Downhole Plugging Tool With Spring Blade Guidance for Consistent Drift
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing downhole tools face challenges in ensuring consistent drift size during plugging operations due to unpredictable severing of the stinger, which can lead to inconsistent running clearance and potential failure in sealing perforations.
Innovation Solution
A downhole tool with a spring blade mechanism that allows the sting to penetrate the tubular wall and be sheared off, leaving a distal end as a plug, while maintaining consistent drift size by using a spring blade to centralize and guide the sting's expansion and shearing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stinger is used to punch a hole in casing wall and inject sealant, then plug installation is achieved, but drift size cannot be guaranteed due to unpredictable severing location
Solution Approach 1:
A spring blade is introduced as an intermediary component between the stinger and the casing wall. The spring blade guides the stinger's radial movement and controls the severing process, ensuring the stinger breaks at a predetermined location rather than at an unpredictable position. This intermediary mechanism guarantees consistent drift size while maintaining reliable plug installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring blade is pre-positioned and pre-loaded against the casing wall before the stinger is activated. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the stinger is pushed radially outward, it follows a controlled trajectory and severs at the intended location, eliminating unpredictable breakage and ensuring consistent drift size.
2Ease of operation
If the stinger is pushed radially outward to punch the hole, then plug function is achieved, but unpredictable severing causes inconsistent running clearance
Solution Approach 1:
The spring blade serves as a mediator that simplifies the deployment operation while simultaneously controlling the severing location. The operator simply activates the stinger, and the spring blade automatically guides the process to a controlled break, achieving both ease of operation and precision in running clearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring blade changes the physical parameters of the severing process by providing a predetermined break location and controlling the force distribution. This parameter control ensures that the stinger severs at a consistent position, guaranteeing uniform running clearance while maintaining simple operation.
3Device complexity
If the stinger is used without a guiding mechanism, then device complexity is reduced, but severing location becomes unpredictable
Solution Approach 1:
The spring blade is a relatively simple intermediary component that adds minimal complexity to the tool structure. However, it provides substantial improvement in severing location control by guiding the stinger's movement and ensuring predictable breakage, thus achieving reliable plug installation without significantly increasing device complexity.
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
Ensures consistent drift size and effective sealing of perforations by shearing the sting end flush with the tubular wall, allowing for precise plugging and functional plug installation with minimal leak paths.
Implementation Method 1
which spring blade is configured to be pressed elastically towards the tool housing by the wall of the downhole tubular pushing against the outward facing surface
Implementation Method 2
shearing off said distal end from the sting by axial movement of the spring blade relative to the wall of the downhole tubular
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~7
Figure 8
AI summary
A downhole tool (1) is provided for plugging a hole in a wall of a downhole tubular (11). The tool has a tool housing (3) and a sting (7) arranged within the tool housing. The sting is moved in radially outward direction from the tool from a retracted position to an expanded position. A distal end of the sting plugs the hole in the wall of the downhole tubular. A spring blade (5) is arranged on the tool housing and in a trajectory of the sting. The sting (7) can extend from the tool housing through the spring blade (5), when the sting is in expanded position, whereby the distal end of the sting is exposed at the outward facing side of the spring blade. The spring blade is configured to be pressed elastically towards the tool housing by the wall of the downhole tubular pushing against an outward facing surface of the spring blade.