Equipment/Software/Literature

Sept. 15, 2003
Here's the PX3400 Series pressure transducer, an instrument the company says is particularly useful in deep-well tools.

Pressure transducer useful in deep-well logging tools

Here's the PX3400 Series pressure transducer, an instrument the company says is particularly useful in deep-well tools.

Units have a narrow body diameter of 0.75 in. (19 mm) and pressure ranges of as much as 20,000 psi (1,400 bar).

Click here to enlarge image

Two models are available: PX3425 operates to as high as 121° C. (250° F.), and the high temperature PX3435 operates to 177° C. (350° F.). Transducers use this firm's advanced sputtered thin-film sensor technology.

The PX3400 Series uses thin-film strain gauges, sputter deposited on a metal diaphragm. It promises stability, especially at high temperatures.

The diaphragm is machined from vacuum remelted 17-4 PH stainless steel with elaborate annealing, aging, and stress relieving processes helping to insure a stable system.

The gauged diaphragm design helps minimize the number of components and welds, which helps increase reliability and precision of logging data, the company notes.

The heat sink effect of the diaphragm, and the high bridge resistance help reduce gauge self-heating, decrease warmup time, and conserve battery power. A built-in platinum resistance temperature element provides data to correct temperature effects with an external microprocessor. Transducers can be modified to meet design requirements.

Source: Omegadyne Inc., 149 Stelzer Court, Sunbury, OH 43074.

New inflatable packer for horizontal, deviated wells

The new Flo-Pak inflatable packer is a multiple-set system designed for production logging analysis in horizontal or deviated wellbores.

It can be set and reset on coiled or threaded tubing while maintaining a production or injection path through the tool with minimal pressure loss.

The packer allows testing of multiple zones in a single trip. It is inflated at discrete locations throughout the wellbore to divert all flow through a production logging tool run below the packer. The system's fixed ID carrier allows for high resolution production logging over a range of flow rates.

Source: Baker Oil Tools, 9100 Emmott Rd., Houston, TX 77040.

Manifolds now come in exotic alloy versions

This firm's high-integrity manifold range features new exotic alloy versions to assure corrosion-free performance in a wider range of fluid instrumentation applications.

Click here to enlarge image

Now available in materials including Titanium, Monel, 6Mo, Hastelloy, Inconel, Incolloy, and Super Duplex—as well as standard stainless steel—the manifolds allow users to optimize protection against the aggressive media found in oil and gas operations.

Typical uses include instrumentation systems exposed to sour gas or salt spray.

The material options are available for all H Series manifolds.

The H Series range includes two, three, and five-valve manifolds for pressure and flow transmitters, double-block-and-bleed assemblies and monoflanges and distribution manifolds, as well as discrete valves.

Source: Parker Hannifin Instrumentation Products Div., Riverside Rd., Barnstaple, EX31 1NP, UK.

Rig clutch-brake offers oil shear design

New Posidyne oil shear clutch-brakes promise reliability in cycling of heavy loads in marine and offshore drilling rigs.

Units come in 11 basic models up to 600+ cycles/min (cpm) or 500 bhp.

Click here to enlarge image

Developed specifically for extreme conditions, they also make 70-150 cpm and higher a practical reality, the company says. Their proprietary oil shear design dissipates heat, reduces friction wear, and cushions engagement shocks. Each basic model size is available with five control logic options, four cooling system choices, and eight mounting configurations.

Units transmit torque by shearing automatic transmission fluid between the multiple friction disks, reducing wear contact for long service life, the firm notes. The fluid absorbs the heat of engagement and dissipates it through the housing. The high thermal capacity virtually eliminates torque fade, provides positioning repeatability in cycling applications, and enables high cycle rates and output capabilities. Proprietary stack-the-deck engineering—multiple small-diameter disks on the brake stack—helps optimize friction area while reducing inertia for acceleration-deceleration in fast cycling operations.

Fluid shear also cushions engagement to reduce load shocks and component stresses for long drive life with a minimum of maintenance, the firm points out. Pneumatic or hydraulic actuation makes it easy to control torque and engagement speeds precisely with an ordinary pressure regulator, as well as adjust for rapid or soft starts-stops.

Rig floor automation, BOP and riser handling, jacking and skidding systems, and winch and mooring applications are areas where this product can help reduce downtime and improve rig performance, the firm says.

Source: Force Control Industries Inc., Box 18366, Fairfield, OH 45108.