Inflow Control Device Rotational Flow Regime
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Solution Overview
Problem
In oil production, the premature breakthrough of gas or water due to their higher mobility and lower viscosity leads to inefficient oil recovery, causing energy loss and premature abandonment of partially depleted reservoirs, which affects well profitability.
Innovation Solution
The use of an inflow control device (ICD) with a chamber and strategically positioned inlets that induce rotational and axial flow, creating different flow resistances based on fluid properties like viscosity and density, thereby regulating the flow regime to favor desirable fluids over undesirable ones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If gas or water are produced from the well, then production rate increases, but premature breakthrough occurs due to higher mobility and lower viscosity causing inefficient oil recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The ICD creates different flow regimes (laminar vs turbulent) in different regions of the chamber based on fluid properties. Low viscosity fluids (gas, water) experience higher resistance due to being forced through a longer effective path in laminar flow regime, while high viscosity fluids (oil) maintain more efficient flow. This local differentiation of flow characteristics resolves the contradiction by selectively managing different fluid phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The device exploits changes in fluid physical parameters (viscosity, density) to differential control flow. By designing the chamber geometry to promote laminar flow conditions, the ICD amplifies the effect of viscosity differences between fluid types, causing unwanted low-viscosity fluids to experience higher pressure drops while desired oil flows more efficiently.
2Reliability
If sand screens are installed to control sand production, then sand filtration is improved, but flow resistance increases for all fluids
Solution Approach 1:
The ICD applies different flow resistance characteristics to different fluid phases within the same screened interval. By creating a controlled laminar flow regime in the chamber, the device selectively increases resistance for low-viscosity fluids (gas, water) while maintaining better flow for high-viscosity oil, thus improving overall productivity while still controlling sand production through the screen.
3Stability of the object's composition
If conventional ICDs are used to regulate flow, then uniform production is achieved, but fluid property selective control is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The ICD chamber geometry is specifically designed to promote laminar flow conditions where fluid physical parameters (viscosity, density) have amplified effects on flow behavior. This enables the device to selectively control different fluid phases based on their properties, achieving adaptability while maintaining stable, uniform production through the screened interval.
Solution Approach 2:
The device creates a dynamic flow regime transition capability within the chamber, where flow conditions (laminar vs turbulent) can vary based on fluid properties and flow rates. This dynamic response allows the ICD to adaptively control different fluid phases according to their characteristics, providing both uniform production and fluid property selective control.
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 ICD effectively inhibits the production of unwanted fluids like gas or water, increasing the pressure drop for them while reducing it for desirable oils, leading to improved oil recovery and well profitability by maintaining a favorable flow regime.
Implementation Method 1
produce inside the chamber a fluid flow that rotates and translates in a direction along the length of the chamber toward the outlet
Implementation Method 2
create different flow regimes at an outlet of the inflow control device for a first fluid and a second fluid having different fluid compositions... different flow resistances based on fluid properties like viscosity and density
Implementation Method 3
increasing the pressure drop for them while reducing it for desirable oils... regulate a flow regime of the flow at the outlet based at least in part on a fluid property of the flow
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes an inflow control device that is disposed in a well and is adapted to receive a flow. The inflow control device includes a chamber, an outlet and at least one inlet. The chamber has a first end, a second end, and a cross-section of the chamber decreases along a length of the chamber. The outlet is disposed at the second end of chamber. The inlet has a cross-sectional dimension and is adapted to, in response to the received flow, inject a flow into the chamber near the first end of the chamber such that a fluid flow is produced inside the chamber that rotates and translates in a direction along the length of the chamber toward the outlet.