Well Casing Assembly Using External Welding and Hydraulic Clamps
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for constructing and installing well casings in vertical or inclined wells are cumbersome, costly, and pose safety risks due to the need for manpower inside deep wells, with inaccurate quality control in welding and assembly, especially in high-height or small-diameter wells.
Innovation Solution
A system where the casing is assembled and welded externally as a continuous pipe, using hydraulically operated clamps for sequential assembly and descent, allowing external quality verification and simultaneous installation of multiple pipes, with externally welded steel rings for structural support and alignment with the well axis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the casing is assembled and welded inside the well using overhead cranes or winches, then the casing can be installed in deep wells, but the quality control of assembly and welding becomes complicated and inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The casing units are assembled and welded on the surface before being lowered into the well. This preliminary assembly and welding operation allows for proper quality control and inspection to be performed in accessible conditions, eliminating the quality control problems associated with working inside deep wells.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly and welding operations are extracted from the well interior to the surface environment. By taking out these critical operations from the confined well space to the accessible surface, the patent enables proper quality control and welding procedures to be performed without the limitations of working inside deep wells.
2Ease of operation
If manpower is used inside deep wells for casing installation, then the casing can be positioned and assembled, but safety risks increase and additional equipment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The casing units are pre-assembled and pre-positioned on the surface before being lowered into the well as a complete assembly. This eliminates the need for workers to enter deep wells for assembly operations, thereby removing the safety risks associated with working in confined, deep underground spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly operations are extracted from the well interior to the surface, eliminating the need for manpower inside deep wells. This extraction of operations from the hazardous environment to a safe environment resolves the safety concerns while maintaining installation capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the casing is assembled as separate units inside the well, then the installation can be performed in existing wells, but the assembly quality is difficult to verify and repair
Solution Approach 1:
The casing units are assembled and welded on the surface where full inspection and verification can be performed. This preliminary assembly in accessible conditions allows for easy detection and measurement of assembly quality, and any repairs can be made before the casing is lowered into the well.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly and verification operations are extracted from the well interior to the surface environment. This extraction enables proper quality control, inspection, and repair operations to be performed in accessible conditions, eliminating the difficulty of detecting and measuring assembly quality inside deep wells.
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
This method enhances safety and accuracy by allowing all quality checks and repairs outside the well, reduces installation costs, and ensures reliable structural integrity and alignment, even in deviated well axes.
Implementation Method 1
the clamps (4, 24) are operated by a hydraulic system
Implementation Method 2
The pipeline descends inside said well under the thrust of the weight force of the same pipeline
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
Method and apparatus for the descent of pipelines in vertical or inclined wells, or their coating, even in conditions of well's or pipeline's axis not perfectly straight. Those method and apparatus are used in the construction of systems for the transport of water, gas and other fluids, in which the laying of pipelines or the lining of the above mentioned wells is achieved assembling together individual tubular units joined together to form a continuous tubing. The proposed method and apparatus are particularly advantageous in situations where the high height of the well or a small diameter make the making of a metallic coating complicated and expensive. The proposed method and apparatus allow the laying (descent) of the covering inside the well as a continuous pipeline, assembled outside the well, without the need for assemble the individual units of the pipeline and perform the checks inside the well.