Patent Publication Number: US-11021933-B1

Title: Well hole cleaning tool

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention is a Continuation of and claims the benefit of U.S. Application No. 62/557,781, filed Sep. 13, 2018, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a well hole cleaning device. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As anyone who performs a lot of mechanical work will attest, nothing beats having the proper tool for a job. The proper tool can save time, save money, produce a higher quality job, reduce damage to equipment, and provide for the increased safety of the worker. 
     Each field of mechanical work has its own type of specialty tools with each tool performing a specialized task. One (1) field where there has been a need for highly specialized tools is that of the oil and gas drilling industry. During drilling operations, it is typically necessary to remove unwanted liquids and solids from the drill hole including sand, water, fracking compounds, and general debris. Usually, this is performed by a separate dedicated pump which takes a great deal of time to position and operate. 
     As such, there exists a need for a means by which unwanted solids and liquids can be removed from wells that are actively being drilled. The development of the well hole cleaning tool fulfills this need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention provides for a well hole cleaning tool, comprising a drive motor which is secured above a splined connector housing, a tubing string connector which is disposed in a distal end of the drive motor, a drive shaft housing which has a drive shaft secured beneath the splined connector housing, a flow housing which is secured beneath the drive shaft housing, at least one thrust bearing which is secured between the drive motor and the splined connector housing and within the splined connector housing is at least one splined connector, a drive shaft which is centrally secured within the drive shaft housing and is in mechanical communication with the drive motor, an upper stabilizer separating the splined connector housing and the drive shaft housing, a lower stabilizer separating the drive shaft housing and the flow housing, a sand screen lower support separating the flow housing from the tubing tail pipe housing and a tubing tail pipe disposed at a distal end of the tubing tail pipe housing. 
     The well hole cleaning tool may terminate with a tubing tail pipe housing which is secured beneath the flow housing. The well hole cleaning tool may also comprise a cross section of the splined connector housing comprises a plurality of alternating drive motor discharge apertures and a plurality of pump discharge apertures. While an additional version may also further comprise a cross section of the splined connector housing having a plurality of alternating drive motor discharge apertures and a plurality of pump discharge apertures—drive shaft is centrally located in a cross section of the upper stabilizer. 
     The drive motor discharge apertures may be in fluid communication with the interior of the drive motor while the pump discharge apertures are in fluid communication with the interior of the drive shaft housing and flow housing. The drive shaft may be centrally located in the cross section of the splined connector housing. The well hole cleaning tool may terminate with a tubing tail pipe housing which is secured beneath the flow housing. 
     The well hole cleaning tool may withdraw sediment and fluids from a well hole, which is accomplished when the drive motor is rotated in a first direction necessitating rotation of the drive shaft which creates a negative pressure above the sediment and fluids in the well hole thereby forcing them up into the tubing tail pipe and through the well hole cleaning tool and out of the hole. The well hole cleaning tool may also have an overall length of thirty-four feet. 
     The drive motor discharge apertures may be in fluid communication with the interior of the drive motor while the pump discharge apertures are in fluid communication with the interior of the drive shaft housing and flow housing. The drive shaft may be centrally located in the cross section of the splined connector housing and may also located in the cross section of the upper stabilizer. 
     The well hole cleaning tool may terminate with a tubing tail pipe housing which is secured beneath the flow housing. The well hole cleaning tool may withdraw sediment and fluids from a well hole, which is accomplished when the drive motor is rotated in a first direction necessitating rotation of the drive shaft which creates a negative pressure above the sediment and fluids in the well hole thereby forcing them up into the tubing tail pipe and through the well hole cleaning tool and out of the hole. 
     The well hole cleaning tool may be removed from the well and normal drilling activities could then recommence once the liquid and debris has been extracted and may have an overall length of thirty-four feet and/or be made of steel. The well hole cleaning tool is designed for use with one or more oil and gas wells that are currently in production. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a sectional view of an well hole cleaning tool  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is cross section of the well hole cleaning tool  10  taken along Line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is cross section of the well hole cleaning tool  10  taken along Line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is cross section of the well hole cleaning tool  10  taken along Line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 1 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 5  is cross section of the well hole cleaning tool  10  taken along Line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 1 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
         
         
           
               10  well hole cleaning tool 
               15  drive motor 
               20  splined connector housing 
               25  drive shaft housing 
               30  flow housing 
               35  tubing tail pipe housing 
               40  tubing string connection 
               45  thrust bearing 
               50  splined connectors 
               60  upper stabilizer 
               65  drive shaft 
               70  lower stabilizer 
               75  sand screen lower support 
               80  shear safety joint 
               85  tubing tail pipe 
               90  drive motor discharge aperture 
               95  pump discharge aperture 
               100  thrust bearing 
               110  lower support 
           
         
       
    
     IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 5 . However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one (1) particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one (1) of the referenced items. 
     1. Detailed Description of the Figures 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a sectional view of a well hole cleaning tool  10  (hereinafter the ‘device’), according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, is disclosed. The device  10  comprises a drive motor  15  secured above a splined connector housing  20 . A tubing string connector  40  is disposed in the distal end of the drive motor  15 . A drive shaft housing  25  having a drive shaft  65  is secured beneath the splined connector housing  20 . A flow housing  30  is secured beneath the drive shaft housing  25 . The device  10  terminates with a tubing tail pipe housing  35  which is secured beneath the flow housing  30 . Secured between the drive motor  15  and the splined connector housing  20  is at least one (1) thrust bearing  45 . Within the splined connector housing  20  is at least one (1) splined connector  50 . A drive shaft  65  is centrally secured within the drive shaft housing  25  and is in mechanical communication with the drive motor  15 . An upper stabilizer  60  separates the splined connector housing  20  and drive shaft housing  25 . A lower stabilizer  70  separates the drive shaft housing  25  and flow housing  30 . A sand screen lower support  75  separates the flow housing  30  from the tubing tail pipe housing  35 . A tubing tail pipe  85  is disposed at the distal end of the tubing tail pipe housing  35 . The tubing tail pipe housing  35  also comprises a shear safety joint  80 . The device  10  is configured to withdraw sediment and fluids from a well hole. This is accomplished when the drive motor  15  is rotated in a first direction necessitating rotation of the drive shaft  65  which creates a negative pressure above the sediment and fluids in the well hole thereby forcing them up into the tubing tail pipe  85  and through the device  10  and out of the hole. The overall length of the well hole cleaning tool  10  is approximately thirty-four feet (34 ft.). 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a cross-section of the device  10  taken along line I in  FIG. 1 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, is disclosed. The cross-section of the splined connector housing  50  comprises alternating drive motor discharge apertures  90  and pump discharge apertures  95 . The drive motor discharge apertures  90  are in fluid communication with the interior of the drive motor  15 . The pump discharge apertures  95  are in fluid communication with the interior of the drive shaft housing  25  and flow housing  30 , the drive shaft housing  25  and the flow housing  30 . The drive shaft  65  is centrally located in the cross section  50  of the splined connector housing. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a cross-section of the device  10  taken along line II in  FIG. 1 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. As with  FIG. 2  above, the drive shaft  65  is centrally located in the cross-section of the upper stabilizer  60 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a cross-section of the device  10  taken along line III in  FIG. 1 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The cross-section illustrates the central location of a thrust bearing  100 . 
     Lastly, referring now to  FIG. 5 , a cross-section of the device  10  taken along line IV-IV in  FIG. 1 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The cross-section illustrates the centrally located lower support  110 . 
     2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. It is envisioned that the device  10  would be constructed in general accordance with  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 5 . 
     The device  10  would be manufactured primarily of steel or similarly durable material used in the oil and gas industry. To utilize the device  10 , it would be lowered into a given well and activated by placing the device  10  in mechanical communication with a rotational device (not shown) secured to the tubing string connection  40 . Once the liquid and debris has been extracted, the device may be removed from the well and normal drilling activities could then recommence. 
     These features are envisioned to be ideal for use on oil and gas wells that are currently in production and with production falling off rapidly. This reduction is likely due to sand collecting in low spots. Conventional remediation dictates the pumping down of saltwater to improve circulation. However, this is not always successful for various reasons. 
     The teachings of the present invention allow for cleaning out of sand from a producing well without “Sticking/Planting” the work string in the lateral section. Additionally, the present invention uses less liquid (water) to clean out the well. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.