Passive Downhole Pressure Regulation for Hydraulic Tool Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing downhole hydraulic control lines are prone to damage during completion operations, making it difficult to verify the integrity of downhole hydraulic systems and resulting in potential losses in productive time due to the need for repairs or replacements, especially in dual trip completions where the lower completion has the majority of connected hydraulic control lines.
Innovation Solution
A downhole device that passively applies and regulates pressure to coupled hydraulic devices without the use of surface control lines or pumps, utilizing a hydraulic chamber, check valves, and a fluid separator to maintain a pre-determined differential pressure, which can be recharged via thermal expansion of hydraulic fluid or hydrostatic pressure, allowing for remote monitoring and reducing the risk of surface control line damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydraulic control lines are run from the surface to actuate downhole devices, then pressure can be applied to hydraulic devices, but the hydraulic control lines are exposed to abrasion and damage during completion operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the vulnerable surface control lines from the system by implementing a downhole pressure source that generates pressure internally at the downhole location. This extraction eliminates the external control lines that are susceptible to abrasion and damage during completion operations, while still enabling pressure application to hydraulic devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a downhole pressure source as an intermediary device that generates and regulates pressure internally at the downhole location. This intermediary eliminates the need for surface control lines by creating a local pressure generation system that directly actuates hydraulic devices without requiring external hydraulic connections.
2Productivity
If the lower completion is installed independently in dual trip completions, then deployment flexibility is improved, but it becomes difficult to verify hydraulic system integrity until upper completion is installed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by enabling pressure generation and system testing to occur at the downhole level during lower completion installation, before the upper completion is connected. The downhole pressure source allows integrity verification to be performed in advance, eliminating the waiting period required for upper completion installation and testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies self-service by enabling the lower completion to verify its own hydraulic system integrity through the downhole pressure source during its independent installation. The system performs self-testing and self-verification without requiring connection to the upper completion, allowing independent validation of hydraulic device functionality.
3Ease of operation
If surface control lines are used for pressure application, then pressure can be managed from the surface, but the system requires active surface management and increases complexity of completion operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the downhole pressure source to autonomously generate and regulate pressure at the downhole location without requiring active surface control. The system automatically maintains pressure differential across hydraulic devices, eliminating the need for continuous surface monitoring and adjustment, thereby simplifying the overall system despite the added downhole component.
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 reliable and efficient pressure management for downhole hydraulic devices, reducing the need for active surface pressure management, minimizing the risk of control line damage, and allowing for faster deployment of the lower completion while ensuring the integrity of hydraulic systems is maintained.
Implementation Method 1
The downhole device may be recharged via thermal expansion of the hydraulic fluid in the downhole device
Implementation Method 2
The downhole device may be recharged by applying pressure in the well via surface pressure application in the wellbore or by a pressure transfer from the hydrostatic pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A downhole device for applying and regulating pressure to a hydraulic device. The downhole device includes a relief check valve, a pressure transfer check valve, a hydraulic chamber, an output port, and a fluid separator. Pressure from the hydraulic chamber is applied to the hydraulic device to actuate the hydraulic device.