Lightweight Selectively Degradable Composite for Wellbore Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wellbore components and tools have limited service lives and are often dense, making them difficult to deploy and retrieve in horizontal wellbore sections without requiring high fluid pressures, which is costly and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, selectively degradable composite material with a compacted powder mixture of metal and low-density ceramic or glass particles, coated with a metal layer to achieve high strength and controlled density, allowing for buoyancy matching the wellbore fluid and enabling easy deployment and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If Fe-base selectively removable materials are used, then high strength is achieved, but density increases making the material settle out of fluid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system consisting of Fe-base alloy particles (providing strength) combined with lighter density particles such as aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, or titanium (reducing overall density). This composite approach allows the material to achieve both high strength and reduced density, enabling it to remain suspended in wellbore fluids rather than settling out.
2Strength
If conventional engineering materials are used, then high strength is achieved, but the material cannot be selectively removed without milling or drilling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates materials with specific physical and chemical properties that change under certain conditions. The composite material includes components that can dissolve, degrade, or corrode when exposed to specific wellbore fluid conditions (such as pH changes, temperature, or chemical composition), allowing selective removal without mechanical intervention while maintaining structural integrity during service.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs selectively removable materials designed for temporary service life. These materials perform their function during the required service period and then naturally dissolve or degrade under specific wellbore conditions, eliminating the need for expensive retrieval operations. The material is essentially designed to be disposable after completing its function.
3Strength
If dense materials are used, then high strength is achieved, but high fluid pressures are required for deployment in horizontal wellbore sections
Solution Approach 1:
By combining heavy Fe-base alloy particles with lighter density particles in a composite structure, the overall material density is reduced while maintaining strength. This reduced density decreases the gravitational force acting on the material, thereby reducing the fluid pressure required to transport it through horizontal wellbore sections.
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 composite material provides high strength comparable to Fe-base alloys with a lower density, reducing the need for high fluid pressures and enabling easy navigation and retrieval in horizontal wellbore sections, while allowing for controlled degradation and removal.
Implementation Method 1
The first powder comprises first metal particles comprising Mg, Al, Mn, or Zn, or an alloy of any of the above, or a combination of any of the above, having a first particle oxidation potential. The second powder comprises low-density ceramic, glass, cermet, intermetallic, metal, polymer, or inorganic compound second particles. At least one of the first particles and the second particles includes a metal coating layer of a coating material disposed on an outer surface having a coating oxidation potential that is different than the first particle oxidation potential.
Implementation Method 2
The compacted powder mixture has a microstructure comprising: a matrix comprising the first metal particles; the second particles dispersed within the matrix
Implementation Method 3
The lightweight, selectively degradable composite material having a density of about 3.5 g/cm3 or less... reducing the need for high fluid pressures and enabling easy navigation and retrieval in horizontal wellbore sections
Data Source
AI summary
A lightweight, selectively degradable composite material includes a compacted powder mixture of a first powder and a second powder. The first powder comprises first metal particles comprising Mg, Al, Mn, or Zn, having a first particle oxidation potential. The second powder comprises low-density ceramic, glass, cermet, intermetallic, metal, polymer, or inorganic compound second particles. At least one of the first particles and the second particles includes a metal coating layer of a coating material disposed on an outer surface having a coating oxidation potential that is different than the first particle oxidation potential. The compacted powder mixture has a microstructure comprising: a matrix comprising the first metal particles; the second particles dispersed within the matrix; and a network comprising interconnected adjoining metal coating layers that extends throughout the matrix, the lightweight, selectively degradable composite material having a density of about 3.5 g/cm3 or less.