Coiled Member Measuring Device

Abstract

A coiled member measuring device includes a main frame fixedly anchored in relation to the outer casing or the coiled member handling device of a well and an inner housing supported by the main frame for unrestricted lateral movement in at least two different directions transverse to one another and in a common plane oriented perpendicularly to an axial direction of the outer casing. Followers in the inner housing surround an axial passage receiving a coiled member such as coiled tubing or continuous rod therethrough. Two adjacent followers are supported in a V-shaped pattern for sliding movement diametrically opposite a third remaining follower. Sensors associated with the followers permit determination of overall circumference and length of the coiled member.

1 . A measuring device for measuring at least one characteristic of a coiled member received within a well bore having an outer casing and a coiled member handling device connected above the outer casing so as to be arranged to convey the coiled member relative to the well bore, the device comprising:
 a main frame arranged to be anchored in substantially fixed relation to the outer casing and the coiled member handling device;   an inner housing including an axial passage therethrough and being arranged to be supported by the main frame so as to receive the coiled member through the axial passage;   a plurality of followers supported on the inner housing at circumferentially spaced positions about the axial passage so as to define an overall circumference of the axial passage which arranged to receive the coiled member;   at least one of the followers being supported on the inner housing by a sliding member such that said at least one of the followers is supported for linear sliding movement in a generally radial direction relative to the axial passage to vary the overall circumference of the axial passage;   at least one sensor associated with the followers for sensing a prescribed characteristic of the followers; and   a processor arranged to determine at least one of an overall circumference or a length of the coiled member in response to the prescribed characteristic sensed by said at least one sensor;   the inner housing being supported by the main frame for unrestricted lateral movement in at least two different directions transverse to one another and in a common plane oriented perpendicularly to an axial direction of the axial passage.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the followers comprises a wheel and said at least one sensor comprises a counting sensor arranged for counting rotations of the wheel, the processor being arranged to determine a length of the coiled tubing member in response to the rotations counted by the counting sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein said at least sensor comprises a linear sensor arranged to measure a linear position of at least one of the followers in the radial direction, the processor being arranged to determine an overall circumference of the coiled member in response to the linear position measured by the linear sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 3  wherein there is provided a counting sensor arranged for counting a length of the coiled member and wherein the processor is arranged to associate the overall circumference measurement with the length determined by the counting sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The measuring device according to  claim 3  wherein the processor is arranged to calculate and record the overall circumference measurement at a plurality of locations along a length of the coiled member and to associate the length of the coiled member with the overall circumference measurement for each of the plurality of locations along the length of the coiled member. 
     
     
         6 . The measuring device according to  claim 3  wherein there is provided a display arranged to be located at a wellhead of the well and wherein the processor is arranged to continuously calculate the overall circumference measurement and display the calculated overall circumference measurement on the display as the coiled member is conveyed relative to the well. 
     
     
         7 . The measuring device according to  claim 3  wherein the processor is arranged to continuously calculate the overall circumference measurement as the coiled member is conveyed relative to the well and wherein there is provided an alarm arranged to indicate an alarm condition when the overall circumference measurement outside of a prescribed range of acceptable overall circumference measurements. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein each follower comprises a wheel, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a linear sensor associated with at least one of the followers so as to be arranged to determine a linear position of the follower in a respective radial direction and a counting sensor associated with the wheels of at least one of the followers so as to be arranged for counting rotations of the wheel, and wherein the processor arranged to determine both an overall circumference of the coiled member in response to the linear position determined by the linear sensor associated with said at least one of the followers and a length of the coiled member in response to the rotations counted by the counting sensor associated with said at least one of the followers. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein some of the followers are supported for sliding movement relative to the housing on the sliding member and one other follower is supported on the inner housing diametrically opposite from the sliding member. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 9  wherein said at least one sensor includes a linear sensor associated with the sliding member so as to be arranged to measure a linear position of the respective followers in the respective radial direction of the sliding member and wherein the processor is arranged to determine an overall circumference of the coiled member in response to the linear position measured by the linear sensor relative to the other follower. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 9  wherein the plurality of followers comprise a set of three followers in which each follower comprises a wheel arranged for rolling movement along the coiled member about a respective wheel axis such that all three wheel axes lie in a generally common plane perpendicular to the axial direction and wherein two adjacent ones of the followers are commonly supported on the inner housing by the sliding member such that the respective wheel axes are oriented in a generally V-shaped configuration and the other follower is supported in fixed relation to the inner housing diametrically opposite from an apex of the V-shaped configuration so as to be arranged to vary the overall circumference of the axial passage as the sliding member is displaced relative to the inner housing. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 11  wherein the sliding member which supports the two adjacent ones of the followers thereon comprises a plate member supported at opposing sides thereof for sliding movement along opposing sides of the inner housing. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the main frame comprises a main housing, the main housing comprising:
 an upper mounting collar and a lower mounting collar in concentric alignment with one another at opposing top and bottom ends of the main housing respectively, the upper and lower mounting collars being arranged for connection in series with the outer casing so as to be arranged to receive the coiled member conveyed therethrough; and 
 a support frame connected between the upper and lower mounting collars such that the upper and lower mounting collars are spaced apart in an axial direction of the collars. 
 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 13  wherein the inner housing is arranged to be supported on the support frame of the main housing between the upper and lower mounting collars such that the axial passage is aligned with the upper and lower mounting collars. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 13  wherein the support frame comprises an upper plate member integrally joined to the upper mounting collar and a lower plate member integrally joined to the lower mounting collar, the lower plate member being parallel and spaced below the upper plate member so as to be arranged to receive the inner housing therebetween such that the inner housing is readily slidably removable from the main housing. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 15  wherein the support frame includes a plurality of posts spanning in the axial direction between the upper plate member and the lower plate member along opposing sides of the plate members so as to be arranged to receive the inner housing between the posts at the opposing sides of the plate members. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the inner housing comprises a top wall and a bottom wall which are parallel and spaced apart from one another such that the followers are received therebetween, the top and bottom walls including respective top and bottom apertures therein in alignment with the axial passage through the inner housing. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 17  wherein the inner housing comprises a plurality of side walls spanning between the top and bottom walls about a full periphery thereof to enclose the followers within an interior of the inner housing. 
     
     
         19 . A measuring device for measuring at least one characteristic of a coiled member received within a well bore having an outer casing and a coiled member handling device connected above the outer casing so as to be arranged to convey the coiled member relative to the well bore, the device comprising:
 a main frame arranged to be anchored in substantially fixed relation to the outer casing and the coiled member handling device;   an inner housing including an axial passage therethrough and being arranged to be supported by the main frame so as to receive the coiled member through the axial passage;   a set of three followers supported on the inner housing at circumferentially spaced positions about the axial passage so as to define an overall circumference of the axial passage, each follower comprising a wheel arranged for rolling movement along the coiled member about a respective wheel axis such that all three wheel axes lie in a generally common plane perpendicular to an axial direction of the axial passage;   two adjacent ones of the followers being commonly supported on the inner housing such that the respective wheel axes are oriented in a generally V-shaped configuration for linear sliding movement in a generally radial direction of the axial passage relative to the remaining follower which is diametrically opposite from an apex of the V-shaped configuration so as to be arranged to vary the overall circumference of the axial passage;   at least one sensor associated with the followers for sensing a prescribed characteristic of the followers; and   a processor arranged to determine at least one of an overall circumference or a length of the coiled member in response to the prescribed characteristic sensed by said at least one sensor.   
     
     
         20 . A measuring device for measuring at least one characteristic of a coiled member received within a well bore having an outer casing and a coiled member handling device connected above the outer casing so as to be arranged to convey the coiled member relative to the well bore, the device comprising:
 a main frame arranged to be anchored in substantially fixed relation to the outer casing and the coiled member handling device;   an inner housing including an axial passage therethrough and being arranged to be supported by the main frame so as to receive the coiled member through the axial passage;   a set of three followers supported on the inner housing at circumferentially spaced positions about the axial passage so as to define an overall circumference of the axial passage, each follower comprising a wheel arranged for rolling movement along the coiled member about a respective wheel axis;   at least one of the followers being supported on the inner housing by a sliding member for linear sliding movement in a generally radial direction of the axial passage relative to the other followers so as to be arranged to vary the overall circumference of the axial passage;   a linear sensor associated with the sliding member of said at least one of the followers so as to be arranged to determine a linear position of the sliding member in the respective radial direction;   a counting sensor associated with the wheels of at least one of the followers so as to be arranged for counting rotations of the wheel; and   a processor arranged to determine an overall circumference of the coiled member in response to the linear position determined by the linear sensor associated with said at least one of the followers and arranged to determine a length of the coiled member in response to the rotations counted by the counting sensor associated with said at least one of the followers.