US 11,885,217 B2
Apparatus for and method of monitoring a drilling installation
Joakim Martens, Oslo (NO); Geir Ivar Holberg, Oslo (NO); and Martin Pedersen, Oslo (NO)
Assigned to AKER SOLUTIONS AS, Lysaker (NO)
Appl. No. 17/791,215
Filed by AKER SOLUTIONS AS, Lysaker (NO)
PCT Filed Jan. 8, 2021, PCT No. PCT/NO2021/050005
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 7, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/141499, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2000272 (GB), filed on Jan. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0340871 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. E21B 47/117 (2012.01); E21B 33/043 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 47/117 (2020.05) [E21B 33/043 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An assembly comprising:
two tubular elements;
a primary seal and a secondary seal arranged between the two tubular elements;
a seal cavity formed between the two tubular elements, the primary seal and the secondary seal; and
a seal monitoring apparatus comprising a housing and a position sensor,
the housing comprising a chamber wherein is arranged a separator, the separator dividing the chamber into a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber, the first sub-chamber being fluidly connected to the seal cavity and being filled with a hydraulic fluid, the separator being movable in a first direction relative to the housing so as to increase a volume of the first sub-chamber and to decrease a volume of the second sub-chamber, and in a second direction relative to the housing so as to decrease the volume of the first sub-chamber and to increase the volume of the second sub-chamber, and
the position sensor being configured to generate an electrical signal which represents a position of the separator relative to the housing.