Bullet-Shape Oil Plugger for High-Pressure Well Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for controlling and permanently plugging deepwater oil wells experiencing high-pressure leaks are inefficient, costly, and environmentally hazardous, as they require extensive time and resources, such as drilling relief wells and installing heavy caps, which are not effective for immediate and permanent sealing.

Innovation Solution

A bullet-shaped plugger device with a steel-belted ribbed rubber bladder that is deployed via shipboard equipment, using high-pressure oil to reduce the pressure within the well and allow easy insertion, then inflated to expand and seal the pipe, allowing cement to be poured for permanent sealing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional methods (drilling relief wells, installing heavy caps) are used to plug high-pressure oil wells, then the well can be sealed, but the process is time-consuming and costly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewell sealing effectivenessVSAvoidresponse time to plug the well

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The plugging device is divided into separate functional components: a bullet-shaped plug body, a inflatable bladder, a check valve, and a cement injection system. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, enabling rapid deployment and effective sealing without requiring time-consuming traditional methods

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The device is pre-assembled and ready for immediate deployment. The check valve is pre-positioned to automatically close upon insertion, and the bladder is pre-configured to inflate when oil pressure is applied. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming on-site assembly and allows the system to respond immediately to well blowouts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If traditional plugging methods are used, then permanent sealing can be achieved, but the operational costs and environmental damage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepermanent sealing capabilityVSAvoidenvironmental damage from oil spill

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system converts the harmful high-pressure oil flow into a beneficial force by using the oil pressure itself to inflate the bladder and activate the check valve. The oil that would otherwise cause environmental damage is instead utilized to seal the well, reducing the need for additional harmful substances and minimizing overall environmental impact

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The device recovers and reuses oil from the well flow to inflate the bladder and maintain sealing pressure. Instead of discarding the oil as waste or using additional harmful materials, the system recycles the oil to perform the sealing function, reducing environmental damage and operational costs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Object-affected harmful factors

If heavy caps or cofferdams are installed to stop oil flow, then the leak can be contained, but the device complexity and installation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil leak containmentVSAvoidinstallation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using complex external structures like heavy caps or cofferdams that require installation from the outside, the system inverts the approach by inserting a simple bullet-shaped plug from the inside of the well. The plug uses the well's own pressure to activate sealing mechanisms, eliminating the need for complex external installation equipment and reducing overall device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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 device enables rapid and effective plugging of high-pressure oil wells, reducing environmental damage and operational costs by providing a quick, reliable, and cost-effective solution for sealing oil leaks, using recycled oil to inflate the bladder and maintain pressure until cement cures.

Implementation Method 1

a steel-belted ribbed rubber bladder that is deployed via shipboard equipment, using high-pressure oil to reduce the pressure within the well and allow easy insertion, then inflated to expand and seal the pipe

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

using high-pressure oil to reduce the pressure within the well and allow easy insertion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS8763688B2High pressure oil pipe bullet plug

Publication Date: 2014.07.01 WEBB JR JOHN KARL

AI summary

A rubber bullet-shaped cylindrical device that functions to non-invasively plug a gushing pipe of high pressure oil. The steel belted inflatable rubber plugging device with attached high pressure hoses is inserted into a gushing oil well pipe while it pumps shipboard a high pressure stream of recycled oil itself that will not freeze at the gushing oil well to fight or knife through the oil and the pressure of the oil gushing to assist with inserting and descending the apparatus into the pipe while the operator follows a sequence of operational steps. A hose that has a vacuum applied to reduce the size of the inflatable bladder to allow it to fit it into the pipe unrestricted until it stops at the right location then recycled oil that will not freeze is pumped into the bladder to seal the oil well and to allow the cement pouring operation.