3D-Printed Sealing Element Assembly for Rotating Pipe Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sealing elements for rotating control devices in oil and gas well drilling are expensive to manufacture and inefficient to refurbish, with high costs associated with shipping damaged elements back to manufacturers and the need for costly machining of molds for producing new sealing elements with varying shapes.
Innovation Solution
The development of a sealing element with an elastomeric body reinforced by a frame, manufactured using additive manufacturing to reduce costs and enhance flexibility and resistance to stresses, featuring a central bore with radial flutes and columnar protrusions for improved support and sealing, and a process for assembling the sealing element using 3D-printed patterns and molds to minimize machining expenses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional sealing elements are manufactured using traditional molding methods, then manufacturing precision and reliability are maintained, but manufacturing costs are high and production time is long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameters from traditional molding to additive manufacturing (3D printing), which reduces manufacturing costs by up to 10-fold while maintaining the required sealing precision through digital modeling and controlled deposition processes
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element design is created as a digital 3D model that can be copied and manufactured on-demand using additive manufacturing, eliminating the need for expensive physical molds and enabling rapid prototyping and production of varying shapes
2Reliability
If sealing elements are designed with complex shapes to improve sealing performance, then sealing effectiveness is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the manufacturing approach from subtractive (molding) to additive (3D printing) processes, enabling complex geometries to be manufactured directly from digital models without requiring complex mold designs, thus reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the third dimension in additive manufacturing to create complex internal structures, radial flutes, and columnar protrusions that would be difficult or expensive to manufacture using traditional two-dimensional molding techniques
3Ease of repair
If damaged sealing elements are refurbished using traditional methods, then serviceability is maintained, but refurbishment costs and time are high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes sealing elements inexpensive enough through additive manufacturing that instead of investing in expensive refurbishment processes, it becomes more economical to manufacture new sealing elements on-demand, reducing both refurbishment time and costs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables preliminary digital modeling and simulation of sealing elements, allowing design optimization and validation before manufacturing, which reduces the need for iterative refurbishment and ensures longer service life between replacements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly reduces manufacturing costs by up to 10-fold, enables cost-effective prototyping, and provides enhanced sealing properties with improved flexibility and durability, allowing for efficient and inexpensive recycling or disposal of damaged sealing elements.
Implementation Method 1
casting or injecting an elastomer material over the frame
Implementation Method 2
an elastomeric body having a central bore for sealing against a pipe passing therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing element for a rotating control device includes an elastomeric body having a central bore for sealing against a pipe passing therethrough. The elastomeric body has an upper portion which is internally reinforced with a frame and a lower portion formed with a plurality of protrusions. The radial protrusions provide columnar support to the lower portion permitting the lower portion to resist centrifugal and frictional forces against the lower portion during drilling and other operations. The sealing element may be used to form an assembly with reusable parts for connecting the sealing element to a mandrel of a rotating control device.