Drawworks having annulus rotating union with brake cooling system

A drawworks apparatus for raising and lowering items down a well bore, the drawworks apparatus comprising:

• a frame having a working area within inner surfaces thereof where the raising and lowering of items occurs;
• an annulus rotating union operatively connected to the drum spool to permit independent rotation of the drum spool relative to the drum shaft, the annulus rotating union having a cooling fluid inlet which receives a cooling fluid and a first cooling fluid passage in fluidic communication with the cooling fluid inlet;
• a drum shaft which is adapted to receive the annulus rotating union, the drum shaft having a second cooling fluid passage in fluidic communication with the first cooling fluid passage;
• a seal spacer mounted concentrically on the drum shaft to provide a hermetic seal at an interface between the seal spacer and the drum shaft, the seal spacer having a third cooling fluid passage in fluidic communication with the second cooling fluid passage;
• a first brake assembly located outside of the working area, the first brake assembly having a fourth cooling fluid passage in fluidic communication with the third cooling fluid passage;
• a drum spool operatively connected to the first brake assembly at an on-operator area of the drawworks assembly and which is rotatably supported by the frame and concentrically supports the drum shaft, the drum spool having a fifth cooling fluid passage in fluidic communication with the fourth cooling fluid passage;
• and
• a cooling fluid manifold extending axially in a spatial gap between the drum shaft and the drum spool and in fluidic communication with the fifth cooling fluid passage.

A drawworks apparatus comprising:

• a frame having a working area within inner surfaces thereof where raising and lowering of items down a well bore occurs;
• a drum spool extending through and rotatably supported by the frame;
• a drum shaft concentrically supported by the drum spool;
• a rotating union operatively connected to the drum spool to permit independent rotation of the drum spool relative to the drum shaft;
• a seal spacer mounted concentrically on the drum shaft and adapted to provide a hermetic seal at an interface between the seal spacer and the drum shaft;
• a brake assembly located outside the working area and operatively connected to the drum spool;
• a brake assembly cooling system adapted to reduce the operating temperature of the brake assembly during operation of the drawworks apparatus, the brake assembly cooling system including:
• a rotating union cooling fluid inlet at the rotating union which receives a cooling fluid and a rotating union cooling fluid passage in fluidic communication with the rotating union cooling fluid inlet;
• a drum shaft cooling fluid passage extending through the drum shaft and in fluidic communication with the rotating union cooling fluid passage;
• a seal spacer cooling fluid passage extending through the seal spacer and in fluidic communication with the drum shaft cooling fluid passage;
• a brake assembly cooling fluid passage extending through the brake assembly and in fluidic communication with the seal spacer cooling fluid passage;
• a drum spool cooling fluid passage extending through the drum spool and in fluidic communication with the brake assembly cooling fluid passage;
• and
• a cooling fluid manifold extending axially between the drum spool and the drum shaft and in fluidic communication with the drum spool cooling fluid passage.