Air injection sub

Claim 2

An injection sub for use in a dual conduit drill pipe string including concentric inner and outer conduits comprising: an outer tubular member adapted for engagement with adjacent upper and lower outer conduits of said string; an inner tubular member disposed concentrically within said outer member, said inner and outer members defining an annular passageway therebetween and the interior surface of said inner member defining a central passageway; injection means disposed within said inner member for passing fluid from said annular passageway, through the inner tubular member, to said central passageway; and a plurality of coaxially stacked ring members included in the injection means, said ring members removably mounted in the inner member and defining a plurality of apertures for passing fluid into the central passageway.

Claim 3

The injection sub defined in claim 1 further defined in that one of said ring members is placed to protect a portion of said inner member from erosion associated with the injection of fluid into said central passageway through said injection means.

Claim 4

The injection sub defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of apertures is oriented to direct fluid into said central passageway upwardly along a plurality of lines which pass through the centerline of said central passageway.

Claim 5

An injection sub for use with a dual conduit drill pipe string having concentric inner and outer conduits comprising: an outer tubular member; an inner tubular member disposed concentrically within said outer member, said outer and inner members defining an annular fluid passageway therebetween and said inner member defining a central passageway; injector means mounted on the inner tubular member for passing fluid from the annular passageway through the inner tubular member, into the central passageway; a plurality of stacked, detachable members included in the injector means adjacent the central passageway, said members substantially defining a plurality of apertures oriented to pass fluid into the central passageway.

Claim 6

An injection sub for use with a dual conduit drill pipe string having concentric inner and outer conduits comprising: an outer tubular member; an inner tubular member disposed concentrically within said outer member, said outer and inner members defining an annular fluid passageway therebetween and said inner member defining a central passageway; injector means mounted on the inner tubular member for passing fluid from the annular passageway through the inner tubular member, into the central passageway; a plurality of stacked, detachable members included in the injector means adjacent the central passageway, said members substantially defining a plurality of apertures oriented to pass fluid into the central passageway.

Claim 7

The injection sub disclosed in claim 4 wherein said plurality of apertures is oriented to direct said fluid into said central passageway upwardly along a plurality of lines which pass through the centerline of said central passageway.

Claim 8

An injection sub as defined in claim 4 wherein said plurality of apertures opens into said central passageway at a plurality of levels and angular positions.

Claim 9

An injection sub as defined in claim 4 further comprising a detachable erosion resistant annular ring disposed within said inner member adjacent said injection means, said erosion resistant ring adapted to protect a portion of said inner member from erosion associated with the injection of fluid into said central passageway through said injector means.

Claim 10

An injection sub as defined in claim 4 wherein said plurality of stacked detachable members includes a plurality of detachable stacked coaxial annular rings, each of said rings substantially defining a plurality of apertures adapted to pass fluid from said central chamber to said inner passageway.

Claim 11

An injection sub as defined in claim 8 wherein said annular rings are further defined in that each of said rings defines an inner surface, an outer surface, and two transverse surfaces, and further, that at least two mating transverse surfaces of said annular rings are sloped with respect to said inner and outer surfaces, said sloping transverse surfaces serving to co-axially position said rings when said injection means is assembled in said inner member.

Claim 12

An injection sub for use with a dual conduit drill pipe string having concentric inner and outer conduits comprising: an outer tubular member adapted for engagement with adjacent upper and lower outer conduits of said string; an inner tubular member disposed concentrically within said outer member, said inner and outer members defining an annular passageway therebetween and the interior of said inner member defining a central passageway; injection means for passing fluid from the annular passageway through the inner member to the central passageway; a plurality of stacked, coaxial annular rings included in the injection means and mounted within the inner member adjacent the central passageway, each of said rings defining an inner surface which forms a portion of the perimeter of the central passageway and two transverse surfaces, wherein at least two mating transverse surfaces are sloped with respect to the inner surface in order to coaxially position the rings when the rings are assembled in the inner member; and an array of apertures defined by said stacked rings and oriented to pass fluid through the rings into the central passageway.

Claim 13

An injection sub for use with a dual conduit drill pipe string having concentric inner and outer conduits comprising: an outer tubular member adapted for engagement with adjacent upper and lower outer conduits of said string; an inner tubular member disposed concentrically within said outer member, said inner and outer members defining an annular passageway therebetween and the interior of said inner member defining a central passageway; injection means for passing fluid from the annular passageway through the inner member to the central passageway; a plurality of stacked, coaxial annular rings included in the injection means and mounted within the inner member adjacent the central passageway, each of said rings defining an inner surface which forms a portion of the perimeter of the central passageway and two transverse surfaces, wherein at least two mating transverse surfaces are sloped with respect to the inner surface in order to coaxially position the rings when the rings are assembled in the inner member; and an array of apertures defined by said stacked rings and oriented to pass fluid through the rings into the central passageway.

Claim 14

The injection sub of claim 10 wherein at least a portion of the apertures are defined by grooves formed in one of the transverse surfaces of one of the rings.

Claim 15

The injection sub of claim 10 wherein one of the rings is positioned adjacent the inner member and is adapted to protect the inner member from erosion associated with the injection of fluid into the central passageway.

Claim 16

The injection sub of claim 10 wherein the plurality of apertures is oriented to direct fluid into the central passageway upwardly along a plurality of lines which pass through the centerline of the central passageway.

Claim 17

In an injection sub for use with dual conduit drill pipe, said sub including concentric tubular elements defining a central passageway and a concentric annular passageway, and injection means for passing fluid from the annular to the central passageway, the improvement comprising: a plurality of detachable coaxially stacked annular injection rings included in the injection means, said rings defining apertures for injecting fluid into the central passageway, each of said rings defining an inner surface which forms a portion of the perimeter of the central passageway and two transverse surfaces, wherein at least two mating transverse surfaces are sloped with respect to the inner surface in order to coaxially position the rings when the rings are assembled in the injection sub.

Claim 18

In an injection sub for use with dual conduit drill pipe, said sub including concentric tubular elements defining a central passageway and a concentric annular passageway, and injection means for passing fluid from the annular to the central passageway, the improvement comprising: a plurality of detachable coaxially stacked annular injection rings included in the injection means, said rings defining apertures for injecting fluid into the central passageway, each of said rings defining an inner surface which forms a portion of the perimeter of the central passageway and two transverse surfaces, wherein at least two mating transverse surfaces are sloped with respect to the inner surface in order to coaxially position the rings when the rings are assembled in the injection sub.