Top Drive Motor-Below-Bearing Layout for Lighter Wellbore Rigs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional top drives have a large and heavy main support structure due to the drive motor's location above the main bearing housing, making them cumbersome to maintain and service, and requiring wider and taller geometry that increases the weight and size of the upper links.
Innovation Solution
The drive motor is positioned below the main bearing housing, with the drive motor integrally formed with the main bearing housing, allowing for a more compact and lighter top drive design, where the drive motor is coupled directly to the drive quill to provide torque, reducing the size and weight of the upper links and facilitating easier maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the drive motor is located above the main bearing housing, then the top drive can provide sufficient torque to the wellbore string, but the main support structure becomes large and heavy, making maintenance difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The drive motor is repositioned from its conventional location above the main bearing housing to a location below the main bearing housing. This inversion of the typical arrangement allows the motor to remain integrated with the housing while eliminating the need for a large upper structure, thereby improving maintainability without sacrificing torque capability
2Strength
If the drive motor is located above the main bearing housing, then the top drive can support the wellbore string weight, but the geometry becomes wider and taller, increasing the weight and size of the upper links
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the motor location to below the main bearing housing, the patent eliminates the need for a wide and tall upper structure to accommodate the motor. This reduces the dimensions and weight of the upper links while the main bearing housing continues to support the wellbore string weight effectively
Solution Approach 2:
The drive motor is integrally formed with the main bearing housing, merging two components into a single integrated structure. This eliminates the need for separate mounting structures and reduces the overall size and weight of the top drive assembly while maintaining load support capability
3Volume of moving object
If the drive motor is integrally formed with the main bearing housing, then the top drive size and weight are reduced, but the power transmission chain must be simplified
Solution Approach 1:
The drive motor is integrally formed with the main bearing housing, merging power generation and load support functions into a single component. This integration reduces the overall top drive size and eliminates the need for complex external mounting structures and transmission components
Solution Approach 2:
By integrating the motor directly into the housing, the patent extracts the need for separate drive train components such as gears, belts, or shafts that would otherwise be required to transmit power from a separately mounted motor. This simplification reduces both the volume and complexity of the power transmission system
Data Source
AI summary
A wellbore rig top drive is disclosed. The wellbore rig top drive can include a main bearing housing. The wellbore rig top drive can also include a main bearing supported by the main bearing housing. The main bearing can be configured to support a weight of a wellbore string and facilitate rotation of the wellbore string about an axis. The wellbore rig top drive can further include a quill supported by the main bearing and configured to rotate about the axis. The quill can be coupleable to the wellbore string. In addition, the wellbore rig top drive can include a drive motor disposed below the main bearing and supported by the main bearing housing. The drive motor can be coupled to the quill to provide torque to rotate the quill about the axis.