Hydraulic actuator with integral torque turn monitoring
Assignee2M-TEK, Inc.
InventorAndrew Gherardi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An actuator assembly with integrated torque turn monitoring is described. Embodiments include a rotationally fixed outer hydraulic section and a rotationally independent inner hydraulic section which incorporates torque load sensors, axial load sensors, and rotational speed sensors directly into the inner hydraulic section. The inner hydraulic section is coupled to an outer cage by a cage ring and is axially movable relative to the inner mandrel. Upper and lower fluid chambers are disposed between the outer housing assembly and the inner mandrel. Fluid pumped through a lower pressure port into the lower chamber moves the housing assembly in a first direction, and fluid pumped through an upper pressure port into the upper fluid chamber moves the housing assembly in a second direction.
Claims10
A hydraulic actuator with integral torque turn monitoring comprising:
- an outer hydraulic section comprising a housing assembly, wherein at least a portion of the outer hydraulic section is rotationally fixed;
- an inner hydraulic section comprising a strain gauge, a gyroscope, and a gripping apparatus comprising an outer cage concentrically disposed about an inner mandrel and movable relative to the inner mandrel for engaging and disengaging a plurality of rolling supports within a tubular, wherein the housing assembly is coupled to the outer cage and is axially movable relative to the inner mandrel;
- an upper fluid chamber disposed between the housing assembly and the inner mandrel, and a lower fluid chamber disposed between the housing assembly and the inner mandrel, wherein fluid pumped through a lower pressure port into the lower chamber moves the housing assembly in a first direction thereby causing the gripping apparatus to engage the tubular, and wherein fluid pumped through an upper pressure port into the upper fluid chamber moves the housing assembly in a second direction thereby causing the gripping apparatus to disengage the tubular, and wherein the inner hydraulic section is rotationally independent of the outer hydraulic section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.