Passive Downhole Pressure Regulation Without Surface Control Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing downhole hydraulic devices require surface control lines or pumps for pressure application and regulation, which are prone to damage and complicate completion operations, especially in dual trip completions, making it difficult to verify integrity and leading to potential downtime.
Innovation Solution
A downhole device that passively applies and regulates pressure using thermal expansion and hydrostatic pressure without surface control lines or pumps, utilizing check valves and a fluid separator to maintain a predetermined differential pressure, allowing for wireless telemetry and monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If surface control lines are used to apply pressure to downhole hydraulic devices, then pressure application is achieved, but the control lines are exposed to abrasion and degradation during descent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pressure application function from the surface control lines and relocates it to a downhole device. The downhole device contains a hydraulic chamber that generates pressure internally, eliminating the need for surface control lines to traverse the wellbore and reducing their exposure to abrasion and degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The downhole device is self-sufficient in generating and regulating pressure through thermal expansion of hydraulic fluid and hydrostatic pressure from wellbore fluid. The device monitors its own pressure conditions and automatically adjusts without requiring external control lines or surface intervention.
2Adaptability or versatility
If dual trip completions are used with independently installed lower completion, then installation flexibility is improved, but verification of hydraulic system integrity becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The downhole device incorporates pressure sensors that continuously monitor hydraulic pressure conditions and provide feedback. This enables verification of hydraulic system integrity after lower completion installation, allowing detection of leaks or failures before upper completion is installed, thus resolving the verification difficulty in dual trip completions.
3Stress or pressure
If hydraulic control lines are run externally on production tubing, then pressure control is achieved, but abrasion and degradation occur during descent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the hydraulic control lines from the external surface of production tubing and relocates the pressure generation function to a downhole device. The hydraulic chamber and associated components are installed within the downhole environment, eliminating external exposure to abrasion during descent.
Solution Approach 2:
The downhole device acts as an intermediary between the wellbore environment and the hydraulic devices. It generates and regulates pressure locally using wellbore fluid and thermal expansion, mediating the pressure control function without requiring vulnerable external control lines.
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 reliable pressure application and regulation, reduces the risk of damage to control lines, enables managed pressure drilling, and allows for real-time monitoring of hydraulic devices, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and reducing downtime.
Implementation Method 1
thermal expansion of the hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic chamber creates a pressure differential with the hydrostatic pressure of the wellbore
Implementation Method 2
hydrostatic pressure of the wellbore
Data Source
AI summary
A downhole device for applying and regulating pressure to a hydraulic device. The downhole device includes a relief check valve, a pressure transfer check valve, a hydraulic chamber, an output port, and a fluid separator. Pressure from the hydraulic chamber is applied to the hydraulic device to actuate the hydraulic device.