Expandable Inverted Seals for Wellbore Tool Passage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current inverted seals used in wellbore completion operations are prone to damage from proppant, temperature cycling, and tool passages, making them unreliable and difficult to replace during the production life of a well, limiting their effectiveness in fracturing and gravel packing operations.
Innovation Solution
The development of expandable inverted seals that can temporarily or permanently increase their internal dimensions to accommodate larger tools and allow for the installation of new seals if damaged, featuring a seal body with a sliding fit and movable seal assembly that expands radially to provide a larger internal space, enabling the use of tools with dimensions greater than the original seal size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If inverted seals are used in gravel packing and fracturing operations, then the cross-over tool string can act as a continuous sealing mandrel with minimum jamming locations, but the inverted seals sustain damage from proppant in the slurry, temperature cycling, and tool passages
Solution Approach 1:
The seal assembly is designed with movable and expandable characteristics, allowing it to transition from a compact initial state during installation to an expanded operational state. The seal body can be moved axially and radially expanded to accommodate tool passages while maintaining sealing contact, thereby improving both ease of operation and reliability during the well lifecycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal dimensions of the seal assembly are made changeable through expansion mechanisms. The seal can be expanded radially to increase its internal diameter, allowing larger tools to pass through during subsequent operations. This parameter change enables the seal to adapt to different operational requirements while maintaining its sealing function, resolving the contradiction between operational ease and durability.
2Reliability
If inverted seals are used to isolate sections during completion operations, then sealing is achieved, but damaged inverted seals cannot be replaced during the production life of the well
Solution Approach 1:
The seal assembly incorporates movable components that can be axially displaced. The seal body can be moved away from its initial sealing position, allowing access to the sealing interface for inspection and replacement. This dynamic capability enables maintenance and repair operations during the well's production life while maintaining reliable sealing when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal assembly is designed as a separable structure with distinct components including the seal body, seal elements, and housing. This segmentation allows individual components to be replaced independently. If the seal elements become damaged, they can be replaced without replacing the entire assembly, improving ease of repair while maintaining sealing reliability.
3Device complexity
If standard seals are used with fixed internal dimensions, then the seal structure is simple, but larger tools cannot pass through the seal assembly during subsequent operations
Solution Approach 1:
The seal assembly incorporates expandable mechanisms that allow the internal diameter to be increased on demand. The seal body can be radially expanded to create a larger passage for oversized tools, then returned to its original size for normal sealing operations. This dynamic dimensionality provides adaptability for different tool sizes while maintaining a relatively simple base structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal assembly utilizes radial expansion to provide an additional dimensional state. The internal diameter can transition between a smaller initial dimension and a larger expanded dimension. This dimensional change capability allows the same seal structure to accommodate both standard and oversized tools, improving versatility without significantly increasing base complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for use in a wellbore is disclosed that in one non-limiting embodiment includes a housing including a first location having a first inside dimension and a second location having a second inside dimension that is larger than the first inside dimension, and a seal assembly placed with a sliding fit at the first location, wherein the seal assembly includes a seal body and an inverted seal along an inside of the seal body and wherein the seal assembly is movable from the first location to the second location and expandable into the second location when the seal assembly is positioned at the second location.