Laser Well Decommissioning With Exhaust Capture and Fiber Power Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methodologies for removing structures from the earth, such as hydrocarbon wells, are inefficient, costly, and pose safety risks due to the need for extensive excavation and the handling of potentially hazardous materials like natural gas.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a high power laser unit with a chiller, control systems, and a deployment crane, equipped with a laser tool that includes a shielding and exhaust gas collection housing, allows for precise cutting and removal of structures with minimal excavation, using a high power optical fiber and optical slip ring to maintain power transmission and reduce pollutant emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional excavation and mechanical removal methods are used, then structures can be removed from the earth, but extensive excavation is required and safety risks increase due to handling hazardous materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical excavation and removal systems with a laser-based system. The laser tool delivers high-power laser beams through an optical fiber to cut and remove well structures directly at the target location, eliminating the need for extensive mechanical excavation and hazardous material handling, thus improving safety while maintaining productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an optical fiber as an intermediary to deliver laser energy from the laser source to the target structure. This allows the laser tool to operate at a distance from the hazardous zone, and the shielding housing acts as another intermediary to contain and control the laser beam and exhaust gases, reducing exposure to harmful factors
2Productivity
If high power laser beams are used to cut structures, then cutting precision and speed improve, but power transmission over distance suffers substantial loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical power transmission systems with optical fiber-based laser transmission. The optical fiber delivers high-power laser beams over distances greater than 500 meters with minimal power loss, enabling precise and rapid cutting while maintaining energy efficiency over long transmission distances
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes laser wavelength parameters that experience minimal attenuation in optical fibers. By selecting appropriate laser wavelengths and optimizing the optical fiber transmission characteristics, the system achieves substantial power transmission over great distances while maintaining cutting precision and speed
3Productivity
If laser cutting operations are performed, then structure removal is faster and more precise, but pollutant emissions from laser exhaust increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures the laser exhaust gases and particulates that would otherwise be harmful emissions, and channels them through a filtration system. The exhaust collection housing captures these byproducts, and the filter removes pollutants, converting a harmful effect into a controlled and cleaned output, thus maintaining high productivity while reducing environmental impact
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a filtration system as an intermediary between the laser cutting process and the environment. The filter acts as a mediator that captures and removes pollutants from the laser exhaust, allowing fast and precise cutting while minimizing harmful emissions to acceptable levels
4Reliability
If shielding and exhaust collection housing are added to the laser tool, then safety and environmental compliance improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the shielding housing and exhaust collection housing into a single integrated structure. This merging of functions reduces the overall number of separate components, simplifies the device architecture, and maintains both safety shielding and exhaust capture capabilities without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides laser beam shielding for safety, collects and directs exhaust gases for filtration, and supports the optical components. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby improving reliability while controlling device complexity
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 system enables faster, safer, and more efficient removal of structures by minimizing excavation and reducing pollutant emissions, while maintaining a safe operational environment with reduced risk to personnel.
Implementation Method 1
laser unit, the laser unit having: a chiller
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a high power laser unit with a chiller, control systems, and a deployment crane, equipped with a laser tool that includes a shielding and exhaust gas collection housing, allows for precise cutting and removal of structures
Implementation Method 3
high power laser beam having a wavelength of at least about 1060 nm and having at least about 1 KW of power
Implementation Method 4
high power optical fiber and optical slip ring to maintain power transmission
Implementation Method 5
laser tool that includes a shielding and exhaust gas collection housing
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided high power laser systems for performing decommissioning of structures in land based boreholes, and wells, offshore, and other remote and hazardous locations, and using those system to perform decommissioning operations. In particular embodiments the laser system is a Class I system and reduces emission of materials created during laser cutting operations. The laser systems can include lifting and removal equipment for removing laser sectioned material.