Drilling fluid degassing

Claim 2

A drilling fluid degassing unit comprising a chamber having a drilling fluid inlet and a drilling fluid exit, means for withdrawing gases from and providing a sub-atmospheric gaseous pressure within said chamber, a rotary impeller arranged to intercept incoming drilling fluid and means for rotating said impeller to agitate said fluid and fling it into the chamber interior, baffle means defined within said chamber and arranged to intercept the drilling fluid which has been flung into the chamber interior whereby said fluid splashes against said baffle means thus exposing a relatively large area of the fluid to said sub-atmospheric pressure and causing gas entrained in said fluid to escape therefrom before said fluid moves by gravity towards a lower portion of the chamber and wherein a housing surrounds said impeller, means connecting said fluid inlet to said impeller housing to admit drilling fluid thereto, said impeller housing having an opening therein communicating with the chamber interior and facing toward said baffle means, said housing being constructed to permit substantially all the drilling fluid which has entered said housing to be flung freely outwardly thereof through said opening and to pass in generally unimpeded fashion toward said baffle means upon rotation of the impeller.

Claim 3

A degassing unit according to claim 3 wherein said baffle means include first and second baffles located above said impeller in vertically spaced apart relation, the first baffle having an opening above said opening in the impeller housing and through which fluid flung by the impeller passes, and the second baffle arranged to intercept the fluid which has passed through the opening in the first baffle, said first baffle further being arranged such that it intercepts fluid falling downwardly by gravity from the second baffle as it passes toward a lower portion of the chamber.

Claim 4

A degassing unit according to claim 1 wherein said means for providing the sub-atmospheric pressure in said chamber comprise a suction fan.

Claim 5

The degassing unit according to claim 3 wherein said impeller has oppositely directed spiral vanes thereon.

Claim 6

The degassing unit according to claim 1 wherein said impeller housing is provided with a by-pass gate therein, which, when open, serves to by-pass the drilling fluid from the fluid inlet directly towards a lower portion of said chamber.

Claim 7

A degassing unit according to claim 1 wherein said chamber is elongated and disposed in a generally upright position, and wherein the baffle means are disposed above said impeller housing in spaced relation thereto.

Claim 8

A degassing unit according to claim 1 in combination with means for maintaining a level of drilling fluid in a lower portion of the chamber below that level at which interference with the drilling fluid being flung into the chamber would occur.

Claim 9

A drilling mud degassing system comprising an elongated upright enclosed chamber having a mud inlet and a mud outlet arranged in lower portions of said chamber, means for withdrawing gases from and providing a sub-atmospheric pressure in said chamber, an impeller housing arranged in a lower portion of said chamber and in fluid communication with said mud inlet, a rotary impeller arranged in said housing and means for rotating said impeller, baffle means defined in upper portions of said chamber and fixed relative thereto, said impeller housing having an opening in an upper portion thereof with said impeller and said housing being constructed and arranged to permit substantially all the gasified mud coming through said inlet to be first agitated by the impeller and then flung freely upwardly therefrom through said opening in the housing from whence said mud passes through the chamber interior in unimpeded fashion towards the upper portions of the chamber and splashes against said baffles to expose the mud to the sub-atmospheric pressure in said chamber and effect removal of gases therefrom, said mud then dropping by gravity to a lower portion of said chamber, and means for maintaining the level of degasified drilling mud in the lower portion of the chamber below the opening in said impeller housing to assist in permitting the mud to be freely flung or thrown into the chamber interior.

Claim 10

A drilling mud degassing system comprising an elongated upright enclosed chamber having a mud inlet and a mud outlet arranged in lower portions of said chamber, means for withdrawing gases from and providing a sub-atmospheric pressure in said chamber, an impeller housing arranged in a lower portion of said chamber and in fluid communication with said mud inlet, a rotary impeller arranged in said housing and means for rotating said impeller, baffle means defined in upper portions of said chamber and fixed relative thereto, said impeller housing having an opening in an upper portion thereof with said impeller and said housing being constructed and arranged to permit substantially all the gasified mud coming through said inlet to be first agitated by the impeller and then flung freely upwardly therefrom through said opening in the housing from whence said mud passes through the chamber interior in unimpeded fashion towards the upper portions of the chamber and splashes against said baffles to expose the mud to the sub-atmospheric pressure in said chamber and effect removal of gases therefrom, said mud then dropping by gravity to a lower portion of said chamber, and means for maintaining the level of degasified drilling mud in the lower portion of the chamber below the opening in said impeller housing to assist in permitting the mud to be freely flung or thrown into the chamber interior.

Claim 11

The system according to claim 8 wherein said impeller housing and said impeller are generally horizontally disposed, said impeller including spiral means thereon arranged to gather the mud toward the mid-point of the impeller upon rotation of the impeller.

Claim 12

The system according to claim 8 wherein said baffle means include a first baffle having a central opening therein through which the upwardly passing mud travels, and a further baffle above the first baffle having means to deflect the mud radially outwardly with said mud then falling downwardly by gravity, said first baffle having sloping upper surfaces arranged to intercept the falling mud whereby the mud spreads outwardly thereover with said upper surfaces being sloped toward the wall of the chamber and outer edge portions of the first baffle being spaced from the chamber walls so that the mud can pass therebetween after flowing over said sloping upper surfaces and thence fall to said lower portions of the chamber.