A high temperature and high pressure injection pressure-bearing connector for oil and gas wells

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of high temperature high pressure injection pressure-bearing connectors for oil and gas well, belong to connector technical field, the connector includes contact, metal shell, insulating support ring and the insulator located at the rear end of metal shell. The convex is set on the outer peripheral wall of contact piece;Metal shell is provided with mounting hole, and contact is arranged in mounting hole;Insulating support ring is arranged in the radial space between contact and metal shell, and its end surface and the convex on contact piece abutment cooperation;The insulator is formed by injection process and is connected into an organic whole with contact, metal shell and insulating support ring. The utility model is by being provided with insulating support ring, on the one hand, improve the pressure-bearing capacity of connector, on the other hand, with the convex on contact piece form blocking structure, can effectively prevent insulator softening and come out under high temperature high pressure environment, avoid contact piece and oil well equipment direct contact and lead through, ensure the accuracy of test signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of connector technology, and in particular to a high-temperature and high-pressure injection pressure-bearing connector for oil and gas wells. Background Technology

[0002] In oil and gas well exploration operations, downhole instruments need to operate stably for extended periods in harsh environments characterized by high temperature, high pressure, and high humidity. As a critical component for signal transmission between downhole instruments, the sealing performance and electrical stability of pressure-bearing connectors directly affect the accuracy of test data and the safety of operations.

[0003] Currently, pressure-bearing connectors for oil and gas wells mainly fall into two categories: glass-sintered sealed pressure-bearing connectors and injection-molded pressure-bearing connectors. Glass-sintered sealed pressure-bearing connectors use glass as the insulator and seal the contacts to the metal housing through a high-temperature sintering process. Glass has high mechanical strength and good chemical stability, which can meet downhole pressure requirements to a certain extent. However, glass-sintered connectors have a significant drawback: the glass material easily absorbs moisture in humid environments, leading to the formation of a water film on the surface, resulting in a significant decrease in insulation resistance and severely affecting the accuracy and stability of test signals. Therefore, this type of connector is not suitable for long-term use in the high-humidity environment of oil and gas wells. To address the moisture sensitivity issue of glass-sintered connectors, existing technologies have developed pressure-bearing connectors using engineering plastics as the insulator and injection-molded. For example, patent CN103490220A discloses a high-temperature, high-pressure sealed electrical connector that prevents the plastic from softening and flowing. It integrates the insulator, pins, and metal flange into a single unit through molding and utilizes a conical structure to achieve a seal. For example, patent CN208535154U discloses a novel tapered sealing structure for a sealing plug, which uses matching tapered surfaces between the sealing plug housing and the insulator to achieve a seal. However, injection-molded pressure-bearing connectors still have the following problems: when the connector is installed in oil well equipment, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the engineering plastic used in injection molding is about 150°C, while the working environment temperature of oil and gas wells often reaches over 200°C, far exceeding this glass transition temperature. Under conditions exceeding the glass transition temperature, the mechanical properties of the engineering plastic decrease sharply, and the insulator softens significantly. Under high pressure, the softened insulator is easily squeezed out from the gap between the contact and the metal housing, causing the uninsulated contact to directly contact and conduct with the oil well equipment, resulting in signal short circuits or test failures. Although existing technologies have increased resistance to detachment to some extent through the tapered surface structure, under extreme high temperature and high pressure conditions, the simple tapered surface fit is difficult to effectively prevent the softened insulator from detaching, and the long-term reliability of the seal cannot be guaranteed.

[0004] Therefore, how to effectively solve the problem of insulator softening and detachment under high temperature and high pressure environments based on the injection-molded connector structure, and improve the sealing reliability of the connector under harsh working conditions, is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a high-temperature and high-pressure injection-molded pressure connector for oil and gas wells. This addresses the problem that existing injection-molded pressure connectors are prone to insulator softening and detachment under high-temperature and high-pressure environments, leading to insufficient conductivity and sealing reliability between the contacts and oil well equipment.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows: A high-temperature, high-pressure injection bearing connector for oil and gas wells, comprising: The contact element has protrusions on its outer peripheral wall; A metal housing with mounting holes thereon, and the contact element is disposed in the mounting holes; An insulating support ring is disposed in the radial space between the contact and the metal housing, and the end face of the insulating support ring abuts against a protrusion on the contact. The insulator is formed at the rear end of the metal housing by injection molding, and the contact, the metal housing and the insulating support ring are connected as one unit.

[0007] Furthermore, the mounting hole is a hole of equal diameter, and the insulating support ring is a ring structure of equal diameter.

[0008] Furthermore, the mounting hole is a stepped hole that is smaller at the front and larger at the back, and a shoulder is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the insulating support ring; the insulating support ring passes through the stepped hole, and the shoulder abuts against the stepped surface of the stepped hole facing the rear end to achieve axial positioning.

[0009] Furthermore, the front and rear ends of the insulating support ring both extend to the outside of the metal housing; the insulator abuts against and wraps around the rear end of the insulating support ring with the rear end of the metal housing.

[0010] Furthermore, a portion of the contact element passes through the through hole of the insulating support ring, while another portion is embedded in the insulator.

[0011] Furthermore, the mating surface between the contact and the insulator is a concave-convex surface, and the concave-convex surface undulates along the axial direction of the contact.

[0012] Furthermore, the metal housing is provided with a mounting hole, and the insulating support ring is disposed in the radial space between the contact and the inner wall of the mounting hole.

[0013] Furthermore, the metal housing is provided with a plurality of mounting holes; each mounting hole is provided with a contact element, and each contact element is provided with an insulating support ring in the radial space between the inner wall of the corresponding mounting hole.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes an O-ring, which is mounted on the outer periphery of the insulator.

[0015] Furthermore, the contact element is a pin or a socket.

[0016] The connector operates as follows: Under normal temperature and pressure conditions, the insulator is solid, independently maintaining the relative position between the contact and the oil well equipment. The protrusions on the contact abut against the end face of the insulating support ring. At this time, the insulating support ring fills the radial space between the contact and the metal shell, supporting the internal structure of the connector and improving its pressure resistance. In high-temperature and high-pressure environments (e.g., above 200°C), the insulator softens significantly above its glass transition temperature, and under high pressure, it tends to detach from the contact and the metal shell. Because the end face of the insulating support ring abuts against the protrusions on the contact, a blocking structure is formed. When the softened insulator attempts to detach from the front end, this blocking structure acts as a barrier, effectively preventing the insulator from detaching, improving the reliability of the connector seal, and preventing contact and conduction between the contact and the oil well equipment due to insulator detachment, thus ensuring the accuracy of the test signal.

[0017] Beneficial effects Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) This utility model incorporates an insulating support ring inside the connector, located in the radial space between the contact and the metal housing. On one hand, the insulating support ring supports the internal structure of the connector, improving the overall pressure resistance of the product. On the other hand, the end face of the insulating support ring abuts against the protrusion on the outer peripheral wall of the contact, forming a blocking structure. Under high temperature and high pressure conditions, when the insulator softens and tends to detach from the contact and the metal housing, this blocking structure forms a barrier, effectively preventing the insulator from detaching, improving the reliability of the connector seal, avoiding contact and conduction between the contact and the oil well equipment due to insulator detachment, and ensuring the accuracy of the test signal.

[0018] (2) The present invention adopts a protrusion and an insulating support ring end face to form a barrier, which is simple in structure, reduces the requirements for processing accuracy, and helps to reduce manufacturing costs.

[0019] (3) The present invention provides a concave-convex surface structure on the mating surface of the contact and the insulator, which undulates along the axial direction of the contact. This structure increases the contact area between the insulator and the contact and forms a mechanical interlocking structure, effectively improving the bonding strength between the two.

[0020] (4) The metal housing of this utility model can be set with a single mounting hole to form a single core structure, or it can be set with multiple mounting holes to form a multi-core structure, which can flexibly adapt to the needs of different signal transmission channels.

[0021] (5) This utility model forms a reliable axial positioning structure by the abutting cooperation between the step on the metal shell and the shoulder on the insulating support ring, which ensures the accuracy of the internal structure of the connector after molding and prevents the axial movement of each component during use. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the single-core connector of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-core connector of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the contact element of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the single-core metal shell of this utility model; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the multi-core metal shell of this utility model; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an insulating support ring according to the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another insulating support ring according to the present invention.

[0023] Diagram markings: 1. Contact element, 101. Raised surface, 102. Uneven surface, 2. Insulator, 3. Metal housing, 301. Stepped hole, 4. Insulating support ring, 401. Shoulder, 402. Through hole, 5. O-ring. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solution of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to specific embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0025] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0026] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, this utility model provides a high-temperature, high-pressure injection bearing connector for oil and gas wells. The connector includes a contact element 1, an insulator 2, a metal housing 3, and an insulating support ring 4. For ease of description, the side containing the metal housing 3 is designated as the front, and the side containing the insulator 2 as the rear. (See attached image.) Figure 1 In the middle, "front" refers to the left side, and "back" refers to the right side.

[0027] like Figure 3 As shown, contact 1 is made of a metallic material, such as one or more of high-performance copper alloys, Kovar alloys, nickel-based alloys, and stainless steel. Contact 1 can be in the form of a pin (e.g., Figure 1 (As shown), it can also be in the form of a socket, depending on the usage environment and requirements. A protrusion 101 is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the contact member 1, extending radially outward along the contact member 1. This protrusion 101 divides the contact member 1 into a front half and a rear half. (As shown) Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the metal housing 3 has a mounting hole that extends axially through the metal housing 3, and the front half of the contact member 1 is located within the mounting hole. The insulating support ring 4 is located in the radial space between the contact member 1 and the metal housing 3.

[0028] The rear half of the contact 1 is embedded in the insulator 2, which is formed by injection molding, connecting the contact 1, the metal shell 3, and the insulating support ring 4 into a single unit. The injection molding process allows the molten insulating material to abut against and encapsulate the rear end of the metal shell 3 and the rear end of the insulating support ring 4. After solidification, the various components are firmly bonded together, forming a seamless integrated structure. The contact surface between the rear half of the contact 1 and the insulator 2 is a concave-convex surface 102. This concave-convex surface 102 is formed by a series of radially convex rings spaced apart on the contact 1 and the contact surface between two adjacent rings, undulating along the axial direction of the contact 1. This concave-convex surface 102 structure increases the contact area between the insulator 2 and the contact 1 and forms a mechanical interlocking structure, effectively improving the bonding strength after injection molding.

[0029] The metal casing 3 is made of a high-temperature resistant metal material, such as stainless steel or nickel-based alloys. The metal casing 3 can be a single-core structure (e.g., Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown), that is, a single mounting hole is provided; it can also be a multi-core structure (such as...). Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown in the figure, multiple mounting holes are provided, and these mounting holes are arranged in a certain way (e.g., in an array). When the metal housing 3 has multiple mounting holes, each mounting hole is provided with a contact element 1 and an insulating support ring 4.

[0030] The mounting holes of the metal housing 3 can have the following two structural forms: The first is a constant diameter hole structure. The mounting hole is a constant diameter hole (not shown in the figure), that is, its inner diameter remains consistent along the axial direction. This structure is suitable for mating with a constant diameter annular insulating support ring 4. In this case, the insulating support ring 4 can be forcibly fitted with the metal housing 3 to ensure axial limitation of the insulating support ring 4. The second is a stepped hole 301. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the mounting hole is a stepped hole 301 with a smaller inner diameter at the front and a larger inner diameter at the rear, forming a stepped surface facing the rear end between the two sections. This structure is suitable for insulating support rings 4 with shoulders 401 on their outer peripheral walls. The shoulders 401 abut against the stepped surface of the stepped hole 301 facing the rear end, thereby achieving axial positioning of the insulating support ring 4 within the metal housing 3 and preventing the insulating support ring 4 from moving towards the front end of the connector.

[0031] like Figure 6 or Figure 7 As shown, the insulating support ring 4 has a through hole 402 at its center, and the front half of the contact 1 passes through this through hole 402. The diameter of the through hole 402 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the front half of the contact 1 to ensure that the contact 1 can pass through smoothly; at the same time, it is smaller than the outer diameter of the protrusion 101 of the contact 1, so that the rear end face of the insulating support ring 4 can abut against the protrusion 101 on the outer peripheral wall of the contact 1 to form a blocking structure. Under high temperature and high pressure, when the insulator 2 softens and tends to detach from the contact 1 and the metal shell 3, this blocking structure forms a barrier, effectively preventing the insulator 2 from detaching, improving the reliability of the connector seal, avoiding contact and conduction between the contact 1 and the oil well equipment due to the insulator 2 detaching, and ensuring the accuracy of the test signal.

[0032] The insulating support ring 4 is made of a ceramic material with high mechanical properties and high temperature resistance, such as alumina or zirconium oxide. Both the front and rear ends of the insulating support ring 4 extend beyond the metal housing 3; that is, its front end extends beyond the front face of the metal housing 3, and its rear end extends beyond the rear face of the metal housing 3. The insulating support ring 4 can have the following two structural forms: the first is a uniform diameter ring structure (e.g., Figure 7 (As shown). This structure is suitable for cases where the mounting holes of the metal housing 3 are of equal diameter. The second type is a structure with a shoulder 401 on the outer peripheral wall (as shown). Figure 6(As shown). The shoulder 401 extends radially outward along the insulating support ring 4. This structure is suitable for cases where the mounting hole of the metal housing 3 is a stepped hole 301, the insulating support ring 4 passes through the stepped hole 301, and the shoulder 401 abuts against the stepped surface of the stepped hole 301 facing the rear end to achieve axial limiting.

[0033] The insulator 2 is made of engineering plastics with good insulation properties, high temperature resistance, and high pressure resistance, including but not limited to polyaryletherketones (such as PEEK) and thermosetting engineering plastics. These materials have sufficient mechanical strength at room temperature to maintain the relative positions of the components; at the same time, they have good insulation properties to ensure electrical isolation between the contact 1 and the oil well equipment, as well as between multiple contact 1s. Compared with glass materials, engineering plastics do not absorb moisture in humid environments, thus preventing a decrease in insulation resistance. Therefore, this invention has higher electrical performance stability in humid environments.

[0034] The connector also features an O-ring 5 made of high-temperature resistant rubber. The O-ring 5 is fitted around the outer periphery of the insulator 2. In use, the connector, along with the O-ring 5, is inserted into the corresponding interface of the oil well equipment to achieve a seal.

[0035] The installation method of this connector is as follows: Insert the insulating support ring 4 into the mounting hole of the metal housing 3, ensuring that both its front and rear ends protrude outside the metal housing 3; then insert the contact 1 from back to front into the through hole of the insulating support ring 4, so that the protrusion 101 abuts against the end face of the insulating support ring 4. Next, place the assembled components into an injection mold, close the mold, and inject molten insulating material (such as polyaryletherketone engineering plastic), filling the rear end space of the metal housing 3 and encasing the rear embedded portion of the contact 1 and the rear end of the insulating support ring 4. Maintain a certain pressure and temperature to allow the insulating material to fully solidify. Finally, remove the molded connector, and, if necessary, fit an O-ring 5 around the outer periphery of the insulator 2. Through the above method, the contact 1, metal housing 3, insulating support ring 4, and insulator 2 are firmly connected as a whole, forming a pressure-bearing connector with good resistance to high temperature and high pressure pull-out.

[0036] The high-temperature, high-pressure injection-bonded connector for oil and gas wells provided by this utility model has a reasonable structural design, high sealing reliability, and can withstand the harsh working environment of high temperature and high pressure in oil and gas wells while maintaining good electrical performance stability. This connector can be widely used in downhole instruments and equipment in oil and gas well exploration, logging, drilling and other fields.

[0037] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A high temperature and high pressure injection pressure containing connector for oil and gas wells, characterized in that, include: The contact element (1) has a protrusion (101) on its outer peripheral wall. A metal housing (3) is provided with mounting holes, and the contact element (1) is provided in the mounting holes; An insulating support ring (4) is disposed in the radial space between the contact (1) and the metal housing (3), and the end face of the insulating support ring (4) abuts against the protrusion (101) on the contact (1); The insulator (2) is formed at the rear end of the metal housing (3) by injection molding, and the contact (1), the metal housing (3) and the insulating support ring (4) are connected as one unit.

2. A high temperature and high pressure injection pressure containing connector for use in oil and gas wells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting hole is a hole of equal diameter, and the insulating support ring (4) is a ring structure of equal diameter.

3. A high temperature and high pressure injection pressure containing connector for use in oil and gas wells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting hole is a stepped hole (301) with a smaller front and a larger rear. A shoulder (401) is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the insulating support ring (4). The insulating support ring (4) passes through the stepped hole (301), and the shoulder (401) abuts against the stepped surface of the stepped hole (301) facing the rear end to achieve axial positioning.

4. A high temperature and high pressure injection pressure containing connector for use in oil and gas wells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front end and rear end of the insulating support ring (4) extend to the outside of the metal shell (3); the insulator (2) abuts against and wraps around the rear end of the insulating support ring (4) with the rear end of the metal shell (3).

5. A high temperature and high pressure injection pressure containing connector for use in oil and gas wells according to claim 1, characterized in that, A portion of the contact (1) is inserted into the through hole (402) of the insulating support ring (4), and the other portion is embedded in the insulator (2).

6. A high temperature, high pressure injection pressure containing connector for use in oil and gas wells as defined in claim 5, characterized in that The contact (1) and the insulator (2) have a concave-convex surface (102), which undulates along the axial direction of the contact (1).

7. A high temperature and high pressure injection pressure containing connector for use in oil and gas wells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal housing (3) is provided with a mounting hole, and the insulating support ring (4) is provided in the radial space between the contact (1) and the inner wall of the mounting hole.

8. A high temperature and high pressure injection pressure containing connector for use in oil and gas wells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal housing (3) is provided with a plurality of mounting holes; each mounting hole is provided with a contact (1), and each contact (1) is provided with an insulating support ring (4) in the radial space between the corresponding mounting hole inner wall.

9. A high temperature and high pressure injection pressure containing connector for use in oil and gas wells according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an O-ring (5) which is mounted on the outer periphery of the insulator (2).

10. A high temperature and high pressure injection pressure containing connector for use in oil and gas wells according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact element (1) is a pin or a socket.

Images