Lattice Pipe Mat for Drill Pipe Fluid Drainage and Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a pipe mat that can effectively organize and store drill pipe when tripped in or out of a drill string while also collecting and channeling away fluids for storage, recycling, or disposal.
Innovation Solution
A pipe mat with a lattice structure formed by parallel support and nub rails, featuring drain channels and pipe nubs to hold drill pipes in place, allowing fluids to drain into a tubing tray for collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pipe mat is used to organize and store drill pipe on a tubing tray, then the drill pipe can be efficiently organized and stored, but fluids draining from the drill pipe cannot be effectively collected and channeled away
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe mat is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it organizes and stores drill pipe through its lattice structure and pipe nubs, while also collecting and channeling draining fluids through integrated drain channels. This multi-functional design resolves the contradiction by making a single device capable of both pipe management and fluid collection without requiring separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage system is merged directly into the pipe mat structure by forming drain channels between the support rails and nub rails. This integration combines the previously separate functions of pipe support and fluid collection into a unified system, allowing the pipe mat to efficiently perform both operations simultaneously.
2Quantity of substance
If drill pipe is placed directly on a tubing tray for storage, then the pipe can be stored, but draining fluids cannot be effectively collected or channeled away from the pipe
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful element (draining fluids) is extracted from the storage area by channeling it away through dedicated drain channels formed between the rails. This separates the fluid collection function from the pipe storage function, preventing fluid accumulation around the stored pipe while maintaining storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain channels act as an intermediary system between the drill pipe and the tubing tray bottom, intercepting and redirecting draining fluids before they can accumulate around the stored pipe. This mediator structure resolves the conflict between storage and fluid management.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a lattice structure with openings is used in the pipe mat, then fluids can drain through into collection channels, but the structural strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe mat is segmented into multiple structural components (support rails, nub rails, and pipe nubs) that work together to provide both strength and drainage. The segmentation allows openings to be positioned strategically between rails, maintaining structural integrity while enabling fluid drainage through the lattice structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe mat is provided for use with a tubing tray for receiving, organizing and storing drill pipe tripped out of a drill string on a drilling rig, the pipe mat having a plurality of substantially parallel and spaced-apart support rails to form a plurality of drain channels disposed between adjacent pair of support rails, a plurality of substantially parallel and spaced-apart nub rails disposed on the plurality of support rails, the nub rails substantially orthogonal to the support rails thereby form a lattice structure having openings disposed between the nub rails that are in communication with the drain channels, and a plurality of spaced-apart pipe nubs extending upwardly from the nub rails, which are configured to hold a drill pipe in place when an end of the drill pipe is placed onto one of the pipe nubs.