Electrical actuator with static force amplification
AssigneeCanrig Robotic Technologies AS
InventorKjetil Naesgaard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A roughneck system includes a base, and a wrench assembly coupled to the base including an actuation system. The actuation system includes one or more two-stage actuator units configured to receive fluid from one or more fluid lines. The one or more two-stage actuator units include a clamping body, an electric motor, a ball screw that is coupled to the electric motor and configured to move the clamping body from a pre-clamping position to a clamping position, and an accumulator that is fluidly coupled to the clamping body and configured to apply force to the clamping body using a hydraulic pressure.
Claims20
A two-stage actuator unit for use in applying a force to a target object, the actuator unit comprising:
- a clamping body;
- an electric motor;
- a ball screw coupled to the electric motor and configured to move the clamping body from a first position to a second position in response to operation of the electric motor;
- and
- a fluid connection coupled to a fluid cavity of the clamping body, the fluid cavity configured to receive hydraulic fluid to increase hydraulic pressure applied to the clamping body.
A roughneck system, comprising:
- a base;
- and
- a wrench assembly coupled to the base and comprising an actuation system, wherein the actuation system comprises:
- one or more two-stage actuator units configured to receive hydraulic fluid from one or more fluid lines, the one or more two-stage actuator units each comprising:
- a clamping body,
- an electric motor,
- a ball screw coupled to the electric motor and configured to move the clamping body from a pre-clamping position to a clamping position, and
- a fluid connection coupled to a fluid cavity of the clamping body, the fluid cavity configured to receive hydraulic fluid to increase hydraulic pressure applied to the clamping body.
A method of performing a clamping operation, the method comprising:
- extending a clamping surface of a two-stage actuator unit to a pre-clamping position using an electrical motor, the two-stage actuator unit comprising:
- a clamping body;
- an electric motor;
- a ball screw coupled to the electric motor and configured to move the clamping body from a pre-clamping position to a clamping position;
- and
- a fluid connection fluidly coupled to a fluid cavity of the clamping body;
- applying pressure to hydraulic fluid disposed within the fluid cavity of the two-stage actuator unit to increase clamping pressure at the clamping surface for a clamping period;
- after the clamping period, reducing the clamping pressure at the clamping surface by reducing pressure applied to the hydraulic fluid disposed within the fluid cavity;
- and
- retracting the clamping surface of the two-stage actuator unit from the pre-clamping position using the electrical motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.