Burst Plug Assembly with Choke Insert for Fracturing Tools
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic fracturing methods face challenges in achieving sufficient fluid pressure to effectively stimulate lower regions of a wellbore due to the design of deformable seats, which require higher pressure to open, leading to fluid loss and sub-optimal pressure for fracturing, and previous solutions like rupture disks have issues with unpredictable flow rates and erosion.
Innovation Solution
A burst plug assembly with a choke insert is used in fracturing tools, where a core disengages from the closing wall at a prescribed threshold pressure, allowing reliable and precise fluid flow through a wear-resistant inner bore, maintaining consistent flow rates and minimizing erosion, ensuring effective fracturing across multiple stages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If deformable seats are designed to require higher fluid pressure to open lower situated seats, then the ball can be pushed past higher situated seats, but fluid is lost through higher fluid ports and pressure cannot be sufficiently increased to open lower seats
Solution Approach 1:
The core is extracted from the closing wall as a separate disengageable component. When fluid pressure reaches the threshold, the core is pushed through the inner bore of the choke insert, separating from the closing wall. This extraction mechanism allows controlled opening at the desired pressure point without premature fluid loss through higher ports.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the pressure parameter dynamically. The choke insert with its restricted inner bore maintains high pressure upstream by limiting flow, allowing the pressure to build to the threshold level needed to push the core through. Once the core disengages, the flow path opens and pressure is relieved, preventing excessive pressure buildup that would cause fluid loss through higher ports.
2Productivity
If rupture disks are used to open fluid ports, then fluid flow is achieved, but flow rates are unpredictable and erosion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The choke insert acts as an intermediary component between the closed fluid port and the open wellbore. Its precisely manufactured inner bore provides a controlled, predictable flow path with known flow characteristics. The choke insert mediates the transition from high pressure to flow, ensuring predictable flow rates while protecting against erosion through its wear-resistant material.
Solution Approach 2:
The burst plug assembly combines multiple materials with different properties: the closing wall provides structural integrity, the choke insert is made of wear-resistant material to prevent erosion, and the core provides the pressure-actuated opening mechanism. This composite structure achieves both predictable flow and erosion resistance.
3Ease of operation
If higher fluid pressure is used to push the ball past lower situated seats, then the ball can reach lower sliding subs, but fluid loss increases and fracturing pressure becomes sub-optimal
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary pressure building through the restricted choke insert before the core disengages. This preliminary action allows pressure to reach the exact threshold needed to push the ball past lower seats, without excessive pressure that would cause fluid loss. The choke insert pre-conditions the fluid pressure to the optimal level for ball displacement.
Solution Approach 2:
Once the core disengages from the closing wall, the fluid path opens rapidly, allowing the pressurized fluid to rush through and push the ball through the lower seats in a single action. This skipping mechanism eliminates the need for sustained high pressure, reducing overall fluid consumption while still achieving activation of all sliding subs.
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 burst plug assembly ensures reliable and predictable fluid flow at prescribed pressure levels, maintaining consistent fracturing efficiency across multiple stages without significant erosion, thereby overcoming the limitations of previous methods by providing reliable and precise fluid communication to the wellbore.
Implementation Method 1
when a prescribed threshold hydraulic pressure level of treatment fluid is applied to the closing wall, the core disengages from the closing wall along the groove in a bursting action
Data Source
AI summary
A burst plug assembly for use in the fluid port of tubular fracturing tools to provide erosion resistance. The assembly has a body with an annular side wall and a closing wall closing the central bore of the annular side wall. A choke insert is retained in the central bore of the body to line the inner surface of the central bore. A groove in a face of the closing wall circumscribes a core in the bottom wall, and is sized and located so that a largest dimension of the core is no greater than a diameter of the inner bore of the choke insert, such that when a prescribed threshold hydraulic pressure level of the treatment fluid is applied to the closing wall the core disengages from the closing wall along the groove in a bursting action and passes through the inner bore of the choke insert.