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US 9,316,078 B2Granted
Inductive shearing of drilling pipe
AssigneeTransocean Innovation Labs Ltd.
InventorsGerard M. Ludtka, John Wilgen, Roger Kisner, Timothy Mcintyre
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Induction shearing may be used to cut a drillpipe at an undersea well. Electromagnetic rings may be built into a blow-out preventer (BOP) at the seafloor. The electromagnetic rings create a magnetic field through the drillpipe and may transfer sufficient energy to change the state of the metal drillpipe to shear the drillpipe. After shearing the drillpipe, the drillpipe may be sealed to prevent further leakage of well contents.
Claims19
An apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of conductive segments configured to be disposed around a drillpipe, each moveable relative to the drillpipe between a stored position and a closed position in which the conductive segment is radially closer to the drillpipe, the plurality of conductive segments, when each is in the closed position but not when each is in the store position, cooperating to define an induction heating coil around the drillpipe;
- and
- an induction power supply configured to supply power to the induction heating coil to shear the drillpipe.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a clamp comprising a plurality of clamp members configured to close around a pipe, each movable relative to the pipe between an open position and a closed position in which the clamp member is radially closer to the pipe and each comprising a conductive segment,
- where, when each of the plurality of clamp members is in the close position, the conductive segments cooperate to define one or more coils around the pipes;
- and
- where the one or more coils are configured to couple to a power supply configured to apply power to the one or more coils to heat the pipe through induction to shear the pipe.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- shearing means comprising conductive segments being movable relative to the drillpipe between an open position and a closed position in which the conductive segments are radially closer to the drillpipe and configured for inductively shearing a drillpipe;
- and
- a power supply configured to supply power to the conductive segments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.