What are KTK-style connectors?
Meet the Connector: KTK Connectors
KTK is a multi-pin connector type that is widely used in the high-pressure, high-temperature environments of downhole Oil & Gas operations. The name is derived from Kintec, the company that originally designed this connector in the early 1990s. Today, versions of KTK-style connectors are made by several manufacturers.
Standard features
Most KTK connectors are hermaphroditic, meaning they have both male and female contacts that are mated into identical opposite fittings. This allows for essentially keyed, failproof installation, which prevents mismating and eliminates the risk of shorts or other electrical malfunctions, making the KTK connector safer and more efficient for operators and technicians to use. Many are also bi-directional, meaning they can take pressure in both directions.
KTK connectors can be customized to meet specific customer needs. Common areas for customization include size, and number of contacts. Materials, mainly insulation body material, contact material, and support washer material, can be optimized for specific customer requirements and applications.
“The original KTK connector was widely available. Customers came to us asking to make them more robust,” said Jose Cabrera Chavez, field application engineer at Greene Tweed. “We have the flexibility of using different materials depending on the specific customer requirement or the environment where they’re going to be using the connector. By specifying or using different grade Arlon materials [Greene Tweed’s brand name PEEK], we are able to get the connectors to survive higher shock and vibration conditions than typical connectors. Because Arlon is a thermoplastic, they are more resistant to impact or misalignment than typical connectors. The body of the connector is made of the insulation material, so the body and the insulator are just one piece, and they are more robust in that regard.”
Cabrera Chavez further explained that customers often want backwards compatibility, so they don’t have to change everything at once. “They can start mixing, matching, and change over time,” he said.
KTK connectors work well in applications that require some degree of modularity, which eliminates the need to hardwire everything. “You can break joints and separate sections of the tool without really having to undo soldering or clipping wires. Tools can be separated into two or more parts for ease of maintenance, such as replacing seals. And if you want to connect it again, it’s easy. Just, like a plug in the wall,” Cabrera Chavez said.
Design Notes
Mating: high mating cycles; hermaphroditic
Contacts: Power, signal, or a combination
Material specifications:
Gold plating on contacts
Insulation – PEEK, PEK
Viton O-ring
Physical properties:
Insulation
Environmental properties:
- Ruggedization:Shock and vibration
- Temperature: 400 °F/ 200 °C (high); 338°F/ 170 °C (medium)
- Pressure : Pressure-rated rated to 20,000 psi
Markets and Applications
KTK connectors are mainly used in Oil & Gas downhole operations, but they also are found in upstream operations, subsea equipment, underwater vehicles, aerospace aircraft, and defense vessels.
Applications include MWD (measurement while drilling) and LWD (logging while drilling), artificial lift, downhole battery packs, steering tools, and porosity/gamma tools.
Suppliers
Greene Tweed, Amphenol Industrial Operations, Mouser Electronics, PEI-Genesis
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