US 12,110,749 B1 · Wellbore tractor with inverted toroid

Abstract

A tractor assembly includes a toroidal shaped fluid filled membrane mounted over a body and a drive system coupled with the membrane. The drive system includes a helical flight that inverts the membrane when rotated against its inner surface. A mid-section of the body includes sleeve like portions that telescope with one another and shorten a length of the body. Fluid in the membrane is forced from the mid-section and radially expands a forward portion and into contact with an inner surface of the passage, so that when the membrane is inverted while in a passage, frictional contact between the membrane and inner surface of the passage creates a force that urges the tractor assembly through a passage.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A tractor assembly for use in a wellbore comprising:

a body having annular forward and aft portions that selectively telescope with respect to one another between extended and retracted configurations of the body;
a space extending axially through the body;
a helical flight in the space;
and
a membrane mounted onto the body and formed into an elongated toroid and that is selectively inverted when the helical flight is rotated, the membrane having a forward section that radially expands into contact with an inner surface of the wellbore when the body is in the retracted configuration, so that when the membrane is inverted contact between the membrane and inner surface of the wellbore generates a resultant force that displaces the tractor assembly within the wellbore.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Wellbore tractor with inverted toroid

Life of this patent

Wellbore tractor with inverted toroid

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13