Hydraulic devices and methods of actuating same

HYDRAULIC DEVICES AND METHODS OF ACTIVATION

THE SAME

Cross Reference with Related Applications

This application claims priority from United States of America Provisional Application No. 61/886,404, entitled "NTH REDUNDANT HYDRAULIC ACTUATORS", (NTH Redundant Hydraulic Actuators) filed on October 03, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference into its entirety.

Field of Invention

The present invention relates generally to hydraulic actuators and more particularly, without intending to limit it, to hydraulic actuators for control systems including hydraulic controls.

Background of the Invention

Hydraulic systems use a variety of hydraulic devices to carry out various functions. For example, a blowout preventer (BOP) may employ hydraulic devices in the form of a tamper, ring, connector, and fail-safe valve function. In the event of a BOP, when a hydraulic device malfunctions, is no longer usable, or leaks, drilling operations must be suspended so that maintenance on the hydraulic device can be carried out. As a result of the suspension of drilling operations, losses in profits and/or other costs are incurred.

Brief Description of the Invention

A hydraulic device can be powered with redundant controls and/or actuators to improve the reliability, availability, fault tolerance, and/or safety of the hydraulic device and to allow the hydraulic device to function even after component failures. In some embodiments, a hydraulic apparatus employing redundant actuation of a hydraulic device may include a hydraulic device having a first hydraulic actuator and a second hydraulic actuator, wherein each of the first and second hydraulic actuators comprise at least a first cavity. hydraulics, a second hydraulic cavity and a piston. The apparatus may also include a controller coupled with the hydraulic device, wherein the controller is configured to receive hydraulic fluid from a fluid source through at least two parallel hydraulic lines coupled with the controller. The controller may also be configured to select a first hydraulic line from at least two parallel hydraulic lines and transfer hydraulic fluid from the selected first hydraulic line to a first cavity of the first hydraulic actuator, whereby transferring hydraulic fluid to the first The first hydraulic actuator cavity applies pressure to a first piston to actuate the hydraulic device. In other words, the controller may also be configured to select a first hydraulic line from at least two parallel hydraulic lines and transfer hydraulic fluid from the selected first hydraulic line to a first cavity of the first hydraulic actuator to apply pressure to a first piston. to actuate the hydraulic device.

In accordance with one embodiment, the controller may also be configured to select a second hydraulic line of at least two hydraulic lines and transfer hydraulic fluid from the selected second hydraulic line to a first cavity of the second hydraulic actuator, where the transfer fluid Hydraulic fluid to the first cavity of the second hydraulic actuator applies pressure on a second piston to also actuate the hydraulic device. In other words, the controller may also be configured to select a second hydraulic line of at least two hydraulic lines and transfer hydraulic fluid from the selected second hydraulic line to the first cavity of a second hydraulic actuator to apply pressure to a second piston. to also actuate the hydraulic device. In another embodiment, the controller may also be configured to transfer hydraulic fluid from the selected first hydraulic line to a first cavity of the second hydraulic actuator, wherein transferring hydraulic fluid to the first cavity of the second hydraulic actuator applies pressure to a second piston. to also actuate the hydraulic device. In other words, the controller may also be configured to transfer hydraulic fluid from the selected first hydraulic line to a first cavity of the second hydraulic actuator to apply pressure at a

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY second piston to also activate the hydraulic device.

In another embodiment, the controller may be configured to receive one or more signals from a plurality of sensors coupled to at least one of the first piston, the first cavity of the first hydraulic actuator, the second piston, and the first cavity of the second hydraulic actuator. . The controller may also be configured to detect a fault associated with at least one of the first hydraulic actuator and the second hydraulic actuator based, at least in part, on the one or more signals received from the plurality of 10 sensors. In some modalities, the controller can also be configured to, after detecting the fault, increase the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in at least one of the at least two parallel hydraulic lines in order to increase the applied pressure in at least one of the first piston and of the second piston to also actuate the hydraulic device.

In some embodiments, the first hydraulic actuator and the second hydraulic actuator may be coupled in series within the hydraulic device. In another embodiment, the first hydraulic actuator and the second hydraulic actuator may be coupled in parallel 20 within the hydraulic device.

In some embodiments, a method for redundantly driving a hydraulic device may include receiving, at the controller, hydraulic fluid from the fluid source through at least two parallel hydraulic lines coupled to the controller. The method may also include selecting, by the controller, a first hydraulic line from at least two parallel hydraulic lines and transferring, by the controller, hydraulic fluid from the selected first hydraulic line to a first cavity of a first hydraulic actuator of a hydraulic device, wherein transferring hydraulic fluid to the first cavity of the first hydraulic actuator applies pressure to a first piston to actuate the hydraulic device. In other words, the method may also include selecting, by the controller, a first hydraulic line from at least two parallel hydraulic lines and transferring, by the controller, hydraulic fluid from the selected first hydraulic line to a first cavity of a first actuator. hydraulic of a hydraulic device for applying pressure to a first piston to actuate the hydraulic device.

In accordance with one embodiment, the method may also include selecting a second hydraulic line of at least two hydraulic lines and transferring hydraulic fluid from the selected second hydraulic line to a first cavity of a second hydraulic actuator of the hydraulic device to apply pressure in a second piston to also actuate the hydraulic device. In some embodiments, the method may also include transferring hydraulic fluid from the selected first hydraulic line to a first cavity of a second hydraulic actuator to apply pressure to a second piston to also actuate the hydraulic device.

In some embodiments, the method may include receiving one or more signals from a plurality of sensors coupled to at least one of the first piston, the first cavity of the first hydraulic actuator, a second piston, and a first cavity of the second hydraulic actuator. The method may also include detecting a fault associated with at least one of the first hydraulic actuator and the second hydraulic actuator based, at least in part, on the one or more signals received from the plurality of sensors. According to another embodiment, the method may also include, after detecting the failure, increasing the applied pressure on at least one of the first piston and the second piston to also actuate the hydraulic device.

In one embodiment, the first hydraulic actuator and the second hydraulic actuator are coupled in series within the hydraulic device. In another embodiment, the first hydraulic actuator and the second hydraulic actuator are coupled in parallel within the hydraulic device.

As used in the description, the term "explosion arrester" includes, without limitation, a single explosion arrester, as well as an explosion arrester assembly that may include more than one explosion arrester (eg, a stack of explosion arresters).

The term "coupled" is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically, two items that are "coupled" may be unitary with each other. The terms “a”, “an”, “the”, “the”, are defined as one or more unless the description explicitly requires otherwise. The term "substantially" is defined as mostly, but not necessarily all, of what is specified (and includes what is specified, for example,

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY essentially 90 degrees includes 90 degrees and essentially parallel includes parallel), as understood by persons skilled in the art. In any described embodiment, the terms "essentially", "approximately" and "about" may be substituted with "within (a percentage) of" of what is specified, where the percentage includes .1, 1.5. 10 and 20 percent.

Furthermore, a device or system that is configured in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways other than those specifically described.

The terms “comprise” (and any form of comprehension, such as “comprising” and “comprising”), “have” (and any form of having, such as “has” and “having”), “include” (and any forms of include, such as "includes" and "including") and "contain" (and any form of contain, such as "contains" and "conteniendo") are variable-terminal verbs. As a result, a device that “comprises”, “has”, “includes or “contains” one or more elements has one or more of those elements, but is not limited to having only those elements. Similarly, a method that “comprises”, “has”, “includes” or “contains” one or more steps has one or more steps, but is not limited to having only that one or more steps.

Any embodiment of any apparatus, system and method may consist of or consists essentially of - rather comprising/includes/contains/has - any of the steps, elements and/or features described. Thus, in any of the claims, the term "consists of" or "consists essentially of" can be substituted with any of the variable end verbs described above, in order to change the scope of a particular claim from what it is. another way would use a variable end verb.

The feature or features of one embodiment may be applied in other embodiments, even if they are not described or illustrated, unless explicitly prohibited by this invention or by the nature of the embodiments.

The foregoing has somewhat broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present invention, in order that the following detailed description may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention which form the subject matter of the claims of the invention will be described below. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the specific concepts and embodiments described herein can be readily used as the basis for modifying or designing other structures to accomplish the same purposes as the present invention. Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that such equivalent constructions which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. It is believed that the novel features of the invention, which are considered to be features of the invention, both in its organization and method of operation, along with other objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with accompanying Figures. However, it should be noted that each of the Figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended to be a definition of the limits of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The following drawings are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation. For reasons of brevity and clarity, each feature of a given structure is not always indicated in each Figure where such structure appears. Identical reference numbers do not necessarily indicate an identical structure. Rather, the same reference numeral can be used to indicate a similar feature or a feature with similar functionality, just like non-identical reference numerals.

Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system with redundant controls and hydraulic actuators, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a block diagram that also illustrates a system with redundant controls and/or hydraulic actuators, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for redundant actuation of a hydraulic device, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

A hydraulic device can be actuated with redundant controls and/or with actuators. The redundancy built into the

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY controls and/or actuators of a hydraulic device can improve the reliability, availability, fault tolerance and/or safety of the hydraulic device and allows the hydraulic device to function even after certain component failures. In some embodiments, the hydraulic device may include any attached structure/function, eg, in fluid communication with or part of a BOP. By way of example and without intent to limit, a hydraulic device associated with a BOP may include a tamper, ring, accumulator, test valve, fail-safe valve, choke and/or plug line and/or valve, lifting joint, hydraulic connector and/or the like. In general, a BOP can be used on land or in the sea, which can include water depths from a few meters to depths of several kilometers (also known as deep water).

Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system with redundant controls and hydraulic actuators, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. System 100 may include a first set of hydraulic lines 102 coupled with a first controller 106 and a second set of hydraulic lines 104 coupled with a second controller 108. In some embodiments, the hydraulic lines may be coupled to the controllers through conduits, hoses, pipes, and/or the like. The first set of hydraulic lines 102 and the second set of hydraulic lines 104 can transfer hydraulic fluid from the fluid source (not shown) or multiple fluid sources (not shown) to the first controller 106 and to the second.

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY controller 108, respectively. The fluid source, in accordance with one embodiment, can store seawater, potable water, treated water, an oil-based fluid, or any other fluid with the ability to flow through the hydraulic device. The fluid source can be formed in various ways, such as with a flexible material that can change volume or it can be a rigid structure. For example, the fluid source can be a reservoir, an open water source, another hydraulic device, and/or the like. In other embodiments, the fluid source may be a mechanical device, a gas accumulator, a spring-loaded accumulator, a pipeline, a piston, and/or the like. In one embodiment, the fluid source can be located at the water surface and/or under the sea. In general, the fluid source can be located anywhere (for example, offshore, on the surface of the water, underwater) and can be any structure, flexible or rigid, that supplies the fluid to the hydraulic lines, such as the first set of hydraulic lines 102 and the second set of hydraulic lines 104.

According to one embodiment, each hydraulic line in the first set of hydraulic lines 102 may transfer fluid in parallel to the first controller 106, and the hydraulic fluid in each hydraulic line of the first set of hydraulic lines 102 may have the same pressure. Similarly, each hydraulic line in the second set of hydraulic lines 102 can transfer fluid in parallel to the second controller 106, and the hydraulic fluid in each hydraulic line in the second set of hydraulic lines 102 can have the same pressure. In accordance with others

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY modalities, the pressure in the parallel hydraulic lines, either in the first set 102 or in the second set 104, can vary through the hydraulic lines.

In accordance with some embodiments, the first set of hydraulic lines 102 can provide the hydraulic fluid used to drive the hydraulic device 110 in a first direction, while the second set of hydraulic lines 104 can provide the hydraulic fluid used to drive the hydraulic device 110 in a second direction, which may be opposite to the first direction. For example, in one embodiment where the hydraulic device 110 may be a BOP tamper, the first set of hydraulic lines 102 may provide the hydraulic fluid used to close the ram, while the second set of hydraulic lines 104 may provide the hydraulic fluid used. to open the tamper.

By sending three parallel hydraulic lines with the same pressure, redundancy can be incorporated into the control of the hydraulic device 110. In accordance with one embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the first controller 106 may be configured to select from at least three different hydraulic lines in the first set of hydraulic lines 102 and allows fluid from at least one of the hydraulic lines in the first set of hydraulic lines 102 are transferred along the first hydraulic drive line 112 to the actuator 114 of the hydraulic device 110. For example, in one embodiment, the first controller 106 may select a first line da from the first set 102 and transfer the hydraulic fluid on the first line.

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hydraulic system selected from the first set 102 through the first hydraulic drive line 112 to a first cavity 116 of the first hydraulic actuator 118. Because the first controller 106 in Figure 1 receives the first set of hydraulic lines 102 that includes at least three different hydraulic lines, in case of failures, such as leaks, that can be found in any one of the lines of the first Game 102, the first controller 106 and actuator 114 will still operate unchanged by the failure by transferring fluid through the first drive line 112 from a different hydraulic line from the first set 102 that is not faulty.

In accordance with one embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, actuator 114 may include two hydraulic actuators 118 and 122. Thus, in some embodiments, the first controller 106 may select a second hydraulic line from the first set 102 and transfer hydraulic fluid in the selected second hydraulic line from the first set 102 through a second hydraulic actuation line 120 to a first. cavity 124 of the second hydraulic actuator 122. As described above, the transfer of fluid to the second hydraulic actuator 122 can be more reliable and convenient than conventional systems, since the first controller 106 can receive multiple hydraulic lines, such as the first set of hydraulic lines 102, which increases the probability that the second actuator 122 will receive hydraulic fluid when needed.

Similarly, the second controller 108 can select a first hydraulic line from the second set 104 and transfer the fluid

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INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY MEXICAN INSTITUTE hydraulic in the first hydraulic line of the second set 104 through the third hydraulic drive line 126 to a second cavity 128 of the first hydraulic actuator 118. The second controller 108 may also select the second hydraulic line of the second set 104 and transfer the hydraulic fluid in the selected second hydraulic line of the second set 104 through a fourth drive line 130 to a second cavity 132 of the second hydraulic actuator 122 . Because the second controller 108 also receives multiple hydraulic lines through the second set of hydraulic lines 104, reliability, Availability and/or fault tolerance associated with the first hydraulic actuator 118 resulting from redundancy in the hydraulic lines received by the first controller 106 may also be present by the second hydraulic actuator 122 as a result of redundancy in the hydraulic lines received by the 15 second controller 108.

As shown in Figure 1, in addition to redundancy in the number of hydraulic lines received by first controller 106 and second controller 108, system 100 also illustrates redundancy in driving hydraulic device 110. For example, the hydraulic actuator 114 of the hydraulic device 110 can be divided into two separate hydraulic actuators 118 and 122. The redundancy exhibited by the actuator 114 by incorporating a first hydraulic actuator 118 and a second hydraulic actuator 122 allows for the second level of reliability, availability and/or fault tolerance, as illustrated in the description of Figure 3.

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

Although Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment where the first hydraulic actuator 118 and the second hydraulic actuator 122 of the general hydraulic actuator 114 are in series, the subgroup of hydraulic actuators, such as the first hydraulic actuator 118 and the second hydraulic actuator 122 hydraulic of the general hydraulic actuator system, such as the hydraulic actuator 114 can also operate in parallel. For example, Figure 2 is a block diagram that also illustrates a system with redundant controls and/or hydraulic actuators in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. System 200 illustrates an embodiment where the fluid used to close a BOP feature, such as a piston, can be distributed to different cavities from one hydraulic drive line, as opposed to having a separate hydraulic drive line for each cavity, such as is illustrated in Figure 1. As an example, hydraulic fluid in a first hydraulic drive line 202 may be distributed to a first cavity 204 of a first actuator 206, a first cavity 208 of a second actuator 210, and a first cavity 212 of a third actuator 214 that they form a general actuator 216 of the hydraulic device 218. In one embodiment, the supply of fluid in the first hydraulic actuation line 202 can be controlled by the controller, such as a first controller 106 of Figure 1 and the fluid in the first hydraulic actuation line 202 can be provided by a controller. set of hydraulic lines that mate with the controller, such as the first set of hydraulic lines 102 of Figure 1.

Similarly, as shown in Figure 2, the fluid

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY hydraulic system in the second hydraulic drive line 220 can be distributed to a second cavity 222 of a first actuator 206, a second cavity 224 of a second actuator 210 and a second cavity 226 of a third actuator 214 that form the general actuator 216 of the hydraulic device 218. In one embodiment, the supply of fluid in the second hydraulic actuation line 220 may be controlled by a controller, such as the second controller 108 of Figure 1 and the fluid in the second hydraulic actuation line 220 may be provided by a kit. of hydraulic lines that mate with the controller, such as the second set of hydraulic lines 104 of Figure 1.

In some embodiments, each cavity associated with each subgroup of hydraulic actuators 206, 210 and 214 that make up the overall hydraulic actuator 216 may have a dedicated hydraulic drive line, as illustrated in Figure 1. Furthermore, because the controller, such as the first controller 106 or the second controller 108 of Figure 1, can control the supply of fluid to the first hydraulic drive line 202 and the second hydraulic drive line 220 of Figure 2 , the confiability, availability and/or fault tolerance associated with the general hydraulic actuator 114 of Figure 1 resulting from redundancy in the hydraulic lines received by the first controller 106 and the second controller 108 may also be exhibited by the general hydraulic actuator 216 of the Figure 2, as a result of the redundancy in the hydraulic lines received by the controllers that control the supply of the fluid for

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY the first line 202 of hydraulic actuation and the second line 220 of hydraulic actuation of Figure 2.

While Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment where hydraulic actuators can be redundant in series, Figure 2 illustrates one embodiment where hydraulic actuators can be redundant in parallel. In general, hydraulic actuators can be series redundant, parallel redundant, and/or a combination of series and parallel redundant, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, while Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment where hydraulic actuator cavities have dedicated hydraulic actuation lines to supply hydraulic fluid, Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment where multiple cavities can receive hydraulic fluid being distributed from the hydraulic drive line. In general, the cavities can receive hydraulic fluid from one of dedicated and distributed hydraulic drive lines and/or a combination thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

In some embodiments, the benefits of redundancy can extend beyond a controller for the hydraulic device. For example, in some embodiments, each controller in the system such as controller 106 or controller 108 may have one set of hydraulic lines output from the controller and each hydraulic output line may correspond to an input hydraulic line. In such embodiments, each hydraulic line illustrated in Figure 1 and/or Figure 2, such as, for example, hydraulic lines 112, 120, 126 or 130 may

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY correspond to a set of redundant hydraulic output lines that come from the controller. For example, hydraulic line 112 may correspond to one set of hydraulic lines and hydraulic line 120 may correspond to another redundant hydraulic line set.

Redundancy built into the hydraulic fluid control for the actuators and within the actuators themselves, as illustrated in Figure 1 and/or Figure 2, can greatly improve reliability, availability, and/or tolerance to failure of a hydraulic device by reducing the impact of a failed connection and/or an actuator operating a hydraulic device. For example, Figure 3 provides a flowchart illustrating a method for redundant actuation of a hydraulic device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. Method 300 may begin at block 302 with the controller receiving hydraulic fluid from the fluid source through at least two parallel hydraulic lines coupled to the controller. With reference to Figure 1, the controller referenced in the block 302 in accordance with the invention, can be the first controller 106 and the at least two parallel hydraulic lines can be at least two lines of the first set of hydraulic lines 20 102 . In some embodiments, the controller may include at least one control valve to manage the transfer of fluid to and from the controller.

At block 304, method 300 may include selecting, by the controller, a first hydraulic line of at least two parallel hydraulic lines, and at block 306, method 300 may include

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY transferring, by the controller, the hydraulic fluid from the first selected hydraulic line to a first cavity of the first hydraulic actuator of the hydraulic device, wherein transferring the hydraulic fluid to the first cavity of the first hydraulic actuator applies pressure in a first piston for actuating the hydraulic device. For example, referring again to Figure 2, the first cavity of the first hydraulic actuator in one embodiment, may include a first cavity 116 of the first hydraulic actuator 118. Furthermore, the first piston may be the first piston 134 of Figure 1 and the hydraulic device may be the hydraulic device 110 of Figure 1. In accordance with one embodiment, when the hydraulic fluid is transferred to the first cavity, such as the first cavity 116, the pressure in the cavity can rise, so that the pressure is applied to the first piston, such as the first piston 134 , which then actuates the hydraulic device. For example, when the hydraulic device is a BOP ram and the actuator is configured as illustrated in Figure 1, then the application of pressure to the first ram 134, as a result of hydraulic fluid being transferred to the first cavity 116, can cause the hydraulic fluid to be transferred to the first cavity 116. The first ram 134 moves in the positive x-direction, which in some embodiments, can cause the BOP ram to close.

In other embodiments, the first hydraulic actuator cavity in block 306 may include a first hydraulic actuator cavity 204 206 . Furthermore, the first piston may be the first piston 228 of Figure 2 and the hydraulic device may be the hydraulic device 218 of Figure 2. Therefore, when the

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY hydraulic device is a BOP ram and the actuator is configured as illustrated in Figure 2, then the application of pressure to the first ram 228 as a result of the hydraulic fluid transferred to the first cavity 204 may cause the The first ram 228 moves in the positive x-direction, which in some embodiments, can also cause the BOP ram to close.

According to one embodiment, the first controller can also select a second hydraulic line from at least two parallel transferred hydraulic lines and transfer hydraulic fluid from the selected second hydraulic line to a first cavity of a second hydraulic actuator. In some embodiments, transferring hydraulic fluid to the first cavity of the second hydraulic actuator can apply pressure to the second piston to also actuate the hydraulic device. For example, referring again to Figure 1, the first cavity of the second hydraulic actuator in one embodiment, may include a first cavity 124 of the second hydraulic actuator 122. Furthermore, the second piston may be the second piston 136 of Figure 1 and the hydraulic device may be the hydraulic device 110 of Figure 1. In accordance with one embodiment, when hydraulic fluid is transferred to the first cavity, such as the first cavity 124, the pressure in the cavity can rise, so that the pressure is applied to the second piston, such as the second piston 136, which then drives the hydraulic device 110. Therefore, when the hydraulic device is a BOP ram and the actuator is configured as shown in Figure 1, then the application of pressure on the

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second piston 136 as a result of hydraulic fluid transferred to the first cavity 124 of the second actuator 122 may cause the second piston 136 to provide additional force in the positive x-direction, which in some embodiments, may cause the ram to BOP closes even faster.

As described above with reference to Figure 1, when the pressure applied to the second piston 136 is equal to the pressure to be applied to the first piston 134, the BOP tamper can close even faster than when pressure alone is applied. on the first piston 134. In other embodiments, the pressure applied on the first piston 134 and the pressure applied on the second piston 136 may remain the same, but is reduced when the pressure is applied on the second piston 136 in addition to the first piston 134. By reducing the pressure applied on the first piston 134 and the second piston 136, the BOP ram can close at a slower speed, which is convenient when the ram closes at too fast a speed, which can be unsafe and unreliable. In other embodiments, the pressure applied to the second piston 136 may be different than the pressure applied to the first piston 134. For example, the first controller 106 may receive an additional set of hydraulic lines that accommodate the lower pressure hydraulic fluid and the The first controller 106 can transfer the hydraulic fluid with lower pressure in the first cavity 124 of the second hydraulic actuator 122. By applying variable pressure to the second piston 136, the BOP tamper can be controlled to close at the desired speed.

In another mode, the hydraulic fluid from the first line

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selected hydraulic line, such as the first selected hydraulic line in block 304 can be transferred to the first cavity of a second hydraulic actuator. In some embodiments, transferring hydraulic fluid to the first cavity of the second hydraulic actuator can apply pressure to a second piston to also actuate the hydraulic device. For example, referring again to Figure 2, the first cavity of the second hydraulic actuator in one embodiment, may include the first cavity 208 of the second hydraulic actuator 210. Furthermore, the second piston may be the second piston 230 of Figure 2 and the hydraulic device may be a hydraulic device 218 of Figure 2. Therefore, when the hydraulic device is a BOP ram and the actuator is configured as illustrated in Figure 2, then the application of pressure to the second piston 230 as a result of the hydraulic fluid being transferred to the first cavity 208 can cause the hydraulic fluid to be transferred to the first cavity 208. the second piston 230 provides the force in the positive x-direction, which in some embodiments, can cause the BOP to close at the same or a different speed than before. For example, as mentioned above with respect to Figure 2, the pressure applied to each of the first piston 228 and the second piston 230 can be varied to modify the speed, if any, at which the BOP ram can close.

As illustrated in Figures 1 through 3, pressure can be applied to the pistons, which can be configured in a variety of configurations, in a variety of ways to actuate the hydraulic device. For example, as described above, hydraulic actuators can generally be redundant in series, redundant in

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parallel and/or a combination of redundant in series and redundant in parallel. Therefore, according to the embodiments, at least the first piston and the second piston may be arranged in series, in parallel and/or in a combination of series and parallel to actuate the hydraulic device.

In some embodiments, the first controller may also be configured to detect a fault associated with at least a first hydraulic actuator and/or a second hydraulic actuator. For example, in some embodiments, a plurality of sensors may be coupled to each of the hydraulic actuators in the hydraulic device, and more specifically, to each of the hydraulic actuator pistons and/or cavities in a hydraulic device. In one embodiment, the plurality of sensors may be coupled with at least one each of at least a first piston, the first cavity of a first hydraulic actuator, the second piston, and/or the second cavity of a second hydraulic actuator. . The first controller may then communicate, such as through electrical communication, with each of the sensors to receive signals from each of the plurality of sensors.

In accordance with one embodiment, the signals from the sensors may include information/data associated with the operating status of each of the hydraulic actuators in the system and more specifically, data/information associated with at least the pistons and/or the cavities. associated with each of the actuators in the system. The data obtained by the sensors can be indicative of

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY at least one of the pressure, flow rate, temperature, conductivity, pH, position, velocity, acceleration, current, and voltage. The first controller may then, in accordance with some embodiments, process the signals from the plurality of sensors with a processor located within the first controller to detect the failure associated with any of the hydraulic actuators in the system and/or any of the specific characteristics of a hydraulic actuator in the system. In addition to including the processor, the first controller may also include a memory to store the information/data.

According to one embodiment, after detecting a fault, such as a fault associated with a second hydraulic actuator, the hydraulic fluid pressure in the parallel hydraulic lines, such as the hydraulic lines in the first set 102, can be increased with the in order to increase the pressure applied on the first piston. Additional pressure may be needed to compensate for the failed second hydraulic actuator and also to actuate the hydraulic device to ensure that the hydraulic device continues to operate even after component failures. In other modes, the hydraulic device continues to operate even after the component fails. In other embodiments, where the first hydraulic actuator has failed or is detected to be at fault, the hydraulic fluid pressure in the parallel hydraulic lines, such as the hydraulic lines in the first set 102, may be increased in order to increase the pressure applied to the second piston. As was the case for the first

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY hydraulic actuator, additional pressure may be necessary to compensate for the first failed hydraulic actuator and also actuates the hydraulic device in order to ensure that the hydraulic device continues to operate even after component failure. In general, the first controller can detect a fault with any of the actuators that are included within the hydraulic device, and after detecting the fault with a particular actuator, the pressure associated with the other actuators (i.e., those other than the failed actuator). ) can be modified to compensate for the failed device. In other modes, the pressure may not need to be modified to compensate for the failed actuator. In accordance with one embodiment, the pressure in the hydraulic lines that are coupled with the controllers can be changed by changing the applied pressure at the fluid source supplying the hydraulic fluid.

In some modes, controllers can receive input and can modify the applied pressure on non-failed actuator components and/or modify fluid transfer for failed and/or non-failed actuators based on input received. For example, in one embodiment, the controllers may be in communication, such as electrical, acoustic, and/or fluid communication, with a user interface on an offshore drilling rig and with the rig operator. offshore drilling, such as the well operator and can provide input into the interface that can communicate with controllers in order to modify fluid transfer to hydraulic actuators in the well.

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY system.

Pursuant to some embodiments, when the actuator or a specific feature of an actuator, such as a cavity or piston, is detected to exhibit a fault, the faulty component may need to be disabled or sealed. For example, in an embodiment where the actuator cavity or piston is leaking, which is one type of failure, then the cavity, leaking piston, and possibly the entire actuator associated with the leaking cavity and/or piston may need be sealed to prevent any loss of pressure. Due to the redundancy built into the system, a failed actuator can be sealed and/or completely removed and repaired without affecting the overall performance of the hydraulic device as the redundant controls and/or actuators compensated for the failed component.

Pursuant to one embodiment, the functionality of the second controller may be identical to the functionality of the first controller except that the second controller may control the transfer fluid used to perform a different hydraulic function than the fluid for which it is intended. controls the transfer by the first controller. For example, in one embodiment, the second controller may control the transfer of the hydraulic fluid used to open a BOP ram, while the first controller may control the transfer of the hydraulic fluid used to close the BOP ram. In either case, the second controller can also detect faults, receive input from a user interface, and modify the fluid source for the actuators in the system based on a fault.

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY detected and/or in the entry received. Also, as shown in Figure 1 and/or Figure 2, while the first controller can control fluid transfer to one side of the piston, the second controller can control fluid transfer to the other side of the same piston. . Therefore, any functionality associated with the first controller may also be associated with the second controller, albeit for a different purpose.

Although Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment where the actuator incorporates dual redundancy and Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment where the actuator incorporates triple redundancy, in general, the actuator can incorporate any level of redundancy and the choice of level of redundancy can be be a specific application. For example, in one embodiment, the actuator may incorporate 8-fold redundancy, while in another embodiment, the actuator may incorporate 5-fold redundancy.

In some embodiments, controllers 106 and 108 may include control circuitry. The control circuits may include one or more valve controllers, wherein each valve controller may be in communication, such as by electrical communication, with at least one or more valves. The control circuit may be configured to adjust the transfer of fluid to the hydraulic device by selectively varying the position of the valves between the open position and the closed position.

As mentioned before, a controller, such as the controller

106 u 108 may include a processor for processing information and/or

<img file="MX373559B_D0021.tif" />

IMPI

MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY signals received in the controller. The controller may be configured to perform functions based on information and/or signal processing. The controller may also include memory, which may be electrically coupled to the processor, for storing data in the controller.

The controller is not limited to a specific structure described. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that other structures are possible and that the controller described herein may encompass such structures as long as the structures are configured to carry out the functions of the controller, as described herein. When implemented in hardware and/or software, some of the functions described herein may be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Examples include non-transient computer-readable media encoded with a data structure and computer-readable media encoded with a computer program. Computer-readable medium includes a physical computer storage medium. A storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, computing device and/or general processor. By way of example and not by way of limitation, such computer-readable media may comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other media that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions

<img file="MX373559B_D0022.tif" />

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, a computing device and/or a general processor. Disc includes compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy discs, and blu-ray discs. In general, 5 discs reproduce data in magnetic form and discs reproduce data in optical form. Combinations of the above may also be included within the scope of computer readable media.

In addition to storing on a computer-readable medium, the instructions and/or data may be provided as signals on a transmission medium included in a communication device. For example, the communication apparatus may include a transceiver having data and instruction indicative signals and a memory for storing data, information, instructions and/or the like. The instructions and data are configured to cause one or more processors 15 to implement the functions set forth in the description and in the claims.

The above specification and examples provide a complete description of the structure and use of the illustrative modes. Although some embodiments have been described with some degree of particularity or with reference to one or more individual embodiments, many alterations to the described embodiments will be able to be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. As such , the various illustrative embodiments of the methods and systems are not intended to be limited to the particular forms described. Rather, they include all modifications and

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MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY alternatives that fall within the scope of the claims and modalities other than those shown may include some or all of the characteristics of the illustrated modality. For example, elements can be omitted or combined as a unitary structure and/or the connections 5 can be substituted. In addition, when appropriate, aspects of any of the examples described above may be combined with aspects of any of the examples described above to form other examples that have comparable or different properties and/or functions and solve the same and/or different problems. . Similarly, it is to be understood that the benefits and advantages described herein may relate to one modality or may relate to multiple modalities.

The claims are not intended to, and should not be construed to include, means-plus or step-plus15 function limitations, unless such limitation is explicitly described in a particular claim by use of the phrases "means to" or “stage for”, respectively.