HANGER FLANGE FOR HANGING A TUBULAR BODY IN A WELL

Abstract

A hanger flange includes an annular body having a circumferential inner surface defining a central passage and a circumferential outer surface. Ram alignment apertures are provided within the body spaced radially about the passage. Each of the apertures has a first portion with a non-circular first cross-sectional dimension extending radially outwardly from the inner surface and a second portion with a second cross-sectional dimension extending radially inwardly from the outer surface. A ram is positioned in each of the apertures. Each ram has a first portion having a first cross-sectional dimension corresponding with the first cross-sectional dimension of the apertures, and a second portion having a second cross-section dimension corresponding with the second cross-sectional dimension of the apertures. The engagement between the non-circular first cross-sectional dimension of each aperture and the corresponding non-circular first cross-sectional dimension of each ram prevents relative axial rotation and maintains each ram in alignment.

Description

FIELD

The present application relates to a hanger flange for hanging a tubular body in a well, of the type that has extendible rams.

BACKGROUND

Hanger flanges that have extendible rams frequently use alignment pins to align the rains. Sealing these alignment pins can be very difficult and the alignment pins occasionally become sheared off, rendering the hanger flange inoperable.

SUMMARY

There is provided a hanger flange including an annular body an annular body having a circumferential inner surface defining a central passage and a circumferential outer surface. Ram alignment apertures are provided within the body spaced radially about the passage. Each of the apertures has a first portion with a non-circular first cross-sectional dimension extending radially outwardly from the inner surface and a second portion with a second cross-sectional dimension extending radially inwardly from the outer surface. A ram is positioned in each of the apertures. Each ram has a first portion having a first cross-sectional dimension corresponding with the first cross-sectional dimension of the apertures, and a second portion having a second cross-section dimension corresponding with the second cross-sectional dimension of the apertures. The engagement between the non-circular first cross-sectional dimension of each aperture and the corresponding non-circular first cross-sectional dimension of each ram prevents relative axial rotation and maintaining each ram in alignment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a hanger flange.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the body of a hanger flange.

FIG. 3 is a side plan view in section of the body of the hanger flange of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a ram.

FIG. 5 is a detailed side plan view of an alternative ram in a ram alignment aperture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A hanger flange for hanging a tubular body in a well, generally identified by reference numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIG. 1 through 5.

Structure and Relationship of Parts:

Referring to FIG. 2, hanger flange 10 includes an annular body 12 having a circumferential inner surface 14 defining a central passage 16 and a circumferential outer surface 18. According to common practice for flanges, body 12 has holes 20 extending perpendicular to both inner surface 14 and outer surface 18, such that it can be mounted on a well. Referring to FIG. 1, body 12 also has ram alignment apertures 22 within body 12 spaced radially about central passage 16, and extending from inner surface 14 to outer surface 18. Referring to FIG. 3, each ram alignment aperture 22 has a first portion 24 with a non-circular first cross-sectional dimension 25 extending radially outwardly from inner surface 14, and a second portion 26 with a second cross-sectional dimension 27 extending radially inwardly from outer surface 18. Referring to FIG. 1, a ram 28 is positioned in each ram alignment apertures 22. Referring to FIG. 4, each ram 28 has a first end 30, a second end 32, and an engagement face 34 at first end 30 of ram 28 adapted to engage a tubular body (not shown) positioned in central passage 16. Each ram 28 also has a first portion 38 extending from first end 30 toward second end 32 and a second portion 40 extending from second end 32 toward first end 30. First portion 38 has a non-circular first cross-sectional dimension 39 corresponding with non-circular first cross-sectional dimension 25 of ram alignment apertures 22, and second portion 40 has a second cross-sectional dimension 41 corresponding with second cross-sectional dimension 27 of ram alignment apertures 22. Thus, the engagement between non-circular first cross-sectional dimension 25 of each ram alignment aperture 22 and the corresponding non-circular first cross-sectional dimension 39 of each ram 28 prevents relative axial rotation and maintains each ram in alignment. As shown in FIG. 3, first cross-sectional dimension 25 of ram alignment apertures 22 has flat portions 42 rendering such cross-sectional dimension non-circular, and, referring to FIG. 4, first cross-sectional dimension 39 of each ram 28 has corresponding flat portions 44 adapted to accommodate flat portions 42 to prevent relative rotation. Referring to FIG. 5, other cross-sections may be chosen. For example, first cross-sectional dimension 39 of ram 28 may have a key 46, and first cross-sectional dimension 25 of ram alignment aperture 22 may have a corresponding keyway 48 (or vice versa) adapted to accommodate key 46 to prevent relative rotation. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, second cross-sectional dimensions 27 and 41 of rain alignment apertures 22 and ram 28, respectively, are shown to be circular, but may be any convenient shape. As depicted in FIG. 1, rains 28 are extended and retracted using a screw actuator 50 to allow rams 28 to position the tubular body, which is attached to body 12 using screws 52, although other means, such as a hydraulic actuator, could also be used. Screw actuators 50 are made up of rain screws 54 installed within packing gland followers 56, and attached to rams 28 such that the rotation of rain screws 54 does not rotate rams 28. While assembling, packing gland followers 54 are tightened to ensure a seal between rams 28 and body 12. Lock nuts 58 are then used to fix the position of packing gland followers 50. If screw actuators 50 are designed to extend into body 12 and overlap rams 28 to engage them, it may be necessary to adjust the cross-section of either ram 28 toward second end 32, or, as shown, the cross-section of ram alignment aperture 22 toward outer surface 18.

Operation:

Referring to FIG. 1 body 12 is provided as described above. Referring to FIG. 1, rams 28 are inserted into each ram alignment apertures 22, such that non-circular first cross-sectional dimension 39 of ram 28 is received by non-circular first cross-sectional dimension 25 of alignment aperture 22. Ram 28 is thus prevented from rotating. A hydraulic actuator 50 is then installed such that it is attached to second end 32 of rain 28 to control the position of engagement face 34. Hydraulic actuators 50 are held in place using screws 52. Once assembled, body may then be installed on a well (not shown) using bolt holes 20, with a tubular body extending through central passage 16. Screw actuators 50 are activated to move rams 28 in order to correctly position the tubular body as it travels in the well.

In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are 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 of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope defined in the Claims.

Claims

1. A hanger flange for hanging a tubular body in a well, comprising:

an annular body having a circumferential inner surface defining a central passage and a circumferential outer surface;

means for mounting the body on a well;

ram alignment apertures within the body, spaced radially about the central passage and extending from the inner surface to the outer surface, each of the ram alignment apertures having a first portion with a non-circular first cross-sectional dimension extending radially outwardly from the inner surface and a second portion with a second cross-sectional dimension extending radially inwardly from the outer surface;

a ram positioned in each of the ram alignment apertures, each ram having a first end, a second end, an engagement face at the first end of the ram adapted to engage a tubular body positioned in the central passage, each ram having a first portion extending from the first end toward the second end having a non-circular first cross-sectional dimension corresponding with the non-circular first cross-sectional dimension of the ram alignment apertures and a second portion extending from the second end toward the first end having a second cross-section dimension corresponding with the second cross-sectional dimension of the ram alignment apertures, whereby the engagement between the non-circular first cross-sectional dimension of each ram alignment aperture and the corresponding non-circular first cross-sectional dimension of each ram prevents relative axial rotation and maintains each ram in alignment; and

means for extending and retracting each ram.

2. The hanger flange of claim 1, wherein the means for extending and retracting each ram is a screw actuator.

3. The hanger flange of claim 1, wherein the means for extending and retracting each ram is a hydraulic actuator.

4. The hanger flange of claim 1, wherein the first cross-sectional dimension of the ram alignment apertures has at least one flat portion rendering such cross-sectional dimension non-circular and the first cross-sectional dimension of each ram has at least one corresponding flat portion adapted to accommodate the at least one flat portion to prevent relative rotation.

5. The hanger flange of claim 1, wherein one of the first cross-sectional dimension of the ram alignment apertures or the first cross-sectional dimension of each ram having at least one key rendering such cross-sectional dimension non-circular and another of the first cross-sectional dimension of the ram alignment apertures or the first cross-sectional dimension of each ram having a corresponding keyway adapted to accommodate the key to prevent relative rotation.