Blowout Preventer with Intersecting Cavities

Abstract

A BOP includes a housing defining a bore, a first cavity intersecting the bore and comprising a first central axis, and a second cavity intersecting the bore and comprising a second central axis. The first central axis and the second central axis are non-parallel and the first cavity and the second cavity partially overlap along a vertical axis of the BOP.

1 . A blowout preventer (BOP), comprising:
 a housing defining a bore;   a first cavity intersecting the bore and comprising a first central axis; and   a second cavity intersecting the bore and comprising a second central axis;   wherein the first central axis and the second central axis are non-parallel and the first cavity and the second cavity partially overlap along a vertical axis of the BOP.   
     
     
         2 . The BOP of  claim 1 , wherein the first central axis and the second central axis are orthogonal to one another. 
     
     
         3 . The BOP of  claim 1 , wherein the first cavity extends vertically across between about 5 to 45 percent of the second cavity to cause the first cavity and the second cavity to partially overlap along the vertical axis of the BOP. 
     
     
         4 . The BOP of  claim 1 , comprising a first ram positioned in the first cavity and a second ram positioned in the second cavity, wherein the second ram comprises a cutout region on a lower side of the second ram, and the cutout region is configured to receive a portion of the first ram. 
     
     
         5 . The BOP of  claim 4 , wherein the cutout region comprises a curved groove that is defined by a curved wall of the second ram. 
     
     
         6 . The BOP of  claim 4 , wherein the cutout region enables the first ram and the second ram to be in respective sealed positions within the bore at the same time. 
     
     
         7 . The BOP of  claim 1 , comprising a side outlet formed in the housing and a ram positioned in the first cavity, wherein the ram comprises a cutout region on a lower side of the ram, and the side outlet is aligned with the cutout region along the vertical axis of the BOP. 
     
     
         8 . The BOP of  claim 1 , comprising a ram positioned in the first cavity, wherein the ram comprises:
 a front surface configured to face an opposing ram positioned in the first cavity;   a rear surface that is opposite the front surface; and   a cutout region on a lower side of the ram, wherein the cutout region extends from the front surface toward the rear surface, such that the front surface comprises a first cross-sectional shape of a circular segment, and the rear surface comprises a second cross-sectional shape of a circle with a notch.   
     
     
         9 . The BOP of  claim 1 , comprising a third cavity intersecting the bore and comprising a third central axis, wherein the first central axis and the third central axis are parallel to one another, and the second cavity and the third cavity partially overlap along the vertical axis of the BOP. 
     
     
         10 . The BOP of  claim 9 , comprising a first ram positioned in the first cavity, a second ram positioned in the second cavity, and a third ram positioned in the third cavity, wherein the second ram comprises a respective cutout region on a respective lower side of the second ram that is configured to receive a portion of the first ram, and the third ram comprises a respective cutout region on a respective lower side of the third ram that is configured to receive a portion of the second ram. 
     
     
         11 . The BOP of  claim 10 , wherein the second ram and the third ram have an identical shape. 
     
     
         12 . A blowout preventer (BOP), comprising:
 a housing defining a bore;   a cavity intersecting the bore; and   a ram positioned within the cavity and comprising a cutout region on a lower side of the ram that is configured to receive a portion of a vertically adjacent ram that is positioned adjacent to and below the ram along a vertical axis of the BOP.   
     
     
         13 . The BOP of  claim 12 , comprising the vertically adjacent ram and a vertically adjacent cavity through which the vertically adjacent ram moves, wherein the cutout region enables the ram and the vertically adjacent ram to be positioned within the bore at the same time. 
     
     
         14 . The BOP of  claim 13 , wherein the cavity and the vertically adjacent cavity are orthogonal to one another. 
     
     
         15 . The BOP of  claim 12 , wherein the cutout region comprises a curved groove that is defined by a curved wall of the second ram. 
     
     
         16 . A method of operating a blowout preventer (BOP), comprising:
 moving a first pair of opposing rams through a first cavity into a bore of the BOP; and   moving a second pair of opposing rams through a second cavity into the bore of the BOP;   wherein the first pair of opposing rams and the second pair of opposing rams partially overlap along a vertical axis of the BOP at least when both the first pair of opposing rams and the second pair of opposing rams are positioned within the bore of the BOP.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising contacting and bracing the first pair of opposing rams using the second pair of opposing rams at least when both the first pair of opposing rams and the second pair of opposing rams are in respective sealed positions within the bore of the BOP. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein moving the first pair of opposing rams through the first cavity into the bore of the BOP comprises moving the first pair of opposing rams toward one another along a first axis, and moving the second pair of opposing rams through the second cavity into the bore of the BOP comprises moving the second pair of opposing rams toward one another along a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein moving the first pair of opposing rams through the first cavity into the bore of the BOP comprises moving the first pair of opposing rams into respective cutout regions defined on respective lower sides of each ram of the second pair of opposing rams at least when the second pair of opposing rams is positioned within the bore of the BOP. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising moving a third pair of opposing rams through a third cavity into the bore of the BOP, wherein the second pair of opposing rams and the third pair of opposing rams partially overlap along the vertical axis of the BOP at least when both the second pair of opposing rams and the third pair of opposing rams are positioned within the bore of the BOP.