Mobile Drilling Rig Pivoting Substructure for Low-Lift Crane Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drilling rigs face challenges in being assembled and disassembled efficiently, especially in areas with limited access to large cranes, and require a design that allows for high drill floor heights and capacities while being lightweight enough for transportation and pad drilling operations.
Innovation Solution
A drilling rig design featuring a substructure with pivoting legs and a mast that can be erected using low-lift cranes, isolating vertical loads and allowing the rig to be assembled and disassembled with small, low-capacity cranes, with a height adjustable to fit within the lifting capacity of low-lift cranes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If drilling rig components are designed for high capacity and high floor height, then drilling performance is improved, but weight increases making transportation and assembly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling rig is divided into separate modular components including mast, A-frame, substructure, and drill floor that can be transported and assembled independently. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for weight while maintaining overall high drilling capacity when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The rig components are designed to be transported in a collapsed or disassembled state and then erected vertically at the drilling site. This dimensional transformation allows heavy components to be moved in compact forms and then configured to achieve high floor height and drilling capacity.
2Ease of operation
If large high lifting cranes are used to assemble high capacity drilling rigs, then assembly capability is improved, but availability and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The rig design changes the lifting parameters by reducing the required lift height and capacity through modular segmentation. Components are designed to be assembled at lower heights using smaller cranes, then erected to final configuration, changing the operational parameters from requiring large high-lift cranes to using smaller, more available equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The substructure and other components are pre-assembled on the ground in a collapsed or horizontal configuration before being lifted into position. This preliminary assembly at ground level allows use of smaller cranes, and the components are then erected to their final vertical operating position.
3Length of moving object
If drilling rig is designed for deep drill depths requiring high floor height, then drilling depth capability is improved, but complexity of assembly and disassembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drill floor is segmented into modular subassemblies that can be assembled independently at ground level and then lifted into position. This segmentation reduces the complexity of assembling a high floor structure by breaking it into manageable sections that can be handled by smaller equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The rig employs movable and adjustable components including telescopic mast sections and adjustable A-frame configurations that allow the structure to be assembled in a compact state and then dynamically extended or erected to the required height for deep drilling operations.
4Weight of moving object
If drilling rig components are made lightweight for easy transportation, then mobility is improved, but structural strength and drilling capacity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The rig components utilize composite construction methods and optimized material selection to achieve high strength-to-weight ratios. This allows components to be sufficiently lightweight for transportation while maintaining the structural strength required for high-capacity drilling operations when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the rig into separate components, each piece can be optimized for minimal weight while the complete assembled structure achieves the required strength and capacity. The segmentation allows weight optimization at the component level without compromising overall structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A drilling rig may include a pair of main beams supportable by a pair of rails, a substructure, an A-frame secured to the main beams, and a mast pivotably secured to the main beams and configured to lay down in a pre-erected stage. The substructure may include a plurality of pivoting legs, a drill floor having a plurality of spreaders pivotably supported by the plurality of pivoting legs, and a plurality of drill floor subassemblies supported by the plurality of spreaders. The plurality of pivoting legs supporting the spreaders may be configured to lay down in a pre-erected stage as well.