Cement Plug Anti-Rotation Mating Features

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Solution Overview

Problem

During drilling operations, the drill-out process of lead and follow plugs can be hindered if they catch on the drill bit, leading to slowed or halted progress due to the lack of anti-rotation features that prevent the plugs from rotating with the drill bit.

Innovation Solution

A plug system featuring a locked member with a first anti-rotation feature and a free member with a second anti-rotation feature, configured to mate and resist rotation, allowing the applied torque from the drill bit to be resisted by the locked member, thereby preventing the follow plug from rotating with the drill bit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the plugs are lowered into the casing without anti-rotation features, then the cementation process can proceed smoothly, but the drill-out process is hampered and slowed down when the plugs catch on the drill bit

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrill-out efficiencyVSAvoidplug structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The plug is divided into distinct functional segments: a locked member with anti-rotation features and a free member without anti-rotation features. This segmentation allows the locked member to prevent rotation during drill-out while the free member maintains smooth cementation flow, resolving the contradiction between drill-out efficiency and structural complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The anti-rotation features act as an intermediary mechanism between the plug and the drill bit. These features engage with the drill bit to prevent plug rotation during drill-out, while not interfering with the cementation process, thus improving productivity without significantly increasing overall device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If anti-rotation features are added to prevent plug rotation during drill-out, then the drill-out process efficiency improves, but the plug structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrill-out speedVSAvoidplug component count

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Anti-rotation features are applied locally only to the locked member of the plug rather than the entire plug structure. This localized application provides the necessary rotation prevention during drill-out while keeping the rest of the plug structure simple and maintaining ease of cementation operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the entire plug rotation-proof, the invention inverts the approach by making only a specific portion (locked member) capable of engaging with the drill bit to prevent rotation, while the free member remains rotationally free, thus improving drill-out speed without excessive complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS11268343B1Cement plug internal anti-rotation

Publication Date: 2022.03.08 BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS LLC

AI summary

A plug system includes a locked member of a first plug and a free member of a second plug. The locked member has a first locking end having a first anti-rotation feature. The free member has a second locking end having a second anti-rotation feature. The first anti-rotation feature and the second anti-rotation feature are configured to fit together to resist a rotation between the free member and the locked member to thereby resist rotation of the second plug with respect to the first plug.