Tubing Pressure Insensitive Actuator System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic actuation systems for subsurface safety valves face challenges in deep water environments due to technical limitations, high costs, and reliability issues, as well as environmental concerns, leading to increased production costs and reduced profitability.
Innovation Solution
A tubing pressure insensitive actuator system is developed, featuring a housing with a bore and a force transmitter with two fluid chambers, sealed to isolate ends from tubing pressure, and an electric activator to reduce force requirements, allowing the actuator to generate sufficient force for activating downhole tools without overcoming tubing pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydraulic actuation is used for subsurface safety valves, then the valve can be actuated reliably, but the system becomes expensive and technically challenging in deep water environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the hydraulic actuation system with an electric actuation system. The electric motor-driven windlass mechanism provides the necessary mechanical advantage to operate the subsurface safety valve without requiring complex hydraulic infrastructure, thereby reducing system complexity and cost while maintaining reliability in deep water environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a force transmitter as an intermediary mechanism between the electric actuator and the valve. This force transmitter amplifies the electric motor's output force through mechanical advantage, enabling reliable valve actuation without directly coupling the electric motor to the valve, thus simplifying the overall system architecture.
2Reliability
If hydraulic actuation is used, then the valve can be actuated, but costs and environmental issues increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes electric actuation for hydraulic actuation, eliminating the need for hydraulic fluid, pumps, and associated infrastructure. This substitution reduces manufacturing costs, simplifies installation, and removes environmental concerns related to hydraulic fluid leakage, while maintaining reliable valve actuation capability.
3Ease of operation
If the actuator is exposed to tubing pressure, then it can directly actuate the valve, but the force requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a force transmitter as an intermediary that provides mechanical advantage between the actuator and the valve. This intermediary mechanism amplifies the actuator's output force, allowing the actuator to operate at lower force levels while still achieving the necessary valve actuation, thereby reducing the actuator size and power requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A tubing pressure insensitive actuator system includes a housing having a bore therein. A force transmitter is sealingly moveable within the bore, the force transmitter defining with the bore two fluid chambers. One of the fluid chambers is at each longitudinal end of the force transmitter. At least two seals are sealingly positioned between the housing and the force transmitter, with one of the seals isolating one end of the force transmitter from tubing pressure and another of the seals isolating another end of the force transmitter from tubing pressure. A method is also included.