Abstract:
A signal conductor installation tool includes a chassis; a tracking system in operable communication with the chassis; a spool rotatingly supported on the chassis; and a through hole in the chassis sized to pass a conductor from the spool to a target tubular member and method thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Signal conductors, and particularly optic fibers are often placed in grooves in equipment designed for the downhole environment to protect the signal conductor from mechanical impact. While conductors can be and are placed in all configurations of grooves, it is notable that grooves that extend around a tubular member present a particularly time consuming installation of signal conductor, especially when it is inconvenient or impossible to rotate the tubular due to diameter, length, etc. or due to the location at which the conductors are to be joined with other downhole tools. For example, while it may be possible to rotate a tool at a large manufacturing facility, it may not be possible to rotate the same tool at a rig site. This results in many installations of conductors being affected by hand. As will be clear to the reader, hand installations are not particularly speedy. In view of the length of signal conductor needed and used in the downhole environment, operations directed to installing conductors are remarkably inefficient with respect to the overall completion of the well. Without a competent method and apparatus to install conductors in such circumstances however, the art is left to maintain its status quo. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    A signal conductor installation tool includes a chassis; a tracking system in operable communication with the chassis; a spool rotatingly supported on the chassis; and a through hole in the chassis sized to pass a conductor from the spool to a target tubular member. 
         [0003]    A method for installing a conductor at a target tubular member includes setting the tracking system of the tool described in the foregoing paragraph; rotating at least one of the tool and the target tubular member relative to the other of the tool and the target tubular member; automatically dispensing a conductor from the spool through the chassis to the target tubular member. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several figures: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is a three-quarter section view of one embodiment of the Signal Conductor Installation Tool as disclosed herein; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the Signal Conductor Installation Tool as disclosed herein; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2  rotated about 90 degrees; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an alternate tracking system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of a Signal Conductor Installation Tool  10  is illustrated in three-quarter section view disposed about a tubular member  12  around which a conductor  14  (which may be an optic fiber, electrical conductor or any other type of conductor) is to be deposited. As can be ascertained from the figure, the conductor  14  is disposed within a conductor groove  16  in the surface of the tubular member  12 . In this embodiment, the groove is helical with an angle of about 20 degrees to about 60 degrees relative to an axis  18  of the tubular member  12 .  FIG. 1  is depicted with the tool  10  having partially already traversed the tubular member  12  installing conductor  14  as it moves. The tool  10  itself comprises a chassis  20 , which is tubular in nature and dimensioned to relatively closely fit over the tubular  12  so that a clearance fit is achieved but excess slop is avoided. The chassis  20  further includes a tracking system  22  that enables the chassis to index itself to the groove pitch in the tubular member  12  and advance along the tubular member  12  in operation. As illustrated, the tracking system  22  is a pin having a length sufficient to extend radially into the groove  16 . In this position, the chassis when rotating relative to the tubular member  12 , will advance along the tubular member  12 . The chassis and pin length are collectively to be sized to ensure that the pin remains in the groove  16  by not allowing for sufficient room within the chassis for the pin to disengage from the groove  16 . The chassis  20  further includes a through hole  24  sized to allow clearance passage for the conductor  14  intended to be passed therethrough. The hole  24  is initiated in a direction substantially tangential to an outside surface of the chassis  20  and at an angle closely approximating the groove  16  angle of the tubular member  12  with which the tool  10  is intended to be used, and then exits the chassis at an angle substantially tangential to an inside surface of the chassis. The angles of the hole  24  as described ensure that conductor  14  can pass through the chassis  20  as it is being transported from a spool  30  to the groove  16 . 
         [0011]    The spool  30  is mounted rotatably on the chassis  20 , and axially restrained thereon by such as upsets  32 . It is noted that the upsets  32  may be continuous about chassis  20  as shown or may be discontinuous or may simply comprise one short member on each axial end of the spool  30  with similar results. Because the spool  30  is not subject to any significant axial load, very little restraint is needed. Indeed, it is possible in some particular applications that no axial restraint is needed at all. The spool may utilize bushings, bearings, nothing at all (as illustrated), etc to enable the spool  30  to rotate freely relative to the chassis  20 . It is important that the chassis  20  and spool  30  are rotatable relative to each other and to the tubular member  12  independently as the length of conductor  14  representing one 360 degree rotation about the tubular member  20  is not likely to require the same rate of rotational movement in the spool that it does in the chassis. 
         [0012]    Finally, in iterations of this embodiment, an additional feeder tube  34  is positioned within one end of the hole  24  and extending therefrom toward the spool  30  to assist the conductor  14  to make its way without damage to the hole  24 . The feeder tube  34  in one embodiment is rigid while in an alternate embodiment is semi rigid. 
         [0013]    In order to deposit the conductor  14  in to the groove  16 , tool  10  is fitted over one end of a target tubular  12  such that the pin  22  engages the groove  16 . The tool  10  is then rotated relative to the tubular member  12 . The rotation may be that of the tool  10  or of the member  12  or both as circumstances dictate and may be manual or mechanized depending upon implements at the disposal of the operator. As the tool  10  and tubular member  12  rotate relative to one another, the pin  22  moves the tool  10  along the tubular member  12  in an indexed manner so that deposition of the conductor  14  into the groove  16  is assured and is automatic. Tension is kept to a minimum while being simultaneously sufficient to play out conductor. Because the tool  10  ensures that the conductor  14  is deposited properly even at relatively rapid speeds, the tool significantly improves time to completion. The relative rotation of the tool  10  may be continued for as long as the tubular member  12  has axial length, until the spool  30  runs out of conductor  14  or until a segment of the tubular member  12  that is intended to contain conductor has been completed. 
         [0014]    In another embodiment, referring to  FIGS. 2-4  greater adjustability and ease of use provided. While some of the components are quite similar to those disclosed in the foregoing embodiment, nuances thereof dictate the use of distinct reference numerals for the best description of the invention. For this reason, one hundred series numbers are used and are not intended to find equivalence with the foregoing numerals. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , tool  110  is illustrated with an uphole end  112  at the left side of the drawings as is conventional for this art and its downhole end  114  at the right side of the drawing figure. A chassis  116  in this embodiment is of two-piece construction. One of the pieces is identified as  118  and the other as  120 . In the illustration the pieces  118  and  120  are roughly hemi cylindrical for ease of connection around the target tubular. The pieces  118  and  120  are hingedly connected to one another at hinge  122  (see  FIG. 3 ). Connection duties are performed by latch system  124 . The chassis  116  further includes a torque ring  126  and a bearing  128  that work together to support a drum  130  and a spool  132 . It is to be appreciated that the spool  132  is illustrated without a conductor thereon but that a conductor such as an electrical wire or an optic fiber would be wound around the spool  132  when the tool is in use. A feeder tube  134  leads from the spool  132  in a helical manner to an opening  136  in the chassis  116  in order to allow through passage of the conductor to the target tubular. The angle of the through passage is similar to that of the previously described embodiment. Finally in  FIG. 2 , a pin  138  is visible, which acts as the tracking system for this embodiment similarly to the way in which it functions in the previously described embodiment. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the cross sectional view of the embodiment will provide an understanding of the cooperation among the component parts just identified. Piece  120 , it will be appreciated extends axially into an inside dimension of torque ring  126  and is fixedly maintained in this position. Affixation may be by threads or other suitable methods. It will be noted that the other piece  118  of the chassis  116  does not extend axially into torque ring  126  but rather merely ends adjacent the same. This allows the part  118  to swing open on the hinge  122  to allow for easy installation onto the target tubular. The torque ring supports a spool drum  130  and a bearing  128  to prevent wear of the torque ring by the drum when rotating thereon. Further, torque ring includes a brake member  140  disposed in a recess of the torque ring  126 . The brake member is to be in contact with an inside dimension  144  of the drum  130  to ensure that the drum and therefore the spool  132  do not “bird nest”. In order to ensure that an appropriate amount of friction is obtained for various embodiments of the tool, it is desirable to render the friction adjustable. Referring to  FIG. 3 , it is apparent that the drum  130  is a split member based upon the visibility of the split  142 . The degree to which the split  142  is closed can be controlled by a cap screw disposed in cap screw recess  144 . The drum, therefore, is a manner of shaft coupling and can be tightened or loosened by adjustment of the cap screw (not shown). Also visible in  FIG. 4  is a pair of wear guides  150  and  152  disposed within the chassis  116  to prevent wear from the target tubular. 
         [0017]    In use, this embodiment is placed upon a target tubular by sliding all of the components illustrated in  FIG. 4  as one assembly onto the target tubular. The conductor (not shown this embodiment) is routed from the spool  132  through the feeder tube  134  and out of an end  154  (see  FIG. 2 ) of the feeder tube  134 . The free end of the conductor is then available for an operator to manually begin the insertion process into a groove of the target tubular. In some embodiments, the insertion process of the conductor into the groove is accompanied by epoxy to ensure that the conductor is permanently affixed therein. Once a short portion of the conductor is affixed in the groove, the pieces  118  and  120  of chassis  116  are closed around the target tubular and the pin  138  is aligned at the same time with the groove. The latch  124  is then secured and the brake  140  force is adjusted with the cap screw (not shown) in the drum  130 . The tool  110  can then be rotated relative to the target tubular or held stationary relative to the rotating tubular. This can be accomplished manually through use of a leverage connector  160  (see  FIG. 2 ) or by mechanized means (not shown). 
         [0018]    It is to be appreciated that each of the embodiments of the tool  10  or  110  can be configured to rotate either clockwise or counter clockwise as is appreciate for the groove helix direction on the target tubular. Further, it is to be noted that reliability of the system can be enhanced by ensuring that the direction of rotation of the chassis  116  will be opposite that of the spool assembly because if they rotate in the same direction, the chassis tends to drive the spool to unwind, an undesirable condition. An alternate embodiment of the tracking system useful for all embodiments is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . This embodiment uses a track segment  200  as the operable component of the tracking system. The segment  200  replaces the function of the pin illustrated for the above-described embodiments. As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the segment  200  is a part of or mounted to a base  202  to maintain structural integrity thereof. The base may be placed upon an inside surface of the chassis or the chassis may be configured with a recess into which the base  202  is received. In either event, the base will be secured to the chassis by a fastening configuration such as a threaded fastener, welding, adhesive, etc. 
         [0019]    While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation.