Convertible Slickline Stuffing Box With Relocatable Ball Check Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional slickline stuffing boxes cannot be converted to move the ball check valve (BCV) above the packer, limiting their versatility in slickline well interventions.
Innovation Solution
A slickline stuffing box design that includes a piston to move in response to pressurized fluid, a packer element that expands radially to seal around the slickline, and a valve that can be positioned either below or above the packer, allowing conversion between configurations to accommodate different types of slickline interventions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional slickline stuffing boxes use a fixed ball check valve position below the packer, then the structure is simple and reliable, but the device cannot be converted to accommodate different slickline intervention types
Solution Approach 1:
The ball check valve is made movable between two fixed positions (above and below the packer) rather than being permanently fixed. The housing includes designated seating positions and guiding features that allow the valve to be repositioned during field operations, enabling conversion between different intervention configurations while maintaining structural reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The stuffing box housing is designed with universal features that accommodate the ball check valve in multiple positions. The same basic housing structure supports both the traditional configuration (valve below packer) and the converted configuration (valve above packer), making the device versatile for different slickline intervention types without requiring completely different equipment
2Adaptability or versatility
If the ball check valve is repositioned above the packer, then the device can accommodate digital slickline interventions, but the conversion process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The ball check valve assembly is segmented into separable components that can be independently manipulated. The valve can be removed from its lower position and installed in the upper position as a discrete assembly, allowing field conversion without requiring complex disassembly of the entire stuffing box or specialized manufacturing tools
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is pre-configured with mounting features, guiding structures, and sealing surfaces for both valve positions during manufacturing. This preliminary preparation of the housing structure enables field operators to perform the conversion action without complex procedures, as the structural framework is already in place to receive the valve in either position
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
Enables flexible sealing and pressure containment during slickline wellbore interventions, supporting both non-digital and digital slickline operations by relocating the valve, enhancing operational flexibility and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a piston configured to move in response to a force exerted thereon by a pressurized fluid
Implementation Method 2
The packer element is configured to compress axially and expand radially, in response to movement of the piston, to seal around a slickline to contain a pressure within a wellbore
Implementation Method 3
The BCV is configured to be positioned vertically between the retainer bushing and the inner shoulder of the housing... the ball is configured to seal with the seat to contain a pressure within a wellbore in response to a slickline breaking
Data Source
AI summary
A slickline stuffing box includes a piston configured to move in response to a force exerted thereon by a pressurized fluid. The slickline stuffing box also includes a packer element positioned above the piston. The packer element is configured to compress axially and expand radially, in response to movement of the piston, to seal around a slickline to contain a pressure within a wellbore during a slickline wellbore intervention. The slickline stuffing box also includes a valve configured to be positioned below the packer element in a first configuration of the slickline stuffing box and above the packer element in a second configuration of the slickline stuffing box. The valve is configured to contain the pressure within the wellbore in response to the slickline breaking and falling down and out of the slickline stuffing box.