Frictional support of seal bore protector
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsTravis David Watters, Owen Ransom Clark, Joseph Michael Karigan, Anton Kelley Arnt
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Abstract
A seal bore protector for protecting a seal bore of a rotating control device (RCD) is provided. The seal bore protector includes a cylindrical body, a throughbore extending through the cylindrical body, and a sealing element disposed around an external surface of the cylindrical body. The sealing element includes a first sealing ring, a second sealing ring, and a sealed area between the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring. The sealed area is fluidly coupled with a port when the seal bore protector is installed in the rotating control device.
Claims17
A seal bore protector comprising:
- a cylindrical body;
- a throughbore extending through the cylindrical body;
- and
- a sealing element disposed around an external surface of the cylindrical body,
- wherein the sealing element comprises:
- a first sealing ring;
- a second sealing ring;
- and
- a recessed area between the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring,
- wherein the recessed area is positioned to align with a port of a rotating control device,
- wherein each of the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring comprise at least one intermediate member having a v-shape, the at least one intermediate member being positioned between a male band on a first side and a female band on a second, opposing side, and
- wherein each of the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring are operable to exert a radial force and form an energized seal between the cylindrical body and an interior surface of the rotating control device in response to a pressurized fluid being supplied through the port to the recessed area.
A rotating control device assembly comprising:
- an outer stationary body for receiving a removable inner rotating bearing assembly;
- and
- a seal bore protector comprising:
- a cylindrical body having a throughbore extending there-through;
- and
- a sealing element disposed around an external surface of the cylindrical body,
- wherein the sealing element includes a first sealing ring and a second sealing ring, the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring defining a sealed volume between the external surface of the cylindrical body and an internal surface of the outer stationary body,
- wherein the sealed volume is fluidly coupled with a port of the outer stationary body,
- wherein each of the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring comprise at least one intermediate member having a v-shape, the at least one intermediate member being positioned between a male band on a first side and a female band on a second, opposing side, and
- wherein each of the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring are operable to exert a radial force and form an energized seal between the cylindrical body and the internal surface of the outer stationary body in response to a pressurized fluid being supplied through the port to the sealed volume.
A method of protecting a seal bore of a rotating control device, the method comprising:
- removing an inner rotating bearing assembly of the rotating control device from an outer stationary body of the rotating control device;
- inserting a seal bore protector in place of the inner rotating bearing assembly into the outer stationary body of the rotating control device, the seal bore protector including a first sealing ring and a second sealing ring, the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring defining a sealed volume between an external surface of the seal bore protector and an internal surface of the outer stationary body;
- aligning the sealed volume with a first hydraulic port of the rotating control device;
- actuating the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring by providing a pressurized fluid through the port to the sealed volume to energize the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring against the external surface of the seal bore protector and the internal surface of the outer stationary body;
- and
- passing at least a portion of a drill string through the seal bore protector while the first sealing ring and the second sealing ring remain actuated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.