Tubular member connection
An apparatus and a system, as well as a method and an article, may operate to couple, in a substantially fluid-tight manner, a first tubular member ( 140 ′) carrying a first set of tubular member conductors ( 124 ′) to a hollow cylinder ( 104 ). The hollow cylinder may include two or more sets of insulators having an equal number of insulating elements ( 120, 12 S) located on the outer surface of the hollow cylinder, and two or more sets of conductors ( 110, 116 ) having an equal number of conducting elements defining pairs of conducting elements located on the outer surface. Each of the pairs of conducting elements may be insulated from the other pairs of conducting elements by the sets of insulators. The apparatus and system, as well as the method and article, may also operate to couple, in a substantially fluid-tight manner, a second tubular member ( 140 ″) carrying a second set of tubular member conductors to the hollow cylinder.
1. A method of assembling a tubular string, comprising:
mechanically coupling, with a first pressure seal, a first tubular member to a hollow cylinder, the first tubular member carrying a first set of tubular member conductors, the hollow cylinder having at least two sets of insulators having an equal number of insulating elements located on an outer surface of the hollow cylinder, and at least two sets of conductors having an equal number of conducting elements defining pairs of conducting elements located on the outer surface of the hollow cylinder, wherein each of the pairs of conducting elements is insulated from the other pairs of conducting elements by the at least two sets of insulators; and
mechanically coupling, with a second pressure seal, a second tubular member to the hollow cylinder, the second tubular member carrying a second set of tubular member conductors, wherein mechanically coupling the first tubular member and the second tubular member to the hollow cylinder results in electrically coupling at least one of the first set of tubular member conductors to at least one of the second set of tubular member conductors via at least one of the at least two sets of conductors.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
electrically coupling the first set of tubular member conductors to the second set of tubular member conductors via the at least two sets of conductors.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
acquiring logging while drilling data via at least one of the at least two sets of conductors.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
transmitting the logging while drilling data to a repeater attached to the first tubular member or the second tubular member.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
operating a downhole tool by sending signals to the downhole tool from a surface logging facility via at least one of the at least two sets of conductors.
6. An apparatus, comprising:
a unitary, hollow cylinder having a box-end pressure seal on a first end and a pin-end pressure seal on a second end;
at least two sets of insulators having an equal number of insulating elements located on an outer surface of the hollow cylinder; and
at least two sets of conductors having an equal number of conducting elements defining pairs of conducting elements located on the outer surface of the hollow cylinder, wherein each of the pairs of conducting elements is insulated from the other pairs of conducting elements by the at least two sets of insulators.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the box-end pressure seal and the pin-end pressure seal comprise o-rings.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the insulating elements comprise insulating rings, and wherein the conducting elements comprise conducting rings.
9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the conducting elements are coupled to wires.
10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a body of the hollow cylinder comprises:
at least one of an open channel and a closed passage to house a wire coupled to at least one of the conducting elements.
11. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the hollow cylinder comprises a substantially conductive hollow cylinder, and wherein each one of the conductive elements having a membership in the at least two sets of conductors is at least partially surrounded by at least one of the insulating elements having a membership in the at least two sets of insulators.
12. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
a tubular member having at least one of a box end and a pin end to mate with the first end or the second end of the hollow cylinder, respectively, wherein the at least two sets of conductors are coupled to corresponding sets of conductors carried by the tubular member when the tubular member is disposed in a mating position with the hollow cylinder.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the tubular member comprises a pre-wired section of drill pipe.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the tubular member has an inner wall that is substantially in line with an inner wall of the hollow cylinder when the tubular member is disposed in the mating position.
15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first end of the hollow cylinder or the second end of the hollow cylinder are completely covered by the box end and the pin end, respectively, when the tubular member is disposed in the mating position.
16. An apparatus for connecting a first and second tubular member, comprising:
a substantially non-conducting hollow cylinder having a box-end pressure seal on a first end and a pin-end pressure seal on a second end, wherein the first end is in contact with an end of the first tubular member and the second end is in contact with an end of the second tubular member; and
at least two sets of conductors having an equal number of conducting elements defining pairs of conducting elements located on an outer surface of the hollow cylinder, wherein each of the pairs of conducting elements is insulated from the other pairs of conducting elements by the substantially non-conducting hollow cylinder.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein one of the first tubular member or the second tubular member comprises
a tubular member having at least one of a box end and a pin end to mate with the first end or the second end of the hollow cylinder, respectively, wherein the at least two sets of conductors are coupled to corresponding sets of conductors carried by the tubular member when the tubular member is disposed in a mating position with the hollow cylinder.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the first tubular member comprises a pre-wired tubular member.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the first tubular member comprises a section of drill pipe.
20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the substantially non-conducting hollow cylinder comprises an amorphous metal.
21. A system, including:
an apparatus including a unitary, hollow cylinder having a box-end pressure seal on a first end and a pin-end pressure seal on a second end, at least two sets of insulators having an equal number of insulating elements located on an outer surface of the hollow cylinder, and at least two sets of conductors having an equal number of conducting elements defining pairs of conducting elements located on the outer surface of the hollow cylinder, wherein each of the pairs of conducting elements is insulated from the other pairs of conducting elements by the at least two sets of insulators; and
a downhole tool to couple to at least one tubular member having at least one of a pin end and a box end to couple to the apparatus in a substantially fluid-tight relationship.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the downhole tool includes a logging while drilling (LWD) tool.
23. The system of claim 21 , further including:
a plurality of drill pipe sections including the at least one tubular member.
24. The system of claim 21 , further including:
a repeater to couple to at least one of the pairs of conducting elements.