the nozzle head 12 also has radially and rearwardly directed nozzles, so that high-pressure suspension jets 14 are directed in different directions. Fig.In the example shown, no return line 18 is shown. According to the invention, the nozzle head 12 is moved within the pipe 2 during the application of the high-pressure suspension jets 14. For this purpose, a drive unit 20 is arranged on a handling platform 10, for example, the conveying platform 10. This drive unit serves to move the high-pressure line 16 linearly back and forth along its longitudinal axis X in a direction of movement 22. The drive unit 20 has a suitable feed drive, which can, for example, be frictionally coupled to the high-pressure line 16 for its linear movement. The drive unit 20 also has a rotary drive, which is designed to rotate the high-pressure line 16 about the longitudinal axis X in a direction of rotation 24. This can be achieved by a suitable rotary drive that engages with the high-pressure line 16, for example, by force-locking and / or positive locking.

[0023] The feed and rotation of the high-pressure line 16 also moves the nozzle head 12, which is non-rotatably connected to the high-pressure line 16, within the conveying tube 2 during processing. This movement, for example, allows the high-pressure suspension jets 14 to be moved across the material to be removed, enabling the processing of a larger area. The motion is controlled by a control unit 26, which controls the drive unit 20. A sensor unit 28 is also arranged in the drive unit 20 and is signal-connected to the control unit 26. The sensor unit 28 detects the torque applied in the direction of rotation 24 and the feed force applied in the feed direction 22. If the applied feed force exceeds a predetermined limit, this may indicate that the nozzle head 12 is coming into contact with the material 6 to be removed during the feed process.The feed movement can then be stopped, and, for example, an attempt can be made to remove the material without further feed. If the torque exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit 26 can, for example, change the direction of rotation or control the drive unit 20 so that the nozzle head 12 is initially moved backwards a short distance. Other control options are also possible based on such sensor signals. Additionally or alternatively, the feed length and the angle of rotation could also be detected by the sensor unit 28.

[0024] The suspension is supplied to the high-pressure line 16 in the usual manner. For example, a high-pressure suspension supply device 30 can be connected to the end of the high-pressure line 16 that is opposite the nozzle head 12. A coupling or rotary feedthrough 32 can be arranged there, for example. The high-pressure suspension supply device 30 has a high-pressure pump 34, which pressurizes a suspension to a pressure of, for example, 200 bar to 300 bar or even higher. Upstream of the high-pressure pump 34 is a mixing device 36, in which a liquid stream 38 is mixed with an abrasive 40 to form a suspension. The liquid 38 can be water with or without additives or any other suitable liquid. Reference symbol list 2 Conveyor pipe 4 Seabed 6. Closure, material 8 Water surface 10 Funding platform, support platform 12 nozzles 14 High-pressure suspension jet 16 High-pressure line 18 Return line 20 Drive unit 22 linear direction of movement 24 Direction of rotation 26 Control unit 28 Sensor device 30 High-pressure suspension supply unit 32 Rotary feedthrough 34 High-pressure pump 36 Mixing device 38 Liquid 40 abrasives X Longitudinal axis QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] WO 2015 / 124182

[0002] WO 2018 / 215074 A1

[0002]

Claims

[1] Abrasive suspension machining device for internal machining of tubes or bores (2) with a high-pressure suspension supply device (30), at least one nozzle head (12) for dispensing at least one high-pressure suspension jet (14), which is connected to the high-pressure suspension supply device (30) via a high-pressure line (16), and at least one drive device (20) for moving the nozzle head (12), which is arranged at a distance from the nozzle head (12) and is coupled to the high-pressure line (16) for its movement in such a way that the nozzle head (12) can be moved in a bore (2) by moving the high-pressure line (16). [2] Abrasive suspension processing device according to claim 1, wherein the drive device (20) has a rotary drive for rotating the high pressure line (16) and thus the nozzle head (12). [3] Abrasive suspension processing device according to claim 2, in which the rotary drive is designed such that it rotates the high pressure line (16) and thus the nozzle head (12) at a rotational speed between 0 and 200 rpm, preferably between 0 and 100 rpm and more preferably between 0 and 50 rpm. [4] Abrasive suspension processing device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the rotary drive is designed to rotate in a first and / or an opposite second direction of rotation (24) and / or to perform an oscillating rotary motion. [5] Abrasive suspension processing device according to one of claims 2 to 4, in which the rotary drive is designed such that it can apply an additional torque between 0.1 and 10, preferably between 0.1 and 5 kNm, when a rotary movement (24) is already taking place. [6] Abrasive suspension processing device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive device (20) has a feed drive for linearly moving the high pressure line (16) and thus the nozzle head (12). [7] Abrasive suspension processing device according to claim 6, in which the feed drive is designed such that it moves the high pressure line (16) at a speed between 0 and 500 mm / min, preferably between 0 and 200 mm / min and more preferably between 0 and 100 mm / min. [8] Abrasive suspension processing device according to claim 6 or 7, in which the feed drive is designed for linear forward and backward movement of the high pressure line (16), preferably with a force of maximum 40000 to 50000 N. [9] Abrasive suspension processing device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein high-pressure suspension supply device (30) comprises at least one high-pressure pump (34) and a mixing device (36) for adding abrasive agent (40) to a liquid (38), wherein the mixing device (36) is arranged upstream or downstream of the high-pressure pump (34). [10] Abrasive suspension processing device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the high pressure line (16) and a feed length greater than 20 m, preferably greater than 200 m and more preferably greater than 500 m. [11] Abrasive suspension processing device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive device (20) has at least one sensor device (28) or is connected to a sensor device (28), wherein the sensor device (28) is configured to detect a feed force, a torque, a feed path and / or a rotation angle of the high pressure line (16). [12] Method for processing a pipe or bore (2) by means of at least one high-pressure abrasive suspension jet (14) wherein the at least one high-pressure abrasive suspension jet (14) is applied inside the pipe or bore (2) from a nozzle head (12) and the nozzle head (12) is moved in the pipe or bore (2) via a high-pressure line (16) connected to the nozzle head (12). [13] Method according to claim 12, in which the nozzle head (12) is moved linearly in the extension direction of the pipe or bore (2) and / or rotated via the high pressure line (16).

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