Hoisting system and method
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsRolf Gullaksen, Erling Tambs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hoisting system of this disclosure includes a drawworks, a crown block or a compensator, a traveling block and at least one sheave assembly connected to the crown block or compensator in “Low Load/High Speed” mode and connected to the traveling block in “High Load/Low Speed” mode. A method to lift a load using a hoisting system of this disclosure uses a drawworks, a crown block or a compensator, a traveling block and at least one sheave assembly connected to the crown block or compensator in “Low Load/High Speed” mode and connected to the traveling block in “High Load/Low Speed” mode.
Claims20
A hoisting system comprising:
- a crown block;
- a traveling block;
- a rotatable drive coupled to the traveling block;
- a cable assembly that couples the crown block to the traveling block;
- and
- at least one sheave assembly comprising a plurality of sheaves mounted on a common yoke, the at least one sheave assembly being separate from the crown block and the traveling block, and the at least one sheave assembly being moveable between and alternately connectable to the crown and traveling blocks,
- wherein connection of the at least one sheave assembly to the crown block or to the traveling block is accomplished remotely,
- the traveling block further comprising a sheave cluster including a gap sized to accommodate the plurality of sheaves mounted on the common yoke of the at least one sheave assembly, the gap extending in a direction between sheaves of the sheave cluster of the traveling block, and the direction of the gap being parallel to a rotational axis of the sheaves of the sheave cluster,
- wherein, within the gap, the cable assembly runs from the crown block to the at least one sheave assembly;
- the hoisting system having:
- a first load capacity when the at least one sheave assembly is connected to the crown block in a first configuration;
- and
- a second higher load capacity when the at least one sheave assembly is connected to the traveling block in a second configuration,
- wherein the at least one sheave assembly is connected to the crown block and disconnected from the traveling block in the first configuration, and the at least one sheave assembly is disconnected from the crown block and connected to the traveling block in the second configuration,
- wherein the hoisting system is configured to raise and lower the traveling block, the rotatable drive, and a component coupled to and extending below the rotatable drive, wherein the rotatable drive is configured to rotate the component.
A hoisting system comprising:
- a crown block;
- a traveling block;
- a rotatable drive coupled to the traveling block;
- a cable assembly that couples the crown block to the traveling block;
- and
- at least one sheave assembly comprising a plurality of sheaves mounted on a common yoke, the at least one sheave assembly being separate from the crown block and the traveling block, and the at least one sheave assembly being moveable between and alternately connectable to the crown and traveling blocks,
- wherein connection of the at least one sheave assembly to the crown block or to the traveling block is accomplished remotely,
- wherein the at least one sheave assembly is connected to the crown block and disconnected from the traveling block in a first configuration, and the at least one sheave assembly is disconnected from the crown block and connected to the traveling block in a second configuration,
- the traveling block further comprising a sheave cluster including a gap sized to accommodate the plurality of sheaves mounted on the common yoke of the at least one sheave assembly, the gap extending in a direction between sheaves of the sheave cluster of the traveling block, and the direction of the gap being parallel to a rotational axis of the sheaves of the sheave cluster,
- wherein, within the gap, the cable assembly runs from the crown block to the at least one sheave assembly,
- wherein the hoisting system is configured to raise and lower the traveling block, the rotatable drive, and a component coupled to and extending below the rotatable drive, wherein the rotatable drive is configured to rotate the component.
A method to lift a load using a hoisting system comprising a crown block, a traveling block, a rotatable drive coupled to traveling block, a cable assembly that couples the crown block to the traveling block, and at least one sheave assembly comprising a plurality of sheaves mounted on a common yoke, the at least one sheave assembly being separate from the crown block and the traveling block, the at least one sheave assembly being moveable between and alternately connectable to the crown and traveling blocks, the traveling block further comprising a sheave cluster including a gap sized to accommodate the plurality of sheaves mounted on the common yoke of the at least one sheave assembly, the gap extending in a direction between sheaves of the sheave cluster of the traveling block, and the direction of the gap being parallel to a rotational axis of the sheaves of the sheave cluster, wherein, within the gap, the cable assembly runs from the crown block to the at least one sheave assembly, the method comprising:
- providing a first load capacity by remotely connecting the at least one sheave assembly to the crown block via an upper end of the common yoke in a first configuration;
- and
- providing a second higher load capacity by remotely connecting the at least one sheave assembly to the traveling block via a lower end of the common yoke in a second configuration,
- wherein the at least one sheave assembly is connected to the crown block and disconnected from the traveling block in the first configuration, and the at least one sheave assembly is disconnected from the crown block and connected to the traveling block in the second configuration,
- wherein the hoisting system is configured to raise and lower the traveling block, the rotatable drive, and a component coupled to and extending below the rotatable drive, wherein the rotatable drive is configured to rotate the component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.