Two-Stage Expandable Liner Hanger for Full Cement Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies face challenges in achieving complete cement coverage across the length of an expandable liner hanger, which is crucial for securing and sealing the liner within a casing.
Innovation Solution
A two-stage expandable liner hanger system with independently expandable tubular portions, featuring different engagement members for anchoring and sealing, allows for staged expansion to ensure complete cement coverage by anchoring ribs first, followed by gripping and sealing members, with fluid passageways for cement flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a single-stage expandable liner hanger is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but complete cement coverage across the length of the hanger cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The liner hanger is divided into two independent tubular portions: a first tubular portion with first engagement members and a second tubular portion with second engagement members. This segmentation allows each portion to be expanded independently at different stages, enabling complete cement coverage while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The first tubular portion is expanded and engaged with the casing before cementing operations. This preliminary action creates the necessary anchoring and spacing conditions that allow cement to flow through the hanger and achieve complete coverage, while the second portion remains unexpanded until after cementing is complete.
2Reliability
If the liner hanger is expanded before cementing, then anchoring is achieved, but cement flow through the hanger is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the hanger into two portions with different engagement member configurations, the system allows the first portion to provide anchoring while its expanded structure still permits cement flow through the spaces between engagement members. The second portion remains unexpanded during cementing, ensuring cement can pass through the entire length.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the hanger have different expansion states and engagement member configurations optimized for their specific functions. The first portion is expanded locally to provide anchoring, while the second portion remains unexpanded to facilitate cement flow, creating local quality variations that solve the contradiction.
3Reliability
If the entire hanger is expanded after cementing, then complete sealing is achieved, but cement coverage cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The first tubular portion is expanded in advance of cementing to establish anchoring and create flow paths for cement. This preliminary expansion ensures that when cement is pumped, it can flow through the hanger structure and achieve complete coverage, while the second portion is expanded afterward to provide final sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The two-stage expansion process segments the anchoring and sealing functions into different portions and time sequences. The first portion handles anchoring before cementing, while the second portion provides sealing after cementing, allowing both objectives to be achieved without conflict.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for expanding a two-stage expandable liner hanger includes expanding a first section of an expandable tubular having the first section and a second section. The first section includes one or more anchoring ribs. The method further includes expanding the second section of the expandable tubular after cement is pumped into the expandable tubular.