Shear Laser Module Retrofit for Blowout Preventer Tubular Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deepwater drilling operations face challenges with existing blowout preventers (BOPs) that struggle to effectively manage and control pressures and flows, particularly in emergency situations, due to the increasing strength and ductility of tubulars, which require stronger and more powerful shear rams that are difficult for older drilling rigs to handle.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a shear laser module into BOP stacks, which uses high power laser energy to quickly and reliably sever tubulars, allowing for efficient pressure and flow management, and the retrofitting of existing BOP stacks with these modules to enhance their capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional shear rams are used to cut tubulars, then the BOP can manage emergency situations, but the shear rams become too heavy and difficult to handle for older drilling rigs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical shear ram system with a laser-based cutting system. The laser cutter uses high-power laser beams to melt and sever tubulars, eliminating the need for heavy mechanical shear rams. This substitution maintains the cutting capability while dramatically reducing the weight and handling difficulty of the equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental operating parameter from mechanical force to optical energy. By using laser beams with sufficient power density, the system achieves cutting capability without relying on massive mechanical forces. This parameter change enables effective tubular severing while keeping the equipment lightweight and manageable.
2Reliability
If stronger shear rams are used to cut stronger tubulars, then emergency control improves, but the device complexity and handling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical shear ram systems with a laser cutting system. The laser cutter comprises optical components, power sources, and control systems that are less complex than heavy mechanical assemblies. This substitution maintains reliable emergency control while simplifying the overall device structure and improving handling characteristics.
3Productivity
If high power laser energy is used to cut tubulars, then cutting speed and reliability improve, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating high-power laser energy at a specific focal point on the tubular surface. The laser beam is focused to create a small, intense heating zone that efficiently melts and severs the material. This localized energy application achieves rapid cutting while minimizing overall energy consumption compared to distributing power across a larger area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of the tubular material (solid to liquid through melting) to achieve cutting. The high-power laser energy locally heats the material to its melting point, causing it to liquefy and then solidify as it is severed. This phase transition mechanism enables fast cutting speeds while the energy is efficiently transferred directly to the material being cut.
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 shear laser module enables BOPs to effectively manage and control pressures and flows, including emergency situations, by efficiently cutting through tubulars, thereby addressing the limitations of traditional shear rams and enhancing the operational capabilities of older drilling rigs.
Implementation Method 1
a laser cutter in the body which laser cutter has a beam path... delivering a high power laser beam to a tubular that is within the blowout preventer cavity
Implementation Method 2
uses high power laser energy to quickly and reliably sever tubulars
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a high power shear laser module, which can be readily included in a blowout preventer stack. The shear laser module as the capability of delivering high power laser energy to a tubular within a blowout preventer cavity, cutting the tubular and thus reducing the likelihood that the tubular will inhibit the ability of the blowout preventer to seal off a well.