Expandable Corrosion Measurement Tool for Oil Wells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools for measuring corrosion in oil wells face challenges such as complex installation, maintenance, and interference with fluid flow, leading to inaccurate corrosion assessments due to altered flow conditions and limited representativeness of measurements.
Innovation Solution
A corrosion measuring tool with a hollow cylindrical barrel and expandable fastening means that securely attaches to the tubing without altering fluid flow, featuring a conical upper portion that expands to secure the tool and retract to release it, allowing for prolonged operation and accurate corrosion analysis at desired depths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coupons are positioned inside a cylindrical housing suspended without contact with metallic surfaces, then corrosion measurement is enabled, but the coupon distribution does not reflect actual flow conditions inside the pipe
Solution Approach 1:
The tool divides the coupon array into multiple individual coupon holders distributed around the perimeter of the cylindrical housing, each positioned to face different flow directions. This segmentation allows each coupon to experience different flow conditions independently, providing a comprehensive representation of the actual corrosion environment throughout the pipe cross-section.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-point suspension measurement to a multi-dimensional array of coupons distributed radially around the housing perimeter. This spatial distribution across multiple dimensions captures flow patterns and corrosion variations from different angles and positions, accurately representing the three-dimensional flow field inside the pipe.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a hanging device is used to place the tool at arbitrary depth, then installation flexibility is improved, but installation and maintenance become complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical hanging device with an expandable anchoring system that uses hydraulic or mechanical expansion forces. The anchoring elements expand from a compact state during installation to a locked state at the target depth, eliminating the need for complex hanging mechanisms while providing secure positioning and simplified retrieval through wireline or slickline operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchoring system transitions from a static, complex hanging structure to a dynamic expandable mechanism. The anchoring elements remain compact during deployment, then dynamically expand upon reaching the desired depth to lock onto the wellbore wall, providing both installation flexibility and operational simplicity through state changes rather than mechanical complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the tool is fastened to the pipe with expandable means, then installation is simplified, but the fastening mechanism may interfere with fluid flow
Solution Approach 1:
The cylindrical housing is designed with thin-walled construction that allows fluid to pass through or around it with minimal resistance. The expandable anchoring elements use flexible materials and designs that conform to the wellbore wall without creating significant flow obstructions, maintaining ease of installation while minimizing interference with production fluid flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the anchoring function from the main cylindrical housing body, placing expandable anchoring elements at discrete locations around the perimeter. This separation allows the main housing to remain a streamlined, flow-friendly structure while the anchoring elements provide secure attachment without significantly impacting overall fluid flow characteristics.
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
Enables simplified installation and removal, prolonged operation without affecting well production, and provides accurate corrosion measurements by ensuring coupons are subjected to natural well conditions without flow or pressure alterations, enhancing the reliability of corrosion assessments.
Implementation Method 1
the conical upper portion to penetrate into the expandable means, forcing the expandable means to expand outwardly, putting in contact said fastening means with the tubing
Implementation Method 2
the cylindrical lower portion has linkage and retention sliding means to link and retain the hollow cylindrical barrel
Data Source
AI summary
A corrosion measuring tool for controlling corrosion in an oil well with a tubing has a hollow cylindrical barrel, a hollow element, an expandable sleeve, at least one coupon for corrosion measurement and an elongated member. The hollow element is located at the upper end of the hollow cylindrical barrel and has a conical upper portion and a cylindrical lower portion. The cylindrical lower portion is slidable within the barrel. The cylindrical lower portion has linkage and sliding retention. An expandable sleeve is located at the upper end of the hollow cylindrical barrel, below the conical upper portion. The sleeve has a fastener. Movement of the hollow element relative to the barrel in a downward direction causes the conical upper portion to expand the expandable sleeve. Movement of the hollow element in an upwardly direction releases the expandable sleeve to separate the fastener from the tubing.