Side-saddle Cantilever Mast for Drilling Rigs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional land-based drilling rigs face challenges in navigating around existing wellheads and efficiently raising and lowering equipment, as mast placement can interfere with wellheads and other equipment, complicating operations.
Innovation Solution
The side saddle slingshot drilling rig design features pivotable substructures and a mast system composed of interlocking subunits, allowing for parallel or perpendicular movement to avoid wellheads and enabling efficient transport and assembly, with the mast being able to be raised and lowered without breaking down the catwalk assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional bootstrap masts or cantilever masts are used with fixed orientation, then mast structure is simple, but mast placement interferes with existing wellheads and equipment, reducing operational flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The mast is designed with dynamic reconfigurability through removable and repositionable components. The mast includes a first section and second section that can be disconnected and reconnected in different configurations, allowing the mast to adapt its structure and orientation based on wellhead locations and operational requirements, thereby resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and operational flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The mast is divided into multiple segments (first section and second section) that can be independently handled during assembly and disassembly. This segmentation allows the mast to be configured in different arrangements to avoid interference with existing wellheads while maintaining structural integrity, addressing both adaptability and complexity concerns
2Productivity
If mast is designed to be raised and lowered efficiently, then operational efficiency is improved, but mast structure becomes more complex with additional pivot points and subunits
Solution Approach 1:
The mast incorporates dynamic pivot points that enable smooth raising and lowering movements. The mast can pivot between different positions and orientations during assembly and operation, allowing efficient deployment without requiring complex breakdown procedures, thus improving productivity while managing structural complexity through functional design
3Stability of the object's composition
If mast subunits are transported with V-door side perpendicular to ground, then transport stability is improved, but assembly and deployment procedures become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The mast subunits are pre-configured for transport with the V-door side perpendicular to the ground, ensuring stability during movement. This preliminary positioning is designed to facilitate straightforward assembly operations at the site, as the components are already oriented in a manner that aligns with the final assembly configuration, thereby reducing operational complexity despite the specific transport orientation
Data Source
AI summary
A side saddle slingshot drilling rig includes a right substructure and a left substructure, the substructures positioned generally parallel and spaced apart from each other. The right substructure includes a right lower box and a first strut, the first strut pivotably coupled to the drill rig floor and pivotably coupled to the right lower box. The left substructure includes a left lower box and a second strut, the second strut pivotably coupled to the drill rig floor and pivotably coupled to the left lower box. The side saddle slingshot drilling rig also includes a drill rig floor, the drill rig floor including a V-door. The side of the drill rig floor has the V-door defining the V-door side of the drill rig floor, the V-door side of the drill rig floor parallel to the right substructure. The side saddle slingshot drilling rig further includes a mast, the mast including an open side defining a mast V-door side. The open side is oriented to face perpendicular to the right substructure. The mast is pivotably coupled to the drill rig floor by one or more mast pivot points and one or more lower mast attachment points, the mast being pivotable in a direction parallel to the V-door side of the drill rig floor or the mast being pivotable in a direction perpendicular to V-door side of the drill rig floor. The mast includes two or more subunits, wherein the two or more subunits are pinned together.