Real time untorquing and over-torquing of drill string connections

US9797234B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Baker Hughes Holdings LLC · US

Inventors

• Ingo Forstner · Ahnsbeck, DE
• Kai Schoenborn · Celle, DE
• Ingo Roders · Seelze, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 6, 2016
• Grant date: Oct 24, 2017
• Expiry date: Sep 6, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01P15/16
• WIPO field: Civil engineering
• WIPO sector: Other fields

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting over-torquing or un-torquing of a threaded connection between components in a borehole penetrating the earth includes: a string of components coupled in series by a threaded connection; a transmission line attached to each component; a signal coupler in communication with the transmission line and disposed on each component at each threaded connection, the signal coupler being configured to transmit the signal to an adjacent signal coupler on an adjacent coupled component in order to transmit a signal along the transmission line attached to the adjacent coupled component; a receiver configured to receive the signal; and a processor in communication with the receiver and configured to: (i) determine a difference between a characteristic of the signal and the characteristic of a reference signal and (ii) transmit an alert signal signifying that the threaded connection is over-torquing or un-torquing in response to the difference exceeding a threshold value.