Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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,.
DUAL-DRIVE 'WINCH SYSTEM AnAP~i'Ir:l) li't)lt ~VV~LLL
LOGGING APPL1CAT1ONS
s
)E3ACKCEtO'UND Oh' TI1~ TNVEN-T10I'~
ricld of the Invention
'1'hc invention is related generally to the field of winches and spooling
devices.
Maxc specifically, the invention relates to spooling device< whleh have more
ih.rn crnu
independently drivea.blo spool disposed in a, mounting space typically u~ad
('rrr x siylC
;;l,ool.
1)zscription of the Related Art
Well lcagging systems kncfwn in the ;art inclu~lu a wutcla having a spool of
annorcd
electrical cable worn,d crn ~trc ajmul. '~?VGII lo~6iy iastrumcnts arc lowered
into and lifted
1 S nnt. of welihores fur variuua yuyusc;s by rotating the spool (culled a
"cable drum") to
oxtr:ru and rctlact, respectively, the armored clcctrioal cable.
Amuorcd clcctrical cables for use in wvcll lofi~ing operations have a number
of
clcctrical conductors lhcrcin, and an extarnal diameter which are related to
the tyre c~f
logging, instwuncnts being used, the expected depth in the wellboro to whinh
tl,c~
instruments arc to be louvered, and whether subsurfanp ronclitiarns in the
wcllborc may
require the use of fluid pressure contml devices flt tl,r E~,arttr'v surface.
Lo~gin~;
instruxnents which make srer;i:rllxarl mcasuremonls uflrruherlic;s ofthe carih
formations
penetrated by thL wellbore ofitc~n rc:dnirc multiylo W sulatcd olecirical
conductors to carry
electxieal power to C11B inslrrrrrre:nl.c frwcr tire caith's surface, and to
transmit signals baelr
to tl,c~ usartlr's aucCac;c lirr recording and interpretation. Typical ly,
mufti-conductor cable
h.~a :~ relatively llr~c wci~ht i~er unit lcn~th. As a. result, multi~
conductor cables lyrically
have rz ~rolativety large cxicrnal diameter because of the amount of
~trn,orins 1't'qlrir~rl !c,
provide adequate tensile strength to the cable.
Conversely, eir,ipic instruments, particularly "rcsrPnratlng" and otttcr
nmclmuioal
weilbore serviein~ devices, may only reclnirr .r tingle insulalcd clcctncal
conductor to
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perform all required titnntinnc. 1?specially in the case of operating
pet'fot'aiing device',
various types of prr;ssure control devices arc uaCd ul tlm earth's surface.
Such prossurc
control devices reclaim lhal Ilea caLle be "tl>scadcd throuEh" cable-diflmcter
openings in
than. A mcchanical/clcctrical coupling which connects the cable to the logging
instruments, Icnown as a cable head" mt.est typically be coupled to the oahla
after
threading the cable through the nr~ningc in the pressure cott.tlol equiprncnt.
.As is well
known in th.P Sri, ~Icctriaal cahles used with preSSUre control eqctiptncrtl
lyl~iwlly lave as
stutall tts practical an extema! diazrtutcr (OD) lu ieducc the tcndancy of
tJ~c cable to be
cximlled fiium the wcllbot~; when fluid treasure build; up inside the pressure
control
cquiptncot, Still othcrwell lagging cables include a single conductor, but
h7ve a large
Up and numerous armor wirca for operatic,ns requiring high breaking strength
on The
cable, such as tar cPtting mechanical devices io an unprcssurlzed wullburc, m
wl~ea
lifting r4latlvely heavy logging instrurztcttla vt~ 17c~ furating guns.
Frc;quently, well lugging opcrati9ns rccluirc using both larbe OD mufti-
conductor,
1S or single conductor oablcs, and small OD single conductor cables in a
single cot of
operations. Somo well lobbing units hive two separate, indnPcndentty Qrlven
cable
drutrfi on than to flc~rnrmodate these aperatiorts. Such well logging units,
wltilG cluitc
eftoctivc, obvipusly have greater cost than 5ittt;lG-drum well loggias units
because they
have two eompleluly tILCICNCI I~Gllt witldl systC117S. Other well logging
units 'k~wwn in the
art havo a single winch drum which is "split". A split drum includes two
exterior tlangsc
on the axial outor ends of tho drum, and a third flange in a selected nxivl
pnsitian hetwc:cn
the ends of the drum. Split dnnrtc have wound thereon both types of logging
cables 'u
that the forgoing rnnlti-purpose w~:ll logging operaliutta uat~ Lei carried
out, A limitation
of shut dnttn wi.tteh systems is lhal vutlt cables rott~te simultaneously. IC
is necesNary to
ZS rctuuve: the cable head from the unused cable during operations which
r4quire ttso of the
other cable, Irvun if the cable head need not be retrtoved in some c:rsrc, it
may be
desirable to already have the smaller (.)t7 rahle "threaded through" the
pressure cantrul
equipment to save time during operations at tile wellbore site. This is nul
yussi'Llc on a
split drum system while apc;ratiu~; lha winch dyna tA use the larger OD cnble.
34 What is mecdcd is a winch systcn~ which provides the space advantages of a
snit
drum, wrhilc cnttblin t; separate rotation of twvo different lagging c~hlP~_
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St>'1VIMALtY' OF T>KF'. llrT~JENTIO1~T
The invcntivn is a winch system Which irmludcs a first drum rotatably
supportert
in a madlc, a second drum rotatably srtpparlcacl iv the cradle axially
alonbside tha fixst
S cltum and rotFStablo independently of Llr4 first drura, and a drive systctn
selearivcly
connccti6le to the first drum anrl i.hc accoud drum. In one cntboditnent, the
lir:;t ~lmv is
rotatably stipponed at nn~ end by a first bearing in one end of the c~,racllc,
the second drum
is rotatably suppartcrl srt i711G Ctld by a second baarin~ in another c:ncl of
the cr~dlc, and tho
second dram is r~cuatably supported at another end by st least one bearity in
a support
lU bore in th.~ tir~;t dcunl.
1n one: vuLodinmnt, the drivr~ system is directly cxmlrlcd to the frrst drum
and
rr~rnhriscs au intcrloclc to rutatably evuple thN I ir~,t drum io the sceomd
drum.
In another embodiment, the drive systurrc coirrpriscs a drive wembcr
independently rot,~t.~.blc with rcsrE~r;l. to 111c firat drum and ihc second
drmtt, .rncl a fast and
t5 a second interlock each selectively uherablc to couple the first and seGand
clrunis,
rcspecitvely, to the drive nncrnlrcr.
In another emhoc9inmrrt, the drive sy'stctn comrriscs a first drive unt
opcra6ly
eounled to the .firct druttt atn a second drive unit operably eottpled lu tlco
second dntm.
~U liRYl'C tl~SCIiIY'1'lON OF Tli>F 1~RAWINGS
t;igure 1 shows a cross-sectional view c~f une cmrbodimcnt of a dual-drive
r~rinnh
vystcut.
rigurc 2 shows the embodiment. of Figura 1 whore the twd drums may ratate
independently,
25 rigurE 3 shows ttn sltemativC embodiment in which either the fircl. drutu
of the
second drum may be rlrivcrr individually by a single drive. unit.
Figure 4 shrew:. ucmthcr cmbodiincnt wherein the first drum and second dnun
oaeh
has its own drive unit,
Figure S slows an cxElmplo of a dur~1 dnnn winul~ having iarproved Load
carryini;
30 c:xpacity.
. ,~.~~..~.w~..~..~:~.~c,~,«w~.~.~..wwW
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DETA1GED f7T:~CnTPTTON
t:.ener~lly arPaking, rhc~ invention is a winch system which includes two side-
by
side cable drums mounted in a cradle. The two ca.bIv drmns are to rutatC
iudop~n~leutly
of each other, while being fit into a space otherwise adapted for a ginglc
winch drum or a
"split drum".
Onc entbodiznent of a dual-drum winch 10 according to tho invention is chnwn
in
Figure 1. A cradle 11 as sluawn in ?;il;nrP 1 ran hc~ the same or similar to
those used to
rotatably support a single cable drum or a split dman as are known in lltc
hc~iur a~ l, Tlm
cratllc 11 rutalal~ly supports a cable drum on bearifigs 20, 22. In this
embodiment, the
cable drum is a "dual" drum consisting of a first drum 12 and a ;second drum
14. A first
cable 1t, and a second cable 1~ are spooled, raspectivcly, on first drum I2
and second
drmn 14. The first dtvtn inchuies a First flange 12A sn~l a cec;nnrl t'13n2c
l~ti to axially
rE~.ctrain a, tint aahie 1 ci to be wound on the first drum 12. The second
drum 14 inc;ludus
siznilar flanges 14A, 14B to axially restrain a second lvk~,izy c~tLlo 18 to
be wound on tha
second drum 14.
The first drum 12 includes a bearing srindle 12C which at one end toms inside
a
support beacinb 20 in the cradle 11. The bearing 20 can be a rillnrxr hlnck aS
iS
C011Vf'.11('Iflnai Ivr rutatahle cable dntm mounting. The second dntm I4 also
rotates about
a spindle 14C which is supported in a bcaritag 22 in the; Uthcr ~tdC of tl~C
c~adlc 1 I. The
suytmzl la~a~ing 22 eau also be a pillow block or similar type of bearing.
Second drum 1~1
is rotatably supported at the other end by at least one coaxial boaring 15.
Coaxial bearing
15 is disposed inside a support bore 12E in the interior of the first dnnn
17.. Practical
embodizncnts at the invention may include n~nr~ non nnc coaxial bearing 15 in
the
sappart horn 12E, preferably separated by as much axial distance bctwcm i
tl~Gm as
practical. In tltis way,111C first rhu.jll 12 and the second drum 14 may
rotrttc
ilrlependcntly of each other while fitting in a conwcntional cr~idle 11, using
bearings 20,
22, that are tyrieally usad for a sinble ar split drum winch t:ystem.
It should be clearly understood that the particrylar cnnfiguration shown ul
rigure
1, which has ipindle 14C extend froto the second drum I4 into tho
coiccspuitcliy alrNpo~t
bore 12E in the f t~st drum 12, so that llzo (irac ~lzrun 12 can rotate a.boui
the coaxial
bearings 1 ~ is only one possible confi,g«ration of this. embodiment.
Alternatively, the
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,,.
spindle 12C of the first drum 12 could o:~tond into a cprresponding support
bare (not
shown in Fignro I j in the: interior of the second d.rttm 14, wherein tho
coaxial bearings 15
W0111Ci ~~ located. This is the Functional eCjLtlVillent OF the
COtlfl,~ur~t~Ori Sh.OWl1117 Figure
1 and has the same advantages of that cc~ttfiguraliut~, wliiul~ will be
Curtlt4r cxp1ai11cJ
below.
An advantage oFthe embodiment shown in rigurc 1 (and its alternativo as
PxplainEd above) is that both the first drum 12 znd second drain 14 can tech
have a cable
passage (not shown is rigure 1). The cable passage is fanned, and terminates
at ant end,
substantially u1 1116 LCtltC1' UrIlIC rCS~GVI.IVL'pJ.Itt11145 12C, 14C. Thti
cable; passage
tcrtninatcs at its other end on the cylindrical surface that suplaolts tllc
cabh; 1G, 18 wound
on each drum 12, 1~t arld at tho boating end of the respective spindle 12C,
14C. Such
cable passabes are typical for cable drums knawn in the art, arid the purpose
of the cable
passasc (not shown), as is known in the srt, is to provide a canriuit from the
interiar
cylindrical sut-face of the cable dmm to the center of a slip ring assembly,
or "collector"
1 S assembly. The collector is typically mounted on the bearing end of the
cradle 11. As is
conventional for sl split dnmi winch, in the iaxdcpcndcntly rotatablc dlvtrl
systclrl of this
etmbodiment, the first drum 12 includes at the bearing end thereof a first
collector 12D.
Correspondingly, the second dorm 14 inelndcs a soactnd c;ctlleci«r 141):ti.
i1v hc~arin~r ~n~i.
Both collectors 12D. 14D can be any suitaule type known in the alrt to enable
electrical
2U couhlity between a rotatictg member and a rotationally taxed mmLc~. Im
tl~i:~
ombodimcnt, as is conventional in the art, the rotationally fixed member is
the cradle 11.
Other embodiments tn;~y have the spindle I~1~C of the second drum 1~! fully '
supported by both bearings 2U, 22 on the cradle I 1. In such embodiments, the
first dmm
12 would include only the support bore llh, therein, and coaxial bearings 15,
!t is else
2J~ 17US1ihlC tU ll:'1VC il .~'1)%IIIJIC WlllC:l1 L.xtlllll'u l7t~iWl:la1
bGi1r1I1~,'.9 2~ elllCt 22, ttIlC~ lb' et .y'GpilrittC
clement entirely fmm the first and sacor~d drun ~:~, 'J'he drama 12, 14 in
such
embodiments would rotate indcpcndently about tho spindlo on boarings in a
support born
in oath drum. Such embodimentc would require each drum to have a different
form of
pa5stlge for the cable wound thereon to be conducted to the respective
collector.
30 In tl~u ombodime;nt of Figure 1, the first drum 12 is rotated by a drive
system
including a chain 28 and power unit 30. The chain 28 and power unit 30 can be
any type
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kmwn in the art. !n tiliS enlbad1111en1, the chain 28 and polder unit 30 arc
the same as
would be used to ClTIVe ii Sirl~.,'h: lh'uIIA uI' a~li! drum. This cmbadiocnt
has the advantasc
uCVCinx aIrIG to diioctly rchlacc a si~ylc drum or s~rlit drum in a drive
ayslcrn and crodle
already adapted to the sinl;ld drum or split dmu. 'fhe first drum 12 is
stopped frosn
rotatinfi by ,n first brske band 26. The first brake band 2G can be any tyro
knr~wrn m the
art for stepping a winch ctrnm. c:arreapondingly, the second drum 14 is
stopped by a
second brake band 24. In this embodiment, the brake bands 24, 2b can be the
satttc as
used iu a ~ilyv vl~~uor ur split drum winch, but the brake bands 2~4, 26
should bo adapted
to be separately controllable to enable sep;~ralr~ rotation of the drums 12,
14.
1 A In this embodiment, only the f"trst drum !,2 is riri.ven by the ch..~in
?.i~ anti rc~wr~r
unit 30. To drive the sPrrrnrt iln~m 14, in this embodituent, an interlock 3z
iS engaged to
ratztinnal ly couple the licst drum 12 to the Second drum 14. The interlock 32
in this
et'nbodiment can br; a pin ur tliC IikG wlrialr ejtbascs corresponding holes
in tlic flanges
14A, 148, 12I3 of the drums 14, 12 respectively. In Fi,~ure 1, the interlock
pin 32 ie
shown engaging tho eocond flank 121 an the f rst drum to couple rotation of
the first
drum 12 to the second drum 14.
't'hct same emhctdiment is shown in ri.gure 2 with the interlock 32
disenga,~~;d, su
lhat the first drum 12 is driven by the ~iriw uiu! (cir~riu 28 and powcr-unit
3~0), while ihc
se;curul drum 14 is not iotatcd. Typically the second brake band 24 will be
set to stop
24 rotation ofthc sccolld drum 1~) whoa iho intcrlocl~ 3z is disenga~cd as
showxr in Figure 2.
However, as the second drum 14 is othewise free to rotate, irrespPC.tivo
nt'rntatian rif the
first cin rm t o, t he 4yatcm nneratar n gay in sonic cases manually pull some
of the sewed
cable It3 from the second drum 14 to pvrfurta any activiliea which rosy
require extending
thL 54(:UilCl cable 1$.
It is cotrtcrrrpirrtcd that the emboditrent shown in Figures 1 arid 2 would be
used
where the first cablo 16 is a larbe diameter multiple conductor cable not
requiring
t.meouplin~ afa cable. ho;ut (not chnwn) to ''thread through" pressure control
equiptxtent,
The aecond cable is is eontetnplated as being a small diam~;tur axblG wltir:h
eau Lv llricad
thruu~;h prc;saur~ wrrUul equipment (not shown), and have coupled thereto a
ecsble hood
(not shown). In this way, the prcsyurc control cquipanent may be assembled to
the second
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cable 18 prior to use nl'I:hc winch system 10, W1111(: (ftJCl'~illOlls
1tS111~' the Frst drum 12 and
i'irst af~hl~ I ~ tnay proceed uninlw r uptcd.
An altetnalivu CauLo~limc~~t of the winch uystem is s110wt11n Figure 3. )n the
Cmboditncmt of ril,'urc 3, the chain 28 and power unit 3l1 arc rositioned So
I:ha.t thu chaui
is in between the f rst drum 12 and the scc,ona~l rirum L4. A drive sprockul
2$>3 is
rot3tably supported on the spindle 14C by a bCat'inl; 28A. The drive sprocket
28B can be
selectively co~rPled to either or both The first duucn 12 by a first
intcrlocl~ 3211, which can
be sirnllar to the interlock (32 in rigure 1) of the previous embodiment, and
by ~ second
inlcrluck 32B to the second drum 1 ~. In the embodin~cnt of tat~ure 3, either
or both
~0 drums 12, 14 may be rotated,
Yet another ewbodime~nt, shown 1r1 Figure 4, inclutlcs a first drive chain 28A
and
first power unit '~(lA to operate the first dt'tum 12, and a second drive
chain 28C and
rnwEr unit 3013 to opcr<Zte lhc'ccund diem. In the embodiment of Figure A.,
the ~irnms
12, 14 m~~ty be npe;ralG~l completely separately, including in dittE~rcnt
dirnetions. The
e:mbodin~ent shown in rilure~ ~1 makes possible cn~Tlrinl; out well logging
operaliuna un
two wc:llbore~ simultaneously.
A particular e~mhoc3iment shown in f~i~urc S u~cludcs a ilu~ust bcprinS 3~1
disposed
hc~tween the adjacent flztlgc;s 12B, 14A of the first drum 12 and second drum
14,
respectlvoly, the cmUudimcnt shown in Figure S can haw improved load carrying
c;~pacity. 1n some of the embodiments of the invention, such as shown in
Fi~.iru 1, fv~
example, so~mc of the drum toad is cnrricd t,y the coaxial bearings (15 in
riyrc 1).
Depending on 'the positirm and number of such beariys, llmrc nay still be some
rasidual
load applied sva a tarnue which is atpin ied i1i a direction to "twist" the
axis of rotation of
the drums 12, 14. SocuC of ibis load can be transferrod betvcrecn the diwmc by
using the
thrust Ge:aruy 34 between the adjacent drum flanges 12.H, t 4A. The thrust
bezt'ing 34
ca.n be any type suitable Cor taking the thrust lo:tri between the flan gcs
128, 14A, for
exumplo a roller bearing, ball hearing or torrirt.~ton (radial robot thmst)
bearing. Tho
embodirncnt shown in )r'igure 5 may also provide au additional bcncrt by
reducing the
load carrying clpaeifiy rctluircd on cash drum is the spindle area (or support
hare area.) so
that thu adjacent flanges l2Ci, 14A mny bo positioned closer tn the zxial
outennusl cxk;nt
,.",
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r
:r
of the corrcsronclin~ rimm 1 J, 14. '!'hv will rrovirle each dnttn 1?, 14 with
some
additional cable carrying capacity.
Tltc iuv~c;nlic~u lr~uvi~lCS a. winch ayslam which cmblcs upcrWin~ mvro than
nn~
VYinch dr<lrtt separately from anotllcr ~,vinch drum, while maintaining the
overall
dirncnsions of sinble or split drum winch systems known in iho art. Tlio winch
systc~nt of
ihc~ invrnl inn may Prove nartiaularly useful in retrofitting single or split
drum winch
systems known itt the art without extensive modification to the In~in~ unit
ahaccig or
winch cr~salc;.
While the forcgoin~ invention has boon doscribod is terms of spocific
cntbodirncnts, it ~.vill be readily apparent to those skilled in the tart that
other embodiments
of the invention can be devimd which do not depart from the spirit of the
invention as
disclosed herein. Accordingly, the invention shall he limited in scope only by
the
attached claims,
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