Drill rig apparatuses with directly driven shaft & drilling fluid pump systems

Abstract

A drilling rig system with a main shaft or shaft-like structure driven directly by an AC motor; the system in one aspect for pumping fluid (e.g., but not limited to, drilling fluid), the system having, in certain aspects, pump apparatus with a pumping section and a motor section, the pumping section having an inlet and an outlet, the motor section having a drive shaft for connection to a pump pinion shaft for reciprocating in and out of the pumping section to alternately suck fluid into the inlet and pump fluid out the outlet, and the motor being directly connected to the pump pinion shaft, and methods for using such a system.

1 . A system for pumping fluid, the system comprising
 a pump apparatus including a pumping section and a motor section,   the pumping section having at least one pump, at least one inlet, and at least one outlet, and a main pinion shaft for operating the at least one pump,   motor apparatus comprising at least one AC motor, and   the at least one AC motor directly connected to the main pinion shaft.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the fluid is drilling fluid and the system is for pumping the drilling fluid with respect to a wellbore in earth. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the pump apparatus includes a plurality of pump apparatuses each with a pumping section. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one AC motor is a plurality of motors, each motor of the plurality of motors directly connected to the main pinion shaft of the pumping section. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one AC motor is a permanent magnet motor. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the permanent magnet motor is an axial field permanent magnet motor. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the permanent magnet motor is a printed circuit board motor. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one AC motor is connected to the main pinion shaft with a mechanical connection. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the at least one AC motor has a motor shaft secured to a motor hub and wherein the mechanical connection comprises a friction fit between the motor hub and the main pinion shaft. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one AC motor is water cooled. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising
 a control system for controlling the system for pumping fluid.   
   
   
       12 . A system for pumping fluid, the system comprising
 motor apparatus comprising at least one AC motor,   a pump apparatus including a pumping section and a motor section,   the pumping section having at least one pump, at least one inlet, and at least one outlet, and a main pinion shaft for transferring powered motion to the at least one pump from the motor apparatus,   the at least one AC motor directly connected to the main pinion shaft,   wherein the pump apparatus includes a plurality of pump apparatuses each with a pumping section,   wherein the at least one AC motor is a plurality of motors, each motor of the plurality of motors directly connected to the main pinion shaft of the pumping section,   wherein the motors are axial field permanent magnet AC motors, and   wherein each motor is connected to the main pinion shaft with a mechanical connection.   
   
   
       13 . A method for pumping fluid, the method comprising
 sucking fluid into an inlet of a pumping section of a pump system, the pump system comprising a pump apparatus including a pumping section and a motor section, the pumping section having at least one pump, at least one inlet, and at least one outlet, and a main pinion shaft for the at least one pump, motor apparatus comprising at least one AC motor, and the at least one AC motor directly connected to the main pinion shaft, and   with the pump apparatus, pumping fluid out the outlet.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the fluid is drilling fluid and the method further comprising
 pumping drilling fluid with respect to a wellbore in the earth.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising
 pumping the drilling fluid into the wellbore to run a fluid motor located in the wellbore.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising
 transporting material from the wellbore with pumped fluid.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein
 the pump apparatus includes a plurality of pump apparatuses each with a pumping section, and   the at least one AC motor is a plurality of motors, each motor of the plurality of motors directly connected to the main pinion shaft of the pumping section.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising
 controlling the pump system with a control system.   
   
   
       19 . A drilling rig apparatus comprising
 a main shaft for providing rotative motion for operation of the drilling rig apparatus,   motor apparatus comprising at least one AC motor, and   the at least one AC motor directly connected to the main shaft.   
   
   
       20 . The drilling rig apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the motor apparatus is from the group including AC permanent magnet motor, AC axial field permanent magnet motor, and AC printed circuit board axial field permanent magnet motor; and the drilling rig apparatus is from the group including top drive, centrifugal pump, centrifuge, pump, shale shaker, rig thruster, drawworks, cuttings conveyance system, auger system, rotary table, power swivel, jacking system, multiplex pump, blower motor, hydrocyclone, lube pump, pipe handler, iron roughneck, cherry picker, generator, brake system, frequency conversion apparatus, and crane, winch, utility winch, cable handling winch, manrider winch, coil tubing unit, wireline unit, and cathead.