Abstract:
A portable apparatus for sieving, washing, and drying particle samples onsite that are generated from well drill cutting. The apparatus comprises a sievewash chamber to initially remove contaminates from the samples, and a final wash-spin-dry chamber to completely clean and dry the samples for analysis. The two chambers function under the operational control of a computerized system comprising a processor, a user display, and a database storing computer code for operating the apparatus in various cleaning cycles. The sieve-wash chamber comprises two vertically stacked baskets: a coarse basket on top to hold the drill cutting samples; and, a caged basket underneath to catch clean samples as they fall through the coarse mesh screen on the bottom of the coarse basket. The caged basket with the samples is then manually transferred to the wash-spin-dry chamber for processing by motorized rotation of the basket at high rpm&#39;s.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to a sieving, washing, and drying apparatus for cleaning drill cutting samples from oil, gas and the like well drilling. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    During the process of drilling in the soil and/or rock, be it for oil, natural gas, or other deposits, the cutting of the drill bit against the terrain generates drill cuttings that are used to analyze the progress of the drilling and the types of deposits uncovered. The drill cuttings must thus be cleansed of debris, oil, mud, chemicals used in the drilling, etc. in order for the cuttings to be analyzed accurately. The standard method of cleaning the drill cuttings comprise manual washing and drying, a time consuming and man hour costly process. In recent years, efforts have been made to automate the washing of sample drill cuttings. 
         [0005]    For example, WO/2008/007987 by Ryan entitled “Washing Apparatus and Components for a Washing Apparatus” discloses an apparatus for washing drill cutting samples obtained for oil and gas wells by rotating them in a container on a conveyor belt between a wash, rinse and dry station. A nozzle that sprays water substantially upward into container bodies comprising three screens that house samples of drilling bits. Water is thus forced up through a first screen and up through another coarse screen to thereby impinge on and agitate the drill cutting samples located in the upper part of the body. As a consequence, dirt, mud and any other unwanted materials are washed from the drill cutting samples, and the finer shaped samples drop through the coarse screen to reside in the lower part of the container body. 
         [0006]    Additionally, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2011/0277798 by Hillier entitled “Sample washer for drilling cuttings” discloses the use of sieve-like mesh bottomed containers for washing drilling cutting samples with hot water to allow draining off of the water; and then for drying samples by applying vacuum pressure to the containers to suction off water, and any remaining chemicals and other deposits. 
         [0007]    None-the-less, there is still a need within the industry for onsite, speedy, and thorough automated methods of cleaning drill cutting samples, while minimizing the exposure of employees to cleaning chemicals and toxic fumes. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]    The present disclosure is directed to a portable apparatus for sieving, washing, and drying particle samples of contaminating material and chemicals generated from well drill cutting. The apparatus comprises a sieve-wash chamber to initially clean large deposits of contaminates off of the samples, and a final wash-spin dry chamber to completely clean and prep the samples for analysis. The two chambers function under the operational control of a computerized system comprising a processor, a human machine interface—display, and a database storing computer code for operating the apparatus in various cleaning cycles. 
         [0009]    The sieve-wash chamber comprises two vertically stacked baskets: a coarse basket on top to hold the drill cutting samples; and, a caged basket underneath to catch clean samples as they fall through the coarse mesh screen on the bottom of the coarse basket. It is noted, though, that some samples may not requiring sieving, in which case the sieve-wash chamber may be operated with just the caged basket holding the drill cutting samples. 
         [0010]    Due to its ease of portability, the apparatus may be used on-site of a drilling operation to expedite the analysis of samples from drill cutting. The water inlet only need be connected to a hot water source, such as a tap faucet head, and the water outlet source may comprise any container for drainage of the used water. 
         [0011]    And, the computerized system may operate both the sieve-wash chamber and the wash-spin chamber simultaneously to further expedite processing of multiple samples. For example, while a first sample is being spun dry in the wash-spin chamber, a second sample that does not require sieving is being cleansed in the first sieve-wash chamber. 
         [0012]    The apparatus is further powered by a readily available energy source, such as a normal electrical outlet (e.g. 120 VAC). In one embodiment, a brushless motor powers rotation of the final wash-chamber. 
         [0013]    Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0014]    In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view, 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of one embodiment of the sieving and washing apparatus comprising the sieve-wash chamber and the wash-spin chamber. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the apparatus illustrating the source of power, water and discharge. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of the sieving-wash chamber illustrating the stacked baskets 
           [0018]      FIG. 4   a  is a top perspective view of the wash-spin chamber without a caged basket. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4   b  is a top perspective view of the wash-spin chamber with a cage basket. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the internal compartment of the apparatus below the sieve wash chamber. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the top and bottom baskets. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a schematic of the electrical circuit comprising the computer system in communication with the motor and chambers. 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is a top view of the computer display. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0024]    An exemplified embodiment of the portable washing apparatus  10  for cleaning samples of drilling cutting bits is disclosed with reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , and mainly comprises the following: a sieve-wash chamber  20  and a wash-spin chamber  40  functioning under the operational control of a computer system  60  comprising a human machine interface display  62 . The sieve-wash chamber  20  comprises two vertically stacked baskets to wash and sieve the samples (see  FIG. 3 ); a top solid-walled basket  22  and a bottom caged basket  24 . The washed samples and caged basket are then manually transferred from the sieve-wash chamber  20  to the wash-spin chamber  40  in the caged basket housing the cleansed samples (see  FIGS. 4A and 4B ). In the wash-spin chamber  40 , the samples are further washed and dried via spinning at speeds of up to about 3000 revolutions per minute (RPM&#39;s) to remove excess water. 
         [0025]    Similarly,  FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the top and rear view, respectively, of the apparatus  10  comprising its primary components of: the computer system  60  with a display  62 ; the wash-spin chamber  40 ; the sieve-wash chamber  20 ; the water inlet hose  70 , and the water outlet hose  80 . 
         [0026]    The apparatus of the present disclosure is portable in nature by weighing, in one embodiment, about 20 lbs., and having the dimensions of about 21 inches in length by 12 inches in width by 10 inches in height (i.e. 21*12*10″). 
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of the apparatus  10  displaying the sieve-wash chamber  20  with a first water tube  102  comprising a rotating nozzle  38  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ) with a swivel connector  39  supported by the lid  76  of the sieve-wash chamber  20 . The nozzle  38  may include apertures  45  along one side of each arm  41  so as to cause the nozzle  38  to rotate about the swivel connection  43  as water exits the apertures. The first water tube  102  is connected to the water inlet hose  70  via the plumbing shown within the internal compartment of the apparatus  10  as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0028]    The sieve-wash chamber  20  is hollow with a means to drain water and debris out of the chamber, and further comprises an external cylindrical wall  23  of sufficient height and diameter to house two baskets holding drill cutting samples. The wall  23  may comprise the same material as the external surface of the device, such as stainless steel, and the wall  23  is about 3-5 millimeters in thickness, and 4-6 inches in diameter. 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , within the sieve-wash chamber  20  reside two vertically stacked cylindrical baskets: a top solid-walled basket  22 ; and, a bottom caged basket  24 . With reference to  FIG. 6 , the solid-walled basket  22  comprises: a cylindrical solid side wall  30 ; and, a mesh bottom  32  wherein the bottom is formed of a large mesh pattern having apertures of sufficient size to permit the drill cutting samples to fall below into the caged basket  24  under the force of water pressure, while leaving large debris within the solid-walled basket  22 . The caged basket  24  is formed in a similar manner with a cylindrical mesh side wall  30 ; and a mesh bottom  32  wherein both of the side wall and bottom are formed with a mesh pattern less coarse than the solid-walled basket  22  to retain the drill cutting samples therein while permitting water and finer debris to fall therethrough. The open top  35  of each of the top and bottom baskets  22  and  24  includes an annular notch  37  around the outside thereof which is sized to be received within a corresponding inner ridge  36  of a lid  39  or a similar inner ridge of another container. The lid  39  may optionally include a taper around the outside of the inner ridge  36  to self-align the baskets when stacked to compensate for when an off balance load is applied such as when a sample is introduced therein. Additionally, the bottoms  32  of the top and bottom baskets  22  and  24  also include similar tapers  33 . The tapers  31  and  33  may have a taper angle of 3 to 5 degrees. 
         [0030]    Within the bottom of sieve-wash chamber  20  resides a means of draining the water and debris and chemicals washed off of the samples from the apparatus  10 . In one embodiment, an aperture  29  lying in the bottom of the sieve-wash chamber  20  may drain the wash-off into a hose connected to the water outlet hose  80 . In particular the aperture  29  may be in fluidic communication with a drain pipe  84  extending to the as illustrated in  FIG. 5  which in turn drains into the wash-spin chamber  40 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the water outlet hose  80  may then drain the contents of the wash-spin chamber  40 . 
         [0031]    Once the baskets  22 ,  24  are secured in the sieve-wash chamber  20 , the user adds cleaning solution (e.g. soap, degreaser, etc.) by pouring a small amount into the top basket  22 . The user then secures the chamber lid  28  to contain the sample in both baskets and also contain the wash solution in the sieve-wash chamber and inputs cleaning cycle selections (i.e. computer commands) into the computer display  62 . The user may select a default time for the sieving-washing process (e.g. 30 sec), or the user may program in a custom length of time. 
         [0032]    The methods of cleansing the samples may vary. In one embodiment, the samples are cleansed in sieve-wash chamber  20  under the force of water being sprayed at a high water pressure from the rotating nozzle  38  attached to the chamber lid  28 . In another embodiment, this cleansing process is augmented by the rotation of the chamber at low or high revolutions-per-minute (e.g. up to 3000 rpm) and/or by the agitation or vibration of the sieve-wash chamber  20 . 
         [0033]    After the caged basket  24  is removed from the sieve-wash chamber  20 , the cleaning soap can again be added thereto before the a lid  39  is placed on the caged basket  24  to secure the samples for the final wash and drying phase within the wash-spin chamber  40  as further described below. 
         [0034]      FIGS. 1 ,  4 A, and  4 B illustrate the wash-spin chamber  40 . In  FIG. 4A , the wash-spin chamber  40  is without a basket; and, it  FIG. 4B  it has the caged basket  24  loaded horizontally into the wash-spin chamber  40 . The basket is secured between two metal discs  44   a,b.  Attached to the disc  44   a  is the drive mechanism  46  that is connected to a motor (not shown) residing in the internal compartment of the apparatus  10  under the computer system. 
         [0035]    The wash-spin chamber  40  is locked when in use to prevent user injury. In one embodiment, the wash-spin chamber  40  will not operate unless the chamber lid and lock are secured as determined by any suitable sensor switch or the like. 
         [0036]    In response to user input into display  62 , the final wash phase occurs by opening the second valve  108  and providing water to a spray nozzle  48  within the wash-spin chamber  40  which is oriented towards the caged basket  24  located therein. The final wash-drying phase may be programmed into the computer system  60  to occur in various modes. For example, the final wash and spin phase may occur concurrently, sequentially (wash then spin), or the user may select one phase (wash or spin). 
         [0037]    The motor spins the caged basket  24  via rotating the drive mechanism  46  around a horizontal axis at high revolutions-per-minute to remove the excess water and other liquids-debris from the samples within the basket. The excess water then drains out of wash-spin chamber  40  via a water outlet drain  82 , which connects to the water outlet hose  80  within the apparatus  10  internal compartment (see  FIG. 5 ). The speed (i.e. rpm&#39;s) and duration may be set by the user, or may be pre-programmed into the computer system  60 . 
         [0038]    In one embodiment, the computerized system  60  may be set via the human machine interface-display  62  to run both the sieve-wash chamber  20  and the wash-spin chamber  40  simultaneously to further expedite processing of multiple samples. 
         [0039]    In one embodiment, a first sample is run through the sieve-wash chamber  20  to remove debris, chemicals, mud, etc. from the drilling cutting samples within the solid-walled basket  22 . The sieved samples are caught in a first caged basket  24  during the sieving and washing process within sieve-wash chamber  20 . The caged basket  24  with the samples is then manually transferred by the user to the wash-spin chamber  40  and fixed into place in a horizontal position. 
         [0040]    Optionally another second caged basket  24  housing drill cutting samples that do not need to be sieved, due for example to the lack of debris, may be placed within the sieve-wash chamber  20  for its initial washing. Because a solid-walled basket  22  is not required for such sieving, the caged basket  24  is placed on the top layer in the sieve-wash chamber  20 . 
         [0041]    When both chamber  20  and  40  are running concurrently, the fluid flow rate within the water inlet hose  70  and the water outlet hose  80  must be balanced to prevent the buildup of fluid within wash-spin chamber  40 . 
         [0042]    A back perspective view of one embodiment of the apparatus is shown in  FIG. 2  to illustrate a water inlet hose  70  attached to the apparatus  10  via as connector  72  and on the other end (not shown) to a source of hot water, such as a tap-faucet, also via a female connector. The water to the apparatus through the water inlet hose  70  may be provided by an external pump (not shown) or from any pressurized water source, such as from a faucet or the like. 
         [0043]    The water outlet hose  80  is also shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 - 5 . A water outlet drain (not shown) within the sieve-wash chamber  20  removes the water from the sieve-wash chamber  20  and redirects it to water outlet hose  80  through the wash-spin chamber  40  for disposal. Likewise, a water outlet drain  82 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , drains the water removed from the samples during the operation of the wash-spin chamber  40 , and redirects it to water outlet hose  80  for disposal. 
         [0044]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , the apparatus is illustrated from the end of the sieve-wash chamber  20  with the cover removed to illustrate the plumbing for the apparatus located under the sieve-wash chamber  20 . The apparatus  10  includes a water manifold  100  in fluidic communication with the water inlet hose  70  including valves for distributing water to each of the chambers as directed by the computer system  60  as described below. In particular, the water manifold  100  includes a first water tube  102  interrupted by a first valve  104  therein and a second water tube  106  interrupted by a second valve  108  therein. The first water tube  102  transmits water from the water manifold  100  to the nozzle  38  in the sieve-wash chamber  20  while the second water tube  106  transmits water to spray nozzle  48  in the wash-spin chamber  40  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Each of the first and second valves  104  and  108  is selectably controlled by the computer system  60  to provide water to the intended chambers according to the program selected by a user. 
         [0045]    The drive mechanism  46  within the spin-wash chamber  40  may be powered via one or more brushless motors  66  powered by 120 volt alternating current source (see  FIG. 2 ,  90 ). It is noted, though, that one of skill in the art could readily substitute another power source and/or type of motor to operate the computer system, and chambers  20  and  40 . Optionally, the motor  66  may include a servo amplifier  68  as illustrated in  FIG. 7  to provide for precise control of the speed, duration, acceleration, deceleration and direction of the motor  66 . The drive mechanism  46  provides an axially movable disk  44   a  which is biased towards a corresponding rotatable disk  44   b  so as to retain the caged basket  24  therebetween. 
         [0046]    With reference to  FIG. 7  a schematic of the electrical circuit comprising the computer system in communication with the motor and chambers is shown. As illustrated, the apparatus  10  includes a power supply  61  as are commonly known to provide power to the computer system  60 . The computer system  60  is connected to the first and second valves  104  and  108  as well as to the motor  66  to control the operation thereof. The apparatus  10  may also include one or more sensors  64  for determining the status of the apparatus, including water levels, open lids etc. 
         [0047]    Apparatus  10  comprises a computer system  60  storing comprising computer code stored in memory on the system server, be it local or remote. The code comprises non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions to carry out, by the processor(s), the methods disclosed herein for sieve-washing and final washing-drying of drill cutting samples. 
         [0048]    The computer system  60  further comprises a display  62 , one embodiment of which is shown in  FIG. 8 . The display may comprise one or more input keys  65  for controlling the operation of the apparatus including optionally for dedicated for emergency override to shut down the operation of the chamber  20  and/or  40  as needed. Other input keys may be used to program and store on the computer system customized cleaning cycles, comprising for example: durations of operation of the chambers  20 ,  40 ; periods of time of washing, and spinning; rpm&#39;s of spinning the caged basket, etc. In this system, the user may also input acceleration speed, deceleration speed, direction of spin, duration of spin, duration of cycles, dry only, wash only, sieve only, velocity of basket, saving of default settings or savings of custom settings. 
         [0049]    Although preferred embodiments of the sample drill cutting sieving and washing apparatus of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is made by way of example and that various other embodiments are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter is regarded as the invention. 
         [0050]    While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.