DRILL PIPE SCREENS AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20150267511A1
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Patterson
• Original Assignee: James Patterson
• Inventors: Patterson, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,677,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 12/00 Accessories for drilling tools
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/002 Down-hole drilling fluid separation systems containers comprising collecting means with a strainer E21B27/005; subsoil filtering E21B43/02; down-hole production separators E21B43/38
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 27/005 Collecting means with a strainer

Abstract

The present invention includes drill pipe screens and related methods that provide reliable long-term filtering of drilling fluids used to operate alternator turbines that are used to provide power in measurement while drilling (MWD) systems without allowing debris to pass through the screens to the turbines, and without causing intermittent pressure spikes at times when the screens are not completely clogged while maintaining desired circulation rates of drilling fluids. Embodiments of the invention include cylindrical bodies having alternating sets of elongated slots and peripheral ports located thereon to provide filtering of and relief to drilling fluids under pressure.

Claims

1. A drill pipe screen comprising an elongated hollow cylindrical body having an inside, an outside, and a central axis, said body further comprising a cylindrical wall having at least one set of a plurality of elongated slots provided through said wall and along said body, said wall also having at least one set of relief ports provided through said wall on said body adjacent to said slots, wherein said elongated slots are provided in parallel to each other and in parallel to said central axis and are radially aligned and spaced apart from each other around the perimeter of said body, and said relief ports are radially aligned and spaced apart from each other around the perimeter of said body.

2. The drill pipe screen of claim 1 wherein said elongated slots are evenly spaced apart from each other, and said relief ports are evenly spaced apart from each other.

3. The drill pipe screen of claim 1 wherein said relief ports are axially aligned with said elongated slots.

4. The drill pipe screen of claim 1 wherein said slots and said relief ports have openings that are the same size on the inside and the outside of said cylindrical wall.

5. The drill pipe screen of claim 1 wherein the number of slots in each set is the same as the number of relief ports in each set.

6. The drill pipe screen of claim 1 wherein the number of slots in each set is between 10 and 20, and the number of relief ports in each set is between 10 and 20.

7. The drill pipe screen of claim 1 wherein the number of slots in each set is 16 and the number of relief ports in each set is 16.

8. The drill pipe screen of claim 1 wherein each set of relief ports is alternatingly provided with and adjacent to a set of slots along said body.

9. The drill pipe screen of claim 8 wherein a first set of relief ports is provided near a lowermost end of said cylindrical body.

10. The drill pipe screen of claim 9 wherein three sets of relief ports and three sets of slots are alternatingly provided along said body.

11. The drill pipe screen of claim 1 wherein said elongated slots have a width of at least about ¼

inch, and a length of between about 4 inches and about 8 inches; and

said relief ports have a diameter of at least about ¼

inch.

12. The drill pipe screen of claim 1 wherein said elongated slots have a length of at least about 6 and ¾

inches.

13. The drill pipe screen of claim 1 wherein said body has a length of between about 16 inches and about 48 inches, an inside diameter of between about ⅞

inches and about 2 and ⅞

inches, and an outside diameter of between about 1 and ⅜

inches and about 3 and ⅛

inches.

14. The drill pipe screen of claim 13 wherein said body has an inside diameter of about 2 and ⅜

inches, an outside diameter of about 2 and ⅞

inches, and a wall thickness of about ¼

inch.

15. The drill pipe screen of claim 1 further comprising a lower end cap and an upper end cap attached to said body, said lower end cap having a plurality of openings therein.

16. The drill pipe screen of claim 1 wherein the area of the cylindrical body between adjacent sets of slots defines a cylindrical integrity band having a length of between about ¾

inch and about 2 and ¼

inches, said integrity band having a set of relief ports located at about the middle of such integrity band.

17. The drill pipe screen of claim 16 wherein said integrity band has a length of about ¾

inch.

18. A drill pipe screen comprising an elongated hollow cylindrical body having an inside an outside and a central axis, said body further comprising a cylindrical wall having at least one set of a plurality of elongated slots provided through said wall and along said body, and said wall having at least one set of relief ports provided through said wall and along said body adjacent to said slots, wherein said elongated slots are provided in a helical pattern around said central axis and are spaced apart from each other around the perimeter of said body, and said relief ports are radially aligned and spaced apart from each other around the perimeter of said body.

19. The drill pipe screen of claim 18 wherein each set of relief ports is alternatingly provided with and adjacent to a set of slots along said body.

20. A method for minimizing pressure spikes while screening debris from mud used in MWD drilling comprising the steps of:

installing a drill pipe screen into a section of a drill pipe below a Kelly bar, said drill pipe screen comprising an elongated hollow cylindrical body having an inside an outside and a central axis, said body further comprising a cylindrical wall having at least one set of a plurality of elongated slots provided through said wall and along said body, said wall also having and at least one set of relief ports provided through said wall and along said body adjacent to said slots, wherein said elongated slots are provided in parallel to each other and in parallel to said central axis and are radially aligned and spaced apart from each other around the perimeter of said body, and said relief ports are radially aligned and spaced apart from each other around the perimeter of said body; and

forcing mud under pressure into said drill pipe and through said screen such that debris from said mud is caught in said screen, and the relief ports provided in said screen minimize spikes in the pressure of said mud.