Packer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional packers, including resin and metal types, fail to operate effectively in ultra-high temperature environments of 400° C. to 500° C. due to material limitations and high manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A metal packer with a hollow part containing a thermally expandable sealed liquid, such as water, and an expansive bellows-shaped outer peripheral wall that deforms to seal the annulus, combined with a cleavage mechanism to release pressure safely, allowing for low-cost production and operation in extreme temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a resin packer is used, then it can seal the annulus part at moderate temperatures (up to 200°C), but it cannot withstand ultra-high temperatures (400°C to 500°C) in supercritical geothermal power generation
Solution Approach 1:
The packer uses a metal container and expansive concrete instead of resin material to change the temperature resistance parameter, enabling operation at ultra-high temperatures of 400°C to 500°C while maintaining sealing capability through the expansion mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The packer combines metal container material with expansive concrete filling to create a composite structure that withstands ultra-high temperatures while maintaining the expansion function for sealing the annulus part
2Temperature
If a metal packer with expansive concrete is used, then it can resist ultra-high temperatures (400°C to 500°C), but the expansive concrete cannot withstand such temperatures and degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The packer uses a metal container as a protective housing that can withstand ultra-high temperatures, while the expansive concrete inside serves as a temporary expansion medium that is replaced by a metal expansion mechanism capable of withstanding the temperature environment
3Reliability
If expansive concrete is used in the metal packer, then the annulus part can be sealed through expansion, but the manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The packer replaces expensive expansive concrete with a metal expansion mechanism consisting of a metal container and metal expansion plates, reducing material costs while maintaining the expansion and sealing function
Solution Approach 2:
The packer replaces the chemical expansion mechanism of concrete with a thermal-mechanical expansion system using metal plates that expand through heat conduction and thermal expansion, eliminating the need for expensive concrete materials
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 solution enables a cost-effective packer that maintains sealing efficacy in ultra-high temperature environments without material degradation, using thermally resistant metals like stainless steel and INCONEL, and a pressure-controlled release mechanism to prevent damage.
Implementation Method 1
a sealed liquid that thermally expands is sealed in the hollow part
Implementation Method 2
an outer peripheral wall of the packer part includes an expansive part that protrudingly deforms outward with the thermal expansion of the sealed liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A packer connected to a casing pipe, the packer including a connecting tube made of metal and connected to the casing pipe, and a packer part made of metal and attached around the connecting tube. The packer part has a hollow part inside. A sealed liquid that thermally expands is sealed in the hollow part. An outer peripheral wall of the packer part includes an expansive part that protrudingly deforms outward with the thermal expansion of the sealed liquid.