Inline compensator for a floating drill rig
First Claim
1. An inline compensator apparatus for a floating vessel comprising:
- an outer housing sealed on both ends by end caps;
a first inner cylinder housed at least partially within the outer housing, the first inner cylinder having a first diameter and having a piston head and a piston rod therein;
a second inner cylinder housed at least partially within the outer housing, the second inner cylinder having a second diameter and having a piston head and a piston rod therein, wherein the cross-sectional area of the piston head of the first inner cylinder is greater than the cross-sectional area of the piston head of the second inner cylinder, wherein the piston rod of the first inner cylinder extends through an end cap of the outer housing and has a connecting lug on the end of the piston rod outside the outer housing, wherein the piston rod of the second inner cylinder extends through the other end cap of the outer housing and has a connecting lug on the end of the piston rod outside the outer housing, wherein the inline compensator apparatus is operable with the floating vessel'"'"'s hoisting system such that the piston rods can be extended and retracted to account for heave of the floating vessel;
one or more low pressure accumulators in communication with the low pressure side of the piston heads of both the first and second inner cylinders; and
a high pressure accumulator in communication with the high pressure side of the piston heads of both the first and second inner cylinders, the high pressure accumulator comprising the open volume surrounding the inner cylinders within the outer housing.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for protecting against the problems associated with heave of a floating drilling rig are disclosed. The disclosed invention is a unique inline compensator in which a plurality of cylinders housed within a tubular housing and a plurality of low pressure and high pressure accumulators function together to provide a system for compensating for heave in the event a primary heave compensation system fails or becomes inoperative. The typical inline compensator of the present invention utilizes a plurality of hydraulic cylinders that act in opposite directions and that have different piston areas such that the piston rods of the cylinders are extended or retracted at different pressure levels to account for heave. The typical inline compensator of the present invention is self-contained and compact enough to fit in the limited space available on a floating drilling structure. Further, a pair of inline compensators of the present invention can be utilized with coiled tubing operations. In such a case, the inline compensators will not interfere with the tooling necessary to conduct the coiled tubing operations.
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Citations
72 Claims
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1. An inline compensator apparatus for a floating vessel comprising:
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an outer housing sealed on both ends by end caps;
a first inner cylinder housed at least partially within the outer housing, the first inner cylinder having a first diameter and having a piston head and a piston rod therein;
a second inner cylinder housed at least partially within the outer housing, the second inner cylinder having a second diameter and having a piston head and a piston rod therein, wherein the cross-sectional area of the piston head of the first inner cylinder is greater than the cross-sectional area of the piston head of the second inner cylinder, wherein the piston rod of the first inner cylinder extends through an end cap of the outer housing and has a connecting lug on the end of the piston rod outside the outer housing, wherein the piston rod of the second inner cylinder extends through the other end cap of the outer housing and has a connecting lug on the end of the piston rod outside the outer housing, wherein the inline compensator apparatus is operable with the floating vessel'"'"'s hoisting system such that the piston rods can be extended and retracted to account for heave of the floating vessel;
one or more low pressure accumulators in communication with the low pressure side of the piston heads of both the first and second inner cylinders; and
a high pressure accumulator in communication with the high pressure side of the piston heads of both the first and second inner cylinders, the high pressure accumulator comprising the open volume surrounding the inner cylinders within the outer housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An inline compensator apparatus for a floating vessel comprising:
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an outer housing sealed on both ends by end caps;
an inner cylinder of a first diameter housed at least partially within the outer housing, the inner cylinder having a piston head and a piston rod therein;
a plurality of inner cylinders of a second diameter housed at least partially within the outer housing, the plurality of inner cylinders each having a piston head and a piston rod therein, wherein the plurality of inner cylinders are spaced about the circumference of the inner cylinder of a first diameter, wherein the total cross-sectional area of the piston heads of the plurality of inner cylinders is greater than the cross-sectional area of the piston head of the inner cylinder of a first diameter, wherein the piston rod of the inner cylinder of a first diameter extends through an end cap of the outer housing and has a connecting lug on the end of the piston rod outside the outer housing, wherein the piston rods of the plurality of inner cylinders extend through the other end cap of the outer housing and each have a connecting lug on the end of the piston rod outside the outer housing, wherein the inline compensator apparatus is operable with the floating vessel'"'"'s hoisting system such that the piston rods can be extended and retracted to account for heave of the floating vessel;
one or more low pressure accumulators in communication with the low pressure side of the piston heads of both the inner cylinder of a first diameter and the plurality of inner cylinders; and
a high pressure accumulator in communication with the high pressure side of the piston heads of both the inner cylinder of a first diameter and the plurality of inner cylinders, the high pressure accumulator comprising the open volume surrounding the inner cylinders within the outer housing. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An inline compensator apparatus for a floating vessel comprising:
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an outer housing;
one or more upwardly facing inner cylinders housed at least partially within the outer housing, the one or more upwardly facing inner cylinders having a first diameter and having a piston head and a piston rod therein;
one or more downwardly facing inner cylinders housed at least partially within the outer housing, the one or more downwardly facing inner cylinders each having a second diameter and having a piston head and a piston rod therein, wherein the total cross-sectional area of the piston heads of the one or more downwardly facing inner cylinders is greater than the total cross-sectional area of the piston heads of the one or more upwardly facing inner cylinders;
wherein the piston rods of the one or more downwardly facing inner cylinders extend downwardly and the piston rods of the one or more upwardly facing inner cylinders extend upwardly such that the piston rods can be extended and retracted to account for heave of the floating vessel;
one or more low pressure accumulators in communication with the low pressure side of the piston heads of both the upwardly and downwardly facing inner cylinders; and
one or more high pressure accumulators in communication with the high pressure side of the piston heads of both the upwardly and downwardly facing inner cylinders. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method of compensating for heave of a floating vessel comprising:
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providing a heave compensation system having an outer housing sealed on both ends by end caps, the outer housing at least partially housing a first inner cylinder and a second inner cylinder;
providing each of the first and second inner cylinders with a piston head and a piston rod therein, wherein the cross-sectional area of the piston head of the first inner cylinder is greater than the cross-sectional area of the piston head of the second inner cylinder, and wherein each of the piston rods of the first and second inner cylinders extend through an end cap of the outer housing and have a connecting lug on the end of the piston rod outside the outer housing;
providing one or more low pressure accumulators in communication with the low pressure side of the piston heads of both the first and second inner cylinders;
providing a high pressure accumulator in communication with the high pressure side of the piston heads of both the first and second inner cylinders, the high pressure accumulator comprising the open volume surrounding the inner cylinders within the outer housing;
positioning the outer housing such that the piston rod of the first inner cylinder extends upwardly and the piston rod of the second inner cylinder extends downwardly;
connecting the inline compensator apparatus such that it is operable with the floating vessel'"'"'s hoisting system;
allowing the piston rods of the first and second inner cylinders to extend and retract to account for heave of the floating vessel. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method of compensating for heave of a floating vessel comprising:
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providing a heave compensation system having an outer housing sealed on both ends by end caps, the outer housing at least partially housing an inner cylinder of a first diameter and a plurality of inner cylinders of a second diameter;
providing each of the inner cylinders with a piston head and a piston rod therein, wherein the total cross-sectional area of the piston heads of the plurality of inner cylinders of a second diameter is greater than the cross-sectional area of the piston head of the inner cylinder of a first diameter, and wherein each of the piston rods of the inner cylinders extend through an end cap of the outer housing and have a connecting lug on the end of the piston rod outside the outer housing;
providing one or more low pressure accumulators in communication with the low pressure side of the piston heads of the inner cylinders;
providing a high pressure accumulator in communication with the high pressure side of the piston heads of the inner cylinders, the high pressure accumulator comprising the open volume surrounding the inner cylinders within the outer housing;
positioning the outer housing such that the piston rod of the inner cylinder of a first diameter extends upwardly and the piston rods of the plurality of inner cylinders extend downwardly;
connecting the inline compensator apparatus such that it is operable with the floating vessel'"'"'s hoisting system;
allowing the piston rods of the inner cylinders to extend and retract to account for heave of the floating vessel. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method of compensating for heave of a floating vessel comprising:
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providing a heave compensation system having an outer housing sealed on both ends by end caps, the outer housing at least partially housing one or more upwardly facing inner cylinders and one or more downwardly facing inner cylinders providing each of the inner cylinders with a piston head and a piston rod therein, wherein the total cross-sectional area of the piston heads of the one or more downwardly facing inner cylinders is greater than the total cross-sectional area of the piston heads of the one or more upwardly facing inner cylinders, and wherein each of the piston rods of the inner cylinders extend through an end cap of the outer housing and have a connecting lug on the end of the piston rod outside the outer housing;
providing one or more low pressure accumulators in communication with the low pressure side of the piston heads of the inner cylinders;
providing a high pressure accumulator in communication with the high pressure side of the piston heads of the inner cylinders;
positioning the outer housing such that the piston rods of the one or more downwardly facing inner cylinders extend downwardly and the piston rods of the one or more upwardly facing inner cylinders extend upwardly;
connecting the inline compensator apparatus such that it is operable with the floating vessel'"'"'s hoisting system;
allowing the piston rods of the inner cylinders to extend and retract to account for heave of the floating vessel. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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Specification