Drill string make-up and breakout torque control system and apparatus
AssigneeTorque Systems, Inc.
InventorGerre S. Voden, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and apparatus for the monitoring and control of torque applied during make-up and breakout of drill string components. The force applied by the cat head to the tong is measured by a hydraulic load cell and the horizontal and vertical angles between the direction of the cat head pull and the longitudinal axis of the tong are measured by angle measuring devices. Force and angle values are used for calculating the correct value of the applied make-up or breakout torque. Force angle, and torque values at shut down or breakout may be displayed, printed and plotted. During make-up, the cat head is automatically disengaged at an instant calculated to achieve a desired make-up torque at the completion of shut down.
Claims11
A drill string make-up and breakout torque control system and apparatus for use with a cat head system, including clutch operated drum and chain or cable for force generation, and a tong for torque application comprising:
- (a) means for measuring the instantaneous force generated by the cat head system and applied to the tong:
- (b) means for measuring the instantaneous vertical and horizontal angles between the direction of the force applied by the cat head system to the tong and the longitudinal axis of the tong;
- (c) means for connecting the force measuring means and the angle measuring means to the tong and the cat head chain or cable;
- (d) means for computing the torque applied to the drill string by the tong, utilizing the length of the tong to the point of the force application, the force applied to the tong as measured by the force measuring means, and the vertical and horizontal angles between the direction of the applied force and the longitudinal axis of the tong as measured by the vertical and horizontal angle measuring means;
- (e) means for computing a shutdown time interval in advance of achievement of a pre-selected make-up torque at which shutdown of the cat head must be initiated to achieve, within an allowed tolerance, the pre-selected make-up torque at the instant shutdown of the cat head system is complete;
- (f) means for automatically disengaging the clutch of the cat head, when the shut down time interval is reached during make-up of the drill string;
- and
- (g) means for displaying, printing and plotting applied force, horizontal and vertical angles between the direction of the applied force and the longitudinal axis of the tong, actual make-up torque, and date and time at cat head shutdown or breakout.
A drill string make-up and breakout torque control apparatus for use with a cat head system, including clutch operated drum and cable for force generation, and a tong for force application, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) force measuring means for measuring the instantaneous force applied to said tong;
- (b) angle measuring means for measuring the instantaneous vertical and horizontal angles between the direction of said instantaneous force and the longitudinal axis of said tong;
- (c) connecting means for connecting said force measuring means and said angle measuring means to said tong;
- (d) torque computing means for computing the torque applied to the drill string by said tong, based on electronic input from said force measuring means and said angle measuring means;
- (e) time interval computing means for computing a shutdown time interval within which a pre-determined maximum torque will be achieved, based on input from said torque computing means;
- and
- (f) clutch disengaging means for disengaging said clutch operated drum, based on input from said time interval computing means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.