Downhole Flow Controller with Shrouded Screen Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for producing hydrocarbon materials from subterranean formations fail to naturally shroud the screen during installation, exposing it to cement and rendering it inoperable, and trapped materials can hinder sleeve displacement and manipulation.
Innovation Solution
A flow control apparatus with a housing, flow communicator, and flow controller that includes a filter medium-defining counterpart and shroud-defining counterpart, allowing for releasable coupling and configuration changes to shield the filter medium from debris and enable controlled flow communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the screen is exposed during cementing operation, then the cementing operation can be performed, but the screen may be rendered inoperable by cement exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud is positioned over the screen before the cementing operation begins, preventing cement from contacting the screen in the first place. This preliminary protective action eliminates the need for post-exposure remediation and ensures screen operability is maintained throughout the cementing process
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud acts as an intermediary protective element between the cement and the screen. It provides a physical barrier that allows the cementing operation to proceed while preventing direct contact between the harmful cement and the sensitive screen, thus resolving the contradiction between enabling cementing and protecting screen functionality
2Reliability
If materials are trapped in the screen, then filtration is provided, but sleeve displacement is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into distinct functional segments: the shroud that handles displacement operations and the screen that handles filtration. The shroud can be displaced independently to manipulate the screen position without being impeded by materials trapped in the screen, as the shroud's displacement path is separate from the screen's filtration function
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud serves as an intermediary component that enables sleeve displacement without directly interacting with the trapped materials in the screen. By positioning and manipulating the screen through the shroud, the system achieves sleeve displacement while maintaining the screen's filtration capability, thus resolving the contradiction between these two functions
3Reliability
If the screen is shrouded during installation, then protection from debris is provided, but additional device complexity is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud is designed as a simple cylindrical shell structure that provides effective protection for the screen without adding significant complexity. This thin-walled protective enclosure can be easily manufactured and installed, offering robust debris protection while maintaining relatively simple system architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud serves multiple functions: it protects the screen from debris during installation, provides a mechanism for displacing the screen, and maintains the screen's position during operation. By consolidating these multiple functions into a single component, the design achieves comprehensive screen protection without proportionally increasing device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A flow control apparatus for producing hydrocarbon material from a subterranean formation is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing that defines a housing passage, and a flow communicator that extends through the housing for effecting fluid communication between the housing passage and the subterranean formation. The apparatus includes a flow controller within the housing for modulating flow communication between the housing passage and the subterranean formation via the flow communicator. The flow controller includes a filter medium-defining counterpart and a shroud-defining counterpart, and the filter medium-defining counterpart has a filter medium. The flow controller is configurable for disposition relative to the flow communicator to open, close, or screen the flow communicator. While the filter medium and the flow communicator are not aligned, the housing and shroud-defining counterpart shields the filter medium from the housing passage and the external environment.