Swelling Polymer Seal for Wide Annular Gaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing swelling seals face challenges in sealing wide annular spaces due to their thickness in the non-swollen state, which makes them difficult to transport and install, especially in deep well boreholes, and previous solutions either compromise on strength or have complex, costly structures.
Innovation Solution
A seal with a seal wall made of elastomeric polymer material that freely expands radially from a central axis, allowing both inner and outer diameters to increase significantly during swelling, enabling sealing of wider spaces with a smaller initial diameter and providing a simpler, more robust construction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the radial wall thickness of the seal is increased in the non-swollen state to bridge wider annular spaces, then the sealing capability is improved, but the seal becomes difficult to transport and install in deep well boreholes
Solution Approach 1:
The seal wall is designed to be dynamically changeable through swelling. In the non-swollen state, the seal has a small radial wall thickness that is easy to transport and install. Upon activation, the seal wall swells to increase its radial thickness, providing the necessary sealing capability for wide annular spaces. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between ease of installation and sealing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal utilizes swelling of polymer material to change its physical parameters. The radial wall thickness parameter increases from a small value in the non-swollen state to a larger value in the swollen state. This parameter change allows the seal to start with small dimensions for easy transportation and then expand to provide adequate sealing width, resolving the contradiction between initial size and sealing capability.
2Ease of operation
If the seal wall is made thin to facilitate transportation, then ease of installation is improved, but the seal strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The seal wall dynamically changes its thickness through swelling. Initially thin for easy transportation, the seal wall swells to increase its thickness and strength when deployed. This dynamic property allows the seal to have both thin initial dimensions for transportation and sufficient strength when activated, resolving the contradiction between ease of transportation and seal strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the polymer material changes from non-swollen to swollen, altering the radial wall thickness parameter. This parameter change enables the seal to be thin during transportation for ease of handling, then become thicker and stronger when deployed to provide adequate sealing strength, resolving the contradiction between transportation ease and structural strength.
3Reliability
If the seal wall is made bellow-shaped with slanted sections to increase radial width coverage, then the sealing width is improved, but the seal wall thickness remains considerable in the non-swollen state
Solution Approach 1:
The seal wall is designed to be dynamically thin in the non-swollen state for easy transportation, then swells to achieve the necessary sealing width. The bellow-shaped configuration with slanted sections is present in the swollen state, allowing the seal to cover wider annular spaces. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between initial transportation ease and final sealing width capability.
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
Enables sealing of annular spaces with a considerable radial width using a seal with a small radial wall thickness in the non-swollen state, allowing easier transportation and installation, while maintaining strength and simplicity, with a diameter expansion ratio of at least 1:1.3 to 1:2.
Implementation Method 1
a seal (10) with a seal wall (12) of a swelling polymer material having elastomeric properties so that the seal has a non-swollen state and an expanded state
Data Source
AI summary
A seal including a seal wall comprising a swelling polymer material having elastomeric properties so that the seal has a non-swollen state and an expanded state, the seal wall having a closed circumference that extends around a central longitudinal axis and that extends from a first end via an intermediate section to a second end along a length (L) in the direction of the central axis (A), wherein the first end of the seal sleeve wall is connected or connectable to the inner element and wherein the seal wall, apart from at and adjacent to the first end thereof, is freely radially expandable due to the fact that the second end and the intermediate section of the seal wall are not connected to any structural parts.