Tubular Handling System Control Line Guide Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The handling of tubulars in oil rigs is labor-intensive and poses risks due to the need for manual handling of heavy machinery, and control lines are prone to damage during the process of making up and running tubular strings into the well, especially when pinched or crushed by pipe slips.
Innovation Solution
A tubular handling system comprising a power tong, a spider, and a control line guide that allows for vertical movement of the power tong and spider, with a control line guide that can be positioned to maintain clearance and prevent damage to control lines during the tubular string's installation, enabling efficient and safe handling of tubulars and control lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual handling of tubulars is used during trip-in operations, then labor intensity is high and safety risks increase, but equipment complexity remains low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into an integrated tubular handling system where the spider structure integrates support functions, the power tong integrates gripping and rotating functions, and the control line guide integrates protection and positioning functions. This merging reduces the need for separate manual operations while managing equipment complexity through functional integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The power tong automatically grips and rotates the add-on tubular without manual intervention. The spider automatically supports the tubular string weight and positions it. The control line guide automatically positions and protects control lines during the making-up process, eliminating the need for manual handling of heavy machinery.
2Reliability
If control lines are secured to pipe string during making up operations, then control lines may be pinched or crushed by pipe slips, but securing control lines is necessary for downhole device operation
Solution Approach 1:
The control line guide acts as an intermediary component between the control lines and the spider slips. It provides a protected pathway that guides control lines away from the gripping zones of the slips, preventing direct contact and potential damage while still allowing the slips to effectively grip the tubular string.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the operational zones by providing separate pathways: one for the tubular string to be gripped by the spider slips, and another for control lines to be guided and protected. This spatial segmentation prevents interference between the gripping mechanism and the control lines.
3Force
If spider slips grip tubular string tightly to support heavy weight, then control lines are more susceptible to pinching, but adequate grip is necessary to support tubular string weight
Solution Approach 1:
The control line guide serves as a mediator that redirects control lines away from the high-force gripping zone of the spider slips. It creates a physical separation that allows the slips to apply full gripping force to the tubular string without transmitting that force to the control lines.
Solution Approach 2:
The control line guide extends control lines into a different spatial dimension (laterally outward from the tubular string) rather than keeping them in the same radial plane as the slips. This dimensional change places control lines outside the compression zone created by the slips.
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 system reduces manual labor and minimizes damage to control lines by allowing vertical movement of the power tong and spider, ensuring safe and efficient connection and installation of tubulars while protecting control lines from pinching or crushing.
Implementation Method 1
The generally wedge-shaped slips are adapted for engaging the outer curved surface of the pipe string and bearing against the tapered inner surface of the bowl to provide generally radially distributed support in a self-tightening manner.
Implementation Method 2
The radially inwardly disposed gripping surfaces of the slips are concave in order to contact the pipe over a radially large area to minimize localized stresses.
Data Source
AI summary
A tubular handling system and method, of which the system includes a power tong configured to engage and rotate an add-on tubular by applying a torque thereto, the power tong defining a central opening configured to receive the add-on tubular therethrough, a spider disposed at a rig floor, the spider being configured to support a tubular string, a lifting assembly coupled with the power tong and configured to move the power tong vertically with respect to the tubular string and the spider, and a control line guide coupled to the power tong. The control line guide is movable between an extended position in which the control line guide is configured to guide a control line into close proximity to the add-on tubular, and a retracted position in which the control line guide is configured to maintain a lateral control line clearance gap between the control line and the add-on tubular.