Modular Split Body Swelling Packer for Wellbore Sealing

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing swelling packers are limited by rigid housing designs that hinder length adjustment and sealing efficiency, particularly in combining water and oil swell elastomers, and often fail to provide a reliable pressure seal between wellbore sections.

Innovation Solution

A modular packer system with a split body design using interlocking modules and tapered pins for secure attachment to tubulars, allowing for adjustable length and combination of swelling elements, along with end rings for protection and extrusion prevention, enabling effective sealing with water or hydrocarbons.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a rigid housing is used to contain the swelling material, then the swelling material is protected and contained, but the housing creates a barrier in the annulus and makes sealing between the housing and tubular difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidhousing design complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the rigid housing with a flexible bellows-like structure that can deform to conform to the tubular surface. This flexible body allows the swelling material to expand radially while maintaining contact with the tubular, eliminating the barrier effect of rigid housings and enabling reliable sealing through the flexible contact surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The packer is divided into multiple modular segments that can be assembled together. Each segment contains swelling material and can independently seal against the tubular surface. This segmentation allows the packer to adapt to different tubular sizes and maintains sealing reliability without requiring a single complex rigid housing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If a set length packer design is used, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but there is no means of joining additional segments to make the packer longer or combine different swelling elements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacker length adjustabilityVSAvoidmodular assembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The packer is divided into multiple modular segments that can be assembled together. Each segment contains swelling material and can independently seal against the tubular surface. This segmentation allows the packer to adapt to different tubular sizes and maintains sealing reliability without requiring a single complex rigid housing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines different types of swelling material (water-swell and oil-swell elastomers) within the same packer assembly by placing them in different modular segments. This merging capability allows the packer to respond to multiple fluid types simultaneously while maintaining a manageable modular structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If a modular design with multiple elements is used, then the packer can be extended as needed and combined with different swelling elements, but the complexity of assembling and securing multiple elements increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelement combination flexibilityVSAvoidassembly ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The packer is divided into multiple modular segments that can be assembled together. Each segment contains swelling material and can independently seal against the tubular surface. This segmentation allows the packer to adapt to different tubular sizes and maintains sealing reliability without requiring a single complex rigid housing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 modular design allows for customizable packer assemblies that can be extended as needed, providing a reliable pressure seal and preventing leaks, while accommodating various tubular profiles and materials, enhancing sealing efficiency and adaptability.

Implementation Method 1

Some of these packers swell in the presence of water and others in the presence of hydrocarbons

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSwelling: Absorption (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS7730940B2Split body swelling packer

Publication Date: 2010.06.08 BAKER HUGHES CO

AI summary

A swelling packer system uses modules that can be joined together and mounted over a tubular using a vertical split that can be drawn closed with a tapered pin in overlapping loops. The pins are circumferentially spaced apart as between adjacent modules. End rings can protect the modules for run in and act as extrusion barriers during and after the swelling is complete. The module ends can be overlapped in an interlocking fashion which allows multiple elements to be joined together to make a packer assembly as long as desired with any combination of swelling elements in a single packer assembly. Optionally, interior grooves in the swelling material can hold split ring seals or o-ring type seals that are slipped over a tubular end before a module is clamped on. The sealing elements can be triggered with water or hydrocarbons or with other materials already in the wellbore or introduced to it or other surface or locally actuated triggers.