Rapid-Opening Valve for Borehole Seismic Pulse Generation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing borehole injection technologies, such as surge-pulsing, have limitations in extending the radial and vertical reach of liquid injection into the ground formation, with the ground becoming saturated and 'fingering' occurring, which restricts further liquid injection despite increased pressure.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a seismic component into the injection process by rapidly releasing pressurized liquid through a valve system that creates a high-energy seismic wave, increasing porosity and conductivity, allowing for more extensive and efficient liquid distribution around the borehole.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If surge-pulsing is used to inject liquid into the ground, then the ground homogenising effect can be radiated large distances, but the radial extension is limited and fingering occurs which restricts further injection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic surge-pulsing action to inject liquid into the ground in cyclic pulses rather than continuous flow. This periodic injection creates coherent surges that propagate radially outward, homogenizing the ground and preventing fingering while extending the liquid body to greater radial distances from the borehole.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of liquid injection by controlling pressure, pulse duration, and flow rate. By optimizing these parameters, the liquid is injected as coherent pulses that maintain integrity during propagation, extending radial reach while preventing the ground saturation and fingering that occur with conventional continuous injection.
2Volume of moving object
If a seismic component is added to surge-pulses, then the coherent body extends further away from the borehole, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a valve system that serves multiple functions: it controls the timing of liquid release, generates the seismic pressure wave, and regulates the pulse characteristics. This multi-functional valve design achieves the desired radial extension of the coherent liquid body while minimizing the increase in device complexity by combining several functions into a single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve system is designed to accumulate liquid under pressure before release, preparing the charge-volume in advance. This preliminary action allows the rapid release that generates the seismic component and extends the coherent body radially, while the valve remains relatively simple in structure since it only needs to perform the switching function between charged and discharged states.
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 seismic component enhances the radial and vertical extension of the coherent liquid body, reducing 'fingering' and enabling larger volumes of liquid to be injected further away from the borehole, maintaining high injection efficiency over prolonged cycles.
Implementation Method 1
opening a valve to release the charge-volume into the ground very suddenly and rapidly. The resulting pressure pulse or seismic wave radiates through the ground
Implementation Method 2
A high-energy seismic-pressure pulse can cause the porosity of the ground to increase momentarily. As the seismic waves approach and pass, the sudden increase in pressure lifts the ground slightly, at that point
Implementation Method 3
injecting at least a portion of the charge-volume at a flowrate that changes quickly enough to induce a significant seismic (porosity) wave
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 7~11
AI summary
During a surge-pulsing operation in a borehole (e.g an oil-well undergoing remediation) liquid is stored under pressure upstream of a valve, and then released through the valve suddenly enough to create a seismic wave, which propagates into the formation around the borehole, and assists the surge-pulsing to improve the conductivity and liquid- injectability of the formation. The downhole valve achieves the rapid-opening requirement by virtue of its geometrical layout, as dictated by the strictures of the downhole environment.