Boring or penetrating the earth – With below-ground tool drive prime mover – Below-ground storage of motivating energy
Patent
1997-04-08
1999-08-10
Bagnell, David J.
Boring or penetrating the earth
With below-ground tool drive prime mover
Below-ground storage of motivating energy
417225, 417400, E21B 718, E21B 2100
Patent
active
059343923
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved design of a pressure amplifier or converter for mounting above the drill bit at the lower end of a drill pipe for deep drilling, in particular for oil and gas, and for generating an increased fluid pressure by utilizing energy in a drilling fluid flow downwards through the drill string and the drill pipe. This may be for the purpose of obtaining an enhanced drilling effect, preferably by means of one or more high pressure jets adapted to have a cutting effect in the surrounding rock.
2. Description of the Related Art
The invention can be regarded as a further development and improvement of structures described in Norwegian Patent Specifications Nos. 169.088, 171.322, 171.323 and 171.325. Norwegian Patent 171.323 is particularly directed to a valve assembly for this type of pressure converter, which advantageously can be replaced by new and improved design to be described in the following description. This new design involve, inter alia, less wear of vital valve parts and besides better reliability and safety under the extreme conditions that the structures are subjected to in actual use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As in the pressure converters according to the above mentioned Norwegian Patent Specifications, the present invention takes its starting point in an arrangement comprising a reciprocating piston having a pressure stroke and a return stroke between opposite end positions in a cylinder, and being at one side (low pressure side) provided with a relatively large piston area which during the pressure stroke is subjected to the drilling fluid pressure in the drill pipe, a first opposite area and a second, opposite and relatively small piston area which during the pressure stroke generates an increased pressure in a smaller portion (high pressure side) of the drilling fluid flow, valve means for controlling drilling fluid flows to and from the piston, a channel for connecting a space in front of the first, opposite piston area to the annulus outside the drill pipe at least during the pressure stroke, a second channel with a check valve, connecting said high pressure side to a high pressure channel leading forward to the drill bit, and at least one additional channel being adapted to connect the low pressure side to the annulus outside the drill pipe during the return stroke.
What is novel in the pressure converter according to the invention that for each end position of the piston, there is provided at least one moveable valve control element which is adapted to be moved by the piston at either end position, and that each valve control element is adapted to activate at least one valve body in said valve means, which is adapted to be re-positioned upon movement of the valve control element(s) concerned, for said control of drilling fluid flows during the pressure stroke and return stroke respectively.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following description, the new structural solutions according to the invention as well as additional advantages and specific features thereof, will be more closely explained with reference to the drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 in longitudinal sectional view shows a first embodiment of a pressure converter according to the invention, with the piston in an upper end position,
FIG. 2 shows a sectional view similar to the one in FIG. 1, but with the piston in its lower end position,
FIG. 3 shows a cross-section along lines III--III in FIG. 1,
FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view along the line IV--IV in FIG. 1,
FIGS. 5A and 5B in more detail show the design of to variants of valve bodies which can be incorporated in the structure of FIGS. 1-4,
FIGS. 5C and 5D like FIGS. 5A and 5B show an additional modification of a valve body for the valve arrangement in pressure converters according to the invention,
FIG. 6 shows a variant of the pressure converter according to the invention, by a similar cross-section as in FIG. 1,
FIG. 7 shows the embodiment of FIG. 6, but with the piston in a
REFERENCES:
patent: 4047581 (1977-09-01), Erickson
patent: 5429036 (1995-07-01), Latos
patent: 5632604 (1997-05-01), Poothodiyil
patent: 5787998 (1998-08-01), O'Hanlon et al.
Bagnell David J.
Den Norske Stats Oljeselskap A.S.
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