Assembly and method for monitoring position of blowout preventer rams

• US 10,273,774 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2015
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Jaffrey, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Bastianelli, John
• Application Number:
  US14/965,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20170167220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 251 11, 251 13, 251326-329, 137554, 166373
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/062 with sliding rams
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/00 Survey of boreholes or wells monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/0058 Optical means, e.g. light transmission, observation ports F16K37/0075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8242 Electrical

Abstract

A blow out preventer (“BOP”) includes a vertical bore extending through the body, a ram cavity intersecting the bore, and a port located below the ram cavity. A sensor assembly is locatable in the port and is configured to monitor the position of at least one opposing ram contained in the BOP. At least one of the rams includes a detection feature on a lower surface of the ram which is distinguishable from the rest of the ram body, other features of the BOP, and any debris in the bore of the BOP. The detection feature is detectable by the sensor assembly. The detection feature may include a visual indicator.

Claims

1. A ram blowout preventer (“

BOP”

) assembly, comprising;

a body comprising a vertical bore extending through the body, a ram cavity intersecting the vertical bore, and a port extending through the body from the vertical bore;

a pair of opposing rams movable laterally into and out of the vertical bore from the ram cavity;

a sensor assembly located in the port and near the vertical bore and configured to monitor the position of at least one opposing ram and;

wherein the at least one opposing ram comprises a detection feature located on a surface of the at least one opposing ram and configured to be detected by the sensor assembly.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one opposing ram comprises a detection feature located on a surface of the at least one opposing ram and configured to be detected by the sensor assembly.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the detection feature comprises a plurality of recesses formed in the surface.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one opposing ram comprises a detection feature configured to be detected by the sensor assembly, and the detection feature comprises a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) tag.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to monitor the position of each ram of the pair of opposing rams during movement of each ram.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the port comprises a choke or kill port that is configured to couple to an auxiliary line to provide for fluid communication between the auxiliary line and the vertical bore.

7. The assembly of claim 1, comprising multiple sensors located in the port and configured to monitor the position of each ram of the pair of opposing rams.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of opposing rams are each one of a shear ram, a pipe ram, a variable-bore ram, a blind shear ram, or a blind ram.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to be retrofitted to the port.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the port is located below the ram cavity and the detection feature is located on a lower surface of the at least one opposing ram.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein an axis of the port is perpendicular to a ram cavity axis of the ram cavity.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to monitor the position of the at least one opposing ram by detecting the detection feature within the vertical bore.

13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly comprises an ultrasonic sensor, radio frequency sensor, optical sensor, or some combination thereof.