Movable Combined Sand Control Pipe Axial Radial Slot Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sand control methods for oil wells, such as slotted screen pipes, face issues like sand plugging, reduced efficiency, and equipment attrition due to the inability to adjust to changing sand production conditions and the difficulty in maintaining a smooth flow path, especially in ultra-high water cut development stages.
Innovation Solution
A movable combined sand control pipe composed of axial and radial slotted screen pipes with couplings, movable spacer bushes, a split supporting ring, and an outer radial slotted screen pipe that allows for limited axial movement and rotational motion, creating a trapezoidal slot structure to prevent sand hardening and maintain flow efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a rectangular slotted screen pipe is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but sand plugs easily in the slot reducing production efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by changing the slot shape from rectangular to trapezoidal. The trapezoidal slot has a narrower top width than bottom width, creating an asymmetric geometry that prevents sand particles from bridging and plugging the slot, thereby maintaining production efficiency while keeping the structure relatively simple
2Productivity
If a trapezoidal slotted screen pipe is used, then sand plugging is reduced, but the slot is easily expanded by fine sand attrition shortening service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs nesting by placing an inner axial slotted screen pipe inside an outer radial slotted screen pipe. The inner pipe with axial slots provides primary filtration, while the outer pipe with radial slots provides secondary filtration and protection. This nested structure distributes wear and prevents slot expansion, extending the service life of the sand control system
3Manufacturing precision
If a precise composite sand control pipe with welded screens is used, then fine sand filtration is improved, but the welds are liable to break in thermal recovery wells and screens are easily plugged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the sand control pipe into multiple independent functional components: an inner axial slotted screen pipe, an outer radial slotted screen pipe, movable spacer bushes, and a split supporting ring. This segmented design eliminates the need for welding between screens and the pipe body, avoiding weld failure in thermal recovery conditions while maintaining precise filtration capabilities
4Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed sand control pipe is used, then the structure is stable, but it cannot adapt to changing sand production conditions reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics by making the outer radial slotted screen pipe movable relative to the inner axial slotted screen pipe. The outer pipe can rotate around the inner pipe and move axially within limited ranges, allowing the sand control system to adapt to varying sand production conditions and prevent sand hardening, while the split supporting ring maintains overall structural stability
Data Source
AI summary
A sand control screen pipe includes couplings, movable spacer bushes, an outer movable radial slotted screen pipe, a split supporting ring and an inner axial slotted screen pipe. In downhole sand control construction work, a movable combined sand control pipe of axial and radial slotted screen pipes is required to be aligned with an oil layer position, this sand control screen pipe adopts the outer radial slotted screen pipe and the inner axial slotted screen pipe for blocking sand, and the outer radial slotted screen pipe can carry out limited axial movement along the inner axial slotted screen pipe and free rotational motion around the axial line of the inner axial slotted screen pipe, so that the controlled sand can be effectively prevented from hardening and an oil leakage channel is kept smooth for a long time to improve the production efficiency of an oil well.