Single Joint Elevator Deployable Jaws for Tubular Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional single joint elevators struggle to securely grip and lift tubular segments with integral connections and often require repositioning due to limited clearance, especially in crowded drilling rig environments, leading to inefficiencies in drilling operations.
Innovation Solution
A single joint elevator with deployable jaws and an actuator assembly that can grip tubular segments at any position along their length, using a cam ring or wedges to move jaws between a removed and deployed position, allowing for secure gripping and lifting without repositioning, and accommodating both integral and conventional connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional single joint elevators use hinged body halves that close around the tubular segment, then the elevator can secure conventional connections with threaded sleeves, but it cannot grip tubular segments with integral connections because there is no sleeve to form a circumferential shoulder
Solution Approach 1:
The elevator body is divided into opposing deployable jaws that can independently engage different features of the tubular segment. The jaws are separable and can be positioned to grip either the circumferential shoulder of conventional connections or the outer surface of integral connections, allowing the same elevator to reliably handle both connection types through segmented gripping surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The jaws transition from a fixed closed position to a deployed gripping position, and can be dynamically adjusted to engage different features of the tubular segment. The deployable jaws provide dynamic adaptability to accommodate varying connection types while maintaining reliable gripping force through controlled deployment mechanisms
2Ease of operation
If conventional single joint elevators require sufficient clearance to close hinged body halves around the tubular segment, then the elevator structure is simple, but there is insufficient clearance in crowded rig environments requiring repositioning of the tubular segment
Solution Approach 1:
The elevator body is segmented into opposing jaws that can deploy independently within the slot, eliminating the need for the entire body to close around the tubular segment. This segmentation allows gripping to occur in confined spaces where full closure is impossible, enabling operation without repositioning the tubular segment and eliminating time loss
Solution Approach 2:
The gripping mechanism transitions from a two-dimensional closure around the tubular segment to a three-dimensional deployment within a slot. The jaws can be positioned at various depths and angles within the slot, providing gripping capability in crowded environments where conventional closure is blocked by rig structures
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional single joint elevators use a circumferential shoulder that forms a circle upon closure, then the elevator can engage the tubular segment under the sleeve shoulder, but it cannot engage tubular segments without a sleeve to form such a shoulder
Solution Approach 1:
The deployable jaws are designed with universal gripping capability to handle both conventional connections with circumferential shoulders and integral connections without sleeves. The same jaw structure can engage different features of the tubular segment by adjusting its deployment position and orientation, providing multi-functionality without requiring separate elevators for different connection types
Solution Approach 2:
The gripping parameters of the elevator are made variable through deployable jaws that can change their position, orientation, and engagement depth. This allows the elevator to adapt to different connection types by modifying jaw deployment parameters rather than changing the fundamental elevator structure, achieving versatility with minimal complexity increase
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
Enables secure gripping and lifting of tubular segments at any position, reducing rig time by eliminating the need for repositioning and facilitating the handling of both integral and conventionally connected segments, improving drilling efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The jaws may be outwardly biased, such as with a coil spring, to return to the removed position when the actuator assembly is not biasing the jaws inwardly
Data Source
AI summary
Single joint elevator and method for releasably securing a tubular segment. A generally horseshoe-shaped body has a slot for receiving a tubular segment, and an actuator assembly that selectively moves opposing jaws from a removed position to a deployed position to grip and retain the tubular segment within the slot of the body while hoisting the body. The deployable jaws are either rotatably or translatably moved from the removed position to the deployed position and may be pneumatically, hydraulically, and/or electrically actuated. The actuator assembly may include wedges operatively coupled to actuators for selectively biasing the wedges against the jaws, or a cam ring rotationally coupled to the body and rotated by an actuator coupled between the body and the cam ring, wherein the cam ring has an inner cam surface for inwardly biasing the opposing jaws.