Ram Packer Skeletal Member Resists Vertical Separation

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Solution Overview

Problem

In hydrocarbon drilling, ram blowout preventers face challenges in shearing pipes with increased wall thickness due to pipe flattening, which requires reduced ram arm thickness to accommodate larger diameters, but this can lead to vertical separation and potential failure under high loads.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a skeletal member within the packer that couples to the ram arms to oppose vertical separation, allowing for reduced arm thickness while maintaining structural integrity and enabling the shearing of larger-diameter pipes without failure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the thickness of ram arms is reduced to accommodate larger pipe diameters after flattening, then clearance for increased effective diameter is improved, but vertical separation and yielding of ram arms increases leading to potential BOP failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveram arm thicknessVSAvoidBOP reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The packer is segmented into a skeletal member and a resilient member, where the skeletal member provides structural support to prevent vertical separation of ram arms while the resilient member provides sealing functionality. This segmentation allows the ram arms to be thinner while maintaining reliability through the skeletal support structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The packer uses a composite structure combining a rigid skeletal member (made of stress-resistant material) with a resilient sealing member. This composite design allows the ram arms to have reduced thickness while the skeletal member compensates for the reduced structural capacity, preventing vertical separation under load.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If the thickness of ram arms is reduced to provide clearance for increased pipe diameter, then adaptability to larger pipes is improved, but the structural strength of ram arms deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclearance for increased pipe diameterVSAvoidram arm strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The skeletal member acts as an intermediary structural element between the ram arms and the packer assembly. It provides the necessary structural support and load-bearing capacity that would otherwise be required from the ram arms themselves, enabling the ram arms to be thinner while maintaining strength through the skeletal member's support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If the overall form factor of ram blocks is minimized, then device complexity is reduced, but clearance for larger pipe diameters is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoverall form factor of ram blocksVSAvoidclearance space for pipe

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The skeletal member is configured to extend between the ram arms in a dimension that provides structural support without increasing the overall form factor of the ram blocks. By utilizing the space between the ram arms efficiently, the design achieves both compactness and adequate clearance for larger pipes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS9644444B2Load-sharing ram packer for ram type blowout preventers

Publication Date: 2017.05.09 CAMERSON INT CORP

AI summary

A ram block includes an upper ram arm, a lower ram arm, a packer channel, and a packer disposed at least partially within the packer channel. The packer includes a skeletal member that is configured to couple to the upper ram arm and the lower ram arm to oppose vertical separation of the ram arms.