Packer Setting Mechanism Using Pressure Drop Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packer systems in the downhole drilling and completions industry require high actuation pressures to set the packer, which can damage components and are costly to manufacture, as they need to withstand pressures exceeding those of kill-weight fluids used in the process.
Innovation Solution
A setting mechanism with a setting piston that is actuatable in response to fluid pressure, where the piston is prevented from actuating until the pressure decreases below a threshold pressure, allowing for packer setting with lower pressures, using a mechanism involving a plug, priming piston, resilient member, and temporary impeding elements like rupture disks or disintegrable materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high actuation pressure is applied to set the packer, then the packer can be set, but component damage risk increases and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The setting mechanism performs preliminary actions by first displacing the plug with initial fluid pressure to open the fluid pathway, then using a priming piston to pre-position the setting piston. This preliminary preparation allows the system to convert subsequent pressure drops into effective setting force, avoiding the need for high actuation pressure while ensuring reliable packer setting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces several intermediary elements: a plug that mediates fluid flow control, a priming piston that mediates setting piston positioning, and a resilient member that mediates force transmission. These intermediaries enable the system to use pressure drops (rather than high pressure) to actuate the setting piston, reducing component damage risk while maintaining setting reliability.
2Reliability
If high actuation pressure is used to set the packer, then the packer setting function is achieved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanism performs preliminary displacement of the plug and positioning of the setting piston before the actual setting action. This preliminary action sequence allows the system to use lower-pressure fluid (such as packer fluid replacing kill-weight fluid) to complete the setting, reducing the need for expensive high-pressure components and lowering manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the pressure parameter dynamically: it uses initial pressure to displace the plug, then relies on pressure drop to actuate the setting piston. This parameter change approach allows the use of standard-pressure components rather than expensive high-pressure components, reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining the packer setting function.
3Stress or pressure
If the setting piston is prevented from actuating until pressure decreases below threshold, then lower actuation pressure is needed, but actuation timing control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The setting mechanism is self-actuating: the pressure drop itself automatically displaces the plug and actuates the setting piston through the resilient member. The system uses the pressure differential to drive its own operation without requiring external timing control mechanisms, reducing device complexity while enabling actuation at lower pressures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses hydraulic principles where fluid pressure and pressure drops directly control the mechanical elements. The fluid pressure displaces the plug and the subsequent pressure drop acts on the resilient member to drive the setting piston. This hydraulic self-service mechanism simplifies control while achieving low-pressure actuation.
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
Enables packer setting at pressures lower than those required by traditional systems, reducing the risk of component damage and manufacturing costs by preventing actuation until the pressure drops below a threshold, thus avoiding the need for high-pressure actuation.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient member, biased by the priming piston in a second configuration, to displace the plug
Implementation Method 2
a setting piston that is actuatable in response to a fluid pressure... enabling actuation of the setting piston of the setting mechanism only after the pressure is decreased below the threshold pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A packer system including a packer and a setting mechanism. The setting mechanism has a setting piston that is actuatable in response to a fluid pressure in order to set the packer with the setting piston. The setting mechanism prevents actuation of the setting piston until the pressure is decreased below a threshold pressure from a value greater than the threshold pressure. A method of setting a packer is also included.