Gradient Corrosion Tools via Additive Manufacturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for manufacturing corrodible tools for oil and natural gas or carbon dioxide sequestration wells face challenges in creating complex structures with gradient or anisotropic properties, often requiring separate components to be joined together, which is inefficient and limits the ability to produce articles with varying properties in different directions.

Innovation Solution

The method involves depositing metallic powder on a substrate and fusing it using an energy beam to create articles with gradient properties such as tensile strength, compressive strength, electrical resistance, thermal conductance, or hardness, allowing for the production of seamless structures with varying properties in different directions through additive manufacturing techniques like selective laser sintering or direct metal deposition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional manufacturing methods (molding, forging, extrusion) are used to create corrodible tools, then the tools can be produced with uniform properties, but they cannot achieve gradient or anisotropic properties without joining separate components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegradient propertiesVSAvoidmultiple components

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by varying the powder composition, particle size distribution, or processing parameters during additive manufacturing to create regions with different corrosion rates within a single component. This allows the tool to have areas that corrode at different speeds, enabling gradient properties without joining multiple components together.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by combining different metallic powders or alloying elements in specific ratios within the additive manufacturing process. This creates a single-component structure with spatially varying composition, achieving gradient corrosion properties while maintaining structural integrity throughout the tool.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Manufacturing precision

If separate components are joined together to create articles with different corrosion rates, then the desired gradient properties can be achieved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecorrosion rate gradientVSAvoidmanufacturing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple functions and properties into a single component by using additive manufacturing to create a monolithic structure with spatially varying material properties. This eliminates the need to manufacture, assemble, and join separate components, significantly improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining precise control over corrosion rate gradients.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent achieves different corrosion rates by changing material parameters (composition, particle size, density) during the additive manufacturing process itself. This allows precise control over the corrosion gradient within a single manufacturing operation, avoiding the need for multiple manufacturing steps and component assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If corrodible materials are used to facilitate tool removal, then physical removal operations are avoided, but the tools cannot be made with complex structures and varying properties

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetool removalVSAvoidcomplex structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by designing tools with varying corrosion rates in different regions, allowing the tool to maintain structural integrity in load-bearing areas while enabling controlled disintegration in non-structural areas. This dynamic property distribution facilitates automatic tool removal through selective corrosion while maintaining complex geometries during the service life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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

This approach enables the creation of single-piece articles with controlled chemical and physical properties, facilitating efficient corrosion and dual-functionality in downhole operations by selectively corroding specific portions, thus enhancing the service life and operational flexibility of wellbore components.

Implementation Method 1

fusing the metallic powder to additively form an article

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSelective Laser Sintering: Selective Laser Sintering

Implementation Method 2

depositing a metallic powder on a substrate or a worktable; and fusing the metallic powder

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDirect Metal Deposition:

Implementation Method 3

such tools or components may be formed of a corrodible material so that they need not be physically removed but may instead corrode or dissolve under downhole conditions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCorrosion:

Data Source

PatentUS10335855B2Additive manufacturing of functionally gradient degradable tools

Publication Date: 2019.07.02 BAKER HUGHES CO

AI summary

An article comprises a plurality of micro-sized or nano-sized galvanic cells, wherein the article has a seamless structure encompassing a plurality of empty spaces of different sizes, geometries, distributions, or a combination thereof, and one or more of the following properties of the article vary in different directions: tensile strength; compressive strength; electrical resistance; thermal conductance; modulus; or hardness.