Coiled tubing level wind system

Abstract

The level winding system described has a storage reel, a knuckle boom and a roller guide head for control the winding and unwinding of coiled tubing from the storage reel. The knuckle boom has a crane attached to a rotatable, elevatable, and extendible boom with an attached roller guide head. The described level winding system is easy to control, robust, very adaptable to different rig geometries and tubing sizes, and easy to maintain.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A level winding rotationally mounted and axially extensible knuckle boom for use with a coiled tubing injector, the knuckle boom comprising: 
 (a) slewing means for controllably slewing the boom about a vertical axis;    (b) elevating means for controllably elevating and lowering the boom;    (c) extension means for controllably extending and retracting the boom; and    (d) guide roller means for guiding a tubing during the tubing winding or unwinding onto or off of a storage reel, said guide roller means mounted on an outer end of said boom;    whereby the boom is selectably controlled so that the tubing alignment is controlled by the roller guide means as the tubing is wound or unwound onto or off of the storage reel.    
     
     
         2 . The boom of  claim 1 , wherein the slewing means includes a rotationally supported base mounted to the boom and attached to a fixedly mounted rotator assembly.  
     
     
         3 . The boom of  claim 2 , wherein the rotator assembly comprises two horizontal, parallel and opposed hydraulic cylinders whereby the rotationally supported base is rotated by the coordinated action of the hydraulic cylinders thereby causing the boom to rotate.  
     
     
         4 . The boom of  claim 1 , wherein the elevating means includes a hydraulic cylinder.  
     
     
         5 . The level winding system of  claim 1 , wherein the guide roller means comprises a roller bracket, a pair of spaced apart parallel horizontal rollers and a pair of spaced apart parallel orthogonal rollers, wherein the horizontal rollers are mounted on opposed sides of the roller bracket and the pair of orthogonal rollers are mounted on the roller bracket between the horizontal rollers in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal roller axes.  
     
     
         6 . The level winding system of  claim 5 , wherein each horizontal and orthogonal roller is mounted to the roller bracket on a shaft and rotates about a plurality of internal roller bearings.  
     
     
         7 . The level winding system of  claim 5 , wherein the horizontal and orthogonal rollers have a surface coating to assist in distributing a load applied to the tubing passing over the rollers.  
     
     
         8 . A level winding system for use with a coiled tubing injector unit comprising: 
 (a) a tubing storage reel;    (b) a crane having a boom, said crane comprising: 
 a rotating element for controllably rotating the boom about a vertical axis,  
 a hydraulic cylinder for controllably elevating and lowering the boom, and  
 an extension element for controllably extending and retracting the boom; and  
   (c) a guide roller element for guiding a tubing during the tubing winding or unwinding onto or off of the tubing storage reel, said guide roller element mounted on an outer end of said boom and comprising a roller bracket, a horizontal roller and an opposed pair of substantially parallel orthogonal rollers, wherein the axes of the orthogonal rollers are substantially perpendicular to the axis of the horizontal roller;    whereby the roller guide element is positioned by the crane and the boom as the roller guide element guides the tubing onto or off of the storage reel.    
     
     
         9 . The level winding system of  claim 8 , wherein the crane is hydraulically operated.  
     
     
         10 . The level winding system of  claim 8 , wherein the rotating element includes a rotationally supported base mounted to the boom at one end and attached to a fixedly mounted rotator assembly at a second end.  
     
     
         11 . The level winding system of  claim 10 , wherein the rotator assembly comprises two horizontal, parallel and opposed hydraulic cylinders whereby the boom is rotated by the coordinated action of the hydraulic cylinders causing the supported base to rotate.  
     
     
         12 . The level winding system of  claim 8 , wherein the horizontal and orthogonal rollers are mounted to the roller bracket on a shaft and rotate about a plurality of internal roller bearing.  
     
     
         13 . The level winding system of  claim 8 , wherein the horizontal and orthogonal rollers have a surface coating to assist in distributing any load applied to the tubing passing over the rollers.  
     
     
         14 . The level winding system of  claim 8 , further comprising a controlling mechanism for selectable positioning the roller guide element.  
     
     
         15 . The level winding system of  claim 8 , wherein the controlling mechanism of the level winding system is controlled with a programmable device having a manual override mechanism.  
     
     
         16 . A level winding system comprising: 
 (a) a reel holding a coiled tubing, said tubing wound and unwound from the reel by the level winding system;    (b) a roller guide head proximal to the reel and comprising multiple rollers, said rollers partially or fully surround the tubing to partially constrain the lateral movement of the tubing; and    (c) roller guide head manipulation element comprising a crane, a plurality of crane actuators and a crane control device.    
     
     
         17 . The level winding system of  claim 16 , wherein said crane comprises: 
 (a) a structural base mounting a pedestal;    (b) a slewing bearing at an upper end of the structural base;    (c) a slewing head rotatable about the vertical axis of the pedestal on said slewing bearing and supporting a trunnion having a horizontal axis; and    (d) an elevatable telescopic boom supported at a first end by a shaft positioned in the trunnion of the slewing head and attached to the roller guide head at a second end;    whereby selectable operation of the crane rotates, extends or elevates the boom.    
     
     
         18 . The level winding system of  claim 16 , wherein the crane actuators are hydraulically operated.  
     
     
         19 . The level winding system of  claim 16 , wherein the multiple rollers comprise a pair of spaced apart parallel horizontal rollers and a pair of spaced apart parallel orthogonal rollers, the horizontal rollers are mounted on opposed sides of a roller bracket and the pair of orthogonal rollers are mounted on the roller bracket between the horizontal rollers in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal roller axes.  
     
     
         20 . The level winding system of  claim 16 , wherein the horizontal and orthogonal rollers are mounted to the roller bracket on a shaft and rotate about a plurality of internal roller bearing.  
     
     
         21 . The level winding system of  claim 16 , wherein the crane control device is programmable with a manual override mechanism.