Separable Housing for Tubular Control Conduits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small diameter tubular control conduits in wellbore abandonment pose a challenge as cement struggles to effectively seal them, leading to potential fluidic communication and environmental harm due to incomplete sealing through multiple barriers.
Innovation Solution
An actuatable obstruction apparatus is introduced, featuring a separating member that can sever or collapse the inner bore of the tubular control conduits, forming a seal by separating one portion from another, using mechanisms like rotation or translation with cutting members and biasing elements to prevent fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cement is injected to seal tubular control conduits during wellbore abandonment, then the wellbore isolation is improved, but the sealing effectiveness deteriorates due to small diameter of control lines preventing complete sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The control line is divided into two separate portions by the separating member, creating distinct sealed sections. The upper portion can be removed while the lower portion remains sealed in the wellbore, segmenting the sealing function to address the small diameter limitation of cement injection.
Solution Approach 2:
The separating member acts as an intermediary device that physically divides the control line and creates a seal at the separation point. This intermediary structure overcomes the limitation of cement alone by providing a mechanical barrier within the small diameter conduit.
2Reliability
If a separating member is used to sever the control line, then complete sealing is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The separating member is designed to transition from a connected state to a separated state through rotational or translational movement. This dynamic transformation allows a single component to perform both the sealing and separation functions, reducing the need for multiple separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions (sealing, separating, and potentially removing portions of the control line) into a single integrated separating member assembly. This merging of functions reduces overall device complexity compared to using separate tools for each operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus can have a separable housing having a longitudinal length extending along a longitudinal axis with an upper portion and a lower portion. One or more tubular control conduits can be disposed within the separable housing and extend along the longitudinal axis. The one or more tubular control conduits can have an inner bore formed therein. One or more actuation elements can be coupled with the separable housing and be operable to separate the upper portion and the lower portion of the separable housing. The one or more actuation elements can also be operable to separate the one or more tubular control conduits, thereby interrupting the inner bore of the one or more tubular control conduits.