Soluble Metal Bridge Plug Hard Sealing Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional soluble bridge plugs in the oil and gas industry face issues such as poor sealing, low pressure resistance, temperature instability, and operational complexity due to their rubber-based design, leading to high management costs and risks, especially in deep or unconventional wells.
Innovation Solution
A hard-sealing soluble bridge plug made of soluble Mg—Al alloy with a metal sealing ring design, featuring a wedge, slip, and guide shoe configuration, including metal sealing rings, ceramic granules, and specific geometrical features like conical surfaces and gearing teeth, which enhance sealing and anchoring without the need for retaining rings and improve storage and temperature adaptability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If soluble rubber cylinder is used for sealing, then the bridge plug can be dissolved after use, but the sealing performance and pressure bearing capacity are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from soluble rubber to soluble metal, fundamentally altering the material properties to achieve both high strength and solubility. The soluble metal material maintains mechanical integrity under high pressure while remaining dissolvable after use, resolving the contradiction between sealing reliability and pressure bearing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining soluble metal with ceramic granules and other functional materials. This composite approach allows the sealing element to simultaneously achieve high strength, good sealing performance, and controlled solubility, overcoming the limitations of pure rubber materials.
2Ease of manufacture
If soluble rubber cylinder is used, then the bridge plug can be dissolved, but the material must be stored under strict environmental control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material from rubber to metal, fundamentally altering the storage requirements. Soluble metal materials do not require strict environmental control for storage like rubber does, eliminating the need for temperature, light, and solvent avoidance measures, thereby improving ease of manufacture and storage while maintaining quality stability.
3Reliability
If soluble rubber cylinder with large volume is used, then sealing is achieved, but dissolution is slow and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition from rubber to soluble metal, which fundamentally alters the dissolution characteristics. The soluble metal material dissolves rapidly and completely without leaving residual debris, overcoming the slow and incomplete dissolution problems associated with large-volume rubber cylinders while maintaining effective sealing during the fracturing operation.
4Device complexity
If single-slip soluble bridge plug is used, then结构简单性 is improved, but anchoring effect is poor and slippage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the slip structure into multiple slips with different cone angles and geometries. This segmentation allows each slip to perform specific anchoring functions, improving the overall anchoring effect and preventing slippage during bridge plug fracturing, while maintaining relative structural simplicity through the use of standard soluble metal components.
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 hard-sealing design provides improved sealing efficiency, increased pressure resistance, and enhanced temperature adaptability, reducing operational risks and costs by ensuring reliable anchoring and preventing wellbore blockages during flowback, thus enhancing fracturing operation efficiency and stability.
Implementation Method 1
at least one metal sealing ring is sleeved at the junction of the outer circumference of the wedge and the slip, and the metal sealing ring is made of soluble metal
Implementation Method 2
a body made of soluble metal, the soluble metal is soluble Mg—Al alloy
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to the technical field of downhole tools of oil-gas wells, and specifically discloses a large-diameter soluble bridge plug. The large-diameter soluble bridge plug includes a fracturing ball, a cone, slips and a guide shoe. The lower end of the cone is connected with the upper end of the slips; the lower end of the slips is connected with the upper end of the guide shoe; a sealing component is arranged at a joint of the cone and the slips; and the fracturing ball is connected with the upper end of the cone in a sealing manner. A shear pin hole is formed at the upper end of the cone; and a groove is formed in an internal surface of the lower end of the guide shoe.