Measuring drill pipe alignment in rotating control device system
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsRodrigo Feliu, Sara Escanero, Emilio De Matias Salces
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system includes a drill pipe and a rotating control device including a housing defining a bore through which the drill pipe extends during a managed pressure drilling operation, a sealing element disposed in the housing that is configured to seal against the drill pipe to block fluid flow through an annular space surrounding the drill pipe, a bearing assembly disposed in the housing that enables the sealing element to rotate relative to the housing, and means for detecting eccentricity or misalignment of the drill pipe within the rotating control device during the managed pressure drilling operation.
Claims9
A system, comprising:
- a drill pipe;
- and
- a rotating control device comprising:
- a housing defining a bore through which the drill pipe extends during a managed pressure drilling operation;
- a sealing element disposed in the housing that is configured to seal against the drill pipe to block fluid flow through an annular space surrounding the drill pipe;
- a bearing assembly disposed in the housing that enables the sealing element to rotate relative to the housing;
- an insert that at least partially interfaces between the sealing element and the bearing assembly, wherein the insert is comparatively more rigid than the sealing element;
- and
- at least one load cell integrated into the insert and configured to detect eccentricity or misalignment of the drill pipe within the rotating control device during the managed pressure drilling operation.
A method comprising:
- extending a drill pipe through a bore defined in a housing of a rotating control device, the rotating control device further comprising:
- a sealing element disposed in the housing that is configured to seal against the drill pipe to block fluid flow through an annular space surrounding the drill pipe;
- a bearing assembly disposed in the housing that enables the sealing element to rotate relative to the housing;
- an insert that at least partially interfaces between the sealing element and the bearing assembly;
- and
- at least one load cell integrated into the insert;
- actuating the sealing element of the rotating control device to seal about the drill pipe;
- rotating the drill pipe to initiate a managed pressure drilling operation;
- and
- detecting, via the at least one load cell, eccentricity or misalignment of the drill pipe within the rotating control device during the managed pressure drilling operation.
A system, comprising:
- a drill pipe;
- and
- a rotating control device comprising:
- a housing defining a bore through which the drill pipe extends during a managed pressure drilling operation;
- a sealing element disposed in the housing that is configured to seal against the drill pipe to block fluid flow through an annular space surrounding the drill pipe;
- a bearing assembly disposed in the housing that enables the sealing element to rotate relative to the housing;
- an insert that at least partially interfaces between the sealing element and the bearing assembly, wherein the insert is comparatively more rigid than the sealing element;
- and
- a plurality of load cells placed in an interface between the sealing element and the insert, wherein each load cell of the plurality of load cells is configured to detect eccentricity or misalignment of the drill pipe within the rotating control device during the managed pressure drilling operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.