Hydraulically releasable coupling

• US 6,213,206 B1
• Filed: 08/11/1998
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Transocean Petroleum Technology AS
• Original Assignee: Transocean Petroleum Technology AS
• Inventors: Bakke, Stig
• Primary Examiner(s): NEUDER, WILLIAM P
• Application Number:
  US09/125,132
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 166/377, 166/242.6, 166/242.7, 299/39
• US Class Current: 166/242.7
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/06 Releasing-joints, e.g. safety joints
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/042 using a single piston or multiple mechanically interconnected pistons

Abstract

Hydraulically releasable coupling (1) of the kind arranged to releasably connect a tool to a coiled tube, and which coupling (1) is provided with two or more hydraulic channels (12, 14) and (13, 15), arranged to convey hydraulic fluid from hydraulic lines, arranged in the coiled tube, to the tool; and in which the coupling (1) is held in coupled position by a locking device (4) which is secured by means of an axially displaceable sleeve (6), which again is fixed in locking position by shear pins (11). The sleeve (6) is arranged to work as a sleeve-shaped hydraulic piston, the sleeve (6) being provided with annular seals (7, 8, 9) of different seal diameters, whereby the seals (7, 8, 9) define annular areas, each assigned to a hydraulic channel (12, 14) and (13, 15). The sleeve (6) is subjected to an axially acting force equaling the sum of the products of the pressure in each of the hydraulic channels and the thereto assigned annular area. The shear pins (11) are arranged to break, whenever both annular areas are subject to hydraulic working pressure.

Claims

1. A hydraulically releasable coupling (1) for releasably connecting a tool to an end of a tubing that extends into a well in the ground, the tubing having a pair of hydraulic fluid lines extending therealong for supplying hydraulic fluid to, and receiving hydraulic fluid from, the tool, said coupling comprising:

a first main part (2) adapted to connect to the end of the tubing;

a second main part (3) adapted to connect to the tool, said second main part being tubular, at least a portion of said first main part being insertable in said second main part along an axis of said tubular second main part for being positioned within said second main part when the tool is connected to the tubing, said first main part being removable from said second main part to disconnect the tool from the tubing;

said first and second main parts having a first pair of mating hydraulic fluid conduits (12,14) providing a first fluid path between one of the hydraulic fluid lines and the tool when the tool is connected to the tubing for supplying pressurized hydraulic fluid to the tool at working pressures for operating the tool, said first and second main parts having a second pair of mating hydraulic fluid conduits (13,15) providing a second fluid path between the other of the hydraulic fluid lines and the tool when the tool is connected to the tubing for returning hydraulic fluid from the tool when the tool is operating at a return pressure less than the working pressure,

a sleeve (6) surrounding the portion of said first main part inserted in said second main part, said sleeve being displaceable between first and second positions along the axis of said second main part;

at least one shearable pin (11) coupling said sleeve to said second main part, said sleeve being moveable with respect to said second main part when said pin is sheared;

a radially resilient, expandable ring (4) interposed between said sleeve and said inserted portion of said first main part, said sleeve when in said first position preventing expansion of said ring to cause said ring to engage said inserted portion of said first main part to retain said sleeve and second main part on said first main part to connect the tool to the tubing, movement of said sleeve to said second position allowing said ring to expand and disengage from said inserted portion of said first main part so that said first main part can be removed from said second main part to disconnect the tool from the tubing;

said sleeve defining, with said first main part, a pair of hydraulic fluid chambers for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid to exert axially directed forces on said sleeve urging said sleeve to move from said first position to said second position; and

first port means for placing a first chamber of said pair of chambers in fluid communication with said first fluid path to supply hydraulic fluid to said first chamber, and second port means for placing a second chamber of said pair of chambers in fluid communication with said second fluid path to supply hydraulic fluid to said second chamber said chambers being formed to provide areas thereof over which pressures are applied by the hydraulic fluid to generate axially directed forces on said sleeve;

whereby, when said tool is being operated, said first port means supplies pressurized hydraulic fluid at working pressures to said first chamber and said second port means supplies pressurized hydraulic fluid at the lower, return pressure to said second chamber, the forces exerted on said sleeve by either or both of the highest occurring working pressure and the highest simultaneously occurring return pressure being insufficient to shear said pin, and whereby to disconnect the tool from the tubing, said first port means supplies pressurized hydraulic fluid at a full working pressure to said first chamber and said second port means also supplies pressurized hydraulic fluid at a full working pressure to said second chamber, the combined axially directed forces exerted on said sleeve when both said first and second port means supply full working pressure being sufficient to shear said shear pin to allow movement of said sleeve to said second position to disengage said first and second main parts and disconnect the tool from the tubing.

2. A hydraulically releasable coupling as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pair of hydraulic fluid chambers are further defined as annular fluid chambers formed to surround the axis of said second main part and lying at differing radii from said axis.

3. A hydraulically releasable coupling as set forth in claim 2 wherein said chambers are formed by annular seals between said first main part and said sleeve.

4. A hydraulically releasable coupling as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sleeve is further defined as having a portion embracing said ring when said sleeve is in the first position for preventing expansion of said ring, movement of said sleeve to said second position when the shear pin is sheared removing the embrace of said ring by said sleeve to allow said ring to expand.