Wire Access Line Drum Assembly With Internal Shaft Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drum assemblies for well access lines face significant deformation or crushing due to high stress from long, heavy well access lines, especially in deep and deviated wells, leading to frequent replacements and increased operating costs.
Innovation Solution
A tubular drum assembly with a shaft that extends partially within the drum, providing additional support to resist deformation and crushing, featuring a shaft with a tubular cross-section and longitudinal slots to enhance strength without excessive weight, and a split configuration for increased durability and ease of operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a conventional drum assembly is used to store and deploy long, heavy well access lines, then the well access line can be deployed to significant depths, but the drum assembly is subject to substantial forces that lead to deformation or crushing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a shaft extending through the drum assembly in a dimension perpendicular to the drum's rotational axis. This adds structural support in a new dimension, allowing the drum to handle longer, heavier well access lines without deformation while maintaining its rotational function for line deployment.
2Strength
If the drum assembly is made stronger to resist deformation from heavy well access lines, then the drum can handle higher stress, but the weight and complexity of the drum assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drum shell with a shaft extending through it, creating a composite structural system. The shaft (potentially made of different material properties than the drum shell) provides additional strength and rigidity to resist crushing forces, while the overall weight increase is minimized compared to making the entire drum assembly uniformly thicker or heavier.
3Strength
If a shaft is added to the drum assembly to provide additional support, then the drum resists deformation better, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the drum assembly into distinct components: the drum shell and the shaft. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function, and the assembly can be manufactured and maintained more easily despite the added structural capability.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If the drum assembly is designed to withstand high stress from heavy well access lines, then the life expectancy of the drum is extended, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the drum assembly into a drum shell and a shaft, the patent enables modular manufacturing where each component can be produced separately using standard processes, then assembled. This reduces overall manufacturing complexity compared to creating a single integrated high-strength structure.
Data Source
AI summary
One aspect of the disclosed subject matter is seen in a wire access line drum assembly, comprising a tubular drum, first and second end portions, and a shaft. The tubular drum includes a first end, a second end, and an inner diameter of a first preselected size. The first and second end portions are coupled to the first and second ends of the tubular drum, and the shaft extends at least partially within the tubular drum. The shaft has an outer diameter of a second preselected size substantially similar to the first preselected size. Another aspect of the disclosed subject matter is seen in a drum storage system. The drum storage system is comprised of a plurality of wire access line drums and a rack. The plurality of wire access line drums each have a wire access line pre-spooled thereon, and the rack is designed to receive the plurality of wire access line drums in a configuration to permit one or more of the wire access lines to be retrieved from the rack and transported to a job site.