Abstract:
A system and method to generate a three-dimensional mapping of an arrangement of tubular components are described. The tubular components include one or more straight pipes and one or more bent segments connected at interfaces. The system includes a plurality of electronically readable identifiers, each electronically readable identifier being disposed in proximity to one of the interfaces of two of the tubular components and each side of the interface comprising at least one RFID chip. The system also includes a reader to receive a signal from each of the plurality of electronically readable identifiers in turn and a processor to process a position of the reader and each of the signals to generate the three-dimensional mapping.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    An arrangement of tubular members is often set up on location for a hydraulic fracturing or cementing job. The tubular arrangement is made up of a number of straight and bent (e.g., chiksan™) pipe segments coupled to each other and connected to a pump at one end of the arrangement and the well head or a manifold trailer at the other end. The tubular members experience high pressures, up to 20,000 psi, for example. Pressure fluctuations from the piston pumps as well as changes in wellbore pressure during the fracturing cause large dynamic stresses within the connections of the tubular components. These stresses may result in elastic deformation of the components causing movement throughout the arrangement. Rigid connections (“hard connections”) may exist between the tubular components as a result of the geometric arrangement of the tubular components. Such hard connections impair the ability to compensate for the elastic deformation with displacement. Consequently the tube material is subjected to excessive stresses with an increased probability of failing. The tubular arrangement may be visually inspected to determine which, if any, of the connections are undesirable hard connections, but the success of such an inspection in identifying all the hard connections depends almost entirely on the experience and expertise of the inspector. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    According to an aspect of the invention, a system to generate a three-dimensional mapping of an arrangement of tubular components, the tubular components comprising one or more straight pipes and one or more bent segments connected at interfaces, includes a plurality of electronically readable identifiers, each electronically readable identifier being disposed in proximity to one of the interfaces of two of the tubular components and each side of the interface comprising at least one RFID chip; a reader configured to receive a signal from each of the plurality of electronically readable identifiers in turn; and processor configured to process a position of the reader and each of the signals to generate the three-dimensional mapping. 
         [0003]    According to another aspect of the invention, a method of generating a three-dimensional mapping of an arrangement of tubular components, the tubular components comprising one or more straight pipes and one or more bent segments connected at interfaces, includes disposing a plurality of electronically readable identifiers, each electronically readable identifier being disposed in proximity to one of the interfaces of two of the tubular components and each side of the interface comprising at least one electronically readable identifier; moving a reader along the arrangement of tubular components, the reader configured to receive a signal from each of the plurality of electronically readable identifiers in turn; and processing a position of the reader and each of the signals to generate the three-dimensional mapping. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several Figures: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a set of tubular segments; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  depicts a perspective view of an arrangement of the tubular segments shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of another arrangement of the tubular segments shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  illustrates a mapping system that provides a three-dimensional mapping of the arrangement of tubular segments according to an embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a method of generating a three-dimensional mapping of the arrangement of tubular segments according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    As noted above, the identification and mitigation of hard connections in tubular segments significantly reduces failures caused by elastic deformation due to high pressure fluid transfer during hydraulic fracturing, cementing, and the like. Hard connections can be difficult to identify. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention described herein include a system and method to map the tubular segments in three dimensions. The three-dimensional map may facilitate analysis, by an algorithm, for example, to identify hard connections. 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a set of tubular segments  100 , and  FIGS. 2 and 3  show perspective views of two different arrangements of the tubular segments  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . The specific application discussed herein as an example is one of the tubular segments  100  arranged on the ground (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). In that case, the perspective view shown in  FIG. 1  is a side view. The x and y dimensions shown in  FIG. 1  define the ground plane in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , with z representing height. The perspective views shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  would be top-down views (view along the z axis) in the exemplary arrangement of tubular segments  100  on the ground. However, alternate embodiments of the system and method discussed herein are equally applicable to an arrangement of tubular segments  100  with a different orientation and above or below ground. The tubular segments  100  include both straight pipes  110  and bent segments  120  with interfaces  130  between each pair of tubular segments  100 . The arrangement of the tubular segments  100  shown in  FIG. 2  includes a series of interfaces  130  that are all hard connections. This is shown in the perspective view (looking along the z axis at the x-y plane) of  FIG. 2  based on the straight line connections (no offsets at interfaces  130  in the x-y plane as shown from the z-axis perspective) between tubular segments  100 . The arrangement of the tubular segments  100  shown in  FIG. 3  includes a series of interfaces  130  that are not hard connections. This is shown in the perspective view (looking along the z axis at the x-y plane) of  FIG. 3  based on the offsets from straight line connections at interfaces  130  in the x-y plane as shown from the z-axis perspective. 
         [0012]    While  FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate arrangements of the tubular segments  100  that clearly do include (as in  FIG. 2 ) or do not include (as in  FIG. 3 ) hard connections, it can be difficult to tell from a visual inspection if an interface  130  represents a hard connection that presents a vulnerability in the system. This is especially true when the angle at an interface  130  between two given tubular segments  100  seen from a z-axis perspective is not exactly 0 degrees (as in  FIG. 2 ) but is also not clearly an angle that can withstand elastic deformation (i.e., not a hard connection). Further, based on the particular application for which the pipe segments  100  are used, the angle at the interface  130  between tubular segments  100  that represents a problematic “hard connection” may be different. For example, a given angle at the interface  130  may be less problematic based on an expected maximum pressure, its dynamic signature, and resulting stresses through the tubular segments  100  for a given application. 
         [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates a mapping system  400  that generates a three-dimensional mapping of the arrangement of tubular segments  100  according to an embodiment of the invention. Based on the mapping, an algorithm or even a visual inspection by an experienced technician could be used to identify hard connections. The mapping and assessment of the interfaces  130  may be performed during set up of the tubular segments  100  so that the final build of the pipe segments  100  does not include hard connections and, thereby, facilitates elastic deformation of the pipe segments  100  based on the pressure fluctuations. The embodiment of the mapping system  400  shown in  FIG. 4  includes radio frequency identification (RFID) chips  410  on either side of each interface  130 . The RFIDs may instead be disposed at any position on the tubular segments  100 . In alternate embodiments, other electronically readable identifiers, such as bar codes, for example, may be used instead of RFID chips  410 . The exemplary interface  130  shown in  FIG. 4  is between a straight pipe  110  and a bent segment  120 . The RFID chips  410  may be active, meaning that they actively transmit their respective codes for reception by a reader  430 , or may be passive, meaning that they receive a signal from the reader  430  and then reply (they must be pinged by the reader). The reader  430  may be a hand-held reader so that it may be carried along the length of the arrangement of the tubular segments  100 . The angle  420  between any two RFID chips  410  may be ensured to be less than  180  degrees from the perspective of the reader  430  position to ensure that the position of the connection shoulder and the body of the tubular segment  100  can be clearly identified in the resulting three-dimensional image. 
         [0014]    Because the reader  430  moves along the arrangement of tubular segments  100  to read the RFID chips  410  at each interface  130 , the position of the reader  430  must be determined in order to determine the position of each RFID chip  410  relative to the reader  430 . The position of the reader  430  may be determined in a number of ways. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , a triangulation technique may be used with the reader  430  including an accelerometer  432  that provides the reader  430  position in conjunction with triangulation antennas  435 . The reader  430  may be in communication (wireless or wire) with a processing system  440  that includes one or more processors  450  and one or more memory devices  460  in order to determine the reader  430  position and to determine the position, in three-dimensional space, of each RFID chip  410  based on the signal received at the reader  430 . The processing system  440  may be used to determine the three-dimensional position of the reader  430  and also the relative positions of each of the RFID chips  410  interrogated or read by the reader  430 . The output of the processing system  440  may be directly to an algorithm or other process to identify hard connections. In alternate embodiments, the output of the processing system  440  may be a visual mapping of the tubular segments  100 . 
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a method  500  of generating a three-dimensional mapping of the arrangement of tubular segments  100  according to an embodiment of the invention. Arranging RFID chips  410  at each interface  130  (block  510 ) includes disposing at least one RFID chip  410  at each side of the interface  130 . The arranging may also include ensuring that no two RFID chips  410  form an angle of 180 degrees. Arranging the RFID reader  430  and positioning system for the reader  430  (block  520 ) may include disposing an accelerometer  432  in the reader  430  and triangulation antennas  435  such that the position of the reader  430  may be determined as it moves. Moving the reader  430  along the tubular segments  100  and determining the relative position of each RFID chip  410  (block  530 ) involves the processing system  440 . Generating the three-dimensional mapping to analyze the connection at each interface  130  (block  540 ) may include outputting the three-dimensional mapping of the arrangement of tubular segments  100  to an algorithm and/or displaying the mapping for visual analysis. 
         [0016]    While one or more 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.