Top drive

Abstract

A method and apparatus for manipulating and deploying lengths of pipe when drilling wells is provided. The apparatus has a motor assembly with a rotor shaft coupled to a drive gear, and a torque assembly with a planetary gear set coupled to the drive gear of the motor and an annular gear. Planet gears are coupled to a torque converter, which is coupled to a stub for connecting to pipe joints. The torque converter has inclined surfaces for circulating lubricant through the gear assembly, and the planet gears have openings in registration with the inclined surfaces. A drilling fluid pipe is disposed through the rotor shaft of the motor assembly, and is coupled to the torque converter. Lead-screw linear actuators position an elevator, which hangs from links hooked to the apparatus, to manipulate the drill string, and a self-locking pipe jaw handles pipe joints.

1 . A top drive assembly, comprising:
 a frame;   a rotation assembly coupled to the frame, the rotation assembly comprising a fluid conduit disposed therethrough, the fluid conduit disposed within an isolation sleeve comprising a pressure sensor;   a torque assembly rotatably coupled to the fluid conduit, the torque assembly comprising one or more gears and a fluid circulator;   a screw-actuated tilt thruster coupled to the frame; and   an articulated pipe handler coupled to the frame.   
     
     
         2 . The top drive assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is disposed through a motor coupled to the torque assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The top drive assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more gears are arranged in a planetary arrangement. 
     
     
         4 . The top drive assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is coupled to a gooseneck by a seal block comprising a plurality of seals, each of which is coupled to a pressure sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The top drive assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid circulator is a torque member. 
     
     
         6 . The top drive assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the torque member comprises a central passageway that couples to the fluid conduit. 
     
     
         7 . The top drive assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the torque assembly comprises a driver gear coupled to a rotor shaft of the rotation assembly and to a plurality of planet gears. 
     
     
         8 . The top drive assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the torque assembly further comprises a torque member coupled to the planet gears, and the planet gears are coupled to a peripheral gear. 
     
     
         9 . The top drive assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the fluid conduit is rotationally coupled to the torque member. 
     
     
         10 . The top drive assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the torque member comprises a plurality of surfaces angled toward the direction of rotation of the torque member and toward the planet gears. 
     
     
         11 . The top drive assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the pipe handler is coupled to the frame by a rotational housing. 
     
     
         12 . The top drive assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the rotational housing comprises a sprocket disposed around a perimeter of the housing, and a rotor that mates with the sprocket. 
     
     
         13 . The top drive assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the rotor comprises a plurality of teeth that mate with teeth of the sprocket, and each of the teeth of the rotor comprises a roller. 
     
     
         14 . The top drive assembly of  claim 13 , wherein a positioner is coupled to the rotational housing. 
     
     
         15 . The top drive assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the positioner comprises a longitudinal actuator and a radial actuator, both coupled to a base member of the pipe handler. 
     
     
         16 . The top drive assembly of  claim 14 , wherein a plurality of articulated grippers are coupled to the base member. 
     
     
         17 . The top drive assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a first end of the tilt thruster couples to a rotational housing of the pipe handler, and a second end of the tilt thruster is slidably coupled to a hanger hanging from the rotational housing. 
     
     
         18 . The top drive assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a second screw-actuated tilt thruster, and the two tilt thrusters position the pipe handler through a continuum of angles up to about ±25° from vertical. 
     
     
         19 . A torque assembly for a top drive, comprising:
 a casing comprising a planetary gear assembly;   a circulator coupled to a plurality of planet gears; and   a plurality of baffles extending from the circulator between the planet gears.   
     
     
         20 . The torque assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the circulator is a torque converter. 
     
     
         21 . The torque assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the circulator comprises a plurality of surfaces inclined in a rotational direction of the circulator and a plurality of attachment points for the planet gears. 
     
     
         22 . The torque assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the baffles are coupled to the circulator between the attachment points. 
     
     
         23 . The torque assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the planet gears are rotationally coupled to a peripheral gear coupled to the casing. 
     
     
         24 . The torque assembly of  claim 19 , wherein circulator comprises a central fluid passageway for flowing a fluid through the torque assembly. 
     
     
         25 . The torque assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the circulator comprises a plurality of blades inclined toward the planetary gear assembly. 
     
     
         26 . The torque assembly of  claim 21 , wherein each of the planet gears has a plurality of openings inclined with respect to an axis of the planet gear, each of the openings in periodic registration with one of the inclined surfaces. 
     
     
         27 . A rotational assembly for a top drive apparatus, comprising:
 a motor assembly comprising a shaft coupled to a rotor, the shaft having a conduit formed therethrough and coupled to a driver gear; and   a torque assembly comprising an annular gear and a plurality of planet gears in registration with the driver gear, wherein the planet gears are rotatably coupled to a torque member.   
     
     
         28 . The rotational assembly of  claim 27 , wherein a pipe is disposed in the conduit and rotationally coupled to the torque member. 
     
     
         29 . The rotational assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the pipe rotates at a different angular velocity from the shaft. 
     
     
         30 . The rotational assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the shaft and the pipe cooperatively form an annular space therebetween, and a pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the annular space. 
     
     
         31 . The rotational assembly of  claim 30 , wherein the annular space is sealed by a seal block comprising at least two seals, each of which is coupled to a pressure sensor. 
     
     
         32 . The rotational assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the pipe has a plurality of ribs that mate with grooves in the torque member. 
     
     
         33 . The rotational assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the torque member comprises a plurality of surfaces inclined in a direction of rotation of the torque member. 
     
     
         34 . The rotational assembly of  claim 33 , wherein the torque member further comprises a plurality of baffles between the planet gears. 
     
     
         35 . The rotational assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the torque assembly is coupled to the motor assembly by a plurality of inserts that seat in grooves formed in the torque assembly and the motor assembly. 
     
     
         36 . The rotational assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the motor assembly and the torque assembly have a common rotational axis. 
     
     
         37 . A positioner for a top drive assembly, comprising:
 a swivel;   a strut pivotably coupled to a pivot point of the swivel;   a linear actuator slidably coupled to the strut and pivotably coupled to a thrust point of the swivel; and   a self-locking gripper assembly coupled to the swivel by a lift actuator.   
     
     
         38 . The positioner of  claim 37 , wherein the swivel is rotated by a roller wheel in registration with a sprocket on the swivel. 
     
     
         39 . The positioner of  claim 37 , wherein the linear actuator is a lead-screw actuator. 
     
     
         40 . The positioner of  claim 37 , wherein the gripper assembly comprises at least two grippers coupled to a base member by flexible linkages. 
     
     
         41 . A pipe handler for a top drive assembly, comprising:
 a pair of grippers;   a linear actuator coupled to each gripper at a thrust end, and pivotably mounted to a base member at a pivot end; and   a flexible linkage pivotably coupled to each gripper at a first end and pivotably coupled to the base member at a second end.   
     
     
         42 . The pipe handler of  claim 41 , wherein the base member is coupled to a frame by a plurality of radial positioners.