Cable Management System for Rotating Drum Wire Rope Severing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current drilling rig systems lack an efficient and safe method to manage, retain, and sever spent wire rope on a rotating drum, leading to wear and potential injury risks during maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A brake, shear, and cable management system comprising crawler assemblies, a cable brake assembly, and a cable cutting assembly, with remote control options, that securely engages and severs the wire rope while allowing for controlled tension and movement, reducing manual intervention and enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual or hydraulic cutting tools are used to sever wire rope on the rig floor, then the wire rope can be cut, but personnel are exposed to injury risks from uncontrolled cable movement and tension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cable management system with crawler assemblies and brake assemblies that act as intermediaries between the wire rope and personnel. The crawler assemblies engage the cable and provide controlled movement, while the brake assemblies maintain tension and control the cable during cutting operations, eliminating the need for personnel to manually handle the wire rope
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service operation through automated cable management. The crawler assemblies automatically engage and move the cable, the brake assemblies automatically maintain tension, and the cutting assembly automatically severs the wire rope at the predetermined location, reducing manual intervention and improving safety
2Productivity
If the wire rope is spooled onto the drum under load many times, then the drum can lift or lower the drilling assembly, but the wire rope experiences wear that requires periodic retirement
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically positioning the cable, engaging the brake assemblies to maintain proper tension, and preparing the cutting assembly before the actual cutting operation. This ensures the wire rope is ready for retirement at the optimal time based on ton-mile usage, facilitating efficient replacement without disrupting drilling productivity
3Ease of operation
If a brake assembly maintains tension on the cable while crawler assemblies move the cable, then controlled cable movement is achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cable management function into separate modular assemblies: crawler assemblies for cable movement, brake assemblies for tension control, and a cutting assembly for severing the wire rope. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, making the overall system more manageable and easier to operate despite the increased number of components
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively manages and severs wire rope on a rotating drum, reducing wear and injury risks by enabling secure retention and controlled cutting, allowing for safer and more efficient maintenance operations.
Implementation Method 1
a brake assembly to maintain tension on the cable
Implementation Method 2
a pair of crawler assemblies to engage and move the cable
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a brake, shear and cable management system and method for effectively braking and cutting cable from a rotatable drum, such as drilling line, boring line, electrical line, fiber optic line or the like. The brake, shear and cable management system includes a cable management assembly, a cable brake assembly and a cable cutting assembly used in conjunction to manage, retain and sever a spent portion of cable upon the drum.