Frangible Glass Seat Diverter Tool for Casing Surge Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
During well completion operations, casings with tight tolerances create unwanted pressure and a piston effect, leading to surge pressure and potential damage, especially in offshore deep water wells, due to existing surge reduction devices failing to seal properly.
Innovation Solution
A surge reduction diverter tool using a frangible glass seat that catches a ball, closing with increased pressure to cover ports, allowing autofill drilling mud passage and reducing pressure loss, with optional confirmation devices to ensure proper closure before cementing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metallic expandable seats are used to close ports in surge reduction devices, then pressure can be increased to seal ports, but cracking, failing to seal and dart damage may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a frangible glass seat that is designed to be disposable - it is activated by a ball drop, performs its sealing function, and then intentionally shattered to allow full flow. This eliminates the need for durable metallic seats that suffer from cracking and dart damage, as the glass seat is replaced by simply dropping another ball to activate a new one.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from metallic to frangible glass, and changes the operational state from permanently sealed to temporarily sealed then shattered. The glass seat undergoes a parameter change from intact (sealing) to shattered (open flow) through controlled fracture, providing a different mechanism than metallic expandable seats.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If casing is run slowly to reduce surge pressure, then formation damage is reduced, but rig time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surge reduction diverter tool is installed in advance in the drill pipe before running the casing. The tool is pre-configured with the frangible glass seat and sealing mechanism, so that when casing running begins, the surge reduction capability is already in place, allowing faster running speeds without formation damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary device - the surge reduction diverter tool with frangible glass seat - that mediates between the casing string and the formation. This intermediary allows surge pressure to be controlled during casing running, enabling faster speeds while protecting the formation, thus resolving the contradiction between speed and formation protection.
3Stability of the object's composition
If tight tolerance casing clearances are used, then wellbore stability is improved, but surge pressure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surge reduction diverter tool acts as an intermediary pressure management device that allows the use of tight tolerance casing clearances for wellbore stability while providing a mechanism to relieve surge pressure through the frangible glass seat activation and shattering process.
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 tool enhances run-in-hole speeds, reduces rig time, and protects formations by minimizing pressure spikes and ensuring pressure integrity, while being universally compatible with different liner hangers and landing strings.
Implementation Method 1
the frangible seat will cause the glass seat to shatter, leaving a fully open bore
Data Source
AI summary
A downhole tool has a tool body with a tool body outer diameter. A liner with a liner outer diameter is connected to the tool body. The tool body has a plurality of diverter ports defined in a wall thereof. A closing sleeve is movable in the tool body to close the diverter ports. A closing seat attached to the closing sleeve is a frangible closing seat.