Top drive oil flow path seals

• US 20080136109A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varco I/P Incorporated (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Varco I/P Incorporated (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: West, Neil Edward, de Jong, Bastiaan
• Granted Patent: US 7,472,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 277/306
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 3/022 Top drives

Abstract

A top drive system including, in certain aspects, a motor, a gear system below, and driven by the motor, a space between the top drive motor and the gear system, a seal assembly for inhibiting oil for lubricating parts of the gear system from flowing into the space, the seal assembly having a movable rod piston, a sealing arm projecting from the rod piston, at least one removable seal secured to the sealing arm, a seal member releasably secured to the gear system, and the movable rod piston movable to move the sealing arm to bring the at least one removable seal into sealingly contact with the seal member to inhibit oil from flowing into the space.

Claims

1. A top drive system for wellbore operations, the top drive system comprising

a top drive motor,

a gear system below, meshing with, and driven by the motor,

a space between the top drive motor and the gear system,

a seal assembly for inhibiting oil for lubricating parts of the gear system from flowing into the space,

the seal assembly comprising

a movable rod piston,

a sealing arm projecting from the rod piston,

at least one removable seal secured to the sealing arm, at least a part of the at least one removable seal projecting beyond the sealing arm,

a seal member releasably secured to the gear system, and

the movable rod piston movable to move the sealing arm to bring the at least one removable seal into sealingly contact with the seal member to inhibit oil from flowing into the space.

2. The top drive system of claim 1 wherein

the at least one removable seal is an O-ring.

3. The top drive system of claim 1 wherein

the at least one removable seal is two spaced-apart removable seals.

4. The top drive system of claim 3 wherein the two spaced-apart removable seals are O-rings.

5. The top drive system of claim 1 further comprising

a vent system for oil to flow from the space out from the top drive system.

6. The top drive system of claim 1 further comprising

a housing for the gear system,

a chamber within the housing,

the rod piston located in and movable within the chamber, and

a spring urging the rod piston upward and urging the sealing arm and the at least one removable seal into sealing contact with the seal member.

7. The top drive system of claim 6 further comprising

a fluid flow channel in fluid communication with the chamber,

a portion of the oil for lubricating parts of the gear system flowable into the fluid flow channel to overcome the spring and move the rod piston so that the at least one removable seal is moved out of sealing contact with the seal member.

8. The top drive system of claim 7 wherein the portion of the oil deadheads within the chamber.

9. The top drive system of claim 6 wherein

the chamber is within a piston rod mounting structure,

the piston rod mounting structure securable to the housing.

10. The top drive system of claim 1 wherein

the seal member has a lower sealing surface,

part of the sealing arm is below the lower sealing surface,

the sealing arm is movable upwardly so that the at least one removable seal comes up to sealingly contact the lower sealing surface.

11. The top drive system of claim 1 wherein

the sealing arm has an arm flat surface which, upon sufficient wear of the at least one removable seal, is movable to sealingly abut the seal member,

the seal member having a seal member flat surface for sealing abutment by the arm flat surface.

15. The seal assembly of claim 1 wherein

the at least one removable seal is two spaced-apart removable seals.

16. The seal assembly of claim 15 wherein the two spaced-apart removable seals are O-rings.

17. The seal assembly of claim 1 wherein the gear system is in a housing and there is a chamber within the housing, the seal assembly further comprising

the rod piston located in and movable within the chamber, and

a spring urging the rod piston upward and for urging the sealing arm and the at least one removable seal into sealing contact with the seal member.

18. The seal assembly of claim 17 wherein there is a fluid flow channel in fluid communication with the chamber, and

a portion of the oil for lubricating parts of the gear system is flowable into the fluid flow channel to overcome the spring and move the rod piston so that the at least one removable seal is movable out of sealing contact with the seal member.

19. The seal assembly of claim 1 wherein the seal member has a seal member flat surface, the seal assembly further comprising

the sealing arm having an arm flat surface which, upon sufficient wear of the at least one removable seal, is movable to sealingly abut the flat surface of the seal member.

12. A top drive system comprising

a top drive motor,

a gear system below, meshing with, and driven by the motor,

a space between the top drive motor and the gear system,

a seal assembly for inhibiting oil for lubricating parts of the gear system from flowing into the space,

the seal assembly comprising

a movable rod piston,

a sealing arm projecting from the rod piston,

two spaced-apart removable O-ring seals, secured to the sealing arm, at least a part of each O-ring seal projecting beyond the sealing arm,

a seal member releasably secured to the gear system,

the movable rod piston movable to move the sealing arm to bring the part of each spaced-apart removable O-ring seal projecting beyond the sealing arm into sealingly contact with the seal member to inhibit oil from flowing into the space,

a vent system for oil to flow from the space out from the top drive system,

a housing for the gear system,

a chamber within the housing,

the rod piston located in and movable within the chamber,

a spring urging the rod piston upward and urging the sealing arm and the two spaced-part removable O-ring seals into sealing contact with the seal member,

a fluid flow channel in fluid communication with the chamber,

a portion of the oil for lubricating parts of the gear system flowable into the fluid flow channel to overcome the spring and move the rod piston so that the two spaced-apart removable O-ring seals are moved out of sealing contact with the seal member,

wherein the portion of the oil deadheads within the chamber,

the seal member has a lower sealing surface,

part of the sealing arm is below the lower sealing surface, and

the sealing arm is movable upwardly so that the two spaced-apart removable O-ring seals come up to sealingly contact the lower sealing surface.

13. A seal assembly for a top drive system for wellbore operations, the top drive system having a top drive motor, a gear system below, meshing with, and driven by the motor, a seal member releasably secured to the gear system, and a space between the top drive motor and the gear system, the seal assembly for inhibiting oil for lubricating parts of the gear system from flowing into the space, the seal assembly comprising

a movable rod piston,

a sealing arm projecting from the rod piston,

at least one removable seal secured to the sealing arm, at least a part of the at least one removable seal projecting beyond the sealing arm, and

the movable rod piston movable to move the sealing arm to bring the at least one removable seal into sealingly contact with the seal member to inhibit oil from flowing into the space.

14. The seal assembly of claim 13 wherein

the at least one removable seal is an O-ring.

20. A seal assembly for a top drive system for wellbore operations, the top drive system having a top drive motor, a gear system below, meshing with, and driven by the motor, a seal member releasably secured to the gear system, a housing for the gear system, a chamber within the housing, the seal member having a seal member flat surface for sealing abutment by the arm flat surface, a space between the top drive motor and the gear system, the seal assembly comprising

a seal assembly for inhibiting oil for lubricating parts of the gear system from flowing into the space,

a movable rod piston,

a sealing arm projecting from the rod piston,

two spaced-apart removable seals are O-rings secured to the sealing arm, at least a part of each of the two spaced-apart removable O-ring seals projecting beyond the sealing arm,

the movable rod piston movable to move the sealing arm to bring the at least one removable seal into sealingly contact with the seal member to inhibit oil from flowing into the space,

the rod piston located in and movable within the chamber,

a spring urging the rod piston upward and urging the sealing arm and the at least one removable seal into sealing contact with the seal member, and

the sealing arm having an arm flat surface which, upon sufficient wear of the at least one removable seal, is movable to sealingly abut the seal member flat surface.