Fluid Vent Assembly Asymmetric Blade Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for venting gases from the annulus of downhole equipment, such as ESP shrouds, pose safety risks due to the need for drilling through the housing, which can lead to exposure to unknown and potentially hazardous gases, including hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulfide, during disassembly.
Innovation Solution
A fluid vent assembly with a port and sealing device that allows for safe venting of gases by using a cutting device with an asymmetric blade to disrupt the sealing device, enabling gas transmission without the need for drilling through the housing, thereby reducing the risk of gas exposure and ignition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If drilling through the housing wall is used to vent gas, then gas can be vented from the annulus, but safety risks increase due to exposure to hazardous gases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing wall is segmented into multiple sections: a sealed section with port, a sealing device section, and an opening section. The sealing device can be selectively opened to vent gas through the port without drilling through the entire housing wall, thereby maintaining structural integrity while enabling controlled gas venting to reduce exposure risks
Solution Approach 2:
A sealing device acts as an intermediary between the sealed housing and the external environment. This sealing device can be opened to allow gas venting through a controlled port rather than direct drilling, serving as a mediator that enables gas release while maintaining safety controls and preventing uncontrolled exposure to hazardous gases
2Reliability
If drilling through the housing wall is used to vent gas, then gas can be vented from the annulus, but the complexity of the operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device is pre-installed in the housing wall with a port already formed, eliminating the need for on-site drilling operations. The sealing device is configured to be opened by a cutting device that disrupts it to permit gas transmission, providing a simpler, pre-prepared venting solution compared to drilling through the housing wall during the venting operation
3Ease of operation
If the housing wall is drilled to vent gas, then gas can escape, but the risk of ignition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device serves as a controlled intermediary that mediates between the pressurized gas in the annulus and the external environment. By opening this sealing device through a port rather than drilling, gas can be vented in a controlled manner that reduces the risk of uncontrolled ignition compared to direct drilling through the housing wall
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
The solution enhances safety during disassembly by avoiding the need to drill through the housing, reducing the risk of gas exposure and ignition, and allowing for controlled venting of pressurized fluids to a safe location, improving operational safety and reducing the risk to personnel.
Implementation Method 1
a cutting device adapted to disrupt the sealing device and permit transmission of fluid through the port
Data Source
AI summary
A housing for a downhole tool, having a fluid vent assembly comprising a port passing through the wall of the housing to transmit fluid through the port when the port is open, a sealing device to seal the port, and a cutting device to disrupt the sealing device and permit transmission of fluid through the port. The cutting device is driven axially through the sealing device without relative rotation between the two. The cutting device has an asymmetric blade to cut a coupon from the sealing device by a gradual and progressive disruption of the closure, typically cutting through only a portion the closure device, so that the coupon cut from the closure device remains attached to the closure device when the closure device is ruptured to open the seal. Typically the downhole tool comprises a downhole pump, and the housing comprises the shroud of the pump.