Downhole Location Connector With Complementary Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for positioning and removing tools within a wellbore are limited in precision and effectiveness, particularly in accessing connectors or joints within tubular strings, due to the small size of components and the difficulty in accurately locating torqued joints, which restricts the efficient deployment and retrieval of tools.
Innovation Solution
A location connector system with a cylindrical main body and a female profile featuring a plurality of grooves that allow for selective engagement and clocking of tools, including magnetic, chemical, or RFID communication for precise positioning and orientation, enabling precise placement and removal of tools at connectors or joints within the tubular string.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional collar locators and positioning devices are used, then tool placement can be achieved, but positioning precision is insufficient (accurate only to within feet rather than inches)
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system uses a nested structure where a location connector is inserted inside a tubular string, and a tool with a complementary profile is inserted through the location connector. Each component contains the next smaller component, allowing precise positioning without requiring complex external positioning equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool's profile is created as a complementary copy of the location connector's profile. This complementary profiling allows the tool to precisely match and engage with the location connector, achieving inch-level positioning accuracy by replicating the geometric features rather than using complex measurement and adjustment mechanisms.
2Strength
If heavy-walled tubular members with small inner diameters are used, then structural strength is maintained, but working space within the tubular string is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system nests multiple components within the limited space of heavy-walled tubular members. The location connector is nested inside the tubular string, and the tool is nested through the location connector. This nested arrangement maximizes the use of available space while maintaining the structural integrity of the heavy-walled tubular members.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning system is segmented into separate functional components: the location connector provides positioning features, while the tool provides the complementary engagement profile. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function within the constrained space, rather than requiring a single large component.
3Manufacturing precision
If precise positioning at connectors or joints is required, then tool effectiveness is improved, but conventional positioning devices lack the accuracy to locate joints within inches
Solution Approach 1:
The location connector and tool use self-aligning complementary profiles that automatically guide the tool to the correct position at the connector or joint. The geometric interlocking of the profiles provides self-positioning capability, eliminating the need for complex external positioning equipment or difficult manual alignment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The complementary profiles are designed with asymmetric features including angled surfaces and specific geometric shapes that provide directional guidance and precise positioning. The asymmetric design ensures the tool can only engage with the location connector in the correct orientation and position, achieving precise placement at joints without requiring complex positioning systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A location connector connects a first tubular to a second tubular, and includes a cylindrical main body extending in a longitudinal direction. An outer surface extends around a circumference of the main body, and an inner surface faces the central bore of the main body. A first connector, on a first end of the main body, is configured to attach to the first tubular. A second connector, on an opposite second end of the main body, is configured to attach to the second tubular. A female profile is provided on the inner surface, and includes a plurality of grooves for selective engagement with a discrete complementary profile comprising one or more protruding members of a downhole tool. Each of the grooves comprises a no-go shoulder that prevents movement of the tool in one direction, and each of the grooves permits clocking movement of the tool in an azimuthal direction.