Elevator Slip Locking Arm Mechanism for Tubular Drop Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Elevator slips used in wellbore operations often fail to maintain grip due to catching on impediments, leading to potential costly or catastrophic drops of tubulars, and existing solutions require manual adjustments prone to human error and time-consuming calibration.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a locking arm and engagement members that move in specific directions to limit slip movement, allowing engagement with tubulars while preventing excessive disengagement, thereby maintaining grip and preventing drops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing locking devices are used to lock elevator slips into place, then slip movement can be limited, but manual adjustments and calibrations are required which introduce human error potential and consume valuable time
Solution Approach 1:
The locking device automatically engages with the slips without requiring manual adjustment or calibration. The device self-adjusts to accommodate different elevator and tubular diameters, eliminating human error potential and time consumption associated with manual setup.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking device incorporates adjustable parameters that automatically adapt to different operational conditions and dimensions. The mechanism can accommodate varying elevator and tubular diameters through automatic parameter adjustment rather than requiring manual calibration for each specific case.
2Reliability
If existing locking devices are used to lock elevator slips into place, then slip movement can be limited, but the slips cannot be lowered to engage tubular while locking devices are operatively engaged
Solution Approach 1:
The locking device transitions between locked and unlocked states dynamically during the lowering operation. The device remains unlocked during initial lowering to allow slip engagement with the tubular, then automatically locks once engagement is achieved, enabling continuous operation without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking device is pre-configured to automatically engage at the appropriate moment during the lowering operation. The mechanism is designed to detect when slips have engaged the tubular and automatically activates the locking function, eliminating the need to manually disengage and re-engage locking devices.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual adjustments are made to accommodate elevator and tubular diameter, then the locking device can be calibrated, but human error and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The locking device automatically detects and adapts to the specific diameter of the elevator and tubular without requiring manual measurement or adjustment. The system self-calibrates based on the actual dimensions encountered during operation, eliminating time-consuming manual calibration procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking device is designed with universal adaptability to handle a wide range of elevator and tubular diameters through a single standardized mechanism. The device incorporates adjustable components that automatically conform to different size requirements, eliminating the need for multiple calibrated settings or manual adjustments for each diameter.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus to limit movement of gripping members relative to an elevator includes a locking arm coupled to the gripping members and a first engagement arm. The locking arm includes a set of teeth disposed longitudinally thereon, and the first engagement arm includes a first set of complimentary teeth configured to engage with the set of teeth of the locking arm. The first engagement arm is moveable between a disengaged position, in which the first engagement arm and the locking arm are relatively moveable, and an engaged position, in which the first engagement arm allows the locking arm to move in a first direction but prevents the locking bar from moving in a second direction by more than a selected distance. The teeth of the locking arm engage the first set of complimentary teeth of the first engagement arm when the first engagement arm is in the engaged position.