High Yield Steel Setting Sleeve with Segmented Fingers for Tubular Anchoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing expandable seals/anchors face limitations in grip force due to small carbide buttons and soft material used for the setting sleeve, which attenuates the anchoring force transmission and requires excessive force to expand, potentially damaging the surrounding tubular.
Innovation Solution
The use of high yield steel for the setting sleeve with a weakened leading end and axial slots forming flexible fingers, along with a surface treatment to engage or penetrate the tubular wall, enhances the anchoring and sealing mechanism by increasing the grip force and reducing the required expansion force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If carbide buttons are used for penetration into the surrounding tubular, then anchoring capability is improved, but grip force is limited due to small button dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The setting sleeve is divided into multiple axially-oriented fingers that can flex independently during expansion. This segmentation allows the sleeve to engage the tubular wall at multiple points simultaneously, distributing and multiplying the gripping force while maintaining reliable anchoring through the carbide buttons on each finger.
Solution Approach 2:
The setting sleeve combines high-yield steel for structural strength with carbide buttons for penetration capability. This composite approach allows the steel fingers to provide flexible support and multiplied grip force while the carbide buttons maintain their function of penetrating and anchoring into the tubular wall.
2Ease of operation
If a soft setting sleeve material is used, then expansion force requirement is reduced, but anchoring force transmission to the mandrel is attenuated
Solution Approach 1:
The setting sleeve exhibits local quality variation through its finger structure: the fingers are made of high-yield steel for strong force transmission, while the leading edges incorporate surface treatments or carbide buttons for easy engagement. This local differentiation allows the sleeve to transmit anchoring forces effectively through its body while requiring reduced expansion force at the engagement points.
Solution Approach 2:
The material parameter of the setting sleeve is changed from soft material to high-yield steel, fundamentally altering its mechanical properties. This parameter change enables the sleeve to transmit anchoring forces effectively while the finger geometry and surface treatments compensate by reducing the expansion force requirement through flexible deformation and enhanced engagement characteristics.
3Reliability
If the setting sleeve outer dimension is increased to engage the surrounding tubular wall, then anchoring is improved, but risk of damaging the tubular increases
Solution Approach 1:
The setting sleeve transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible finger structure. The fingers can flex and deform during the setting process, allowing the sleeve to engage the tubular wall with controlled, progressive force. This dynamic behavior prevents sudden excessive forces that could damage the tubular while ensuring reliable anchoring through the carbide buttons and surface treatments.
4Force
If high yield steel is used for the setting sleeve, then anchoring force transmission is improved, but force required to push the sleeve up the ramp increases
Solution Approach 1:
The high-yield steel setting sleeve is segmented into multiple flexible fingers that can deform independently during ramp traversal. This segmentation distributes the pushing force across multiple flexing elements, reducing the peak force requirement compared to a solid rigid structure. The fingers flex to accommodate the ramp geometry while maintaining the high-yield steel's superior anchoring force transmission capability.
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 solution improves the anchoring and sealing efficiency by transmitting the anchor force effectively through high yield steel and reduces the force needed to expand the seal assembly, preventing damage to the surrounding tubular while maintaining a secure lock.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of fingers are formed with axially oriented slots starting from a leading end allowing fingers to flex as they ride up the ramp on the mandrel
Implementation Method 2
The surface treatment can be wickers, hard particles or a roughening of the exterior surface in some other way. As a result the set position of the anchor/seal assembly is further locked in with the setting sleeve exterior surface wither abutting or penetrating the wall of the surrounding tubular
Data Source
AI summary
An expandable anchor/seal is pushed up a ramp until making contact with the surrounding tubular as or after the anchor/seal contacts the same tubular. The setting sleeve is made from high yield steel that has a weakened leading end to reduce the force required to push the leading end and the anchor/seal and an outer surface treatment at a leading end that engages or penetrates the wall of the surrounding tubular. Preferably a plurality of fingers are formed with axially oriented slots starting from a leading end allowing fingers to flex as they ride up the ramp on the mandrel for setting the anchor/seal and locking that set with the setting sleeve exterior surface configuration that can abut or penetrate the surrounding tubular.