Quarter-turn anchor catcher with anti-rotation sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tubing anchors with unitary slip arrangements face difficulties in setting in deviated well sections and often restrict gas flow due to their design, which limits the annular space between the anchor and the casing.
Innovation Solution
The anchor catcher tool employs separate and opposing slips with a partial-turn mechanism and longitudinal channels to securely anchor the tubing while allowing gas flow, using a mandrel, sleeve, and cages with cone faces and slots for alignment and engagement with the casing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a tubing anchor with a diameter close to the casing's inner dimension is used, then anchoring strength is improved, but gas flow capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor body is divided into multiple segments with radial openings between them, creating annular flow paths that allow gas to pass through while maintaining anchoring strength through the segmented structure's engagement with the casing
2Quantity of substance
If a slim tubing anchor with a smaller diameter housing is used, then gas flow capability is improved, but anchoring strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor employs localized high-strength features at critical engagement points (cones, slips, and cage structures) while maintaining an overall smaller diameter housing, allowing sufficient anchoring strength to be achieved in specific locations without compromising gas flow capability throughout the annulus
3Device complexity
If a unitary slip arrangement is used, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to deviated well sections deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The slip system is segmented into multiple independent cages with individual slips rather than a single unitary arrangement, allowing each slip to independently engage the casing and adapt to deviated well sections while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
4Reliability
If multiple full rotations are required to set the anchor, then reliability of setting is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor setting mechanism requires only a partial rotation (less than one full turn) of the mandrel to engage the slips and set the anchor, reducing the ease of operation by limiting the rotational travel needed while maintaining reliable setting through the geometric constraint of the cone-and-slip engagement geometry
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 enables effective anchoring and gas flow in deviated well sections by providing independent slip engagement and maintaining annular pathways for fluid communication, overcoming the limitations of traditional tubing anchors.
Implementation Method 1
the ramps on either end of the single, bi-directional slip cause the slip to move radially outward and to bite against the casing wall
Data Source
AI summary
An anchor catcher tool can support tubing in casing. The tool is a slimline tool that can be set and unset with a partial (quarter) turn of a mandrel using a setting mechanism, such as a J-slot and pin arrangement. Uphole and downhole cages of the tool carry opposing slips. When set, the slips engage opposing cone faces to wedge against the casing and prevent movement of the tool. Excluded gas can flow up the annulus to the surface through aligned longitudinal flow paths on the exterior of the tool's components. To do this, a sleeve floating on the mandrel has the cone faces thereon and is longitudinally engaged with cages, which float on the mandrel and carry the slips. The sleeve keeps longitudinal channels on the cages and longitudinal divisions of the cone faces aligned with one another to produce the flow paths for annular flow.