Hinged-Door Blowout Preventer for Faster Shear Ram Maintenance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blowout preventers (BOPs) require time-consuming and dangerous maintenance due to their configuration, particularly in high-pressure environments, with shear rams being difficult to install and remove.
Innovation Solution
A hinged door design for BOPs that facilitates easy installation and removal of ram blocks, combined with a machining tool for forming top seats and reinforcing ribs, and angled outlets to minimize interference and reduce weight, along with modular actuators for simplified operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional BOP configuration is used, then structural integrity is maintained, but maintenance time increases and safety decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The BOP body is divided into separable sections with hinged doors that can be opened independently. The shear rams and ram blocks are segmented into removable components that can be accessed and replaced without removing the entire BOP assembly, enabling faster maintenance while maintaining structural integrity through the hinged door mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinged door design transforms the static BOP structure into a dynamic system where doors can be opened and closed during operation. This allows maintenance personnel to access internal components like shear rams and ram blocks without complete disassembly, reducing maintenance time while preserving the pressure-containing integrity of the BOP body.
2Strength
If heavy-duty construction is used for high-pressure environments, then strength is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The BOP employs hinged doors with localized reinforcement at critical stress points while maintaining thinner walls in non-critical areas. The door hinges and sealing mechanisms are concentrated at specific locations where structural integrity is most needed, allowing weight reduction in other portions of the BOP body while still withstanding high-pressure environments.
3Reliability
If complex sealing mechanisms are used to ensure pressure containment, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted and concentrated at the hinged door interfaces and ram block contact surfaces. Rather than distributing complex sealing mechanisms throughout the entire BOP structure, the design uses localized sealing elements at critical interfaces where pressure containment is most critical, simplifying the overall system while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A blowout preventer (BOP) for controlling pressure within a wellbore includes a body (200) having a front side (202) and a back side (204). The BOP also includes a door opening (400) extending through the front side (202). The BOP further includes an operator opening (404) extending through the body (200), perpendicular to the door opening (400). The BOP includes an outlet (300) extending from an inner cavity (406) of the body (200) through the back side (204), the inner cavity (406) being fluidly coupled to both the outlet (300) and the door opening (400). The BOP also includes a ram passage (500) forming at least a portion of the inner cavity (406), wherein the ram passage (500) is arranged substantially perpendicular to the door opening (400).