US2512095A

US2512095A - Mud mixing device

Info

Publication number: US2512095A
Application number: US685261A
Authority: US
Inventors: William H Endsley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-07-20
Filing date: 1946-07-20
Publication date: 1950-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 1967-06-20

Description

June 20, 1950 w. H. ENDSLEY MUD MIXING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 20, 1946 William H. En ds/ey INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS June 20, 1950 W. H. EN DSLEY MUD MIXING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 20, 194

QUI-

m R. u M "W Y A f 4 A \i .m o :w I Y 7 B w 4 W4 5 5 4 Patented June 20, 1959 Application July 20, 1946, Serial No. 685,261

12 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mud mixing devices.

In the petroleum industry, wells are normally drilled with the utilization of a drilling fluid or mud, which is pumped downwardly through the drilling string to flushcuttings from the drill bit, to lubricate the drill stem and to carry the cuttings to the surface of the well. Other functions of the drilling fluid are to provide a fluid column within the well bore which acts as a liquid seal, to operate certain types of well tools and the many other varied and detailed benefits resultant from the use of a drilling fluid having carefully controlled characteristics. To insure the proper physical and chemical qualities'in the drilling fluid, it is customary to add, in varying amounts, one or more commercialmuds such as Aquagel or Baroid, or other of the various mud available for commercial use. Each of these muds fulfills a more or less specific purpose, such as controlling weight or viscosity, or other characteristics of the mud. The quantity of mud added to the drilling fluid must be carefully controlled to insure optimum results, and it is often desirable to add more than one type of mud at the same time.

It is, therefore, one object ofthis invention to provide an improved mud mixing device with which mud may be added to drilling fluid under carefully controlled conditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mud mixing device wherein a, plurality of muds may be added to the drilling fluid at the same time, and wherein provision is made for thoroughly admixing the mud with the drilling fluid as the former is added, as well as agitating the mud before addition,

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved mud mixing device having. adjustable means for regulating the. rate at which mud is added to the drilling fluid, said means being so arranged that one type of mud may be added at a fixed rate while another type of mud is simultaneously added at another rate.

Yet another object of the inventionis to provide a mud mixing device having an adjustable metering element for controllin the flow of mud to the drilling fluid, said element being so constructed as to substantially eliminate clogging by the mud flowin therethrough, and which may be adjusted and locked in the adjusted position, whereby the device is not impaired in its action by vibration or other external influences.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings,

wherein an example of the invention is shown,

and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a mud mixing de vice constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device,

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view taken through one of the mounting brackets for themud hoppers, and showing the bearing members,

Fig. 4 is a vertical, cross-sectional view showing the driving arrangement for the hoppers,

Fig. 5 is an. enlarged, vertical, sectional view of the mud line and nozzle, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, horizontal, sectional view through the lower end of one of the hoppers, showing the metering arrangement.

In the drawings, the numeral l0 .designates asupport upon which a pair of elongate mud hoppers II are carried in spaced parallel relation. The support includes a rectangular base l2 adapted to rest upon the ground at the well site adjacent the mud line A. r The base I2 is provided with a pair of elongate tubular side members I3 joined in spaced parallel relation by trans verse end members M which are secured between the side members and at either end thereof. A pair of braces ['5 extend diagonally of the base, being secured at the corners thereof and intersecting at the center of the base The elements is, I l, and I 5 may be formed of pipe or.other suitable material, and joined in any desirable fashion such as by welding.

A pair of relatively short, upright legs it are secured to one end of the base, and carryupon their upper ends a transverse, horizontal beam ll. A similar pair Oflegs I8, somewhat longer than the legs Hi, are secured to and extend vertically of the opposite end of the base. A beam It, similar to the beam I1, is mounted upon the upper ends of the legs [8. A pair of braces 28 exfaces of the plates are inclined and substantially parallel to the braces 26. A small, rectangular mounting plate 22 is secured upon the braces 5 at the intersection thereof so as to be positioned centrally oi the support H5. The upper or mounting surface of the plate 22 is inclined so as to be parallel to the braces Zll and the mounting plates 2|.

The hoppers H have elongate, tubular bodies or shells 23, open at their upper ends and provided with a frusto-conical lower end 24 terminating in a reduced, cylindrical neck 25 having an axial bore 26. A pair of ball bearings 21 are mounted exteriorly of each of the shells 23, so as to encircle the shells in a transverse plane. The shells have a press fit within the inner races 28 of the bearings, one of which is disposed near each end of each of the shells so as to be in vertical alinement with the mounting plates 2| when the hoppers are placed in position upon the support I0. A plurality of suitable radial lugs 28 project outwardly from the shells in contact with the upper sides of the bearings to prevent longitudinal movement of the hoppers. The outer races 29 of the bearings rest upon the plates 2| and are snugly engaged by U-shaped straps 38, which encircle the bearings and are secured to the plates 2| by suitable bolts 3!. Thus, the hoppers are rotatably secured upon the support at an angle with respect to the surface of the ground. illustration, a pair of hoppers have been shown, said hoppers being mounted in spaced parallel relation. It is pointed out, that any desirable number of hoppers may be, utilized to admix simultaneously a plurality of muds with the drilling fluid.

Each hopper is provided at its medial portion withan external, grooved, annular ring 32, said rings having press fits with the hoppers or being welded thereto. The groove 33 of each ring is suitable for receiving a V-shaped belt 34 which encircles both hoppers so that they revolve in unison. A similar additional grooved ring or pul ley 35 is mounted upon one of the hoppers adjacent the ring 32, and receives a suitable belt 36. The opposite side of the latter belt encircles a smaller pulley 3'! mounted upon the shaft of an electric motor 38 secured upon the mounting plate 22. The inclination of the plate 22 disposes the motor 38 in a plane parallel to the plane of the hoppers, so that the belt 36 runs true and freely upon the:

pulleys

35 and 31. Thus, through the

belts

34 and 36, 'both hoppers are revolved by the motor 323. Manifestly, any suitable drive, such as a gear drive or chain drive,.. could be utilized to revolve the hoppers, and a suitable. speed reducer (not shown) may be connected into the motor to reduce the speed of revolution of the hoppers.

A foraminous disk'39 formed of mesh screening or perforated metal, is disposed transversely of each of the-hoppers in the upper portion thereof, and held in place by a suitable annular ring 40 secured to the inner wall of the hopper. The disk acts as a screen to prevent debris, such as pieces of the sacks in which mud is packaged, from passing through the hopper and into the metering structure to be described.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the support positions the hoppers so that their lower ends are disposed a foot or so above the surface of the ground adjacent the mud line A. Normally, additional mud is added to the drilling fluid as it passes from the'well head to the mud pit, although it could be added in the suction line to the mud pumps or by recirculation of mud from the pit through the pumps and re- In the turn to the pit. In either instance, the drilling fluid passes through the mud line A under con siderable pressure and velocity. This pressure and velocity is utilized to mix the added mud thoroughly with the drilling fluid. A mixer fitting il in the form of a short length of pipe H, is connected into the mud line A by suitable collars 43. A transverse disk 44 is welded, or otherwise secured, within the vbore of, thepipe 42, and carries a central opening 45 and a downstream nozzle 48. This structure functions to increase the velocity of the drilling fluid flowing through the nozzle, with a consequent reduction in pressure in the annular space about the external wall of the nozzle between the disk 44 and the mouth of the nozzle.

The lower leg 47 of a suitable Y-shaped pipe fitting 48 is welded or otherwise suitably connected into the pipe 42 at this area of reduced pressure, so that the fitting is disposed laterally of the nozzle downstream from the disk 44. The arms 49 of the fitting 48 extend upwardly to the lower ends of the hop ers H. Elbows 50 are provided at the upper ends of the arms 49, said elbows being directed upwardly and laterally of the arms so as to receive the cylindrical necks 25 of the hoppers. The fitting 42 and the elbows 5B are of such internal diameter as to allow the necks 25 to have a snug sliding fit 30' within said elbows. External screw-threads 5| are formed upon the upper ends of the elbows and engage suitable packing gland caps 52. Packing 53 is confined within said caps to pack off the joints between the necks 25 and the elbows 50. Obviously, the caps 52 1nay be tightened sufiiciently to prevent leakage through these joints, yet allow revolution of the necks with respect to the elbows and the fittin 42.

The necks 25 are each provided with internal screw-threads '54, and a screw-threaded valve seat ring 55 engages therein. The rings 55 have axial bores 56 which are beveled at their lower ends to form tapered valve seats 57. Small radial ports 58 extend from the bores58 through the rings 55 and the walls of the necks 25 to the atmosphere. The reduced pressure within the pipe 42 causes air to flow through the ports 58 to clear the valve seats of any debris or lumps of mud powder which may accumulate thereon.

An elongate tapered metering valve 59 extends axially of each of the valve seat rings 55, and is provided with an elongate screw-threaded shank 50 which engages within. an internally screw-threaded boss 6| formed in one sidewall of each of the elbows 50. An eye 62 is formed in' the outer extremity of each of the shanks 60, so that the latter may be engaged and rotated to screw the valve inwardly or outwardly with respect to the valve seats 51. 'Thus, the clearance between the valves and the valve seats may be increased or decreased to'adjust the rate of flow of mud therethrough. Suitable packing glands.

63 are carried by the bosses 6| to pack off the shanks of the valves and prevent leakage thereby. Locknuts 64 engage the shanks outwardly of the packing glands, and serve as jam nuts to lock the shanks against rotation when set.

The upper or inner ends of the valves 58 carry axial screw-threaded pins =65 which engage within screw-threaded boxes 66 provided on the lower ends of elongate paddle blades 67. As shown in Fig. 1, the blades 61 are a foot or so in length and extend axially of the lower portion ofv the hoppers. .Being mounted upon the valves 59, the I blades are held against rotation so that as the 51 hoppers revolve the blades act as agitators to stir the mud powder and-prevent its packing oraccumulation in one portion of the hoppers. The blades also function to break up any lumps or largeparti'clesof mud, sothat a continuous and uniform flow of mud through the metering valve is assured.

In the operation-oi this invention, mud in the form of a dry finely -divided powder similar in texture to Portland cement, is introduced into the open upper ends of the hoppers. Usually,

one type of mud will be placed in one hopper and another type in the other. One mud may be for controlling the weight of the drilling fluid while the other is for reducing. the viscosity or for controlling the water loss' of the drilling fluid.

As, the hoppers revolve, the mud moves toward the lower ends of the hoppers due to their inclined position. The paddle blade 6'5 and valve 59, being held stationary, agitate and stir the mud and cause it to feed through the bores 26, and 56 at a uniform and continuous. rate. This rate may be; controlledby the position; of the valve, and obviously, the two hoppers may feed difierent muds simultaneously at different rates so that, for example, ten sacks of one type of mud would be added while one sack of another type was being added.

The low pressure caused by the flow of drilling fluid through the nozzle 46, acts to draw the mud through the metering valve and into the drilling fluid stream. At the same time, air is drawn from the atmosphere through the ports 58 to prevent clogging of the valve and to aid in carrying the mud through the fitting 48 into the pipe 42.

The device is simple and positive in its operation and accurately measures and meters the mud being fed to the drilling fluid. It is portable and may be moved from one well site to another with a minimum of difiiculty.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mud mixing device including, an elongate cylindrical hopper, means for revolving the hopper, a frame supporting the hopper in an inclined position, said hopper having a reduced lower end, a valve seat carried in said lower end of the hopper, an adjustable metering valve adapted to engage said seat, said valve being held against rotation as the hopper revolves, a drilling fluid conductor having connection through said valve with the hopper, and means carried by said conductor for creating a reduced pressure to urge mud from the hopper through the metering valve.

2. A mud mixing device including, a support, a hopper carried by the support, a drilling fluid conductor connected to the hopper, a valve seat carried in the lower end of the hopper, means for revolving the hopper and the seat, a metering valve carried by the conductor and adapted to engage the valve seat, and an agitator positioned in the hopper and supported upon the valve so as to be held thereby to agitate the mud within the hopper as the latter revolves.

3. A mud mixing device including, a support, a hopper mounted upon the support having one end lower than the other, means for revolving the hopper, a valve seat carried in the lower end of the hopper, said seat having ports communicating between its face and the atmosphere, an adjustable metering valve adapted to engage said seat, a drilling fluid conductor having connection through said valve with the hopper, and means carried by the conductor for creating a reduced pressure to draw air through the ports and urge mud from the hopper through the metering valve.

4. A mud mixing device including, a support, a plurality of hoppers carried by the support, a

drilling fluid conductor connected to the hoppers,

a valve seat carried in the lower end of each hopper, means for revolving the hoppers and the seats, a metering valve for each hopper carried by the conductor and adapted to engage the valve seats, and an agitator positioned in each'hopper and supported upon the valve of that hopper so as to be held thereby to agitate the mud within the hoppers as the latter revolve.

5. A mud mixing device including, a support, a hopper mounted upon the support having one end lower than the other, means for revolving the hopper, a drilling fluid conductor connected to the lower end of the hopper, metering means between the conductor and the hopper for controlling the flow of mud to the conductor, said metering means having vent holes open to the atmosphere for admitting air to the metering means, and means for holding said metering means against rotation as the hopper revolves.

6. A mud mixing device including, a portable support, a plurality of hoppers carried by the support, means for revolving the hoppers, a drilling fluid conductor, a unitary connection between said conductor and the lower ends of the hoppers, means in said conductor for exerting a suction through said connection, a metering valve at the lower ends of the hoppers for controlling the flow of mud to the conductor, air vents in the hoppers for admitting air to the metering valve to prevent clogging, an agitator carried by the valve for agitating the mud within the hoppers, and means for holding said agitator against a rotation as the hoppers revolve.

7. A mud mixing device including, a portable support, a plurality of hoppers carried by the support, means for revolving the hoppers, a drilling fluid conductor, a unitary connection between said conductor and the lower ends of the hoppers, means in said conductor for exerting a suction through said connection, a metering valve at the lower ends of the hoppers for controlling the flow of mud to the conductor, means for holding said valve against rotation as the hoppers revolve, air vents in the hoppers for admitting air to the metering valve to prevent clogging, and an agitator carried by the valve for agitating the mud within the hoppers.

8. A mud mixing device including, a support, a hopper mounted upon the support having one end lower than the other, means for revolving the hopper, a drilling fluid conductor having communication with the lower end of the hopper,

a metering valve between the conductor and the hopper for controlling the flow of mud to the conductor, said metering valve including a valve seat carried by the hopper and revolving therewith, and a valve core telescoping said seat and held against rotation with respect to the valve seat.

9. A mud mixing device including, an elongate hopper adapted to contain dry mud powder, a frame for supporting said hopper in an inclined position, means for revolving the hopper to cause the mud powder to flow toward the lower end thereof, a drilling fluid conductor having communication with the lower end of the hopper, a metering valve between the conductor and the hopper for controlling the flow of mud to the conductor, said metering valve including, a valve seat carried by the hopper and revolving therewith, and a valve core telescoping said seat and held against rotation with respect to the valve seat.-

- 10. A mud mixing device including, a support, a plurality of hoppersmounted upon the support having one end lower than the other, means for revolving the hoppers, a drilling fluid conductor having communication with the lower ends of the hoppers, meteringvalves between the conductor and the hoppers for controlling the flow of mud to the conductor, said metering valves including, a valve seat carried by each hopper and revolving therewith, and a valve core telescoping said seat and held against rotation with respect to the valve seat.

11. A mud mixing device including, a support, a plurality of hoppers carried by the support, means for rotating the hoppers to feed mud therefrom, an adjustable metering valve connected to each hopper for controlling the flow of mud therefrom, said metering valves including, a valve seat carried by each hopper and revolving therewith, and a valve core telescoping said seat and held against rotation with respect to the valve seat.

support, a plurality of hoppers carried by the support, means for revolving the hoppers, a drilling fluid conductor, a unitary connection between said conductor and the lower ends of the hoppers, means in said conductor for exerting a .suction to said connection, a metering valve at the lower end of each hopper for controlling the flow of mud to the conductor, saidmetering valves including, a valve seat carried by each hopper andrevolving therewith, and a valve core telescoping said seat and held against rotation with respect to the valve seat.

H. ENDSLEY.

REFERENCES. CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France May 1,1922