Rotating Shoulder-Type Elevator for Heavy Casing Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oil well casing handling devices face substantial stress, strain, and fatigue due to the weight of heavy casing strings, leading to inefficiencies in gripping and manipulating long pipes during make-up and break-out operations.
Innovation Solution
A rotating shoulder-type elevator with a frame, movable shoes, and remotely controlled hydraulic cylinders that pivotally connect the timing ring to the shoes, allowing for centralized support and rotation of the pipe joint within the elevator body, ensuring secure grip and reduced drag during connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a traditional shoulder-type elevator is used to support heavy casing strings, then the elevator can grip the pipe, but the substantial weight causes stress, strain, and fatigue on the elevator components
Solution Approach 1:
The elevator is divided into multiple independent components including the body, shoes, timing ring, and link assemblies. Each component can move and function independently to distribute the heavy load, preventing stress concentration on any single part and reducing fatigue.
Solution Approach 2:
The elevator incorporates movable shoes that can dynamically adjust their position along the pipe surface, and a timing ring that rotates to control shoe movement. This dynamic capability allows the elevator to adapt to varying pipe weights and positions, distributing stress more effectively throughout the structure.
2Reliability
If the elevator grips the pipe securely, then pipe slippage is prevented, but the pipe rotation during make-up operations may be restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The timing ring and movable shoes create a dynamic gripping system that can adjust during operation. The shoes can move along the pipe surface while maintaining contact, allowing the pipe to rotate during make-up operations without losing grip reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The timing ring acts as an intermediary mechanism between the fixed elevator body and the movable shoes. It translates rotational movement into controlled shoe positioning, enabling pipe rotation while maintaining secure grip through the intermediary timing mechanism.
3Device complexity
If the elevator structure is simplified, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to handle heavy casing strings with stress and fatigue is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The elevator is segmented into modular components (body, shoes, timing ring, link assemblies) that can be manufactured and assembled separately. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for strength while maintaining overall structural integrity, handling heavy loads without excessive complexity.
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 solution enables safe and efficient handling of heavy casing strings by maintaining a secure grip and centralized positioning, reducing the risk of pipe slippage and loss during make-up operations, while allowing for free rotation of the pipe joint without drag, thus enhancing operational safety and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The shoes are lowered by manipulation of the timing ring, and the elevator may be rotated on the pins by extension of the support rod cylinders
Implementation Method 2
The timing ring and thus the movable shoes are lowered by the hydraulic cylinders to a point where the timing ring contacts compression springs placed around the cylinder rods
Implementation Method 3
The elevator is used to grip, lift, and release a string of tubulars in cooperation with the spider
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A shoulder-type elevator is described. The elevator (10) has a frame (12) that supports a ring-shaped body (16) having an inwardly tapered interior surface. The body (16) is configured to receive a length of pipe a collar (C) with an outwardly protruding shoulder. A timing ring (42) supports a plurality of shoes (40) curvilinearly arrayed around the interior surface of the body (16). A set of timing ring cylinders with extendable and retractable piston rods (32) provide powered reciprocal movement of the over a desired range, and thereby powered reciprocal movement of the shoes (40), radially inward and outward around and below the shoulder of the pipe collar (C) within the interior of the ring-shaped body (16). Compression springs (54) mounted around each of the timing ring cylinder piston rods (40) provide an upward bias to the timing ring (42) at the end of its powered range of downward movement. The position of the shoes (40) within the ring-shaped body is configured so that the pipe collar will bear on the shoes to compress the upwardly biased compression springs (54) on the piston rods (32) of the timing ring cylinders.