Hydraulic jet well cleaning assembly using a non-rotating tubing string

A system for washing pipes, comprising:

• a non-rotating tubing string;
• means for expelling a stream of fluid against said pipe, said expelling means being attached to said string such that as said expelling means rotates through an angle about the lengthwise axis of said tubing string, a portion of said tubing string will rotate;
• means for supplying fluid under pressure to said expelling means;
• means for creating a twisting moment in said tubing string tending to angularly displace said expelling means;
• means for moving said expelling means along the length of a pipe to be cleaned;
• and
• means for varying said twisting moment to vary the angular displacement of said expelling means.

A system for washing pipe comprising:

• a non-rotating tubing string, said tubing in the string having a length, l, an outside diameter, D, an inside diameter, d, and a torsional modulus of elasticity, G,;
• a jet carrier attached to said string such that as said carrier rotates through a given angle about the lengthwise axis of said tubing string, a portion of said tubing string will rotate through substantially the same angle, said jet carrier having a central axis and a plurality of nozzles spaced along its length;
• means for supplying fluid under pressure to said nozzles, said nozzles adapted to expel fluid in streams against said pipe, each of said streams striking said pipe with a force, said force having an equal and opposite reactive force, one or more nozzles being positioned on said carrier such that the reactive force is offset with respect to the axis of the carrier creating a twisting moment, T, in said tubing string tending to rotate the carrier through an angle, a, said angle being defined by the following equation:
• a=584TlNj/(D.sup.4 -d.sup.4)G
• Wherein
• T=twisting moment in inch-lbs;
• l=length of tubing in inches;
• Nj=number of offset nozzles:
• D=outside diameter of the tubing in inches;
• d=inside diameter of the tubing in inches;
• G=Torsional modulus of elasticity of the tubing;
• means for moving said carrier along the length of a pipe to be cleaned;
• means for varying said pressure to angularly displace said carrier.

A system for washing pipes comprising:

• a non-rotating tubing string;
• a jet carrier attached to said string such that as said carrier rotates through a given angle about the lengthwise axis of said tubing string, the portion of said tubing string closest to said carrier will rotate through substantially the same angle, said jet carrier having a central axis therethrough and having a plurality of nozzles spaced along its length;
• means for supplying fluid under a bottom hole differential pressure, P, to said nozzles, said nozzles having orifices with an area, A, to expel said fluid in streams against said pipe, each of said streams striking said pipe with a force, said force having an equal and opposite reactive force, F, said reactive force being equal to P.times.A, one or more nozzles being oriented on said carrier such that the reactive force, F, is offset a distance, B, with respect to the axis of the carrier creating a twisting moment, T, in said tubing string equal to F.times.B tending to angularly displace the carrier;
• means for moving said carrier along the length of a pipe to be cleaned;
• and
• means for varying said pressure to angularly displace said carrier.

A system for washing pipes, comprising;

• a non-rotating tubing string;
• a jet carrier attached to said string such that as said carrier rotates through a given angle about the lengthwise axis of said tubing string, a portion of said tubing string will rotate through substantially the same angle, said jet carrier having a central axis and having a plurality of nozzles spaced along its length;
• means for suppling fluid under a bottom hole differential pressure, P, to said nozzles, said nozzles having orifices with an area, A, to expel said fluid in streams against said pipe, each of said streams striking said pipe with a force, said force having an equal and opposite reactive force, F, said reactive force being equal to P.times.A, one or more nozzles being oriented on said carrier such that the reactive force, F, is offset a distance, B, with respect to the axis of the carrier creating a twisting moment, T, in said tubing string equal to F.times.B tending to rotate the carrier through an angle, a, said angle being defined by the following equation:
• a=584TlNj/(D.sup.4 -d.sup.4)G
• Wherein
• T=twisting moment in inch-lbs;
• l=length of tubing in inches;
• Nj=number of offset nozzles;
• D=outside diameter of tubing in inches;
• d=inside diameter of tubing in inches;
• G=torsional modulus of elasticity;
• means for moving said carrier along the length of a pipe to be cleaned;
• and
• means for varying said pressure to angularly displace said carrier.

A system for washing pipes having openings clogged with foreign material said openings having horizontal axes, comprising:

• a non-rotating tubing string;
• a jet carrier attached to said string such that as said carrier rotates through a given angle about the lengthwise axis of said tubing string, a portion of said tubing string will rotate through substantially the same angle, said jet carrier having a generally tubular body with a hollow center which provides a path for a fluid, said body having a central axis;
• nozzles mounted to said carrier body;
• means for supplying fluid under pressure to said nozzles, each of said nozzles being adapted to expel said fluid against said pipe to clean said openings, with a force against the pipe, said force having an equal and opposite reactive force, one or more said nozzles being mounted in said carrier body such that said reactive force is directionally offset from said carrier axis creating a twisting moment in said tubing string about said axis tending to rotate said carrier about said axis;
• one or more of said nozzles being mounted in said carrier body such that the force of each nozzle is directionally coincident with the horizontal axis of each corresponding opening being cleaned;
• means for moving said carrier along the length of a pipe to be cleaned;
• and
• means for varying said pressure to angularly displace said carrier.

A method for cleaning a pipe, comprising;

• providing a non-rotating tubing string;
• providing a jet carrier attached to said string such that as said carrier rotates through a given angle about the lengthwise axis of said tubing string, a portion of said tubing string will rotate through substantially the same angle, said carrier having a central axis and a plurality of nozzles spaced along its length;
• supplying fluid under pressure to said nozzles, said nozzles adapted to expel said fluid against said pipe with a force, said force having an equal and opposite reactive force, one or more said nozzles being oriented on said carrier such that the reactive force is directionally offset from said carrier axis creating a twisting moment in said tubing string about said axis tending to angularly displace the carrier;
• moving said carrier along the length of said pipe;
• varying said pressure to angularly displace said carrier.

A method for cleaning pipes, comprising:

• providing a non-rotating tubing string;
• providing means for expelling a stream of fluid against said pipe, said expelling means being attached to said string such that as said expelling means rotates through an angle about the lengthwise axis of said tubing string, a portion of said tubing string will rotate;
• supplying fluid under pressure to said expelling means;
• creating a twisting moment in said tubing string tending to effect a first angular displacement of said expelling means;
• varying said twisting moment to effect a second angular displacement of said expelling means.

A method for cleaning pipes comprising:

• providing a non-rotating tubing string;
• providing a jet carrier attached to said string such that as said carrier rotates through a given angle about the lengthwise axis of said tubing string, a portion of said tubing string will rotate through substantially the same angle, said jet carrier having a central axis and having a plurality of nozzles spaced along its length;
• supplying fluid under a bottom hole differential pressure, P, to said nozzles, said nozzles having orifices with an area, A, to expel said fluid in streams against said pipe, each of said streams striking said pipe with a force, said force having an equal or opposite reactive force, F, said reactive force being equal to P.times.A, said nozzle being oriented on said carrier such that the reactive force, F, is offset a distance, B, with respect to the axis of the carrier creating a twisting moment, T, in said tubing string equal to F.times.B tending to rotate the carrier an angle, a, said angle being defined by the following equation:
• a=584TlN.sub.j /(D.sup.4 -d.sup.4)G
• Wherein
• T=twisting moment in inch-lbs;
• l=length of tubing in inches;
• N.sub.j =number of offset nozzles;
• D=outside diameter of tubing in inches;
• d=inside diameter of tubing in inches;
• G=torsional modulus of elasticity;
• moving the carrier along the length of the pipe in a first pass with the pressure held constant;
• and
• changing said pressure to a new value to angularly displace the carrier;
• moving the carrier along the length of the pipe in a second pass with the pressure held constant at the new value.

Apparatus for washing pipes comprising:

• a tube having a first end, a second end and a central axis;
• means for providing pressurized fluid to said first end;
• a nozzle, having a central stream axis, said nozzle being mounted adjacent to said second end of said tube, said nozzle providing fluid communication between the interior and exterior of said tube, said nozzle being oriented such that when fluid is expelled therefrom a twisting moment is provided about said central axis of said tube, said nozzle being mounted such that as said nozzle rotates through a given angle about the lengthwise axis of the tube said second end of said tube will rotate through substantially the same angle;
• means for moving said second end of said tube along the length of a pipe to be washed;
• means for varying said pressure to angularly displace said second end of said tube about said central axis of said tube.

A method for cleaning pipes, comprising:

• providing a non-rotating tubing string;
• providing a jet carrier attached to said string such that as said carrier rotates through a given angle about the lengthwise axis of said tubing string, a portion of said tubing string will rotate through substantially the same angle, said jet carrier having a plurality of nozzles;
• supplying fluid under pressure to said nozzles which expel streams of fluid against the pipe;
• creating a twisting moment in said tubing string tending to effect a first angular displacement of said nozzles;
• moving said carrier along the length of said pipe at a lengthwise speed in a first pass;
• determining an incremental change in angular displacement for each subsequent pass and a number of passes required to produce stream coverage of all points on said pipe to be cleaned at least once but not more than twice;
• determining the incremental change in twisting moment needed to produce said incremental change in angular displacement;
• moving the carrier along the pipe for said number of passes at said lengthwise speed, each of said passes having said incremental twisting moment change.

The method claim of 27 wherein the length of the tubing in feet is 1, the number of offset nozzles is N.sub.j, the outside diameter of the tubing string in inches is D, the inside diameter of the tubing string in inches is d, the torsional modulus of elasticity of the tubing string is G, the inside diameter of the pipe to be cleaned in inches is D.sub.L, the number of jet tracks per circumferential inch is N.sub.c, the diameter of each of the nozzle openings in inches is D.sub.j, the offset distance of the force created by the expulsion of water from the axis of the carrier in inches is B;

• wherein the step of determining the incremental change in angular displacement includes:
• determining the width of the fluid stream expelled from each of the nozzles;
• selecting N.sub.c such that all points in each circumferential inch will be covered at least once but not more than twice;
• selecting the change in angular displacement of said carrier according to the equation
• .DELTA.a=360/.pi.D.sub.L N.sub.C
• wherein the step of determining the incremental change in twisting moment further includes determining the incremental change in pressure needed to create the incremental change in twisting moment according to the equation ##EQU13##