October 2010

1
Final
API 8B 7
th
Edition Item 7301 Top Drive/Power Swivel Misalignment
5.3.7 Inspection and maintenance for top drive/power swivel misalignment with the wellbore
Inspection and maintenance for top drive/power swivel misalignment with the wellbore should be carried out as
noted in Annex A.
ANNEX A
(informative)
Top Drive/Power Swivel Misalignment
A.1 Top drive/power swivel misalignment with the wellbore
The top drive/power swivel main shaft assembly is subjected to the highest tensile and torsional loads. As wells are
drilled to greater depths and higher deviation, the combination of tensile and torsional loads may reach a level that
represents a high percentage of the strength of the material. When this occurs, only a small amount of cyclic
loading is required to drastically reduce the number of cycles before fatigue failure occurs. Further, when a top
drive/power swivel is misaligned with the drill-string while drilling in these conditions, the amplitude of the resulting
bending moment acting on the main drive shaft assembly components can create high reversing stresses that will
result in premature fatigue failure of top drive/power swivel components. This section identifies some of the major
causes of misalignment and their solutions.
A.2 Top drive/power swivel main shaft assembly
The top drive/power swivel main shaft assembly includes, but is not limited to the following components:
swivel stem;
top drive/power swivel main shaft;
one or two IBOP valves;
crossover or Intermediate sub;
saver sub.
October 2010
2
A.3 Causes of misalignment
All of these components are assembled using rotary shouldered connections. Some top drives/power swivels
incorporate an integral swivel. In these units, the swivel stem and the top drive main shaft are the same shaft.
When drilling, the drill-string is made up directly to the top drive/power swivel, and therefore, the entire main shaft
assembly is subjected to all tensile and torsional loads. However, when hoisting the drill-string or casing with
elevators, most top drives/power swivel main shafts feature a collar that is located just above the lower connection
of the top drive/power swivel main shaft that absorbs all of the tensile loads. In this mode of operation, none of the
main shaft assembly components are under load except the top drive/power swivel main shaft itself. Therefore,
drilling is the primary mode of operation that influences the fatigue life of top drive/power swivel main shaft
assembly components.
Misalignment between the main shaft assembly and the wellbore can cause cyclic loading stresses to increase to
much higher levels but this can be significantly reduced with proper alignment. Some of the major causes of
misalignment are provided in the following.
NOTE More than one of the following conditions can exist at the same time, which can make cause identification very
difficult):
a) the vertical axis of the derrick or mast is misaligned with the natural gravitational axis of the drill-string;
b) the plane of the travelling equipment guide rails (if fitted) is misaligned with the derrick and/or the drill-string;
c) the plane of the guide dolly structure is misaligned with the plane of the guide rails, and/or vertical axis of the
derrick;
d) the guide dolly structure has been damaged, causing misalignment between it and the guide rails;
e) the axis of the top drive/power swivel main shaft is misaligned with the plane of the guide dolly structure;
f) there are more lines strung onto the sheaves on one side of the travelling block than the other, causing the
travelling block to tilt when under load;
g) for top drives/power swivels used with travelling equipment that can be retracted or extended away from rotary
center, a malfunction in the retraction system that prevents the travelling equipment from returning properly to
rotary center will cause misalignment between the top drive/power swivel and the drill-string while drilling;
h) riser/conductor barrel may not be perpendicular parallel and concentric to mast/guide track/top drive main shaft.
A. 4 Solutions for misalignment
Identification and alleviation of one or more of the above conditions should be carried out by derrick/mast
manufacturers and other specialists who have the equipment and expertise to identify the root cause of the
misalignment, and know what actions need to be performed to correct it. Methods for checking alignment may
include but are not limited to the use of transits, laser tools, and piano wire, and measuring devises (see API 4G)
Maximum misalignment tolerance recommendations should be provided by the top drive/power swivel equipment
manufacturer as each manufacturer utilizes different types of guide systems that each are more or less tolerant to
guide system alignment.
The initial signs of misalignment are often fatigue cracks that occur at greater frequencies in the root of the last-
engaged threads of any box or pin connection that exists in the main shaft assembly. Box connections are
generally more susceptible to cyclic bending fatigue failure than pin connections. Therefore, stress relief features
should be machined into top drive/power swivel connections wherever possible.
October 2010
3
NOTE It may not be possible to employ these features on all connections such as those on IBOP valves and the lower
swivel stem box connections.
The thread root of top drive/power swivel main shaft connections should also be cold-worked after all machining to
increase fatigue life. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to employ the use of connections that feature a larger
thread root radius to extend fatigue life.
Regardless of what connections are used or whatever stress-relief features are employed, visual and non-
destructive examination (NDE) should be carried out to the connections of the top drive/power swivel main shaft
assembly on a regular basis as recommended in API 8B/ISO 13534 and API 7-2/ISO 10424-2, even though the
size of the connections used in the main shaft assembly are much larger than those typically used for the drill-string
that is connected to it.
Bibliography
[1] API RP 9B, Application, care, and use of wire rope for oil field service.
[2] ISO 13535, Petroleum and natural gas industries - Drilling and production equipment Hoisting equipment.
[3] API RP 4G, Recommended practice for use and procedures for inspection, maintenance, and repair of drilling
and well servicing structures
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