Retrievable Surface-Controlled Subsurface Safety Valve Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surface-controlled subsurface safety valves are prone to damage and malfunction due to intricate mechanisms with exposed moving components, making them costly and difficult to manufacture and deploy, especially when they require working over a well for installation.
Innovation Solution
A retrievable surface-controlled subsurface safety valve design that uses a simpler mechanism with a hydraulic system communicating through a capillary string, featuring a flapper operated by a single piston and annular space, and a pack-off mechanism with a solid packing element and slips, reducing the complexity and exposure of components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a surface controlled safety valve is deployed with intricate mechanisms and exposed moving components, then the valve can be operated from the surface, but the device becomes prone to damage and malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body integrates multiple functions including the valve seat, seal elements, and operating mechanisms within a single unified structure. The landing nipple incorporates both anchoring features and sealing surfaces, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing exposure of moving parts while maintaining surface operation capability through the integrated design.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a special adapter is used to land the device in an existing landing nipple, then the device can be deployed in existing hardware, but the deployment process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter components are merged with the main valve body, eliminating separate adapter pieces. The landing nipple features are directly integrated into the valve housing, allowing direct landing without requiring additional adapter assemblies. This consolidation reduces the number of components and simplifies the deployment sequence while maintaining compatibility with existing landing nipples.
3Reliability
If working over the well is performed to install a new safety valve, then a fully functional valve can be installed, but the process becomes time-consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces complex mechanical installation procedures with a simplified deployment mechanism. Instead of requiring well workovers with multiple mechanical steps, the valve is deployed through a single-action landing process where the landing nipple features automatically engage and secure the valve in place, significantly reducing installation time and cost while maintaining full functionality.
4Ease of operation
If multiple moving components are used to operate the flapper and seal mechanisms, then the valve can be precisely controlled, but the manufacturing cost and difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates unnecessary intermediate moving components from the control mechanism. The flapper is directly actuated by hydraulic pressure applied to a piston, removing intermediate linkages, springs, and adjustment mechanisms. This simplification reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining precise control through direct hydraulic actuation.
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 design minimizes component damage, enhances reliability, and simplifies deployment and retrieval, allowing for efficient operation without the need for existing hardware, reducing costs and operational complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a hydraulic system communicating through a capillary string
Implementation Method 2
a pack-off mechanism with a solid packing element and slips
Data Source
AI summary
A safety valve apparatus has a housing with a bore and a projection disposed in the bore. A locking dog disposed on the housing is movable to engage an inner conduit wall surrounding the housing, and a flapper rotatably disposed on the housing is movable between opened and closed positions. A first sleeve disposed within the bore above the projection is mechanically movable between locked positions. In one locked position, the sleeve moves the locking dog to engage the wall. A piston disposed in the housing hydraulically communicates with a port in the projection and couples to a second sleeve disposed within the bore below the projection. The second sleeve conceals the piston and is hydraulically movable to open and close the flapper.