Guide Assembly Torque Limiter for Borehole Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guide noses used in the resource recovery and fluid sequestration industries often become engaged with profiles or restrictions in tubular structures, leading to potential damage or failure due to excessive torque.
Innovation Solution
A guide assembly comprising a guide nose, a body, and a torque limiter, where the torque limiter limits the torque transmitted to the guide nose, allowing it to longitudinally unload and incrementally rotate to navigate restrictions without causing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a guide nose is used to help passage through restrictions, then the ability to navigate tubular structures is improved, but the guide nose can become engaged with profiles and become shouldered or trapped
Solution Approach 1:
The guide nose is designed with rotational freedom relative to the body, allowing it to dynamically adjust its orientation as it encounters profiles or restrictions. This rotational capability prevents the guide nose from becoming trapped or shouldered on profiles, resolving the contradiction between navigation ability and reliability by enabling the guide nose to adapt its position rather than remain fixed
Solution Approach 2:
The guide assembly is divided into separable components: the guide nose can rotate independently relative to the body through a defined interface. This segmentation allows the guide nose to function independently in navigating profiles while the body provides structural support, reducing the likelihood of damage to either component
2Productivity
If torque is applied to rotate the guide nose, then passage through restrictions is enabled, but excessive torque can cause damage
Solution Approach 1:
The interface between the guide nose and body includes a torque limiter that changes the torque parameter from unlimited to limited. This allows controlled rotation through restrictions while preventing excessive torque that could cause damage, resolving the contradiction between productivity and strength by establishing an optimal torque threshold
3Ease of operation
If the guide nose is engaged with a profile, then centralization is attempted, but the guide nose becomes trapped in a gap
Solution Approach 1:
The guide nose is designed with rotational freedom relative to the body, allowing it to dynamically adjust its orientation as it encounters profiles or restrictions. This rotational capability prevents the guide nose from becoming trapped or shouldered on profiles, resolving the contradiction between navigation ability and reliability by enabling the guide nose to adapt its position rather than remain fixed
Solution Approach 2:
The guide nose geometry includes a tapered or rounded leading end that preliminarily prepares for engagement with profiles. This preliminary geometric configuration reduces the likelihood of getting trapped by smoothly transitioning through profile edges before full engagement occurs
Data Source
AI summary
A guide assembly including a guide nose, a body supporting the guide nose, and a torque limiter having a configuration to connect the guide nose and the body to a separate structure. A method for negotiating a restriction in a borehole including running a guide assembly into the borehole, encountering a restriction with the guide nose, limiting torque on the guide nose while encountering the restriction, longitudinally unloading the guide nose, incrementing an incrementing feature of the guide assembly to thereby rotate the guide nose. A wellbore system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole, a guide assembly disposed within or as a part of the string.