Rupture Disk Progressive Failure Simulation for Downhole Pressure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems fail to analyze, predict, and report progressive failures of rupture disks in downhole environments, leading to potential damage from annular pressure buildup and redistribution.

Innovation Solution

A progressive failure analysis system utilizing a processor, storage, and software modules to simulate and model drilling, production, casing, and tubing stresses, which feeds into a multi-string module to analyze and report rupture disk failures due to trapped annular pressure, including real-time monitoring and reconfiguration of well completion designs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple rupture disks are used in the well completion design to mitigate annular pressure increases, then the ability to reduce annulus pressure is improved, but the risk of progressive failures increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveannular pressure mitigation capabilityVSAvoidnumber of rupture disks

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis and prediction of rupture disk failures before actual failures occur. By simulating progressive failure scenarios and identifying at-risk rupture disks in advance, the system enables preventive reconfiguration of completion designs, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing the need for multiple rupture disks through optimized placement and design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If multiple rupture disks are installed to prevent annular pressure buildup, then pressure protection is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring progressive failures worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepressure protection capabilityVSAvoidprogressive failure detection

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors well completion data, simulates rupture disk behavior, and compares predicted failure patterns with actual field data. This feedback loop enables the system to detect progressive failures by identifying deviations from expected performance patterns, thereby improving detectability while maintaining pressure protection capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If traditional rupture disk systems are used without progressive failure analysis, then device simplicity is maintained, but loss of information regarding failure prediction and reporting occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoidfailure prediction and reporting data

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates virtual copies and simulations of the physical rupture disk system to analyze failure scenarios without modifying the actual hardware. By modeling progressive failure sequences in a digital environment, the system extracts valuable predictive information and reporting data while keeping the physical system simple and unchanged, thereby eliminating information loss without increasing physical complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS9009014B2System, method and computer program product to simulate the progressive failure of rupture disks in downhole environments

Publication Date: 2015.04.14 LANDMARK GRAPHICS CORP

AI summary

Systems and related methods to simulate, predict, and report progressive failures of rupture disks in response to thermal expansion of trapped annular fluids.