Plug Seat Flow Feature for Dissolvable Plug Degradation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Dissolvable plugs in the resource recovery industry often take longer to dissolve than intended, leading to inefficiencies and additional operational costs due to corrosion bridging the gap between the plug and the seat, reducing fluid access and hindering timely degradation.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a flow feature, such as grooves or pathways, in the plug seat design to ensure fluid access directly to the area adjacent the tooth, bypassing corrosion bridges and enhancing the degradation of the plug, with optional texturing and degradable closure mechanisms to facilitate timely dissolution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If dissolvable plugs are used to avoid milling or drilling operations, then operational time and expense are reduced, but the plugs take longer to dissolve than intended

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational timeVSAvoiddissolution time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The plug seat is segmented into multiple functional zones including a tooth structure, a cage extending radially outward, and flow features that divide fluid distribution into multiple pathways. This segmentation allows fluid to access different areas of the plug simultaneously, accelerating dissolution while maintaining the benefit of avoiding milling operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A cage structure extends from the body immediately downstream of the tooth to an area radially outward of the tooth. This cage acts as an intermediary element that directs and distributes dissolution fluid around the plug, enhancing contact between the fluid and plug material to speed up dissolution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If plugs are positioned close to the seat tooth for effective sealing, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but corrosion bridges form reducing fluid access to the plug

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing effectivenessVSAvoidcorrosion bridging

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cage structure extends the fluid distribution system from a single-plane tooth interface into a three-dimensional space radially outward from the tooth. This dimensional extension creates multiple fluid access pathways that bypass corrosion bridges forming in the traditional gap between plug and tooth

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the plug seat are given different functional properties: the tooth provides sealing contact, the cage provides fluid distribution, and flow features provide direct fluid access. This local differentiation allows the system to maintain both effective sealing and adequate fluid access for dissolution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 flow feature ensures timely and efficient dissolution of dissolvable plugs by providing direct fluid access, reducing the risk of corrosion bridging and allowing for timely removal without the need for additional operations like milling or drilling.

Implementation Method 1

a flow feature disposed at the body, the feature providing fluid access directly to an area immediately adjacent the tooth

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid flow:

Data Source

PatentUS10794142B2Plug seat with enhanced fluid distribution and system

Publication Date: 2020.10.06 BAKER HUGHES CO

AI summary

A plug seat including a body having a lead in and a tooth, a flow feature disposed at the body, the feature providing fluid access directly to an area immediately adjacent the tooth. A plug seat including a tooth positioned relative to a body to be at an upstream most end of the body, a cage extending from the body immediately downstream of the tooth to an area radially outward of the tooth and upstream thereof.