ENHANCED MAGNETICALLY IMPELLED ARC BUTT WIELDING (MIAB) TECHNOLOGY

• US 20130092670A1
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Hassel, Thomas, Varahram, Aret, Bach, Friedrich-Wilhelm, Lehr, Joerg, Benedict, Detlev
• Granted Patent: US 9,446,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/123
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0282 for welding tube sections
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/08 Arrangements or circuits for magnetic control of the arc stabilising of the arc position by magnetic means B23K9/0737

Abstract

A magnetically impelled arc butt (MIAB) welding device heats facing ends of a pair of wellbore tubulars and a force application device compressively engages the facing ends to form a welded joint. The device may be positioned on the rig floor. The MIAB welding device may include a device configured to hold facing ends of the two wellbore tubulars at a specified distance away from one another, a high frequency arc ignition device configured to generate an arc between the facing ends and to revolve the arc around the circumference of the facing ends, and a magnetic field generator configured to superimpose a magnetic field at the facing ends. The MIAB welding device may be configured to melt at least a surface of the facing ends.

Claims

1. An apparatus for connecting wellbore tubulars at a rig floor, comprising:

a magnetically impelled arc butt (MIAB) welding device positioned on the rig floor and configured to heat facing ends of a pair of wellbore tubulars; and

a force application device configured to compressively engage the facing ends to form a welded joint.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MIAB welding device includes:

a device configured to hold facing ends of the two wellbore tubulars at a specified distance away from one another;

a high frequency arc ignition device configured to generate an arc between the facing ends and to revolve the arc around the circumference of the facing ends; and

a magnetic field generator configured to superimpose a magnetic field at the facing ends.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MIAB welding device is configured to melt at least a surface of the facing ends.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a solenoid power source configured to increase the rotational speed of the arc.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wellbore tubulars are selected from one of:

(i) a casing, (ii) a liner, (iii) a rigid tubular, and (iv) a non-rigid tubular.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tubulars have a non-circular shape.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a handling device configured to convey the welded wellbore tubulars into a wellbore.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field generator includes at least one of:

(i) a naturally magnetic material, (ii) an engineered magnet, (iii) a permanent magnet, and (iv) an electromagnet.

9. A method for connecting tubulars, comprising:

heating facing ends of a pair of tubulars using a magnetically impelled arc butt (MIAB) welding device that includes a high frequency arc ignition device; and

compressively engaging the facing ends using a force application device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the heating melts at least a surface of the facing ends.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising at least periodically changing a radial position of the arc.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising oscillating a radial position of the arc.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the magnetic field is generated by using a solenoid.

14. A method for connecting wellbore tubulars at the rig floor, comprising:

heating facing ends of a pair of wellbore tubulars using a magnetically impelled arc butt (MIAB) welding device;

compressively engaging the facing ends using a force application device; and

conveying the welded wellbore tubulars into a wellbore.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the MIAB welding device includes:

holding facing ends of two wellbore tubular at a specified distance away from one another;

generating a superimposed magnetic field on the facing ends using a magnetic field generator; and

wherein heating the facing ends including revolving an arc around the circumference of the facing ends using a high frequency arc ignition device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the heating melts at least a surface of the facing ends.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising at least periodically changing a radial position of the arc.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising oscillating a radial position of the arc.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the magnetic field is generated by using a solenoid.