Installation Apparatus for Simultaneous Borehole Formation and Liner Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming deviated well bores and installing liners in subterranean formations are complex and require multiple steps, making them difficult to maintain and operate efficiently.
Innovation Solution
An installation apparatus with a flexible member connected to a bore-forming device and a control module, featuring a housing with a support mechanism that allows simultaneous borehole formation and liner installation in a single downhole trip, using a piston and actuation cylinder to move the flexible member and nozzle, facilitating the creation of inverted drainholes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing methods for forming deviated well bores and installing liners are used, then the borehole can be formed and liner installed, but the process requires multiple steps and is complex to maintain and operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the borehole formation operation and liner installation operation into a single integrated tool and single downhole trip. The tool includes a housing with a flexible member that has a liner arranged around it, allowing both operations to be performed simultaneously or in sequence without requiring separate trips or tools, thereby reducing overall process complexity while maintaining installation reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The installation apparatus is designed as a multi-functional tool that can both form deviated boreholes and install liners in a single deployment. The tool can also form multiple drainholes from a single location, making it a universal solution that replaces multiple specialized tools and operations, reducing both device complexity and operational complexity
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple steps are used for borehole formation and liner installation, then each step can be performed carefully, but the number of operations increases making maintenance and operation less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
By merging borehole formation and liner installation into a single integrated operation using one tool, the patent eliminates the need for multiple separate steps. This reduces the total number of operations required, improving productivity and operational efficiency while the controlled expansion mechanism ensures precise borehole formation and proper liner installation occur simultaneously
3Productivity
If a single tool deployment is used to form multiple drainholes, then productivity increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible member that can be dynamically expanded from a compact configuration during transport to an expanded configuration during operation. This dynamic transformation allows the tool to form multiple drainholes from a single deployment location, increasing productivity. The flexibility and controllability of the expansion mechanism manage the complexity by allowing the tool to adapt its configuration based on operational needs rather than requiring multiple rigid components
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 apparatus simplifies the process of forming inverted drainholes and installing liners, reducing the number of moving parts and improving maintenance and operation efficiency, allowing for the formation of multiple drainholes with a single tool deployment.
Implementation Method 1
using a piston and actuation cylinder to move the flexible member and nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
An installation apparatus for installing a liner in a subterranean formation includes a housing having an internally arranged flexible member operatively connected to a bore-forming device at one end and to a control module at another end. An opening is arranged in a housing wall through which the flexible member and device may be passed. A liner is arranged around at least a portion of the flexible member between the opening and a first support member. The first support member is arranged to move inside the housing in a direction towards the opening, and a second support member is configured to movably support at least a portion of the flexible member in the region between the control module and the first support member. A method of installing a liner in an inverted drainhole is disclosed.