Offshore Drilling Sock Catcher With Shearable Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing socks used in offshore drilling operations fail to effectively catch dropped pipe joints or sections without causing damage to equipment on the seafloor, and require lengthy and costly repairs, while core samples are handled inadequately due to disturbance during retrieval.
Innovation Solution
A sock system with a catching assembly featuring tubulars, shearable members, and a stop flange, which allows a catcher to move from a first to a second position upon impact, displacing water to slow the dropped object and preventing it from falling, and a watertight assembly for core retrieval that provides a vertical and dry environment for disassembly and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a spring mechanism is used to slow dropped pipe joints, then the dropped joint is decelerated, but the spring becomes damaged requiring lengthy and expensive repair
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a cushioning assembly with energy-absorbing elements positioned at the bottom of the sock to cushion dropped pipe joints before they reach the hard surface. This pre-positioned cushioning mechanism absorbs impact energy through controlled deformation, preventing spring damage while maintaining reliability for subsequent operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushioning assembly uses replaceable energy-absorbing elements that can be quickly exchanged after absorbing impact energy. Rather than repairing damaged springs, the system replaces consumable cushioning components, reducing repair time and costs while maintaining operational reliability.
2Reliability
If the catcher moves freely to catch dropped objects, then catching effectiveness is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The catching assembly is segmented into modular components: the catcher, shearable members, stop flange, and cushioning assembly. This segmentation allows the catcher to move independently for effective catching while simplifying the overall structure and enabling easy replacement of individual components without affecting the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The catcher is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to move freely upon impact to absorb dropped objects. The shearable members provide a fail-safe mechanism that allows the catcher to detach if needed, while the stop flange provides a defined travel limit. This dynamic design achieves reliable catching without requiring complex restraint mechanisms.
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 sock system effectively catches and retains dropped pipe joints or sections, preventing damage to seabed equipment and reduces maintenance costs, while providing a secure and undisturbed environment for core sample handling and storage.
Implementation Method 1
releasing the catcher from the first position by shearing the plurality of shearable members in response to an impact of a dropped joint with a portion of the catcher
Implementation Method 2
displacing a column of water from a bore of the sock through at least one of the plurality of orifices and the aperture in response to the catcher descending in the bore
Data Source
AI summary
A sock for a floating platform including a plurality of tubulars coupled together and defining a bore and a catcher assembly. The catcher assembly including a plurality of orifices formed in at least one of the plurality of tubulars, a catcher releasably coupled to the plurality of tubulars by a plurality of shearable members, wherein the catcher is disposed in the bore, and wherein the catcher is movable from a first position to a second position, and a stop flange having at least one aperture.