Drilling Rig Stair Tower with Integrated Cable Tray
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional land-based drilling rigs require separate transportation and rigging of electrical cables and utility piping, necessitating multiple crane lifts, which is inefficient and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A stair tower system with a frame, stair flights, platforms, and a pivotably coupled cable tray that can be transported horizontally, raised, and mechanically coupled to the drilling rig, allowing for simultaneous extension and connection of electrical cables and utility piping with a single crane lift.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If electrical cables and utility piping are brought to the rig floor by separate grasshoppers and vertical cable trays, then each component can be independently installed, but multiple crane lifts are required which increases setup time and reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cable tray and stair tower into a single integrated assembly that can be transported and installed together as one unit. The cable tray is mechanically coupled to the stair tower structure, allowing both components to be rigged up simultaneously with a single crane lift rather than requiring separate operations for each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: the stair tower provides personnel access to the rig floor while the attached cable tray provides a pathway for electrical cables and utility piping. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate installation operations for each function.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate components are transported and rigged up individually, then each component can be optimized for its specific function, but the overall installation process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cable tray and stair tower into a single integrated structure that maintains the functional optimization of each component while simplifying the installation process. The cable tray is attached to the stair tower in a manner that allows both components to retain their design advantages while being installed as one unit.
Data Source
AI summary
A stair tower for a drilling rig is disclosed, the stair tower including a frame, one or more stair flights and platforms positioned within and mechanically coupled to the frame, and a cable tray pivotably coupled to the frame.