Tubular Connector Protector With Retained Annular Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protectors for threaded connections in tubular components used in hydrocarbon wells fail to provide satisfactory watertightness and are prone to seal displacement during installation and handling, leading to potential pollution and mechanical damage.
Innovation Solution
A tubular component threaded connection protector with an annular seal housed in a specialized annular housing featuring notches and recesses to securely retain the seal, preventing twisting and ensuring static positioning, thus enhancing sealing reliability and robustness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a simple annular seal is used in existing protectors, then the device complexity is low, but the seal displacement occurs during installation and handling leading to poor sealing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The annular seal is segmented with notches distributed over its circumference, allowing it to engage with corresponding recesses in the annular housing. This segmentation prevents the seal from rotating or displacing during installation and handling, significantly improving sealing reliability without requiring complex external retention mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The annular seal with notches is nested within the annular housing that has corresponding recesses. The notched seal fits into the housing structure, creating a nested configuration where the seal is mechanically retained by the housing geometry itself, preventing displacement while maintaining a compact design.
2Reliability
If the annular seal is made wider to improve sealing contact, then the sealing quality improves, but the seal becomes more prone to twisting and displacement during handling
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing notches in the annular seal that engage with recesses in the housing, the seal is divided into segments that are mechanically locked in position. This allows the seal to be wider for better sealing contact while the notches prevent twisting and displacement during handling, resolving the contradiction between sealing quality and handling ease.
3Strength
If the protector is designed with rigid sealing components, then the mechanical strength is high, but the sealing effectiveness against pollution is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system uses a composite approach combining the rigid annular housing (providing mechanical strength) with the flexible annular seal made of elastomeric material (providing pollution resistance). The notched seal engages with the rigid housing structure while maintaining flexibility to create effective sealing against sand, debris, and other pollutants.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The invention relates to a protector (20) for the connector (1) of a tubular component used for the drilling or exploitation of hydrocarbon wells, said connector being equipped with a distal end surface (5). The protector comprises an annular housing (22) including a base (28) and two external (29a) and internal (29b) side walls at a distance from one another, a ring joint (25) being disposed inside the housing. Each side wall comprises a side wall base portion (33a; 33b), a side wall external portion (32a, 32b) and an upper face (30), said two side wall external portions (32a, 32b) defining an opening (43) of width Au, characterised in that a distance A between two side wall base portions (33a; 33b) is greater than the width Au, such that a first ring joint (25) can be installed and the ring joint (25) can be retained in the annular housing (22).