WO2009064194A1

WO2009064194A1 - Pipe manipulator device

Info

Publication number: WO2009064194A1
Application number: PCT/NO2008/000406
Authority: WO
Inventors: Torstein Thomassen; Sveinulf ØYDNE; Jette Kjelgaard; Asbjørn JACOBSEN; Jostein Korneliussen
Original assignee: Odim Jmc As
Priority date: 2007-11-16
Filing date: 2008-11-17
Publication date: 2009-05-22
Also published as: NO20075889L

Abstract

A pipe manipulator device (2, 4), in particular for moving pipe stands (10) between a finger board (6, 8) and the drilling centre (12) of a drill rig (1), the pipe manipulator (2, 4) being provided with a pipe gripper (16) and the pipe gripper (16) being located on a guide arm (18), the guide arm (18) being movable in its longitudinal direction in a guide (22) in a curved path (20).

Description

PIPEMANIPULATOR DEVICE

This invention relates to a pipe manipulator. More specifically, it relates to a pipe manipulator particularly for moving pipes between a finger board and the drilling centre of a drill rig, the pipe manipulator being provided with a pipe gripper .

During the tripping of a pipe string in a borehole in the ground it is usual to store pipe stands from the pipe string temporarily in the finger board of a drill rig.

The pipe stands can be moved between the drilling centre and finger board by means of the lifting equipment of the drill rig. However, such a solution is relatively labour-intensive and slow. According to the prior art the pipe stands are therefore moved by means of a pipe manipulator which is pro- vided with at least one gripper.

Prior art pipe manipulators are often constituted by relatively big and space-demanding machines. These are typically installed on one side of the drilling centre of the drill rig and pick up / deliver the pipe stands from/to the drilling centre in a radial moving direction relative to the drilling centre. The pipe manipulator is rotated about a vertical axis until it has been aligned with one of the slots of the finger board before the pipe stand is moved into or out of the slot. The WO document 90/13730 thus discloses a pipe manipulator for a finger board in which all the slots of the finger board are directed towards the rotational centre of the manipulator, whereas the GB document 2322395 deals with a pipe ma- nipulator which is arranged to work in a finger board in which all the slots are circular around the rotational centre of the manipulator.

It has gradually become usual to provide lighter intervention vessels, for example, which were not initially intended to have such equipment, with a drill rig. The space conditions on vessels of this kind prevent the building- in of conventional drill rigs. A relatively small drill rig is often sufficient but has the considerable drawback that is does not have enough space for a conventional pipe manipulator.

The invention has for its object to remedy or reduce at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art .

The object is achieved according to the invention through the features which are specified in the description below and in the claims that follow.

A pipe manipulator is provided, in particular for moving pipes between a finger board and the drilling centre of a drill rig, the pipe manipulator being provided with a pipe gripper, the pipe manipulator being characterized by the pipe gripper being on a guide arm, the guide arm being movable in its longitudinal direction along a guide in a curved path.

The first guide suspension means of the guide may be movable along a first guide path and the second guide suspension means of the guide may be movable along a second guide path.

At least one of the curved path, the first guide path or the second guide path may be in a perpendicular plane relative to the drilling centre of the drill rig.

The first guide suspension means may be rotatable about a first guide axis relative to the guide, whereas the second guide suspension means may be rotatable about a second guide axis relative to the guide.

The drill rig may be provided with two pipe manipulators.

A guide arm motor is arranged to move the guide arm relative to the guide, whereas a guide motor is arranged to move the first guide suspension means along the first guide path.

Alternatively, a first actuator may be arranged to move the guide arm relative to the guide and a second actuator may be arranged to move the first guide suspension means along the first guide path.

If, for example, it is difficult to build the second guide rail in, the first guide suspension means may be provided with a rotary motor, rotating the guide in a controlled manner about the first guide axis.

The proposed pipe manipulator is well suited for use in drill rigs with relatively little free space for machines and fin- ger board. The design of the pipe manipulator makes it interfere only insignificantly with other equipment at the drilling centre.

In what follows is described an example of a preferred embodiment which is visualized in the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows the upper portion of a drill rig, at which there are placed two pipe manipulators;

Figure 2 shows a section I-I of figure 1, on a larger scale; Figure 3 shows the same as figure 2 but after the pipe manipulators have been moved;

Figure 4 shows a side view of a pipe manipulator;

Figure 5 shows a plan view of the pipe manipulator of figure 4 ; and

Figure 6 shows the same as figure 5 but after the pipe manipulator has been moved.

In the drawings the reference numeral 1 indicates a drill rig which is provided with a first pipe manipulator 2 and a sec- ond pipe manipulator 4. The first pipe manipulator 2 cooperates with a first finger board 6, and the second pipe manipulator 4 cooperates with a second finger board 8. The pipe manipulators 2, 4 may be formed with cooperating lower manipulators 2¹, 4'. Other necessary components on the drill rig 1, for example hoisting equipment, are not shown.

The pipe manipulators 2 , 4 are arranged to move pipe stands 10 between the drilling centre 12 of the drill rig 1 and the slots 14 of their respective finger boards 6, 8.

In this preferred exemplary embodiment the drill rig 1 is provided with two pipe manipulators 2 , 4 to utilize the space on the drill rig 1 in the best possible manner.

The two pipe manipulators 2, 4 are identical in construction and operation, and, in what follows, only the first pipe manipulator 2 is described in detail, it being understood that the description also applies to the second pipe manipulator 4.

A pipe gripper 16 is connected to the free end portion of a guide arm 18. The pipe gripper 16 is arranged to grip the pipe stand 10. The guide arm 18 is movable along a curved path 20 in a guide 22. In this preferred exemplary embodiment the guide arm 18 is telescopically movable relative to the guide 22.

A guide arm motor 24 cooperating with a pitch rack, not shown, on the guide arm 18 is connected to the guide 22. The guide arm motor 24 is arranged to move the guide arm 18 relative to the guide 22.

The guide 22 is connected to a first guide rail 26 by means of a first guide suspension means 28, see figure 4. The first guide suspension means 28 which runs on wheels, movable along the first guide rail 26, is rotatable about a first guide axis 30 relative to the guide 22.

A guide motor 32 which cooperates with a pitch rack 34 on the first guide rail 26 is connected to the first guide suspen- sion means 28. The guide motor 32 is arranged to move the first guide suspension means 28 along the first guide rail 26 in a first guide path 36.

The guide 22 is connected to a second guide rail 38 by means of a second guide suspension means 40, see figure 4. The guide rails 26, 38 are fixedly connected to the drill rig 1. The second guide suspension means 40, which runs on wheels and is freely movable along the second guide rail 38 and thereby a second guide path 42, is rotatable about a second guide axis 44 relative to the guide 22.

The direction and position of the guide 22 are controlled by means of the guide motor 32, the guide 22 being moved, during movement along the first guide path 36, also along the second guide path 42 while, at the same time, the guide suspension means 28, 40 rotate about their respective guide axes 30, 44. The position of the guide arm 18 relative to the guide 22 is controlled by means of the guide arm motor 24.

The motors 24, 32 are connected to a control system, not shown, programmed for the purpose, which receives, in a man- ner known per se, information on the relative positions of the guide 22 and guide arm 18.

When a pipe stand 10 is to be picked up from the drilling centre 12 the guide motor 32 moves the first guide suspension means 28 to the desired position along the first guide path 36. The guide arm 18 is moved by the guide arm motor 24 up towards the drilling centre 12, see the first pipe manipulator 2 in figure 2.

The pipe gripper 16 then grips the pipe stand 10, after which the guide arm 18 is retracted, corresponding to the position of the second pipe manipulator 4 in figure 2.

The second guide suspension means 28 is moved along the first guide path 36 so that the pipe stand 10 is moved in along the first finger board 6. The position corresponds to the one shown for the second pipe manipulator 4 in figure 3.

The guide arm 18 then moves the pipe stand 10 into one of the slots 14 of the first finger board 6, where the gripper 16 releases the pipe stand 10.

The guide paths 36, 42 may be straight or curved.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. A pipe manipulator device (2, 4) in particular for moving pipe stands (10) between a finger board (6, 8) and the drilling centre (12) of a drill rig (1) , the 5 pipe manipulator (2, 4) being provided with a pipe gripper (16) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the pipe gripper (16) is on a guide arm (18) , the guide arm (18) being movable in its longitudinal direction along a guide (22) in a curved path (20) .

io 2. The device in accordance with claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the first guide suspension means (28) of the guide (22) is movable along a first guide path (36) .

3. The device in accordance with claim 2, c h a r a c - i5 t e r i z e d i n that the second guide suspension means (40) of the guide (22) is movable along a second guide path (42) .

4. The device in accordance with claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that at least one of the curved

20 path (20) , the first guide path (36) or the second guide path (42) is in a perpendicular plane relative to the drilling centre (12) of the drill rig (1) .

5. The device in accordance with claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the first guide suspension

25 means (28) is rotatable about a first guide axis (30) relative to the guide (22) .

6. The device in accordance with claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the second guide suspension means (40) is rotatable about a second guide axis (44)

3o relative to the guide (22) .

7. The device in accordance with claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that a guide arm motor (24) is arranged to move the guide arm (18) relative to the guide (22) .

8. The device in accordance with claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that a guide motor (32) is arranged to move the first guide suspension means (28) along the first guide path (36) .

9. The device in accordance with claim 1, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d i n that a first actuator is arranged to move the guide arm (18) relative to the guide (22) .

10. The device in accordance with claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that a second actuator is arranged to move the first guide suspension means (28) along the first guide path (36) .