PIPE COUPLING WITH LOAD DEFLECTING REGION

Abstract

A coupling for joining two pipes, such as casing joints includes opposed ends having threads for engaging threaded ends of the respective pipes and a generally centrally located corrugated section, which provides the coupling with a degree of flexion in response to lateral stresses or loads.

Claims

1. A coupling for connecting two pipe segments, each of the pipe segments including a pin end comprising a section having a threaded portion provided on an outer surface thereof, the coupling comprising: a generally tubular body having a bore extending there-through, an outer surface, an inner surface, and opposed first and second ends; and, a corrugated section located between the first and second ends; the inner surface of each of the first and second ends including a threaded portion adapted to engage the threaded portion of a corresponding pin end of a pipe segment; the corrugated section being adapted to accommodate transverse deflection while maintaining torsional, compression/tension and pressure performance characteristics of the base pipe segments.

2. The coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the corrugated section comprises a cross sectional profile having one or more peaks.

3. The coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the corrugated section is located generally centrally along the length of the tubular body.

4. The coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall thickness and size of corrugations is adapted to provide a predetermined bending/transverse stiffness, thereby minimizing stress on the threaded connections between the coupling and the pipe segments.

5. The coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second ends comprise, respectively, first and second centralizer rings, the first and second centralizer rings comprising regions of the coupling having reduced inner diameters adapted to engage the outer surface of the respective pipe segments.

6. The coupling as claimed in claim 1, further comprising first and second pin seal rings formed within the bore on the inner surface of the coupling, the pin seal rings being adapted to abut and seal against respective ends of the pipe segments engaged within the coupling; wherein, the pin seal ring is adapted to direct bending loads into the corrugated coupling section.

7. A method of connecting two pipe ends, the pipe ends each having external threads, the method comprising providing a coupling having opposed internally threaded ends complementary to the threads on the tubular members, and providing the coupling according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0037] The features of the invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein:

[0038] FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a coupling according to an aspect of the invention.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a coupling according to another aspect of the invention.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of a drawing representing a finite element analysis (FEA) of a coupling according to an aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] As illustrated in the accompanying FIGS. 1 and 2, the present disclosure teaches embodiments of a generally cylindrical coupling 2, having a corrugated stress, or strain relief section 20 formed into the body of the coupling. The corrugated section 20 is preferably formed in a central region of the coupling 2. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the corrugated section 20 includes two valleys 4 and 6 formed on the outer surface of the coupling 2, one each on opposite sides of a peak 5 also formed on the outer surface of the coupling 2. In one aspect of the invention, particularly where the wall thickness of the coupling is maintained generally constant, formation of the peak 5 results in a valley 7 being formed on the inner surface of the coupling 2. The corrugated section 20 has been described herein with the aforementioned peak 5 and valleys 4, 6 and 7. However, it will be understood that the term corrugated as used herein is intended to encompass a section having any number of such peaks and valleys. The present description is therefore not limited to the specific embodiment illustrated in the figures.

[0042] In the illustrated embodiments, the coupling is symmetrical about a transverse plane passing through the corrugation, or corrugated section 20. However, although this symmetry is convenient for purposes of both manufacture and use of the coupling, it is not essential, and such symmetry could be absent from alternative embodiments.

[0043] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a coupling according to one aspect of the invention. As illustrated, the coupling 2, includes a central bore extending between coupling ends. Central bore has an undulating cylindrical bore section adjacent each coupling end, and, typically, each cylindrical bore section transitions with a tapered bore section decreasing in diameter as it progresses inward within coupling 2, with tapered bore section having tapered box threads. For convenience of illustration, the threads are not shown in FIG. 1.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, one or more cylindrical or pin seal rings 8 is/are provided or formed into the coupling, generally in a central region between tapered bore sections. The pin seal ring 8, preferably will have an inside diameter corresponding to the bore of a tubular member 1 that is connected to the coupling. That is, the wall of the ring 8 is sized so as to allow contact with the end face of a tubular member 1 once such member is connected to the coupling. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the axial length and position of cylindrical ring 8, is selected such that when pin end of tubular member 1 is threaded into the coupling 2, it will shoulder tightly against the face of cylindrical ring 8, to preferably form a fluid-tight metal-to-metal seal as known in the art. Having regard to this functionality, the cylindrical ring 8, may be alternatively referred to as a pin seal ring. As also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the coupling 2 is preferably provided with essentially two pin seal rings 8, each adapted to abut respective pin ends of tubular members 1. Nevertheless, the pin seal rings will be referred to herein in the singular as they function as a single element having two opposed faces. As will be understood in reviewing the present description the presence of the pin seal ring 8 on the coupling is preferred but not mandatory. In a preferred embodiment, the pin seal ring 8 is formed as part of the inner surface of the coupling. In another embodiment, the pin seal ring may be a separate element provided or placed within the bore of the coupling. The pin seal ring 8 is also helpful in directing any deflection stresses towards the central body portion of the coupling 2 and away from the threaded connections between the coupling and the tubular members 1.

[0045] Some prior art connection designs rely on thread-to-thread contact to provide a fluid-tight seal within the coupling, but such connections have often been found to not adequately transfer bending loads away from the coupled area. However, with the preferred structure of the coupling as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, effective load transfer is maintained even if thread separation should occur, because the pin end of each tubular member 1 will remain shouldered against a respective pin seal ring 8 under loading conditions.

[0046] Optionally, in one aspect of the invention, the coupling 2 may be provided with a centralizer, or load deflection ring 9, as shown in FIG. 2. The centralizer ring 9 serves to enhance and/or maintain the effectiveness of angular load transfer between the end of the pin and the pin seal ring 8, and remove the transverse load from the threads 3. In one aspect, the bore of the coupling 2 is preferably machined to form the centralizer ring 9 adjacent to each end of coupling 2, outboard of box threads 3. In one aspect of the invention, the inside diameter of each centralizer ring 9 is preferably sized to provide a close-tolerance fit to the outside diameter of tubular members 1. This further ensures that the pin end of a tubular member 1 will remain square to the respective face of pin seal ring 8 notwithstanding external loadings inducing bending in the tubing string. In addition, the centralizer ring 9 serves to mitigate against the transmission of lateral stresses or loads encountered by the casing string from being absorbed by the threads 3 and transferring those loads into the corrugated section 20 of the coupling 2 and then onto the body of the attached tubular member 1. In particular, as the tubular member 1 and pin bends (or tries to bend) within coupling 2, centralizer ring 9 and pin seal ring 8 will react against the outer surface and pin face of tubular member 1 and thus prevent any deformation of the pin end within coupling 2 that would otherwise induce thread separation of pin and box threads 3 within coupling 2.

[0047] To promote even greater effectiveness of centralizer rings 9 for this purpose, each end of tubular member 1 may be machined in a peripheral region adjacent to the pin threads 10 to ensure a precise fit within centralizer rings 9, thereby allowing for a degree of cross-sectional out-of-roundness that can be exhibited by conventionally manufactured pipe.

[0048] Because centralizer rings 9 will hold pin threads and box threads 3 concentrically together within coupling 2, axial tension and compression capacity through the coupling will not be reduced as would be the case in a coupling subject to thread separation induced by bending moments and transverse forces induced in or exerted against the tubular string. Further, coupling 2 with pin seals 8, with centralizer rings 9 dramatically reduce bending/transverse loading on threads 3 by allowing deflection via the coupling corrugated section 20 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0049] An additional benefit of centralizer rings 9, when provided, is that they can serve as a stabbing guide during connection make-up operations.

[0050] As will be understood by persons skilled in the art, the corrugated section 20 is designed and configured to ensure that coupling 2 as a whole maintains sufficient structural strength to resist anticipated in-service loadings. In some cases this may require the cross-section through the corrugated section 20 to have the same axial compression and tension capacity as the tubular members 1 being connected, but this will not necessarily be the case (as loading conditions may vary, and in some cases the structural strength of the selected tubular members may significantly exceed design requirements).

[0051] Coupling 2 is compatible with or can be adapted to use any known thread design used to connect oilfield tubulars. Many existing coupling designs are configured to provide for nose-to-nose sealing of the pin ends of the tubular members being connected when they are screwed into the coupling. Analogous seals will be effected using couplings in accordance with the present disclosure, but instead of the two pin noses sealing against each other, they will seal against pin seal ring 8. Because the location of pin seal ring 9 in relation to box threads can be precisely controlled during the manufacture of coupling 2, sealing problems arising from inaccurate make-up of conventional couplings are prevented. For example, if a conventional coupling is screwed too far onto the pin end of a first tubular member, the pin end of a second tubular screwed into the other box of the coupling may abut the pin end of the first tubular before the tapered pin threads of the second tubular have fully engaged the mating box threads in the coupling. Thus limiting the ability to transfer bending or transverse loads through the coupling into the adjacent tubular member. This problem cannot occur using couplings in accordance with the present disclosure since the pin seal ring 8 serves to limit the length of the tubular member 1 that can be accommodated within the coupling 2.

[0052] In alternative embodiments, coupling 2 can be manufactured without pin seal ring 8, to accommodate connections that do not require a pin nose seal, however transverse/bending loading resistance may be limited.

[0053] In summary, when lateral loads are applied to a casing string made up with connections in accordance with the present disclosure, stresses induced in the threads of the coupling and pipe at pin end will be less than they would be using conventional couplings. The coupling is designed to transfer the deflection stress away from the threaded section and into the corrugated section 20 where the stress can be accommodated. The combination of the centralizer rings 9 and the pin seal ring 8 will maintain the substantially axial relationship of the pin and box thread regardless of bending/lateral stresses applied to the casing string. The centralizer rings can also serve as stabbing guides during connection make-up.

[0054] The corrugated section 20 located at the center of the coupling will act as a flex point in response to induced bending stresses, thereby reducing bending-induced deflections that might cause partial thread separation within the connection, but without reducing the structural strength of the connection below design requirements. This flexible section can be tuned with geometry and section thickness to provide a wide range of bending resistance properties as desired.

[0055] As discussed above, the coupling of the present invention allows for any stresses imposed on the tubing string to be diverted away from the threaded connections of the coupling. Such stresses are instead transferred to the corrugated section 20 and/or to the body of the adjacent tubular member(s), which are generally designed or adapted to bend. As such, the coupling of the invention can be tuned as indicated above to allow the coupling to absorb as much of the stresses as needed. That is, in some cases, it may be preferred for the coupling to be designed to have less than or greater than the strength of the adjacent tubular members. This would therefore allow the coupling to absorb less or more of the bending stresses that may develop. The ability of the coupling to be adapted in such a manner allows for the tailoring of where bending or flexure of the tubing string will occur and also avoids any kinking of the tubing string that may occur. As known in the art, kinking of the tubing string results in an obstruction in the lumen of the tubing string, which may prevent the running of tooling etc. there-through.

[0056] It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the disclosed embodiments may be devised without departing from the scope and teaching of the present disclosure, including modifications which may use equivalent structures or materials hereafter conceived or developed. It is to be especially understood that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to any described or illustrated embodiment, and that the substitution of a variant of a disclosed or claimed element or feature, without any substantial resultant change in operation or functionality, will not constitute a departure from the scope of the disclosure. It is also to be appreciated that the different teachings of the embodiments described and discussed herein may be employed separately or in any suitable combination to produce desired results.

[0057] In this patent document, any form of the word comprise is to be understood in its non-limiting sense to mean that any item following such word is included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article a does not exclude the possibility that more than one such element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one such element. Any use of any form of the terms connect, engage, couple, attach, or any other term describing an interaction between elements is not meant to limit the interaction to direct interaction between the subject elements, and may also include indirect interaction between the elements such as through secondary or intermediary structure. Relational terms such as parallel, perpendicular, coincident, intersecting, and equidistant are not intended to denote or require absolute mathematical or geometrical precision. Accordingly, such terms are to be understood as denoting or requiring substantial precision only (e.g., substantially parallel) unless the context clearly requires otherwise. As used in this document, the terms typical and typically are used in the sense of representative or common usage or practice, and are not to be understood as implying essentiality or invariability.

[0058] Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Any examples provided herein are included solely for the purpose of illustrating the invention and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. Any drawings provided herein are solely for the purpose of illustrating various aspects of the invention and are not intended to be drawn to scale or to limit the invention in any way. The scope of the claims appended hereto should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the above description, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the present specification as a whole. The disclosures of all prior art recited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.