WO2024254687A1

WO2024254687A1 - Coupling device for controlling rotational forces

Info

Publication number: WO2024254687A1
Application number: PCT/CA2024/050789
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gareth Dustin Sonnier; Joshua Kyle Bourgeois
Original assignee: Mccoy Global Inc.
Priority date: 2023-06-15
Filing date: 2024-06-12
Publication date: 2024-12-19

Abstract

A coupling device is provided for coupling between a top drive and a driven component. The coupling includes a first coupling end for connection to an output shaft of the top drive to receive rotational forces from the top drive; a second coupling end for connection to a driven shaft of the driven component to transmit rotational forces to the driven component; and a clutch mechanism between the first and second coupling ends, the clutch mechanism being incrementally engageable to decrease an amount of torque and rotational speed transmitted from the top drive to the driven component, and incrementally disengageable to allow an increasing amount of torque and rotational speed to be transmitted from the top drive to the driven component. A modified driven component for connection to a top drive including a clutch mechanism, is also provided.

Description

COUPLING DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING ROTATIONAL FORCES

FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a coupling device for controlling torque transferred from a top drive to driven components such as joints and tools, connected below the top drive. The coupling device controls connection and disconnection of the driven components to and from the driving system of the top drive and the amount of rotational speed and forces being transmitted to the driven components.

BACKGROUND

In conventional well completion operations, a top drive system (TDS) provides rotational forces to driven components that are coupled to an output shaft of the TDS. The coupling between the TDS output shaft and the driven components is typically a rigid threaded connection that directly transmits TDS rotational forces to the driven components. The TDS can be controlled automatically through a built in control system, or is controlled manually by a drilling operator who can roughly control rotation, torque, and RPM as well as other factors of top drive operation.

[0002] Driven components that can be coupled to the output shaft of the top drive can include drill strings, casing running tools (CRT) and other tools or strings. These driven components are connected to the top drive such that the top drive delivers rotational direction, speed (rpm) and torque all in a direct 1 :1 ratio to the driven component.

[0003] The top drive is a very powerful motor designed primarily for drilling operations. As such top drives are not designed with control or precision output in mind. Hence, it is typically very difficult to control rotational torque or speed.

[0004] In some cases, such as in making up casing or tubulars using a casing running tool (CRT), a more precise rotational speed or torque may be desired or required. Speed limitations in the casing or tubular makeup process are difficult to maintain with a top drive since the top drive control system is conventionally much less precise and with very limited resolution. While the TDS instrumentation reports torque with a precision in the range of hundreds of pounds of force, tubular make up operations require precision in the range of tens of pounds. [0005] Alternately, in the case of manual control by the drilling operator, the process is reliant on manual awareness and focus on this task and both torque and rotational speed can often be misapplied.

[0006] There has been work in making top drive control systems more precise in terms of rotational forces and speeds. However, these have not been successful to the level of precision and resolution required for the CRT use case for more sensitive tubular make up and break out operations.

[0007] A need therefore exists for means to better control rotational torque and speed transmission to driven components like CRTS, connected to an output shaft of a top drive.

SUMMARY

[0008] A coupling device is provided for coupling between a top drive and a driven component. The coupling includes a first coupling end for connection to an output shaft of the top drive to receive rotational forces from the top drive; a second coupling end for connection to a driven shaft of the driven component to transmit rotational forces to the driven component; and a clutch mechanism between the first and second coupling ends, the clutch mechanism being incrementally engageable to decrease an amount of torque and rotational speed transmitted from the top drive to the driven component, and incrementally disengageable to allow an increasing amount of torque and rotational speed to be transmitted from the top drive to the driven component.

[0009] A modified driven component for connection to a top drive. The modified driven component includes a coupling end for connecting to an output shaft of the top drive; and a clutch mechanism, the clutch mechanism being incrementally engageable to decrease an amount of torque and rotational speed transmitted from the top drive to the driven component, and incrementally disengageable to allow an increasing amount of torque and rotational speed to be transmitted from the top drive to the driven component.

[00010] It is to be understood that other aspects of the present disclosure will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various embodiments of the disclosure are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the disclosure is capable of other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00011] A further, detailed, description of the disclosure, briefly described above, will follow by reference to the following drawings of specific embodiments of the disclosure. The drawings depict only typical embodiments of the disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. In the drawings:

[00012] Figure 1 is schematic view of a tool string including a top drive and a driven component, showing one embodiment of the present coupling device as a standalone unit connected between the top drive and the driven component.

[00013]The drawings are not necessarily to scale and in some instances proportions may have been exaggerated in order to more clearly depict certain features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[00014] The description that follows and the embodiments described therein are provided by way of illustration of an example, or examples, of particular embodiments of the principles of various aspects of the present disclosure. These examples are provided for the purposes of explanation, and not of limitation, of those principles and of the disclosure in its various aspects.

[00015] The present disclosure provides a coupling device 2 for connection between a top drive system (TDS) 4 and a driven component 6. The coupling device 2 can be connected to the TDS 4 by a threaded connection to the output shaft 8 of the TDS 4. The coupling device 2 serves to receive rotational torque and speed from the top drive 4 and to then adjust both parameters to levels suitable for rotating the driven component 6 as required by a particular operation or application.

[00016] The coupling device 2 includes a functional clutch 2A coupled between the output shaft 8 of the top drive 4 and a driven shaft 10 of the driven component 6. The clutch 2A provides rotational torque and speed control by controlling the degree to which these parameters are transmitted from the top drive 4 output shaft 8 to the driven shaft 10 of the driven component 6. As the clutch 2A is engaged, the driven shaft 10 is incrementally decoupled from the output shaft 8, limiting and controlling how much torque and rotational speed are transmitted to the driven component 6. As the clutch 2A is gradually disengaged, the driven shaft 10 is incrementally coupled to the output shaft 8, thereby incrementally transmitting more torque and rotational speed from the TDS 4 to the driven component 6.

[00017] In some embodiments the clutch 2A may take the form of a fluid clutch 2A like a torque converter, similar to those seen in automatic vehicles. In other embodiments, the clutch 2A may be a mechanical clutch 2A.

[00018] The present coupling device 2 maintains a primary axial load path at all times between the driven component 6 and the top drive 4, to ensure that the axial load of the driven component 6 and all elements connected thereto can be supported by the top drive 4. In some embodiments a free turning bearing within the coupling device 2 may serve the purpose of maintaining axial load path while also allowing rotation of the various components. This is particularly important in the case of tubular make up operations when the axial loads of the CRT and the lengths of tubulars connected therebelow can be very high.

[00019] Axial load is maintained through the coupling device 2 while rotation transmitted through the coupling device 2 is dynamically controlled through action of the clutch 2A, as needed for the particular application and driven component 6. Coupling and uncoupling of the rotational connection between the output shaft 8 and the driven shaft 10 at desired times or at desired speed limits by means of the present coupling device 2s has shown increased precision and control over that which can be provided from TDS 4 control systems or by drilling operators.

[00020] In a further embodiment, the coupling device 2 is integrated into the driven component 6 itself, such as into a casing running tool. In such cases the modified driven component 6 with coupling device 2 built-in can be connected to the top drive 4 via the a coupling end of the modified driven component, to provide an axial load path and rotational torque and speed transmission control. This would allow the top drive system 4 to maintain its operating torque and rotational speeds without hinderance, and the integral coupling 2 would limit torque and rotational speeds to the actual and precise rotational forces as required by the modified driven component 6. [00021] Alternately, the coupling device 2 is stand alone and connected in between existing top drives 4 and conventional driven components 6.

[00022] The coupling device 2 and its clutch 2A are more preferably remotely controlled. Existing systems used for monitoring tubular connections can provide information to an operator who can then send signals wirelessly to the present coupling device 2 to throttle the torque and rotational speed of the driven component 6 relative to the output shaft 8 of the TDS 4 and then at least partially decouple the driven component 6 once a target torque is reached. In this capacity the coupler device 2 includes a receiver for receiving signals for controlling its clutch action.

[00023] The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to those embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular, such as by use of the article "a" or "an" is not intended to mean "one and only one" unless specifically so stated, but rather "one or more". All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout the disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be encompassed by the elements of the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims.

Claims

1 . A coupling device for coupling between a top drive and a driven component, said coupling comprising: a. a first coupling end for connection to an output shaft of the top drive to receive rotational forces from the top drive; b. a second coupling end for connection to a driven shaft of the driven component to transmit rotational forces to the driven component; and c. a clutch mechanism between the first and second coupling ends, said clutch mechanism being incrementally engageable to decrease an amount of torque and rotational speed transmitted from the top drive to the driven component, and incrementally disengageable to allow an increasing amount of torque and rotational speed to be transmitted from the top drive to the driven component.

2. The coupling device of claim 1 wherein the clutch is a fluid clutch or a mechanical clutch.

3. The coupling device of claim 2, wherein the coupling device serves to maintain a primary axial load path at all times between the driven component and the top drive, to ensure that the axial load of the driven component and all elements connected thereto is supported by the top drive.

4. The coupling device of claim 3, further comprising a free turning bearing within the coupling device to accommodate rotation while simultaneously maintaining the primary axial load path.

5. The coupling device of claim 4, wherein the coupling device and its clutch are remotely controllable.

6. The coupling device of claim 5, wherein remote control of the coupling device is conducted by wireless signal from an operator monitoring driven component operation to the coupling device.

7. A modified driven component for connection to a top drive, said modified driven component comprising: a. a coupling end for connecting to an output shaft of the top drive; and b. a clutch mechanism, said clutch mechanism being incrementally engageable to decrease an amount of torque and rotational speed transmitted from the top drive to the driven component, and incrementally disengageable to allow an increasing amount of torque and rotational speed to be transmitted from the top drive to the driven component.

8. The modified driven component of claim 7, wherein the clutch is a fluid clutch or a mechanical clutch.

9. The modified driven component of claim 8, wherein the coupling device serves to maintain a primary axial load path at all times between the driven component and the top drive, to ensure that the axial load of the driven component and all elements connected thereto is supported by the top drive.

10. The modified driven component of claim 9, further comprising a free turning bearing within the coupling device to accommodate rotation while simultaneously maintaining the primary axial load path.

11 .The modified driven component of claim 10, wherein the coupling device and its clutch are remotely controllable.

12. The modified driven component of claim 11 , wherein remote control of the coupling device is conducted by wireless signal from an operator monitoring driven component operation to the coupling device.