Latch position indicator system and method

• US 20090139724A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC (Weatherford International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb Incorporated (Weatherford International PLC)
• Inventors: Bailey, Thomas F., Gray, Kevin L., Chambers, James W., Sokol, Jonathan P., White, Nicky A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,826,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/345
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/085 Rotatable packing means, e.g. rotating blow-out preventers
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/013 Connecting a production flow line to an underwater well head
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/001 for underwater installation
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/09 Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells , e.g. the position of an extending arm; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes

Abstract

Latch position indicator systems remotely determine whether a latch assembly is latched or unlatched. The latch assembly may be a single latch assembly or a dual latch assembly. An oilfield device may be positioned with the latch assembly. Non-contact (position), contact (on/off and/or position) and hydraulic (flowmeter), both direct and indirect, embodiments include fluid measurement systems, an electrical switch system, a mechanical valve system, and proximity sensor systems.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

an oilfield device adapted to be received with said housing;

a latch assembly positioned with said housing, comprising;

a retainer member movable between an unlatched position and a latched position, the retainer member latched with the oilfield device in the latched position;

a piston movable between a first position and a second position, the piston moving the retainer member to the latched position when the piston is in the first position and the first piston allowing the retainer member to move to the unlatched position when the piston is in the second position; and

a latch position indicator system positioned with the latch assembly to indicate the position of retainer member at a remote location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latch position indicator system comprises:

a first sensor means for indicating the position of retainer member.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the latch position indicator system comprises:

a second sensor means for indicating the position of retainer member.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latch position indicator system comprises:

a first fluid means for indicating the position of retainer member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said latch position indicator system is non-contact.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said latch position indicator system is contact.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said latch position indicator system directly measures the position of the retainer member.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said latch position indicator system indirectly measures the position of the retainer member.

9. A system for determining whether an oilfield device is latched with a housing, comprising:

a latch assembly positioned with the housing and latchable to the oilfield device, comprising;

a retainer member movable between an unlatched position and a latched position, the retainer member latched with the oilfield device in the latched position;

a piston moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position, the piston moving the retainer member to the latched position and the first piston allowing the retainer member to move to the unlatched position; and

a latch position indicator sensor positioned with the latch assembly to indicate the position of the retainer member.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the latch assembly is remotely actuatable to latch the oilfield device with the housing, and wherein said latch position indicator sensor transmits a signal indicating that said piston is in the latched position.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said piston having an inclined surface so that said latch position indicator sensor determines the movement of said piston by measuring the distances from said sensor to said inclined surface.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said sensor is an inductive sensor.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said latch position indicator sensor determines the position of said retainer member by measuring the distance from said sensor to said retainer member.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said sensor is an inductive sensor.

15. A system for indicating the position of a retainer member used to latch an oilfield device with a housing, comprising:

the retainer member positioned with the housing and latchable to the oilfield device;

the retainer member moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position; and

a latch position indicator system to transmit to a remote location that the oilfield device is latched with the housing.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the retainer member is remotely actuatable to latch the oilfield device with the housing, and wherein said latch position indicator system transmits a signal whether the oilfield device is latched with the housing.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

an oilfield device;

a housing;

a latch assembly positioned with the housing and latchable to the oilfield device;

means for indicating the position of the latch assembly; and

means for transmitting the indicated position of the latch assembly to a remote location.

18. A method for determining whether an oilfield device is latched with a latch assembly, comprising the steps of:

positioning a latch assembly with a housing;

moving an oilfield device with said latch assembly;

latching the oilfield device with said latch assembly from a remote location;

sensing movement of the latch assembly; and

transmitting a signal of the movement of said latch assembly to a remote location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of sensing comprises a latch position indicator sensor.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

determining the change of the signal from said sensor.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a latch assembly remotely controlled for latching an oilfield device, comprising;

a retainer member movable between an unlatched position

and a latched position; and

a latch position indicator sensor;

a hydraulic fluid line operatively connected to the latch assembly for communicating hydraulic fluid with the latch assembly; and

a meter coupled to the hydraulic fluid line to measure a fluid value of the hydraulic fluid.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a comparator to compare said fluid value to a predetermined fluid value.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a second fluid line operatively connected to the latch assembly for moving a fluid from the latch assembly;

a second meter measuring a fluid value for said fluid moved from the latch assembly; and

a comparator to compare the measured fluid values from said first meter and said second meter.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the latch assembly further comprising:

a first piston; and

a second piston positioned with the first piston;

wherein moving the second piston urges said first piston to the unlatched position of the first piston.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a second sensor positioned with the latch assembly to indicate whether the oilfield device is latched with the retainer member.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

said sensor positioned with said second piston to indicate whether the second piston has urged said first piston to the unlatched position of the first piston.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said fluid value is a fluid volume value.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, where said fluid value is a fluid pressure value.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said fluid value is a fluid flow rate value.

30. A method for use with a latch assembly, comprising the steps of:

delivering a fluid from a hydraulic system to a first side of a piston for moving the piston from a first position to a second position;

measuring a fluid value delivered to the first side of the piston to produce a measured fluid value;

comparing the measured fluid value to a second fluid value;

sensing the position of the latch assembly;

transmitting the signal of the position of the latch assembly to a remote location; and

comparing the transmitted signal to the measured fluid value to provide information of the hydraulic system.