3D-Printed Ball Valve Structure for Faster Downhole Milling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ball valves used in downhole applications often become stuck, requiring time-consuming milling to resolve, due to their strong material composition.
Innovation Solution
A printed ball valve with an integrally formed single-component body featuring a fluid passage and internal chambers that create a release-by-milling zone, allowing for easier milling by concentrating stress and reducing material strength in specific areas, facilitating faster and less laborious operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the ball valve is made from strong material to maintain structural integrity during operation, then the strength and reliability are improved, but the time and effort required for milling operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ball valve incorporates a release-by-milling zone with modified material properties (reduced strength, porosity, or density) in specific localized areas while maintaining strong material in other critical regions. This allows the ball to be easily milled open in the designated zone without compromising the overall structural integrity needed for normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball valve is functionally segmented into different zones: a strong structural body for maintaining integrity during operation, and a weakened release-by-milling zone for easy opening. The internal chambers further segment the structure to create stress concentration points that facilitate controlled failure during milling operations.
2Reliability
If the ball valve material is made strong to prevent failure during operation, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of milling is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the ball valve have different material qualities: the main body uses strong material for reliability, while the release-by-milling zone uses weakened material (with porosity, lower density, or reduced strength) to facilitate easy milling and opening operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The release-by-milling zone incorporates porous material structure that reduces the effective strength and density of the ball in that specific region. The porosity creates internal voids that reduce material removal resistance during milling while maintaining sufficient structural integrity for normal valve operation.
3Volume of moving object
If the ball valve is designed with a compact cylindrical profile to fit wellbore constraints, then the space efficiency is improved, but the complexity of creating release-by-milling zones increases
Solution Approach 1:
The release-by-milling zones are created within the internal three-dimensional structure of the ball rather than modifying the external cylindrical profile. Internal chambers and stress concentration zones are positioned strategically within the ball's volume to facilitate milling without altering the compact external shape, thus maintaining space efficiency while enabling easy opening.
Data Source
AI summary
A ball valve that includes a ball comprising an integrally formed single-component body that defines an external surface; a fluid passage extending through the body, the fluid passage defining an internal surface; and a plurality of internal chambers formed within the body, each internal chamber of the plurality of internal chambers being spaced from the external surface and being spaced from the internal surface; wherein when the ball is subjected to one or more stresses, a stress concentration is created within a release-by-milling zone of the single-component body, the release-by-milling zone being adjacent to the plurality of internal chambers. The ball is at least partially manufactured using an additive manufacturing process.