Angled Track Screen Clamp for Shaker Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The accumulation of solids on shaker screen surfaces can prevent proper seating and alignment, leading to inefficiencies and potential leaks in drilling operations, as conventional mechanisms fail to effectively secure the screen and prevent debris buildup.
Innovation Solution
A screen clamp system featuring angled tracks and upper retainers that align with beveled edges of the shaker screen, along with an inflatable seal to secure and center the screen, reducing debris accumulation and facilitating easy cleaning and replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional screen securing mechanisms are used, then the screen can be installed in the shaker, but solids accumulate on the screen surface preventing proper seating and alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The track is inverted with the open side facing upward instead of downward, allowing solids to fall away from the screen rather than accumulate underneath it. This inversion fundamentally changes how solids interact with the screen-clamp system, preventing buildup that would interfere with screen seating and alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful element (solids buildup) is extracted from the problem area by redirecting its path. The open-sided track design extracts solids from the confinement area beneath the screen, allowing them to be removed from the system rather than accumulating to prevent proper screen seating.
2Strength
If the track is closed on all sides, then the screen is securely held, but solids accumulate underneath preventing proper alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The track geometry is inverted with the open side facing upward, maintaining the securing function while eliminating the enclosed space where solids would accumulate. This allows the clamp to hold the screen securely while preventing solids buildup that would interfere with alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The track structure has different qualities in different locations - the sides and bottom provide confinement and securing force, while the top remains open to allow solids to escape. This local differentiation of structural qualities allows simultaneous achievement of secure holding and solids prevention.
3Manufacturing precision
If solids build up on the screen deck, then the screen cannot be properly seated, but increasing screening time does not prevent accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The track design preliminarily prevents solids accumulation by providing an escape path before solids can build up to problematic levels. This proactive design feature eliminates the need for subsequent cleaning operations and ensures proper screen seating from the outset.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to self-manage solids removal through the open track geometry, eliminating the need for external cleaning operations. Solids automatically fall away from the screen through the open-sided track, providing self-service functionality that maintains screen alignment precision without additional time investment.
Data Source
AI summary
A screen clamp (400) including a track (402) configured to secure a shaker screen (420) to a shaker, the track including an angled surface configured to contact a corresponding beveled edge of the shaker screen, the screen clamp further including an upper retainer (404) configured to extend from an inner wall of the shaker over at least a portion of the shaker screen.