Angled Sleeve Packer Seal for High-Pressure Wellbores
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wellbore packer seals face challenges at extreme depths due to high pressures and temperatures, leading to elastomer degradation, high material costs, and leakage issues, particularly with compression set packers requiring large elastomer volumes and ramp set packers struggling to bond resistant elastomers to steel inserts and experiencing slippage.
Innovation Solution
A packer design featuring an elastomeric element seated on an angled inner sleeve with an anchor and retaining ring, where axial movement sets the packer, forming metal-to-metal barriers and preventing elastomer extrusion, eliminating the need for costly bonding and reducing slippage through mechanical interlocks and deformable pips.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If compression set packer seal is used, then seal reliability is improved, but elastomer volume and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The packer seal is divided into multiple segments or layers with different functions. The elastomeric seal element is positioned between metal components (shoulder and cone) that provide structural support and anchoring, allowing the elastomer to be thinner while maintaining seal reliability through the combined metal-elastomer-metel structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining metal components (shoulder, cone, anchor) with elastomeric material. The metal parts provide mechanical strength and anchoring while the elastomer provides sealing, creating a hybrid structure that reduces overall elastomer volume while maintaining or improving seal reliability.
2Reliability
If compression set packer seal is used, then seal reliability is improved, but deployment difficulty increases at high pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The packer seal incorporates a deformable cone structure that changes shape during deployment. The cone is compressed axially and transforms this axial force into radial expansion of the elastomeric seal element, enabling dynamic adjustment of seal pressure and improving deployability at high pressures while maintaining seal reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the seal element by using a compressed elastomeric material with specific durometer ratings (e.g., 60-90 Shore A) and configuring it between metal components. This allows the seal to maintain reliability while becoming softer and more deployable at high pressures through parameter optimization.
3Ease of operation
If ramp set packer element is used, then deployment is simplified, but bonding feasibility fails at high temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the bonding requirement from the design by using mechanical interlocking instead. The elastomeric seal element is retained by a shoulder and cone structure that uses axial compression and radial expansion to secure the seal without requiring chemical bonding, making the design feasible at high temperatures where bonding fails.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the chemical bonding mechanism with a mechanical retention system. The shoulder and cone structure uses mechanical forces (axial compression, radial expansion) to secure the elastomeric seal element, substituting the chemical bonding process with a purely mechanical system that functions reliably at high temperatures.
4Ease of operation
If ramp set packer element is used, then deployment is simplified, but leakage increases under pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The deformable cone structure dynamically adjusts seal pressure in response to applied loads. As pressure increases, the cone compresses further and expands the elastomeric seal element radially, maintaining constant seal integrity under varying pressure conditions while keeping the deployment process simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention incorporates preliminary anti-extrusion features in the form of metal shoulders and cones that prevent the elastomer from being extruded axially under pressure. These components are positioned in advance to counteract the extrusion force before it can cause leakage, maintaining seal integrity while preserving deployment simplicity.
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
The design provides a reliable, high-temperature, and high-pressure-resistant fluid seal with reduced material usage and enhanced deployment, preventing elastomer bleeding and leakage, while maintaining seal integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The packer element is axially compressed between the retaining ring and the anchor ring, thereby causing it to expand radially outwardly to form a resilient fluid seal against the surrounding tubular
Implementation Method 2
the actuating ring is provided with at least one radially raised pip which can be crushed during setting of the packer device
Data Source
AI summary
A packer device includes an elastomeric packer element which is seated upon an inner sleeve that surrounds a central inner mandrel. The inner sleeve and the inner mandrel are oriented at an angle of departure with respect to the central axis of the tool, thereby providing a ramp assembly which helps to set the packer device. An anchor ring and a retaining ring are located on opposite axial sides of the packer element and contact the surrounding tubular member.