Pump-out Well Cementing Apparatus with Expandable Collet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cementing processes for well casing often require drilling out formation packer shoes after cementing, which can contaminate open hole portions of wells and complicate the process, and existing systems are complex with multiple sleeve valves and materials that can obstruct fluid flow.
Innovation Solution
A well cementing apparatus with a housing, packer, and inner assembly featuring a rupture disk, expandable collet, and movable sleeves that allow for sequential operation to set the packer, close the cementing port, and pump out components, ensuring minimal obstruction and efficient fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If formation packer shoes are used to seal the annulus and circulate cement, then the well can be cased and cemented without filling the open hole portion, but the apparatus must be drilled out after cementing to provide access to the producing zone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the discarding principle by designing a pump-out packer shoe where the internal components (setting sleeve, closing sleeve, and other movable parts) are intentionally designed to be temporary and are pumped out through the open hole after serving their cementing function. The expandable collet prevents re-entry while allowing the components to be discarded into the formation, eliminating the need for drilling out and preserving producing zone access.
2Extent of automation
If multiple sleeve valves and complex mechanisms are used in the packer shoe, then the cementing operation can be controlled, but the apparatus obstructs fluid flow and complicates the process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing the complex multiple sleeve valve system from the final production configuration. The packer shoe uses a simplified sequence: a setting sleeve for packer deployment, followed by automatic pumping out of internal components through the open hole. This extracts the unnecessary complexity while retaining the essential cementing control functions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the inner assembly components remain in the housing after cementing, then the structure remains intact, but it obstructs fluid flow and requires drilling out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by designing the inner assembly components as temporary and movable rather than permanent and fixed. The setting sleeve and closing sleeve are designed to be pumped out through the open hole after cementing, transforming from a static obstructing structure to a dynamic temporary component that is removed from the flow path, eliminating fluid flow obstruction without compromising structural integrity during the cementing operation.
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 apparatus simplifies the cementing process by avoiding the need to drill out components, maintaining a uniform flow path, and preventing re-entry of pumped-out parts, thus enhancing production efficiency and reducing operational complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a rupture disk closing the cementing port in a run in condition. The rupture disk is selected to have a rupture pressure at or above a pressure selected for setting the packer.
Implementation Method 2
an expandable collet provided on a lower end of the housing. The collet is expandable to permit the closing sleeve seat and the packer setting sleeve to be pumped out the lower end of the housing, but returns to original dimensions to prevent the pumped out parts from moving back into the housing.
Data Source
AI summary
A well casing cementing apparatus includes a housing and an inner assembly of movable parts. The housing includes a cementing port and a packer on its outer surface below the cementing port. The inner assembly includes three movable parts comprising a closing sleeve for closing the cementing port after a cementing operation, a closing sleeve seat for moving the closing sleeve and a packer setting sleeve for setting the packer. A rupture disk is provided closing the cementing port in a run in condition and is selected to have a rupture pressure at or above a pressure selected for setting the packer. An expandable collet on a lower end of the housing permits the closing sleeve and the setting sleeve to be pumped out the lower end of the housing, but prevents the pumped out parts from moving back into the housing, e.g. during production of fluids from the well.