Pipe Handler Magnetic Guide for Automated Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual handling of large pipe stands during drilling operations poses hazards to personnel due to the difficulty and risk associated with moving and positioning these heavy sections, particularly when tripping drill pipe in and out of a wellbore.
Innovation Solution
A pipe handler system with a mounting member, pivotable and rotatable arms, and a guide member with a magnetic force to securely engage and guide tubular members, allowing for controlled movement and alignment with the wellbore centerline, reducing manual labor and enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual handling of large pipe stands is used, then device complexity is reduced, but personnel safety deteriorates and operational difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe stand transfer system is designed to automatically guide and transfer pipe stands between the wellbore and the fingerboard without requiring manual handling by personnel. The system uses its own mechanical components (arms, guide members, magnetic forces) to perform the transfer operation, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for human intervention in the hazardous manual handling process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated mechanical system that uses guide members, magnetic forces, and articulated arms to transfer pipe stands. This substitution eliminates direct human contact with heavy pipe stands while using controlled mechanical forces to achieve the same transfer function, thereby improving safety and ease of operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual guidance of pipe stands is used, then device complexity is reduced, but positioning precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance system is segmented into multiple functional components: guide members with engagement surfaces that contact the pipe stand, magnetic force generators that provide holding and positioning forces, and articulated arms that control the transfer trajectory. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function with high precision while keeping the overall system manageable and maintainable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces guide members as intermediary components between the pipe stand and the fingerboard. These guide members feature engagement surfaces that precisely control the pipe stand's position and orientation during transfer. The guide members act as mediators that translate the automated motion into precise positioning, ensuring accurate alignment without requiring complex direct control mechanisms.
3Reliability
If automated pipe handler system is used, then personnel safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs magnetic forces as a counterbalancing mechanism to offset the weight of the pipe stands during transfer operations. The magnetic force generators create attractive forces that hold the pipe stands in position and assist in guiding them, effectively counteracting gravity and reducing the mechanical burden on the system's structural components. This approach improves safety by reducing the risk of uncontrolled movement while managing system complexity through the use of magnetic fields rather than additional heavy mechanical counterweights.
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
The pipe handler system automates the handling and alignment of tubular members, reducing manual effort and hazards, improving operational efficiency and safety by ensuring precise positioning and secure engagement during tripping operations.
Implementation Method 1
a magnet coupled to the guide member to exert a magnetic force on the tubular member
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe handler for handling tubular members of a well system includes a mounting member for mounting the pipe handler to a structure of the well system, a first arm having a first end coupled to a structure of the well system, and a second end, wherein the first arm is configured to pivot relative to the mounting member about a first axis, a second arm having a first end and a second end, a connector coupled to the second end of the first arm and the first end of the second arm, and wherein the connector is configured to rotate the second arm about a second axis and a guide member coupled to the second end of the second arm for guiding a tubular member, wherein the second arm is configured to pivot relative to the connector about a third axis.