Stage Cementer Packer Single Plug Sleeve Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cementing processes for subterranean wells often face challenges, particularly when it is impossible or impractical to cement the entire well, leading to the use of a staging process where casing is cemented in sections, which can be inefficient and require complex tools.
Innovation Solution
A stage cementing tool with a mandrel and packer system that includes fully open cement flow ports and a mechanism for setting the packer and opening the ports using a single plug and sleeve, allowing for efficient cement distribution between the casing and wellbore without the need for rupture disks, enabling effective cementing in sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a staging process is used to cement the casing in sections, then it is possible to cement only the required portion of the well, but the process becomes more complex and less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cementing process is divided into stages using a staging tool with a packer that can seal off specific sections of the annulus. The tool includes a mandrel with ports that can be selectively opened or closed to control cement flow to different zones, allowing the well to be cemented in manageable sections rather than requiring complete well cementing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the necessary cementing function from a complex multi-component staging tool by using a simple plug that can be deployed through the casing. The plug engages with a seat in the staging tool to automatically set the packer and open the cement flow ports, eliminating the need for complex external setting mechanisms while maintaining the ability to cement in sections.
2Reliability
If traditional staging tools with rupture disks are used, then cement flow can be controlled, but the device complexity increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces complex, expensive rupture disks with a simple, disposable plug that is deployed through the casing. The plug is a simple cylindrical object with minimal features that engages with a corresponding seat to trigger the cementing operation. This disposable approach eliminates the need for complex setting mechanisms and reduces the number of moving parts, thereby improving reliability while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential function of cement flow control from complex rupture disk assemblies by using a simple plug-and-seat mechanism. The plug, when deployed, engages with the seat to simultaneously set the packer and open the cement flow ports through a simple mechanical connection, eliminating the need for complex rupture disk structures while maintaining reliable cement flow control.
3Ease of operation
If a single plug and sleeve mechanism is used to set the packer and open ports, then the process is simplified, but the mechanism for coordinating these actions must be reliable
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the functions of setting the packer and opening the cement flow ports into a single coordinated action. The plug, when deployed through the casing, engages with a seat that simultaneously triggers both the packer setting mechanism and the port opening mechanism through a shared mechanical connection. This merging of functions into a single action simplifies the operation while ensuring reliable coordination between the two critical functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug acts as an intermediary element that coordinates the setting of the packer and the opening of the cement flow ports. When the plug engages with the seat, it serves as the mediating component that transmits the setting force to both the packer and the port control mechanism, ensuring they are activated simultaneously and reliably without requiring separate control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A stage cementing tool has a mandrel defining a central flow passage and a plurality of fully open cement flow ports. A packer disposed about the mandrel is movable from an unset to a set position. An opening sleeve is movable in the mandrel from a closed position to an open position in which the flow ports are exposed to allow flow therethrough. The opening sleeve is operable to move the setting sleeve to set the packer against the wellbore as it moves in the mandrel from the closed to the open position.