Process and apparatus for integrated sucker rod conditioning and shot peening

Abstract

Systems and methods treat sucker rods in a machine through a multi-step process. Initially, sucker rods are cleaned before being conditioned. The conditioning process involves using a defined type and a defined size of media, applied at a first intensity to the rods using first media accelerators (first wheels with a specific diameter and rotational speed, and/or imparting a certain amount of media). The conditioned surfaces are then shot peened at a higher intensity using second media accelerators, which can have larger diameters, faster rotational speeds, and/or can impart a greater amount of media. Both the conditioning and shot peening processes involve reclaiming the media for reuse.

1 . An apparatus to treat sucker rods, the apparatus comprising:
 handling equipment being configured to handle the sucker rods in a chamber of the apparatus;   media delivery equipment being configured to deliver a common media of a defined type and a defined size;   a plurality of accelerators disposed adjacent the handling equipment and receiving the common media from the media delivery equipment, the accelerators being configured to impart the common media at the sucker rods handled by the handling equipment; and   a controller in operational communication with the handling equipment and the accelerators, the controller being configured to:
 control a first intensity of the common media imparted by the accelerators for a first exposure at a given one of the sucker rods handled by the handling equipment in a conditioning process to condition an unconditioned surface of the given one the sucker rods in the chamber, the first intensity and the first exposure in the conditioning process being configured to remove impurities from the unconditioned surface to produce a conditioned surface without penetrations imparting compressive residual stress; and 
 control a second intensity of the common media imparted by the accelerators for a second exposure at the given one of the sucker rods handled by the handling equipment in a shot peening process following the conditioning process to shot peen the conditioned surface of the given one of the sucker rods in the chamber, the second intensity and the second exposure in the shot peening process being configured to shot peen the conditioned surface with the penetrations imparting the compressive residual stress but without being dampened by the impurities; and 
 coordinate the conditioning process and the shot peening process for the given one of the sucker rods. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the accelerators comprise:
 one or more first wheels arranged in the chamber for the conditioning process; and   one or more second wheels arranged in the chamber for the shot peening process.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more first wheels have a first diameter; and wherein the one or more second wheels have a second diameter, the second diameter being greater than the first diameter. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein to control the first intensity and the first exposure in the conditioning process, the controller is configured to rotate the one or more first wheels at a first rotational speed; and wherein to control the second intensity and the second exposure in the shot peening process, the controller is configured to rotate the one or more second wheels at a second rotational speed, the second rotational speed being greater than the first rotational speed. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein to control the first intensity and the first exposure in the conditioning process, the controller is configured to impart a first amount of the common media with the one or more first wheels within a given time period; and wherein to coordinate the second intensity and the second exposure in the shot peening process, the controller is configured to impart a second amount of the common media with the one or more second wheels within the given time period, the second amount being greater than the first amount. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein to control the first intensity and the first exposure in the conditioning process and to control the second intensity and the second exposure in the shot peening process, the controller is configured to at least one of:
 impart the common media with one or more second of the accelerators at a second speed in the shot peening process, the second speed being greater than a first speed imparted by one or more first of the accelerators in the conditioning process;   impart a second amount of the common media with the one or more second of the accelerators within a given time period in the shot peening process, the second amount being greater than a first amount imparted by the one or more first of the accelerators within the given time period in the conditioning process;   impart the common media with the one or more second of the accelerators for a second time period in the shot peening process, the second time period being greater than a first time period for one or more first of the accelerators in the conditioning process; and   impart the common media with a second number of the one or more second of the accelerators in the shot peening process, the second number being greater than a first number of one or more first of the accelerators in the conditioning process.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the accelerators comprise:
 one or more first of the accelerators for the conditioning process arranged in a first portion of the chamber and being directed in one or more first directions in the chamber; and   one or more second of the accelerators for the shot peening process arranged in a second portion of the chamber and being directed in one or more second directions in the chamber.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein one of:
 the first portion is adjacent to the second portion in the chamber;   a second number of the one or more second of the accelerators is greater than a first number of the one or more first of the accelerators;   the second number of the one or more second of the accelerators is the same as the first number of the one or more first of the accelerators;   the one or more second directions are different from the one or more first directions; and   the one or more second directions are the same as the one or more first directions.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the handling equipment comprises a motorized mechanism in operational communication with the controller and being configured to move the sucker rods in the apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the motorized mechanism comprises a plurality of rollers, a pair of grippers, or a conveyor in the apparatus. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein to control the first exposure and the second exposure, the controller is configured to move the given one of the sucker rods at a same length per unit time with the handling equipment in both the conditioning process and the shot peening process. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein to control the first exposure and the second exposure, the controller is configured to move the given one of the sucker rods at a different length per unit time with the handling equipment in the conditioning process compared to the shot peening process. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising media recovery equipment being configured to reclaim the common media as reclaimed media from the conditioning process and the shot peening process in the apparatus, the media recovery equipment being configured to deliver at least some of the reclaimed media to the media delivery equipment for delivery to both the conditioning process and the shot peening process. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein to coordinate the conditioning process and the shot peening process for the given one of the sucker rods, the controller is configured to coordinate the conditioning process and the shot peening process relative to one or more sucker rod characteristics. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein to coordinate the conditioning process and the shot peening process relative to the one or more sucker rod characteristics, the controller is configured to coordinate one or more first controllable variables of the conditioning process and one or more second controllable variables of the shot peening process relative to one another for a combination of a plurality of diameters and a plurality of hardness grades. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein to coordinate the conditioning process and the shot peening process relative to the one or more sucker rod characteristics, the controller is programmable based on one or more of:
 a first parameter selected for the defined type of the common media;   a second parameter selected for the defined size of the common media;   a third parameter selected for the first intensity used in the conditioning process;   a fourth parameter selected for the second intensity used in the shot peening process;   a first time period selected for the first exposure used in the conditioning process; and   a second time period selected for the second exposure used in the shot peening process.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein to coordinate the conditioning process and the shot peening process for the given one of the sucker rods, the controller is configured to one of:
 perform the conditioning process and the shot peening process at a same time in the chamber while the handling equipment moves the given one of the sucker rods from one end of the apparatus to another end of the apparatus; and   perform the conditioning process for an initial time period followed by the shot peening process at a subsequent time period in the chamber while the handling equipment handles the given one of the sucker rods in the chamber.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein to handle the sucker rods in the chamber, the handling equipment is configured to at least one of:
 move the sucker rods in one direction through the apparatus;   move the sucker rods back and forth in the apparatus; and   rotate the sucker rods in the apparatus.   
     
     
         19 . A method to treat sucker rods, the method comprising:
 handling the sucker rods in a chamber of an apparatus;   delivering a common media of a defined type and a defined size to the chamber of the apparatus;   conditioning an unconditioned surface of a given one of the sucker rods in a conditioning process, the conditioning process comprising imparting the common media of the defined type and the defined size at a first intensity for a first exposure at the unconditioned surface of the given one of sucker rods in the chamber, removing impurities from the unconditioned surface, and producing a conditioned surface without penetrations imparting compressive residual stress; and   shot peening the conditioned surface of the given one of the sucker rods in a shot peening process by coordinating the shot peening process following the conditioning process, the shot peening process comprising imparting the common media of the defined type and the defined size at a second intensity for a second exposure at the condition surface of the given one of the sucker rods in the chamber, and producing the penetrations imparting the compressive residual stress in the conditioned surface without being dampened by the impurities.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising reclaiming the common media as reclaimed media from the conditioning process and the shot peening process in the apparatus; and wherein delivering the common media of the defined type and the defined size comprises reusing at least some of the reclaimed media in the conditioning process and the shot peening process in the apparatus.