System and method for cleaning a receptacle

Abstract

A receptacle is formed with a bottom end and a top end and houses an auger conveyor. The system includes at least one bottom sub comprising an inlet end and an outlet end. The outlet end is releasably connectable to a receptacle bottom end. At least one top assembly, comprising a house with an entrance releasably connectable to the receptacle top end and an outlet for connection to an outlet line, and a chamber within the house. The chamber forms a flow path between the entrance and the outlet. A retention tank is connected to the at least one top assembly outlet by the outlet line. A pump is connected to the retention tank on a pump suction side by a supply line, and the pump on the pressure side being connected to the at least one bottom sub by an inlet line.

Claims

1. System for cleaning at least one receptacle, said receptacle forms an extended tube and is formed with a threaded bottom end and a threaded top end, and said receptacle is housing an auger conveyor, characterised in that the system comprises: at least one bottom sub comprising an inlet end and an outlet end, said outlet end is releasably and threadly connectable to the bottom end of the at least one receptacle so that an opening of the outlet end is mouthing into the at least one receptacle; at least one top assembly comprising a house with an entrance releasably connectable to the threaded top end of the at least one receptacle and an outlet for connection to an outlet line, a chamber within the house, said chamber forming a flow path between the entrance and the outlet; a retention tank connected to the at least one top assembly outlet by the outlet line; and a pump connected to the retention tank on a suction side by a supply line, and said pump on a pressure side being, connected to the at least one bottom sub by an inlet line; and a continuous flow path through the receptacle, house, outlet line, retention tank, supply line, pump and bottom sub; and wherein the house comprises an auxiliary port leading to the chamber, a three-way valve is connected to the inlet line, and a by-pass line connects the three-way valve with the auxiliary port.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the house comprises a wrench shaft with a leading end at the entrance, and a drive end at the opposite end, said drive end is located outside the house, and said leading end is connectable to a top end of the auger conveyor.

3. System according to claim 2, wherein the drive end is connectable to a wrench.

4. System according to claim 1 where the pump is an air driven pump supplied with pressurized air from an air supply line.

5. System according to claim 1 where two or more receptacles are connected to the pump pressure side by the inlet line and to the tank by the outlet line.

6. System according to claim 1 where one receptacle comprises two or more collecting containers.

Description

(1) In the following is described examples of preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the components according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an end view of the top sub;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a transverse section of a receptacle, a top sub and a bottom sub according to the invention; and

(5) FIG. 4 shows the same as FIG. 1, but in an alternative embodiment with two receptacles.

(6) In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a system for washing a receptacle 2 of a collecting device (not shown). The collecting device is used to clean out debris (not shown) from a well bore (not shown). The system 1 comprises a bottom sub 3, a top assembly 4, a retention tank 5, a pump 6 and several fluid lines for connecting the components. The system 1 may optionally comprise an air supply 7.

(7) The receptacle 2 to be cleaned is stripped from the collecting device. The receptacle 2 forms an extended tube which comprises one or several collecting containers 21, 21. Each collecting container 21, 21 has a bottom end and a top end. The top end of a first collecting container 21 is connected to the bottom end of the next collecting container 21. The receptacle 2 has a threaded bottom end 20 and a threaded top end 29. Each collecting container 21, 21 may house an auger conveyor 22.

(8) The bottom sub 3 forms an inlet end 30 and an outlet end 39. The outlet end 39 comprises internal thread 301 and can be thready connected to external threads 201 of the bottom end 20 of the receptacle 2. The inlet end 30 is provided with a threaded connection 31 for connection to an inlet line 33.

(9) The top assembly 4 comprises a house 41. The house 41 is provided with external threads 401 at an entrance 40 which can be threadly connected to internal threads 291 at the top end 20 of the receptacle 2. At the interior the house 41 is provided with a chamber 42. The house 41 is further provided with a threaded outlet 49 for connection to an outlet 43. The chamber 42 forms a fluid path between the entrance 40 and the outlet 49.

(10) Optionally the top assembly 4 comprises a wrench 44. The wrench 44 may be an air-driven wrench 44. The wrench 44, 44 is positioned on the house 41 opposite of the entrance 40 (see FIG. 1). A shaft 45 runs from the wrench 44, through a hole 46 in the house 41, through the chamber 42 and the shaft 45 is at a leading end 450 connected to the top end 229 of the auger conveyor 22 when the top assembly 4 is connected to the receptacle 2 as shown in FIG. 3. A bearing 461 is positioned within the hole 46. The shaft 45 is at an opposite drive end 459 provided with suitable connections for a wrench 44, 44.

(11) The house 41 is further optionally provided with an auxiliary threaded port 47 which leads into the chamber 42.

(12) The retention tank 5 is provided with an inlet 50 and an outlet 59. The retention tank 5 may be open, but is preferably closed. The retention tank 5 is operated at ambient pressure. The outlet line 43 is connected to the inlet 50. A supply line 53 connects the outlet 59 to an inlet 60 on the suction side of the pump 6. The pump 6 may be an air driven pump 6, for example an air driven membrane pump 6. The inlet line 33 connects the outlet 69 on the pressure side of the pump 6, 6 with the inlet 30. Thereby there is formed a continuous flow path through the receptacle 2, house 41, outlet line 43, retention tank 5, supply line 53, pump 6, inlet line 33 and bottom sub 3.

(13) Optionally a three-way valve 8 is connected to the inlet line 33. A by-pass line 83 connects the three-way valve 8 with the auxiliary port 47. The three-way valve 8 may be a ball valve.

(14) The optionally air supply 7 comprises an air supply line 73. The air supply line 73 is connected to a source 79 of pressurized air. The air supply 7 provides pressurized air to the air driven pump 6 and to the optional air driven wrench 44.

(15) It may be advantageous that the retention tank 5 is filled with a cleaning fluid 9, for example fresh water 90, or a soap solution 92, or diesel oil 94 or other suitable solvent or cleaning agent prior to use of the system 1.

(16) The collecting device is lifted out of the lubricator and positioned on deck (not shown). The collecting device is stripped. The bottom sub 3 is threadly fixed to the bottom end of the receptacle 2 and the top assembly 4 is threadly fixed to the top end of the receptacle 2.

(17) In case the collected debris is loose and soft, the pump 6, 6 is started and cleaning fluid 9 is pumped from the retention tank 5 through the receptacle 2, through the chamber 42 and back to the retention tank 5 where the washed out material mix with the cleaning fluid. As the system 1 forms a closed loop, there is no risk of overflow and spillage. All washed out material is collected in the retention tank 5 and the workers are not exposed to debris and chemicals. There is no dirt and spillage on the deck and in the work area.

(18) If necessary the auger conveyor 22 is turned by a wrench 44. The wrench may be any kind of suitable wrench 44, for example an air driven wrench 44. Turning the auger conveyor 22 assists in moving material out of the receptacle 4 towards the chamber 42. Too much material in the chamber 42 or too dry material may block the chamber 42. The three-way valve 8 is then operated and cleaning fluid 9 flows to the auxiliary port 47 through the by-pass line 83 and into the chamber 42. The wrench 44 may be stopped until the material is flushed out of the chamber 42. The three-way valve may be regulated such that a portion of the cleaning fluid 9 flows into the receptacle 2 at the bottom sub 3 and the remaining portion of cleaning fluid 9 flows into the chamber 42.

(19) In case the collected debris is hard and compact, the pump 6, 6 is started and the entire cleaning fluid 9 flows initially into the chamber 42. This will soften and wash out the debris at the top end 29 of the receptacle 2. By combining wash out from the top with turning the auger conveyor 22 by the wrench 44, more debris will be displaced towards the chamber 42. Cleaning fluid 9 is in addition filled into the available space at the bottom end 20 of the receptacle 2 and will soften and loosen the debris from that end.

(20) By operating the wrench 44 and the tree-way valve 8 in combination, the receptacle 2 is cleaned from even hard and compact debris much faster than by conventional technique.

(21) FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention. Two receptacles 2 are connected to the pump 6, 6 via an inlet line 33. The receptacles 2 are connected to the tank 5 via the outlet line 43. Each receptacle 2 is provided with a bottom sub 3 and a top sub 4 as described above. The top sub 4 may be of any of the alternatives with a wrench 44 and an auxiliary port 47 as described above. The inlet line 33 and the outlet line 43 may be provided with additional valves 8 for selectively closure of the inlet line 33 and outlet line 43 from the different receptacles 2. The valve 8 may be a ball valve. The air supply line 73 may be provided with additional valves 8 for selectively closure to the optional air driven wench 44. The skilled person will know that the system 1 in this way may be modified to comprise more than two receptacles 2.

(22) Washed out material is collected in the retention tank 5 and may be transported onshore for further proper treatment.

(23) It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb comprise and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article a or an preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

(24) The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.