Adjustable Blowout Preventer for Rod String Misalignment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Misalignment between rod strings and wellhead components in horizontal drilling operations leads to excessive and uneven wear, causing damage to tubulars due to side loading, which existing technologies fail to adequately address.

Innovation Solution

An adjustable blowout preventer with rotatable tilting couplers and offset collars that allow for adjustments in the angle of tilt and offset distance of the central bore to align with the rod string, mitigating misalignment and preventing damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a fixed blowout preventer is used, then the structure is simple and reliable, but it cannot accommodate rod string misalignment, causing excessive wear and damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccommodation of rod string misalignmentVSAvoidstructure of blowout preventer

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The blowout preventer incorporates adjustable components including a tilting coupler with pivot pin allowing angular adjustment, and an offset collar with slot and adjusting bolt for lateral position adjustment. These dynamic elements enable the central bore to be repositioned to accommodate rod string misalignment while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention allows changing of geometric parameters of the blowout preventer's central bore through mechanical adjustment. The tilting coupler modifies the angle of the central bore, while the offset collar changes its lateral position. These parameter changes enable adaptation to various misalignment conditions without replacing the entire device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If misalignment is allowed to occur, then operation flexibility is maintained, but excessive and uneven wear causes damage to tubulars

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation flexibilityVSAvoidrod string and wellhead component durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The adjusting bolt mechanism provides feedback-controlled adjustment capability. The operator can detect misalignment conditions and use the adjusting bolt to reposition the offset collar, thereby realigning the central bore with the rod string. This feedback loop maintains reliability by correcting misalignment before excessive wear occurs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The blowout preventer is designed with preliminary adjustment capabilities built into its structure. The tilting coupler and offset collar are positioned to allow pre-adjustment before rod string installation, preventing misalignment-related wear from occurring in the first place. This preliminary action ensures proper alignment is established before operation begins.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10941628B2Adjustable blowout preventer and methods of use

Publication Date: 2021.03.09 DRECO ENERGY SERVICES ULC

AI summary

An adjustable blowout preventer may be configured to be adjustable, such that a central bore of the blowout preventer may be adjusted or repositioned. The blowout preventer may include one or more adjustment mechanisms for adjusting an angle of tilt of the central bore and/or an offset distance of the central bore. The adjustment mechanisms may be arranged between a stack of the blowout preventer and a wellhead. The adjustment mechanisms may generally be tubular structures having angled and/or laterally offset bores therein. The adjustment mechanisms may be configured to be rotatable, such that rotation of the mechanisms may change an angle of tilt and/or lateral offset of the blowout preventer central bore, or portions thereof.