Pipe Handler With Segmented Gripper Arms For Narrow Fingerboard Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for handling and transferring drill pipe in well drilling operations are cumbersome, expensive, and pose safety risks due to the need for manual handling and limited reach of gripper heads, especially when navigating between narrow fingerboards and multiple rows of pipe stands.
Innovation Solution
A pipe handler system with a pipe handling head and extension apparatus that includes movable arms and flippers, allowing for efficient movement and engagement of pipe stands on a fingerboard, featuring a track-mounted carriage with locking mechanisms and a control system for precise positioning and operation, enabling the system to access and handle pipe stands without requiring operator input for capture or release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single-arm gripper head is used to manipulate pipe stands, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to limited reach and inability to efficiently navigate between narrow fingerboards and multiple rows of pipe stands
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper head is divided into two separate arms instead of a single arm. Each arm can independently move and position itself, allowing the system to reach between narrow fingerboards and navigate around multiple rows of pipe stands more effectively. This segmentation provides greater operational flexibility while maintaining relatively simple individual arm structures.
2Device complexity
If manual handling procedures are used for pipe stands, then the device complexity is minimized, but the operator safety and productivity deteriorate due to cumbersome procedures and physical risk
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe handling system is designed to perform the handling operations automatically without requiring manual intervention. The two-arm gripper head can autonomously capture, move, and position pipe stands between the fingerboard and well center, eliminating the need for operators to manually handle the pipe stands and thereby improving safety while maintaining simple system architecture.
3Device complexity
If the pipe handling head has fixed width, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability deteriorates when navigating between narrow fingerboards and multiple rows of pipe stands
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper head employs two arms with adjustable spacing between them, allowing the effective width of the gripper head to be dynamically changed. This enables the system to adapt to different fingerboard widths and navigate between multiple rows of pipe stands flexibly, while each arm maintains a simple fixed structure.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 1B
Figure 1D
AI summary
Methods and systems for transferring pipe (including tubulars such as casing, tubing, drill pipe, etc.) or stands of pipe from one location to another in a wellbore derrick, e.g. from a fingerboard to a well center.