U.S. patent application number 14/548300 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-19 for pump system.
The applicant listed for this patent is MHWIRTH GMBH. Invention is credited to Albrecht Heinrichs.
Application Number | 20150078931 14/548300 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46877503 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150078931 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Heinrichs; Albrecht |
March 19, 2015 |
PUMP SYSTEM
Abstract
A pump system configured to deliver drilling fluid in at least
one of a driving well and a drilling well includes a pump unit, a
rotary drive device configured to drive the pump unit, and a
gearbox comprising a driving gear and an driven gear. The rotary
drive device is operatively connected to the pump unit by the
gearbox.
Inventors: |
Heinrichs; Albrecht;
(Erkelenz, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
MHWIRTH GMBH |
Erkelenz |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
46877503 |
Appl. No.: |
14/548300 |
Filed: |
November 20, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13457519 |
Apr 27, 2012 |
8920146 |
|
|
14548300 |
|
|
|
|
11918310 |
Dec 3, 2007 |
8186977 |
|
|
PCT/EP2006/001400 |
Feb 16, 2006 |
|
|
|
13457519 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
417/319 ;
417/321 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04B 23/00 20130101;
F04B 9/02 20130101; F04B 47/02 20130101; E21B 21/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
417/319 ;
417/321 |
International
Class: |
E21B 21/00 20060101
E21B021/00; F04B 9/02 20060101 F04B009/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 12, 2005 |
DE |
10 2005 016 884.1 |
Claims
1. A pump system configured to deliver drilling fluid in at least
one of a driving well and a drilling well, the pump system
comprising: a pump unit; a rotary drive device configured to drive
the pump unit; and a gearbox comprising a driving gear and a driven
gear, wherein the rotary drive device is operatively connected to
the pump unit by the gearbox.
2. The pump system as recited in claim 1, wherein the rotary drive
device includes a single shaft end to which the driving gear is
rotationally connected.
3. The pump system as recited in claim 2, further comprising at
least one of a clutch and an elastic clutch, wherein the driving
gear is connected to the single shaft end by at least one of the
clutch, so as to selectively establish a rotationally fixed
connection between the driving gear and the single shaft end, and
by the elastic clutch, so as to establish a permanent rotationally
fixed connection between the driving gear and the single shaft
end.
4. The pump system as recited in claim 1, wherein the gearbox, the
driving gear and the driven gear are helical gears.
5. The pump system as recited in claim 1, wherein the rotary drive
device is arranged at least at almost a same level as the pump
unit.
6. The pump system as recited in claim 5, wherein the gearbox is
arranged at least substantially horizontally.
7. The pump system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of a shape,
a size and an arrangement of the rotary drive device are selected
so that a width (B) of the pump system is defined by a width (b) of
the pump unit.
8. The pump system as recited in claim 1, wherein the rotary drive
device has a longer extension (L) arranged in a direction of the
width (B) of the pump system.
9. The pump system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pump unit
further comprises a pump drive shaft.
10. The pump system as recited in claim 9, wherein the pump drive
shaft is not a crankshaft of the pump unit.
11. The pump system according to claim 9, wherein the driven gear
is connected to the pump drive shaft.
12. The pump system as recited in claim 9, wherein the pump unit
further comprises a crankshaft with a crankshaft gear wheel, and
wherein the pump drive shaft includes a pump drive shaft gear
wheel, the crankshaft gear wheel and the pump drive shaft gear
wheel being configured to mesh with each other.
13. The pump system as recited in claim 9, wherein the pump unit
further comprises a housing.
14. The pump system as recited in claim 13, wherein the pump drive
shaft is configured to protrude out of the housing.
15. The pump system as recited in claim 13, wherein the rotary
drive device includes a rotary device housing, and the rotary
device housing and the pump unit are at least substantially
adjacent to one another.
16. The pump system as recited in claim 1, wherein the gearbox
includes an intermediate gear.
17. The pump system as recited in claim 1, wherein the gearbox is
surrounded by a gearbox housing.
18. The pump system as recited in claim 1, wherein the gearbox
includes a slip-on gear.
19. The pump system as recited in claim 1, wherein the pump system
is provided as a modular design with modules comprising the pump
unit, the rotary drive device and the gearbox, each of the pump
unit, the rotary drive device and the gearbox being surrounded by a
housing.
20. The pump system as recited in claim 1, wherein a single rotary
drive device is provided.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
13/457,519, filed Apr. 27, 2012. application Ser. No. 13/457,519 is
a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 11/918,310, filed on
Dec. 3, 2007, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,186,977 on May 29,
2012. application Ser. No. 11/918,310 was a United States National
Phase application under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.371 of International
Application No. PCT/EP2006/001400, filed on Feb. 16, 2006, which
claimed benefit to German Patent Application No. 10 2005 016 884.1,
filed on Apr. 12, 2005. The International Application was published
in German on Oct. 19, 2006 as WO 2006/108466 Al under PCT Article
21(2).
FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a pump system for conveying
rinse fluid in advancing wells or drilling wells, having a pump
unit and a rotary drive device for driving the pump unit.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In particular in driving or putting down big-hole wells,
drilling fluid is supplied to the well during the drilling
operation. The drilling fluid serves on the one hand to lubricate
the drilling tools working at the well face and/or at the bottom
hole as well as the support of the drift face and/or the bore
surface. On the other hand, with the help of the drilling fluid,
loosened drilling chips can also be removed from the well by, for
example, supplying fresh drilling fluid in the area of the well
face and/or the bottom hole through a hollow drill string, thereby
creating a stream of drilling fluid which entrains loosened drill
chips and removes the debris from the well.
[0004] To create the drilling fluid flow, which is required for
such removal, particularly high-performance pump systems are
required. The flow rate of such pump systems is usually in the
range of maximum 3000 L/min at a pressure of maximum 500 bar.
[0005] State-of-the-art pump systems are characterized by a
particularly compact design because the rotary drive device of the
pump system driving the pump unit is situated above the pump unit
and is flange-mounted on the top side of the housing. The rotary
drive devices usually have a power level of up to 1700 kW.
[0006] To be able to transmit this power and/or the torque supplied
by the rotary drive device to the input shaft of the pump unit, it
is known that both the shaft of the rotary drive and the drive
shaft of the pump may lead out of the respective housing on both
sides, so that each shaft has two shaft ends. A chain wheel is
mounted in a rotationally fixed mount on each shaft end. The torque
is thus transmitted through two chains running parallel to one
another.
[0007] One disadvantage with such pump systems is that the
structural complexity required because of chains running on both
sides and the need for components in duplicate and in particular
the four-fold shaft bushings required with corresponding sealing
arrangements is high. Furthermore, the chain drives create a
substantial noise level during operation.
SUMMARY
[0008] An aspect of the present invention is to provide a pump
system that will avoid the aforementioned disadvantages.
[0009] In an embodiment, the present invention provides a pump
system configured to deliver drilling fluid in at least one of a
driving well and a drilling well which includes a pump unit, a
rotary drive device configured to drive the pump unit, and a
gearbox comprising a driving gear and a driven gear. The rotary
drive device is operatively connected to the pump unit by the
gearbox.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The present invention is described in greater detail below
on the basis of embodiments and of the drawings in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 shows the a first embodiment in a side view;
[0012] FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a partially
sectional view from the front (view II in FIG. 1);
[0013] FIG. 3 shows a side view of a second embodiment of the
present invention;
[0014] FIG. 4 shows a view from above of the embodiment shown in
FIG. 3;
[0015] FIG. 5 shows a view from the front of the embodiment shown
in FIG. 3 on a smaller scale (view V in FIG. 3);
[0016] FIG. 6 shows a perspective diagram of the embodiment shown
in FIG. 3 on a smaller scale;
[0017] FIG. 7 shows a sectional side view of a pump unit known from
the prior art;
[0018] FIG. 8 shows a partially sectional view from above of the
pump unit shown in FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] The noise inherently generated with a chain drive is
prevented because of the fact that the rotary drive device with the
pump system according to the present invention is operatively
connected to the pump unit by means of a gearbox comprising a
driving gear and an driven gear. Furthermore, it has surprisingly
been found that, for transmission of the power and torque required
to operate the pump unit, it is sufficient to provide a gearbox on
only one side of the pump system.
[0020] In an embodiment of the pump system according to the present
invention, the rotary drive device can, for example, only have a
single shaft end with which the driving gear can be connected
rotationally, for example, by means of a clutch.
[0021] The noise level caused by the gearbox can further be reduced
if, for example, the gear wheels of the gearbox have helical
gearing.
[0022] In an embodiment of the present invention, the rotary drive
device of the pump system which drives the pump unit can, for
example, be arranged above the pump unit and can, for example, be
flange mounted to the top side of its housing.
[0023] In an embodiment of the present invention, the rotary drive
device can, for example, be arranged at least almost at the same
height as the pump unit. Both the rotary drive device and the pump
unit can, for example, be arranged at least almost at ground level.
Better accessibility of the rotary drive device, among other
things, can be achieved in this way. In comparison with an
arrangement of the rotary drive device and the pump unit with one
device stacked on top of the other, this reduces load on the
housing of the pump unit. This housing is advantageously
dimensioned for cost reasons in this embodiment, because it would
not withstand stresses that would result from stacking. Another
advantage is that the total height of the pump system can, for
example, be defined either by the height of the rotary drive device
or the height of the pump unit, and is therefore smaller than it
would be if these two elements were arranged one on top of the
other.
[0024] The embodiment in which the rotary drive device is arranged
at least almost at the same height as the pump unit can
advantageously be a land-based installation in which the slightly
larger amount of land area required by the pump system compared
with a pump system with a rotary drive device arranged on the pump
unit, is less relevant than it would be in the case of an
installation on board a ship or supported on a platform.
[0025] In the embodiment in which the rotary drive device is
arranged at least almost at the same level as the pump unit, the
gearbox can, for example, be arranged at least almost horizontally.
The gearbox can, for example, have an axis of symmetry which can,
for example, be arranged horizontally. The axes of the driving gear
and the driven gear can, for example, be at least almost at one
level. The axes of the driving gear and the driven gear can, for
example, run parallel and, for example, run horizontally.
[0026] An especially compact pump system is provided if the rotary
drive device is arranged directly adjacent to the pump unit. The
lowest possible distance can, for example, prevail between the
rotary drive device and the pump unit.
[0027] The shape and/or size and/or arrangement of the rotary drive
device can, for example, be advantageously selected so that the
width of the pump system is defined by the width of the pump unit.
The width of the pump system is advantageously not increased
significantly by the rotary drive device or is not increased at
all.
[0028] An especially compact pump system is provided if the rotary
drive device has a longer extension running in the direction of the
width of the pump system. The rotary drive device thus does not,
for example, have a square or circular horizontal projection.
[0029] In an embodiment of the present invention, the pump unit
can, for example, advantageously have a pump drive shaft. The axis
of the shaft of the rotary drive device can, for example, be at the
same level as the axis of rotation of the pump drive shaft, in
particular in the embodiment in which the rotary drive device is
arranged at least almost at the same level as the pump unit. The
rotary drive device can, for example, advantageously be arranged
adjacent to the pump unit so that the distance between the pump
drive shaft and the shaft of the rotary drive device is
minimal.
[0030] In an embodiment of the present invention, the pump drive
shaft is advantageously not the crankshaft of the pump unit.
[0031] In an embodiment of the present invention, the driven gear
of the gearbox can, for example, be operatively connected to the
pump drive shaft. The driven gear can, for example, be connected
directly to the pump drive shaft.
[0032] In an embodiment of the present invention, the pump unit
can, for example, be a pump unit that is known and very well tested
per se. This pump unit can, for example, have a housing. In an
embodiment of the present invention, it can, for example, have a
crankshaft. It can, for example, be constructed so that the pump
drive shaft has a pump drive shaft gear wheel, for example, in the
interior of the pump housing and the crankshaft has a crankshaft
gear wheel, for example, also in the interior of the pump housing.
These two gear wheels can, for example, mesh with one another. The
pump drive shaft can, for example, protrude from this housing. It
can, for example, advantageously be a triple-piston pump (triplex
pump). Such a pump unit has long been proven successful and is
extremely reliable.
[0033] In an embodiment of the present invention, the shaft of the
rotational device can, for example, advantageously run parallel to
the drive shaft of the pump unit. The drive shaft of the pump unit
can, for example, run parallel to the crankshaft of the pump
unit.
[0034] A modular design of the pump housing can, for example, be
simplified because the pump drive shaft protrudes out of the
housing.
[0035] The rotary drive device can, for example, have a housing,
and the housing of the rotary drive device and the pump unit can,
for example, be at least almost adjacent to one another.
[0036] The gearbox can, for example, advantageously comprise an
intermediate gear. The gearbox can, for example, comprise exactly
three gear wheels, namely one driving gear, one driven gear and one
intermediate gear. The axles of these wheels can, for example, run
in a plane, which can, for example, be arranged horizontally. The
axles of the aforementioned wheels can, for example, run parallel
to one another.
[0037] The gearbox can, for example, be advantageously surrounded
by a gear box.
[0038] In an embodiment of the present invention, the gearbox can,
for example, comprise a slip-on gear and/or is formed by a slip-on
gear. The gearbox thus forms a unit which is secured only and/or at
least predominantly and/or at least substantially by the connection
of the driving gear to the shaft of the rotary drive device and/or
a clutch and the connection of the driven gear to the pump drive
shaft.
[0039] In an embodiment of the present invention, the pump system
can advantageously be modular and/or constructed according to the
modular principle. The modules it can, for example, comprise
includes the pump unit, the rotary drive device, the clutch and
gear, for example, exclusively. Each of these modules is can
advantageously be surrounded by its own housing. Therefore separate
replacement of one module if it is defective or in need of service
can be performed quickly. The modules can, for example, be
standardized and can therefore be manufactured in comparatively
large series and they can, for example, have standardized
interfaces and may thus also be used in other contexts (modular
system). The gearbox and the rotary drive device may also be
identical in design to corresponding modules in pump systems of
different designs.
[0040] A single rotary drive device can, for example, be
advantageously provided.
[0041] The drawings show exemplary embodiments of a pump system
according to the present invention.
[0042] A first embodiment of the pump system 100 comprises a pump
unit 1 of a traditional design. This pump unit 1 comprises a
housing 2, with one end of a pump drive shaft 3 protruding out of
the side facing the observer. The driven gear 4 of a gear wheel 5
is connected to this shaft end in a rotationally fixed manner.
[0043] The gearbox 5 serves to establish an operative connection
between the pump unit and the rotary drive device 6 which comprises
a rotational motor R, which is merely indicated in the drawing and
may, for example, be driven either hydraulically or
electrically.
[0044] The rotary drive device 6 comprises a housing 7 which is
flange-mounted on the housing 2 of the pump unit 1.
[0045] One shaft end of a driven shaft 8 protrudes out of the
housing 7 of the rotary drive device 6 on the side facing the user.
It is connected via a shift clutch 12 to a driving gear 9, which
optionally connects the driving gear 9 to the shaft end in a
rotationally fixed manner or releases it. The driving gear 9 is
coupled to the driven gear 4 via an intermediate gear 10 which is
rotatably mounted in a housing 11 of the gearbox. Instead of the
shift clutch, an elastic nonshiftable clutch may also be provided,
connecting the shaft end permanently to the driving gear.
[0046] The gearing of the intermediate gear 10 engages with the
gearing on the driving gear 9 and the driven gear 4. The wheels of
the gearbox have helical gearing for the purpose of noise
reduction.
[0047] A second embodiment of the pump system labeled as 200 as a
whole also comprises a pump unit 101 of a traditional design or
largely corresponding to a pump unit of a traditional design. This
embodiment can also be traced back to an popular pump design.
[0048] FIGS. 7 and 8 show a pump unit 201 of a traditional design
and from the prior art corresponding to the pump unit 1 disclosed
in the embodiment.
[0049] All the pump units 1, 101, 201 have in common the fact that
they have a pump drive shaft 3, 103, 203 as well as a crank shaft
215, and the pump drive shaft is not the crank shaft. All the pump
units 1, 101, 201 shown here have a housing 2, 102, 202. As shown
best in FIG. 8, the pump drive shaft 3, 103, 203 has a pump drive
shaft gear 114, 224 in the interior of this housing 2, 102, 202,
meshing with a larger crank shaft gear 113, 213 also arranged in
the interior of the housing. FIG. 3 shows the pump drive shaft 103,
the pump drive shaft gear wheel 114 mounted on this shaft being
indicated by a single broken-line circle, although the pump drive
shaft 103 and the pump drive shaft gear wheel 114 may have a
slightly different diameter, as shown in FIG. 8.
[0050] Unlike the pump unit 201 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the pump
drive shaft 103 with the pump unit 101 of the pump system 100 of
the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is not
arranged above the axis of rotation 116 of the crank shaft, but is
instead beneath it. The pump drive shaft 103 is also not arranged
on the side of the crank shaft axis of rotation 116 facing the
other pump, but is instead arranged on the opposite side.
[0051] In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the end of the
pump drive shaft 103 protrudes out of the side of the housing 102
facing the observer. The output shaft 104 of the gearbox 105 is
connected to this shaft end in a rotationally fixed manner. This
driven gear 104 is represented in FIG. 3 by a partial circle drawn
with a broken line.
[0052] The gearbox 105 serves to establish the operative connection
of the pump unit 101 with the rotary drive unit 106 in the first
embodiment, comprising a rotary pump R, which is only indicated in
the drawing and may be driven, for example, either hydraulically or
electrically. In doing so, if fulfills two functions. Firstly, it
changes the rotational speed and torque of the rotational movement
transmitted. Secondly, it bridges the distance between the shaft
108 of the rotary drive device and the pump drive shaft 103.
[0053] The rotary drive device 106 comprises a housing 107 which
can, for example, not be flange-mounted on the housing 102 of the
pump unit 101, unlike that in the first embodiment. It is not, at
any rate, mounted on this housing. The rotary drive device 106 is
instead arranged at the same level of the pump unit 101.
[0054] In FIG. 3, again on the side facing the observer, a shaft
end of a driven shaft 108 protrudes out of the housing 107 of the
rotary drive device 106. It is connected via a switch clutch 112
(compare also FIG. 4) to a driving gear 109 of the gearbox 105. The
shaft 108 of the rotary drive device and the driving gear 109 of
the gearbox are represented by a single broken line circle in FIG.
3 although there diameters may differ from one another. The shift
clutch 112 optionally connects the driving gear 109 to the shaft
end in a rotationally fixed manner or it releases this connection.
The driving gear 109 is connected to the driven gear 104 via an
intermediate gear 110 which is rotatably mounted in a housing 111
of the gearbox. The driving gear 109 and the intermediate gear 110
are represented by broken line circles in FIG. 3 as is the crank
shaft gear wheel 113. Instead of the shift clutch an elastic
nonshiftable clutch may also be provided, permanently connecting
the shaft end to the driving gear.
[0055] As in the first embodiment, the gearing on the intermediate
gear 110 engages with the gearing on the driving gear 109 and the
driven gear 105. The wheels of the gearbox have helical gearing for
the purpose of noise reduction.
[0056] The gearbox 105 in the second embodiment is mounted
horizontally. The axes of the driving gear, driven gear and
intermediate gear are in a horizontal plane. The gearbox has an
axis of symmetry A in this plane.
[0057] As shown in particular by FIG. 4, the pump system 200 also
has a compact design. The shape, size and arrangement of the rotary
drive device 106 have been selected so that the width B of the pump
system is predetermined by the width b of the pump unit 101. The
rotary drive device and the gearbox plus the clutch thus do not
increase the width of the pump system. The rotary drive device 106
has a greater extension 1 running in the direction of the width B
of the pump system. The length of the pump system is therefore also
relatively short. The greater extension 1 of the rotary drive
device 106 is shorter than the width b of the pump unit by more
than the width of the gearbox 105 plus the width of the clutch 112.
In other words, an imaginary unit comprised of a rotary drive
device, a clutch and a gearbox has a total length L, corresponding
approximately to the width b of the pump unit or is only slightly
smaller than that. The imaginary unit of the rotary drive device,
the clutch and the gearbox therefore utilize almost the entire
width B of the pump system, which is predetermined by the pump
unit. The rotary drive device 106 is arranged with an offset toward
one side of the pump unit 101 (upward in FIG. 4) so that this
imaginary unit does not protrude significantly or at all on either
side of the pump unit.
[0058] The longitudinal center line M of the pump unit 101 extends
through the rotary drive device 106. The transverse center line Q
of the rotary drive device 106 runs parallel to the longitudinal
center line M of the pump unit 101 and extends through the pump
unit 101. The longitudinal center line M of the pump unit 101
corresponds to the longitudinal center line of the pump system
200.
[0059] The gearbox 105 in all the exemplary embodiments shown here
is a slip-on gear which is mounted directly on the pump drive shaft
103. For example, FIGS. 3 and 4 show that the gearbox 105 is held
in position only by its connection to the clutch 112 and the pump
drive shaft 103 as well as the torque support X. The gear is
connected to the basic frame by means of the torque support X.
[0060] The pump system 200 is modular, i.e., based on the modular
design principle in all the embodiments shown here. The modules it
comprises include the pump unit, the rotary drive device, the gear
and the clutch, each surrounded by its own housing. The modules are
thus encapsulated and protected from rough environmental influences
which prevail in the typical environment for use of the pump
system.
[0061] As FIG. 3 shows, the height H of the pump system 200 is
determined exclusively by the height h of the pump unit 101. The
height H of the pump system 200 of the second embodiment is lower
than the height of the pump system of the first embodiment.
[0062] The present invention is not limited to embodiments
described herein; reference should be had to the appended
claims.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0063] 100, 200 Pump system
[0064] 1, 101, 201 Pump unit
[0065] 2, 102, 202 Housing of the pump unit
[0066] 3, 103, 203 Pump drive shaft
[0067] 4, 104 Driven gear
[0068] 5, 105 Gearbox
[0069] 6, 106 Rotary drive device
[0070] 7, 107 Housing of the rotary drive device
[0071] 8, 108 Shaft of the rotary drive device
[0072] 9, 109 Driving gear of the gearbox
[0073] 10, 110 Intermediate gear of the gearbox
[0074] 11, 111 Gear box
[0075] 12, 112 Clutch
[0076] 113, 213 Crankshaft gear wheel
[0077] 114, 214 Pump drive shaft gear
[0078] 215 Crankshaft
[0079] 116, 216 Crankshaft axis of rotation
[0080] 117 Axis of rotation of the shaft of the rotary device
[0081] 118 Axis of rotation of the pump drive shaft
[0082] R Rotary motor
[0083] A Axis
[0084] B, b Width
[0085] H, h Height
[0086] L, l Length
[0087] M Longitudinal center line of the pump unit
[0088] Q Transverse center line of the rotary drive device
[0089] X Torque support
* * * * *