Integrated Downhole Plug Sealing for Tight Deviated Wells
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing downhole plugs used in hydraulic fracturing operations are hindered by their length, which is problematic in tight corners and deviated wells, leading to inadequate sealing due to a small sealing contact patch and added weight.
Innovation Solution
A downhole plug design featuring a mandrel with integrated top and bottom slip assemblies and a monolithic elastomeric sealing member that expands to form a sealing engagement with the tubing, encapsulating the slips and providing an extended sealing contact patch.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If traditional downhole plugs are used with separate slip assemblies and sealing members, then the plug can provide basic sealing function, but the plug length becomes excessive and weight increases, causing problems in tight corners and deviated wells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the slip assemblies and sealing member into a single integrated monolithic elastomeric structure. The elastomeric material forms both the sealing surfaces and the slip bodies with integrated teeth, eliminating the need for separate slip assemblies and reducing overall plug length while maintaining sealing reliability through the unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a monolithic elastomeric structure that leverages the flexibility and compliance of elastomeric materials to provide effective sealing. The elastomeric nature allows the plug to conform to the wellbore geometry and maintain sealing contact under varying pressure conditions, achieving reliable sealing in a more compact form factor.
2Device complexity
If traditional plugs with multiple separate components are used, then each component can be optimized independently, but the overall device complexity and number of parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple discrete components (slip assemblies, sealing members, teeth) into a single monolithic elastomeric part. This integration reduces the number of components that need to be manufactured, assembled, and handled, thereby reducing device complexity and manufacturing complexity simultaneously through the unified elastomeric structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs elastomeric composite materials that provide the necessary mechanical properties for both sealing and slip functions. The elastomeric composite allows a single material to perform multiple functions that traditionally required separate components, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining manufacturability through material versatility.
3Reliability
If longer plug designs are used to provide adequate sealing contact patch, then sealing performance improves, but the plug weight increases and difficulty of deployment in tight corners increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the flexibility and compliance of elastomeric materials to create an extended sealing contact patch within a compact overall length. The elastomeric structure can deform and conform to the wellbore surface, providing adequate sealing contact area without requiring a long rigid structure, thereby reducing plug weight while maintaining sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by using elastomeric materials with specific durometer and compliance characteristics. This allows the sealing member to achieve adequate contact patch through material deformation and compliance rather than through increased structural length, effectively reducing plug weight while maintaining sealing performance.
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 design enhances sealing efficiency by extending the sealing contact patch over the length of the tool, improving sealing performance in tight spaces and reducing weight, while also allowing for degradable materials like polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to ensure plug integrity and post-fracture removal.
Implementation Method 1
a monolithic elastomeric sealing member having a first portion disposed between the top slip assembly and the bottom slip assembly, a second portion encapsulating the top slip assembly, and a third portion encapsulating the bottom slip assembly
Implementation Method 2
the third portion of the elastomeric sealing member is compressed between the top slip assembly and the bottom slip assembly, causing the elastomeric sealing member to deform and form a sealing engagement with the tubing
Implementation Method 3
allowing for degradable materials like polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to ensure plug integrity and post-fracture removal
Data Source
AI summary
Tools for sealing a tubing in a downhole environment. The tools feature top and bottom slip assemblies and a monolithic sealing element. The monolithic sealing element includes a portion that is disposed between the top and bottom slip assemblies as well as portions that encapsulate the slip assemblies. When the tool is actuated from a run-in configuration to a set configuration, the slips move toward each other squeezing the sealing element so that it forms a fluid-tight seal with the tubing. Teeth of the slip assemblies penetrate the portions of the sealing element disposed thereon and bite into the tubing.