Oilfield tubular torque wrench

• US 7,958,787 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2009
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nabors Drillling Technologies USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Canrig Drilling Technology Limited (Nabors Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Hunter, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo; Lisa M
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS HOLLINGTON, OCTAVIA L
• Application Number:
  US12/391,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20090205442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 738/622.1
• US Class Current: 73/862.21
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/163 piston-cylinder actuated
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/165 Control or monitoring arrangements therefor

Abstract

A method for measuring applied torque of a oilfield tubular torque wrench, the oilfield torque wrench being operable to torque a tubular about an axis of rotation and the oilfield torque wrench including a lower tong including a recess through which the axis of rotation passes during operation; an upper tong including a recess, the upper tong being mounted above the lower tong with the recess of the upper tong positioned above the recess of the lower tong so that the axis of rotation passes therethrough; pipe gripping dies in the recesses of the upper tong and the lower tong; a swivel bearing between the upper tong and the lower tong permitting the upper tong and the lower tong to swivel relative to each other while the recesses remain positioned with the axis of rotation passing therethrough; a drive system connected between the upper tong and the lower tong, the drive system being operable to generate a force vector to drive the upper tong and lower tong to swivel on the swivel bearing, the method comprising: determining at least one of (i) the actual radius measurement measured perpendicularly to the force vector and between the force vector and the axis of rotation of the tubular, and (ii) the actual force measurement of that force being applied to torque the connection; and calculating torque based on the at least one measurement. A torque wrench includes systems for measuring actual radius and/or actual force.

Claims

1. An oilfield tubular torque wrench comprising:

a lower tong including a recess for accepting an oilfield tubular positioned along an axis passing through the recess;

an upper tong including a recess, the upper tong being mounted above the lower tong with the recess of the upper tong positioned above the recess of the lower tong so that the axis passes therethrough;

pipe gripping dies in the recesses of the upper tong and the lower tong, the pipe gripping dies being drivable between an extended position and a retracted position;

a swivel bearing comprising a bearing ring assembly between the upper tong and the lower tong permitting the upper tong and the lower tong to swivel relative to each other while the recesses remain positioned with the axis passing therethrough;

a drive system connected between the upper tong and the lower tong, the drive system configured to generate a force vector to drive the upper tong and lower tong to swivel on the swivel bearing; and

at least one of (i) a system to measure the actual radius measured perpendicularly to the force vector and between the force vector and the axis, and (ii) a system to measure the actual force vector being generated by the drive system when operational conditions are considered.

2. The oilfield tubular torque wrench of claim 1, wherein the drive system is a linear drive system and the system to measure the actual radius includes a linear drive length measuring device operable to measure a drive length between the upper tong and the lower tong during operation of the torque wrench.

3. The oilfield tubular torque wrench of claim 1, wherein the drive system is a hydraulic drive system including a hydraulic cylinder with a piston and the system to measure the actual force factors in back pressure of the hydraulic drive system.

4. The oilfield tubular torque wrench of claim 1, wherein the drive system is a hydraulic drive system including a hydraulic cylinder with a piston and the system to measure the actual force factors in pressure drop of the hydraulic drive system during operation.

5. The oilfield tubular torque wrench of claim 1, wherein the drive system is a linear drive system including a hydraulic cylinder with a piston and the system to measure the actual force includes a system to measure the differential hydraulic pressure across the piston.

6. The oilfield tubular torque wrench of claim 1 wherein the system to measure the actual force includes a strain gauge in communication with the drive system.

7. The oilfield tubular torque wrench of claim 1 comprising both a system to measure the actual radius and a system to measure the actual force vector.

8. A method for measuring applied torque of a oilfield tubular torque wrench, the oilfield torque wrench configured to torque a tubular about an axis of rotation and the oilfield torque wrench including a lower tong including a recess through which the axis of rotation passes during operation;

an upper tong including a recess, the upper tong being mounted above the lower tong with the recess of the upper tong positioned above the recess of the lower tong so that the axis of rotation passes therethrough;

pipe gripping dies in the recesses of the upper tong and the lower tong;

a swivel bearing comprising a bearing ring assembly between the upper tong and the lower tong permitting the upper tong and the lower tong to swivel relative to each other while the recesses remain positioned with the axis of rotation passing therethrough;

a drive system connected between the upper tong and the lower tong, the drive system being operable to generate a force vector to drive the upper tong and lower tong to swivel on the swivel bearing, the method comprising;

determining at least one of (i) the actual radius measurement measured perpendicularly to the force vector and between the force vector and the axis of rotation of the tubular, and (ii) the actual force measurement of that force being applied to torque the connection when operational conditions are considered; and

calculating torque based on the at least one measurement.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the actual radius measurement is measured by obtaining data correlating a linear drive length with radius measurements;

measuring an actual linear drive length during operation of the torque wrench;

using the actual linear drive length to extrapolate an actual radius measurement from the data; and

wherein the step of calculating the applied torque is based on the radius measurement.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the drive system is a hydraulic drive system including a hydraulic cylinder with a piston and the step of measuring actual force factors in back pressure of the hydraulic drive system.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the drive system is a hydraulic drive system including a hydraulic cylinder with a piston and the step of measuring actual force factors in pressure drop of the hydraulic drive system during operation.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the drive system is a linear drive system including a hydraulic cylinder with a piston and the step of measuring actual force includes measuring the differential hydraulic pressure across the piston.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of measuring actual force monitors a strain gauge in communication with the drive system.

14. The method of claim 8, which comprises determining both the actual radius and the actual torque.

15. The method of claim 8, which further comprises determining a friction generated torque requirement of the swivel bearing and removing the friction generated torque requirement from a calculated torque.

16. The method of claim 8, which further comprises controlling the operation of the torque wrench based on a calculated torque.

17. A method for measuring applied torque of an oilfield tubular torque wrench having upper and lower pivoting zones, which method comprises:

associating the upper and lower pivoting zones about a bearing zone disposed therebetween so that the upper and lower pivoting zones swivel relative to each other, while a gripping portion in each pivoting zone is positioned to surround an axis of rotation of an oilfield tubular passing therethrough and adapted to connect with the tubular;

generating a force vector to drive the upper and lower pivoting zones to swivel about the bearing zone,

determining at least one of (i) an actual radius measurement measured perpendicularly to a force vector and between a force vector and the axis of rotation of the tubular, and (ii) an actual force measurement of that force being applied to torque the connection; and

calculating torque based on the at least one measurement.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the bearing zone is disposed equidistant from the upper and lower pivoting zones.

19. The method of claim 17, which further comprises determining a friction generated torque requirement of the bearing zone and removing the friction generated torque requirement from the calculated torque.