Rubber Stator Coring Head With Pivotable Blades for Clean Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for removing and replacing rubber stators in mud motors and similar downhole devices are expensive, time-consuming, and pose safety risks due to the use of high-pressure water blasting, burning, or mechanical removal techniques that can damage equipment and require extensive cleanup.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical apparatus with a rotating head and pivotable blades, driven by a system of motors and tracks, is used to core out and cut back rubber stator material from the housing, allowing for efficient removal and recycling of the rubber as an elongated strip, reducing the need for costly and hazardous processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If high-pressure water blasting is used to remove rubber stator material, then the rubber can be removed from the housing, but the process is expensive, time-consuming, creates debris requiring filtration, and can damage the housing integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the hydraulic water blasting system with a mechanically-driven coring apparatus that uses a rotating head with cutting blades to mechanically core out the rubber stator material. This substitution eliminates the need for high-pressure water systems, filtration equipment, and associated infrastructure, directly addressing the contradictions by providing a faster, cleaner, and more cost-effective removal process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameter of material removal from hydraulic erosion (water blasting) to mechanical cutting (coring apparatus with blades). This parameter change transforms the removal mechanism from a slow, debris-generating process to a fast, clean-cutting process that produces minimal debris and eliminates the need for expensive water filtration systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If burning is used to remove rubber from the housing, then the rubber bond can be broken, but the process creates noxious smoke and fumes, can damage housing integrity, and is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal burning process with a mechanical coring system that physically cuts and removes the rubber stator material. This substitution eliminates combustion entirely, preventing the generation of noxious smoke and fumes, while also avoiding thermal damage to the housing and significantly reducing the process time.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the potentially harmful thermal energy of burning into a beneficial mechanical cutting process. By using a mechanically-driven coring apparatus with rotating blades, the system achieves rubber removal through controlled mechanical action rather than uncontrolled thermal degradation, thereby eliminating harmful emissions while maintaining effectiveness.
3Ease of manufacture
If liquid nitrogen freezing is used to remove rubber, then the rubber can shrink and crack for removal, but the process is very expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the cryogenic liquid nitrogen freezing process with a mechanical coring system. This substitution eliminates the need for expensive liquid nitrogen storage, handling, and application infrastructure, directly reducing the cost of the rubber removal process while maintaining effective rubber extraction capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a disposable or easily replaceable coring head with cutting blades that can be used to remove the rubber stator material. This approach replaces the expensive, infrastructure-intensive liquid nitrogen system with a simpler, more cost-effective mechanical solution that requires minimal infrastructure and operating costs.
4Strength
If high-pressure water blasting at 20,000-psi to 40,000-psi is used, then the water can slice through the rubber, but the process requires expensive filtration systems and is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the high-pressure hydraulic water blasting system with a mechanically-driven coring apparatus that uses rotating cutting blades to slice through the rubber stator material. This mechanical substitution provides comparable or superior cutting capability while eliminating the need for expensive high-pressure water infrastructure and filtration systems, and significantly increasing removal speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The coring apparatus divides the rubber removal task into segments handled by multiple cutting blades on the rotating head, allowing simultaneous cutting action across different portions of the rubber stator. This segmentation of the cutting process increases overall removal speed and efficiency compared to the sequential action of water blasting.
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 apparatus enables faster, safer, and more cost-effective removal of rubber stator material, minimizing debris and damage to the housing while allowing for efficient recycling of the rubber, thereby improving the efficiency and safety of the rubber replacement process.
Implementation Method 1
A mechanical apparatus with a rotating head and pivotable blades, driven by a system of motors and tracks, is used to core out and cut back rubber stator material from the housing
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for removing rubber stator material from inside a housing includes a head, at least one blade, and an actuator. For example, the apparatus can be used to core out rubber material from the housing so new material can be molded therein. Also, the apparatus can be used to cut back excess rubber material newly molded in the housing. The head is rotated about an axis and is moved along the axis relative to the housing. The at least one blade is pivotably connected to the head and removes the rubber stator material at least partially from inside the housing with the rotation and movement of the head through the housing. The actuator is associated with the at least one blade and is operable to adjust a pivot of the at least one blade relative to the head.