Flexible Sleeve Cone Expander for Tubular Element Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for expanding tubular elements in wells face challenges due to the need for oversized expansion tools that cannot be easily positioned within the casing, leading to limitations in well depth and fluid flow capacity, and often require cementing to stabilize the well.
Innovation Solution
A flexible sleeve and cone expander tool system that can be positioned and expanded within the tubular element without requiring an oversized entry point, using a flexible sleeve with a cone expander section and anchoring mechanisms to expand the tubular element incrementally, allowing for multiple expansion operations throughout the well.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a cone shaped expanding tool with outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the casing is used, then the casing can be expanded to reduce annular space, but the expanding tool cannot be positioned inside the casing and must be moved through it from top or bottom
Solution Approach 1:
The expanding tool is divided into two functional segments: a delivery mechanism (rod or cable) that can be positioned inside the casing, and an expansion mechanism (cone or ball) that remains outside. The delivery mechanism transmits force through the casing wall to expand the tubular element from the inside, separating the positioning function from the expansion function.
Solution Approach 2:
The casing wall itself acts as an intermediary structure. Instead of requiring the expansion tool to pass through the casing, the tool is positioned in the annular space outside the casing, and the casing wall serves as the medium through which expansion force is transmitted to the tubular element interior.
2Force
If conventional expanding tools are used to expand casing, then the annular space is reduced, but the inner open diameter of the well is progressively reduced leading to limitations on maximum depth and fluid flow
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion is applied locally to specific sections of the tubular element rather than uniformly throughout. The expanding tool can be positioned at specific locations to create localized expanded sections, allowing the majority of the wellbore to maintain its original diameter and flow capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The expansion process is made dynamic and controllable, allowing the expansion to be applied selectively to specific sections of the tubular element. This enables the wellbore to have varying diameters at different locations, optimizing both structural stability and fluid flow capacity.
3Force
If the expanding tool outer diameter is made greater than the inner diameter of the casing, then sufficient force can be applied to expand the casing, but the tool must be moved through the casing from top or bottom which complicates the operation
Solution Approach 1:
The expanding tool is divided into two functional segments: a delivery mechanism (rod or cable) that can be positioned inside the casing, and an expansion mechanism (cone or ball) that remains outside. The delivery mechanism transmits force through the casing wall to expand the tubular element from the inside, separating the positioning function from the expansion function.
Solution Approach 2:
The casing wall itself acts as an intermediary structure. Instead of requiring the expansion tool to pass through the casing, the tool is positioned in the annular space outside the casing, and the casing wall serves as the medium through which expansion force is transmitted to the tubular element interior.
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 efficient expansion of tubular elements without the need for cementing, maintaining a stable well diameter and allowing for increased well depth and fluid flow, while facilitating various applications such as isolation, anchoring, and pressure testing.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible sleeve made from a flexible material of predetermined thickness, the flexible sleeve having an outer diameter that is less than or equal to an inner diameter of the tubular element
Implementation Method 2
the expander section is urged through the sleeve from one end to the other so as to expand the sleeve against the inside of the tubular member
Data Source
AI summary
A tubular element can be expanded using an expander tool that includes a flexible sleeve having an outer diameter less than or equal to the inner diameter of the tubular element, a cone expander section on which the sleeve is mounted and an elongate mandrel. The cone expander section includes a first cone having a first narrow end that fits inside the sleeve and that increases in diameter from the first narrow end to a maximum at a base that is greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve but less than the inner diameter of the tubular element. The expander tool can be positioned at a predetermined location in the tubular element, fixed in place, and the expander section can be urged through the sleeve to expand the sleeve and thus the tubular element.