Electric control setting recyclable bridge plug

Abstract

The invention discloses an electrically-controlled setting recyclable bridge plug used in the technical field of well completion and well repair of oil and gas wells. The electrically-controlled setting recyclable bridge plug comprises a connecting module, a setting control module and a setting execution module. The setting control module comprises a motor, a lead screw and a piston assembly, and a liquid inlet hole is formed in the center pipe. When the bridge plug descends and does not reach the setting position, the piston does not block the liquid inlet hole, liquid in a well can flow through the central pipe, and the bridge plug cannot form a pressure building state. When the bridge plug reaches a preset setting position, the control unit controls the motor to drive the lead screw to rotate, the piston is pushed to move axially to plug the liquid inlet hole, and pressure building is achieved. And the setting execution module drives the slip to anchor and extrude the rubber sleeve to realize sealing setting under the action of hydraulic pressure. And after setting is completed, the piston is reset by controlling reverse driving of the motor, the liquid inlet hole is opened again, pressure building is canceled, setting is relieved, and bridge plug recycling is completed. The packer is reasonable and compact in structure, controllable in setting process and capable of reducing the number of times of lifting and lowering a tubular column and improving the safety of underground operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of oil and gas well completion and workover tools, specifically to an electrically controlled retrievable bridge plug for downhole sealing operations, suitable for downhole operations such as segmented sealing, temporary isolation, testing, and subsequent unsealing and recovery in casing wells. Background Technology

[0002] In oil and gas well completion and workover operations, bridge plugs, as a commonly used downhole packing tool, are widely used in scenarios such as segmented plugging, temporary isolation, pressure testing, and subsequent construction. Existing bridge plugs typically employ mechanical or hydraulic setting methods, using ball-dropping pressure buildup and tubing string movement to drive the cone, slips, and sleeve to achieve anchoring and sealing. However, these traditional bridge plugs still have certain shortcomings in practical applications. On the one hand, the setting process is highly dependent on hydraulic conditions or tubing string operation, making precise control of the setting timing difficult, especially in complex well conditions or long horizontal wells, where premature pressure buildup, missetting, or insufficient setting can easily occur. On the other hand, after setting, the downhole pressure release method is singular, and the unsealing process is limited; some bridge plugs can only be unsealed through destructive methods, making safe and controllable recovery difficult. Furthermore, existing bridge plugs mostly use a single hydraulic channel for setting control, lacking the ability to actively control the downhole hydraulic on / off state, posing a risk of pressure buildup during the downhole process and affecting operational safety. Meanwhile, some bridge plugs are susceptible to structural damage from downhole collisions or impacts during the running-in process, reducing the reliability and service life of the tool. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a bridge plug structure with a controllable setting process, capable of switching between pressure build-up and pressure relief downhole, and possessing recovery capabilities, in order to improve the safety and reliability of downhole operations. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to propose an electrically controlled recyclable bridge plug to solve the problems of difficulty in controlling the setting process of existing bridge plugs, inconvenience in switching between pressure buildup and pressure relief, and insufficient recycling safety. By controlling the motor to drive the piston movement through the control unit, the liquid inlet of the central tube is blocked or opened, thereby completing the setting and unsealing recycling of the bridge plug.

[0004] To solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: an electrically controlled recyclable bridge plug, characterized in that: the electrically controlled recyclable bridge plug includes a connection module, a setting control module, and a setting execution module; The connection module includes an upper connector, a connecting sleeve, a release pin, and a central tube. The upper end of the upper connector is used to connect to the drill string, and the lower end is connected to the upper end of the connecting sleeve via a thread. The central tube is connected to the hole at the lower end of the connecting sleeve via a release pin. The sealing control module includes a steel ball, piston, sealing ring, piston outer sleeve, lead screw, lead screw nut, coupling, motor, battery pack, control unit, control base, and retaining ring. A ball seat that mates with the steel ball is provided inside the central tube. After the steel ball is inserted into the central tube, it sits on the ball seat, providing primary axial sealing of the central tube. The steel ball forms an auxiliary axial seal and does not participate in the opening and closing control of the inlet orifice, nor does it affect the pressure relief process achieved by the piston. The piston is coaxially sleeved on the outside of the central tube, and a sealing ring seals the piston and piston outer sleeve. The lead screw nut is fixed to the lower surface of the piston by bolts, and the lead screw and lead screw nut are threadedly engaged. The motor is connected to the lead screw via a coupling. The motor, lead screw, lead screw nut, and piston are axially evenly distributed in two sets along the circumferential direction. The lead screw is installed in a lead screw guide rail on the piston to ensure the stability of the piston's axial movement. The control unit includes an MCU and a power management circuit. The control unit and the battery pack are fixed to the inside of the control base with bolts. The control base has wire holes for wiring and connection to the motor. The entire sealing control module is axially limited on the central tube by a retaining ring. The central tube has a liquid inlet. When the motor rotates forward, the piston moves axially upward through the transmission of the lead screw and lead screw nut until the liquid inlet is blocked to achieve bridge plug pressure. When the motor rotates in reverse, the piston moves axially downward to open the liquid inlet and achieve pressure relief. The setting and sealing execution module includes an upper pressure tube, a locking ring, an upper cone, slips, a force transmission sleeve, a lower cone, a spacer ring, an anti-protrusion ring, a rubber sleeve, and an anti-collision head. The locking ring is connected to the central tube via a connecting pin, and the upper pressure tube and the locking ring have a meshing toothed structure. In the pressurized state, the upper pressure tube moves axially under hydraulic pressure and pushes the upper cone. The upper cone is connected to the hole in the central tube and the hole in the upper cone via a setting pin A. After the hydraulic pressure reaches a set value, the setting pin A is sheared, driving the slips to expand radially to anchor the sleeve. The hydraulic pressure continues to act on the force transmission sleeve and passes through... The force transmission sleeve transmits the force to the lower cone, which is connected to the hole in the central tube and the hole in the lower cone through the setting pin B. After the hydraulic pressure reaches the set value, the setting pin B is sheared, and the lower cone continues to move axially to squeeze the rubber sleeve. Under the restriction of the spacer ring and the anti-protrusion ring, the rubber sleeve expands radially and seals against the inner wall of the casing, thus achieving bridge plug setting. After setting, the bridge plug is released by shearing the release pin by lifting the drill string. When recovery is required, the control motor reverses the piston to reset and opens the inlet hole to release the pressure and achieve bridge plug unsealing and recovery. The anti-collision head is connected to the lower end of the central tube through a thread.

[0005] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the slip is a segmented slip structure, capable of withstanding axial loads from above and below, and has bidirectional pressure bearing capacity. An inner extension limiting part is provided to restrict the radial extension stroke of the slip, ensuring stable engagement between the slip and the upper and lower cones during extension, thereby improving the anchoring stability of the sleeve.

[0006] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the electronically controlled recyclable bridge plug is characterized in that: the motor is equipped with an encoder, the control unit obtains the number of rotations or rotation angle information of the motor through the encoder, and calculates the axial displacement of the lead screw accordingly, so as to precisely control the position of the piston, so as to achieve precise sealing or opening of the liquid inlet of the central tube.

[0007] As a further technical solution of the present invention, after the slip is anchored, the locking ring and the upper cone form a locking fit structure to maintain the settling state of the slip after the setting is completed.

[0008] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the lower end of the bridge plug is provided with an anti-collision head, which is connected to the central tube through a threaded pair, and is used to absorb impact loads during the process of lowering the bridge plug into the well, so as to prevent the bridge plug from failing due to impact.

[0009] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the upper pressure pipe, upper cone, slip, force transmission sleeve, lower cone and rubber sleeve are all coaxially fitted with the central pipe as the positioning reference, and undergo axial displacement in sequence under the action of the setting load, thereby realizing the anchoring and sealing of the well barrel.

[0010] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: The control unit controls the motor to drive the piston movement, enabling controllable sealing and opening of the central tube inlet. This prevents the bridge plug from forming pressure during the running-in process and establishes pressure only after reaching the setting position, making the setting process controllable. Simultaneously, after setting is completed, the motor can be reversed to release pressure and unseal the plug, facilitating bridge plug recovery, reducing the number of tubing trips, and improving the safety and efficiency of downhole operations. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 Axiometric drawing of the central tube; Figure 3 Axonometric drawing of the locking ring; Figure 4 Piston isometric drawing; Figure 5 Axonometric drawing of the upper cone; Figure 6 Axonometric drawing of Kava; Figure 7 Axonometric drawing of the lower cone; Figure 8 Axonometric drawing of the spacer ring; Figure 9 Axonometric drawing of the anti-surge ring; Figure 10 Axonometric drawing of the rubber sleeve; Figure 11 Axonometric drawing of the anti-collision head; Figure 12 A flowchart of the tool's workflow; In the diagram: 1-Upper connector, 2-Connecting sleeve, 3-Release pin, 4-Center tube, 5-Steel ball, 6-Upper pressure sleeve, 7-Connecting pin, 8-Locking ring, 9-Piston, 10-Sealing ring, 11-Piston sleeve, 12-Lead screw, 13-Lead screw nut, 14-Coupling, 15-Motor, 16-Battery pack, 17-Control unit, 18-Control base, 19-Retaining ring, 20-Setting pin A, 21-Upper cone, 22-Latch, 23-Force transmission sleeve, 24-Lower cone, 25-Setting pin B, 26-Spacer ring, 27-Anti-protrusion ring, 28-Rubber sleeve, 29-Anti-collision head Detailed Implementation

[0012] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only a part of the present invention, and not all of it. Other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments without creative effort are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0013] Reference Figure 1 The present invention provides an electrically controlled recyclable setting bridge plug, comprising a connection module, a setting control module, and a setting execution module. The connection module includes an upper connector 1, a connecting sleeve 2, a release pin 3, a central tube 4, and a locking ring 8. The upper end of the upper connector 1 is used to connect to the drill string, and the lower end is connected to the connecting sleeve 2. The central tube 4 is connected to the connecting sleeve 2 through the release pin 3, and the locking ring 8 is connected to the central tube 4 through the connecting pin 7.

[0014] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4The setting control module includes a steel ball 5, a piston 9, a sealing ring 10, a piston sleeve 11, a lead screw 12, a lead screw nut 13, a coupling 14, a motor 15, a battery pack 16, a control unit 17, a control base 18, and a retaining ring 19. The piston 9 is coaxially mounted on the outside of the central tube 4, and the piston 9 and piston sleeve 11 are sealed together by the sealing ring 10. The lead screw nut 13 is fixed to the lower end of the piston 9, and the lead screw 12 is threadedly engaged with the lead screw nut 13. The motor 15 is connected to the lead screw 12 via the coupling 14. The motor 15, lead screw 12, lead screw nut 13, and piston 9 are evenly distributed in two sets along the circumferential direction. The lead screw 12 is installed in the lead screw guide rail on the piston 9 to ensure the stability of the axial movement of the piston 9. The control unit 17 includes an MCU and a power management circuit. The control unit 17 and the battery pack 16 are fixed to the inside of the control base 18 by bolts. The control base 18 is provided with wire holes for wiring and electrical connection with the motor 15. The entire sealing control module is axially limited on the central tube 4 by a retaining ring 19. The central tube 4 is provided with a ball seat that cooperates with the steel ball 5. After the steel ball 5 is inserted, it sits on the ball seat to block the axial flow channel of the central tube. The central tube 4 is provided with a liquid inlet 402. The motor 15 drives the piston 9 to move axially to selectively block or open the liquid inlet 402.

[0015] Reference Figure 3 , Figures 5 to 11 The setting and sealing execution module includes an upper pressure sleeve 6, a locking ring 8, an upper cone 21, a slip 22, a force transmission sleeve 23, a lower cone 24, a spacer ring 26, an anti-protrusion ring 27, a rubber sleeve 28, and an anti-collision head 29. The upper pressure sleeve 6 and the locking ring 8 have a meshing toothed structure. The slip 22 has a split structure with an inner expansion limiting part 2201 and a side guide part 2202. The upper cone 21 is connected to the central tube 4 and the upper cone hole via a setting pin A20, and the lower cone 24 is connected to the central tube 4 via a setting pin B25. The rubber sleeve 28 has a spacer ring 26 and an anti-protrusion ring 27 at its upper and lower ends, respectively, to limit deformation of the rubber sleeve 28. The anti-collision head 29 is connected to the lower end of the central tube 4 via a thread.

[0016] Reference Figure 12In one specific embodiment, the bridge plug is first connected to the drill string at the wellhead and lowered into the well. During the lowering process, the motor 15 is not started, and the piston 9 is not blocked at the fluid inlet 402, allowing the fluid in the well to flow through the central tube 4, thus avoiding pressure buildup. During the lowering of the bridge plug, steel balls 5 are pre-placed into the well. The steel balls 5 enter the central tube 4 with the fluid in the well and are temporarily in a non-sealed state. When the bridge plug reaches the predetermined setting position, the control unit 17 controls the motor 15 to rotate forward, driving the piston 9 upward through the lead screw 12 and lead screw nut 13 to block the fluid inlet 402, achieving pressure control. At this time, the steel balls 5 sit on the ball seat inside the central tube 4, forming an auxiliary seal for the axial flow channel of the central tube. The pressure buildup and relief process is mainly achieved by the piston 9 opening and closing the through hole 404, with the steel balls 5 used for auxiliary sealing and preventing reverse flow. Under hydraulic pressure, the upper pressure sleeve 6 pushes the upper cone 21, shearing the setting pin A20. The upper cone 21 drives the slips 22 to radially expand the anchoring casing. The hydraulic pressure continues to act on the force transmission sleeve 23 and is transmitted to the lower cone 24, shearing the setting pin B25. The lower cone 24 squeezes the rubber sleeve 28, causing it to expand radially under the restriction of the spacer ring 26 and the anti-outburst ring 27, thus achieving wellbore sealing. After setting, the drill string is lifted to shear the release pin 3, releasing the bridge plug. When it is necessary to retrieve the bridge plug, a special retrieval tool is connected to the bridge plug. The control unit 17 controls the motor 15 to rotate in the opposite direction, causing the piston 9 to move down and open the fluid inlet 402, releasing the pressure. The slips 22 and the rubber sleeve 28 retract under the structural reset action, thus completing the bridge plug unsealing and retrieval.

Claims

1. An electrically controlled setting bridge plug, characterized in that: The electrically controlled setting bridge plug includes a connection module, a setting control module, and a setting execution module; The connection module includes an upper connector (1), a connecting sleeve (2), a release pin (3), and a central tube (4). The upper end of the upper connector (1) is used to connect with the drill string, and the lower end is connected to the upper end of the connecting sleeve (2) by a thread. The central tube (4) is connected to the hole (401) at the lower end of the connecting sleeve (2) by the release pin (3). The sealing control module includes a steel ball (5), a piston (9), a sealing ring (10), a piston outer sleeve (11), a lead screw (12), a lead screw nut (13), a coupling (14), a motor (15), a battery pack (16), a control unit (17), a control base (18), and a retaining ring (19). The central tube (4) is equipped with a ball seat that mates with the steel ball (5). After the steel ball (5) is inserted into the central tube (4), it sits on the ball seat, used for primary axial sealing of the central tube. The steel ball (5) is used for... An auxiliary axial seal is formed, which does not participate in the opening and closing control of the liquid inlet (402) and does not affect the pressure relief process achieved by the piston (9); the piston (9) is coaxially sleeved on the outside of the central tube (4), and the piston (9) and the piston outer sleeve (11) are sealed together by a sealing ring (10); the lead screw nut (13) is fixed to the lower surface of the piston (9) by bolts, and the lead screw (12) is threadedly engaged with the lead screw nut (13); the motor (15) is connected to the lead screw (12) through a coupling (14). The motor (15), lead screw (12), lead screw nut (13), and piston (9) are evenly distributed in two groups along the circumferential direction. The lead screw (12) is installed in the lead screw guide rail (901) provided on the piston (9) to ensure the stability of the axial movement of the piston (9). The control unit (17) includes an MCU and a power management circuit. The control unit (17) and the battery pack (16) are fixed to the inside of the control base (18) by bolts. The control base (18) is provided with wire holes for wiring. The wire is connected to the motor (15), and the entire sealing control module is axially limited on the central tube (4) by the retaining ring (19); the central tube (4) is provided with a liquid inlet hole (402). When the motor (15) rotates in the forward direction, the piston (9) is driven to move upward along the axial direction through the transmission of the lead screw (12) and the lead screw nut (13) until the liquid inlet hole (402) is blocked, so as to realize the bridge plug pressure; when the motor (15) rotates in the reverse direction, the piston (9) moves downward along the axial direction to open the liquid inlet hole (402) and realize pressure relief; The setting and sealing execution module includes an upper pressure pipe (6), a locking ring (8), an upper cone (21), a slip (22), a force transmission sleeve (23), a lower cone (24), a spacer ring (26), an anti-protrusion ring (27), a rubber sleeve (28), and an anti-collision head (29). The locking ring (8) is connected to the central pipe (4) through a connecting pin (7). The upper pressure pipe (6) and the locking ring (8) are provided with a toothed structure that meshes with each other. Under the pressure-holding state, the upper pressure pipe (6) moves axially under the action of hydraulic pressure and pushes the upper cone (21). The upper cone (21) is connected to the hole (405) of the central pipe (4) and the hole (2101) of the upper cone through the setting pin A (20). After the hydraulic pressure reaches the set value, the setting pin A (20) is cut off, and the slip (22) is driven to expand radially to anchor the sleeve. The hydraulic pressure continues to act on the force transmission. The sleeve (23) transmits the force to the lower cone (24) through the transmission sleeve (23). The lower cone (24) is connected to the hole (406) of the central tube (4) and the lower cone hole (2401) through the setting pin B (25). After the hydraulic pressure reaches the set value, the setting pin B (25) is cut off. The lower cone (24) continues to move axially to squeeze the rubber sleeve (28). The rubber sleeve (28) expands radially under the restriction of the spacer ring (26) and the anti-protrusion ring (27) and seals with the inner wall of the sleeve to realize the bridge plug setting. After the setting is completed, the bridge plug is released by shearing the release pin (3) by lifting the drill string. When it is necessary to recycle, the control motor (15) drives the piston (9) in the opposite direction to reset and open the liquid inlet hole (402) to release the pressure and realize the bridge plug unsealing and recycling. The anti-collision head (29) is connected to the lower end of the central tube (4) through the thread.

2. The electrically controlled recyclable bridge plug according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slip (22) is a split slip structure, which can withstand axial loads from above and below and has bidirectional pressure bearing capacity; the inner side is provided with an expansion limiting part (2201) to limit the radial expansion stroke of the slip, so that the slip can maintain a stable fit with the upper cone (21) and the lower cone (24) during the expansion process, thereby improving the anchoring stability of the sleeve.

3. The electrically controlled recyclable bridge plug according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motor (15) is equipped with an encoder. The control unit (17) obtains the number of rotations or rotation angle information of the motor (15) through the encoder, and calculates the axial displacement of the lead screw (12) accordingly, so as to accurately control the position of the piston (9) to achieve precise sealing or opening of the liquid inlet hole (402) of the central tube.

4. The electrically controlled recyclable bridge plug according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the sag (22) is anchored, the locking ring (8) and the upper cone (21) form a locking fit structure to maintain the sag state of the sag after the sag is set.

5. The electrically controlled recyclable bridge plug according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the bridge plug is provided with an anti-collision head (29), which is connected to the central tube (4) through a threaded pair. It is used to absorb impact loads during the process of lowering the bridge plug into the well and prevent the bridge plug from failing due to impact.

6. The electrically controlled recyclable bridge plug according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper pressure pipe (6), upper cone (21), slip (22), force transmission sleeve (23), lower cone (24) and rubber sleeve (28) are all coaxially fitted with the central pipe (4) as the positioning reference. Under the action of the setting load, they undergo axial displacement in sequence, thereby realizing the anchoring and sealing of the wellbore.

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