Threaded Connection Performance Evaluation via Subset Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for evaluating the performance of threaded connections in hydrocarbon production systems are either costly and time-consuming due to extensive physical testing or lack scalability and specificity, as they do not account for the individual performance limits of connections within a group.
Innovation Solution
A method involving model analysis and limited physical testing of a subset of threaded connections to define a characteristic performance factor, which is then applied to the entire group, allowing for efficient evaluation of performance limits without extensive physical testing on all connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical testing is conducted on all threaded connections to ensure adequate performance, then reliability is improved, but loss of time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the evaluation process into two distinct parts: (1) physical testing performed on a limited subset of threaded connections to obtain actual performance data, and (2) computational analysis applied to the entire group of connections using the subset data as calibration input. This segmentation allows reliability assessment to be extended to all connections without physically testing each one, thereby reducing time loss while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces computational analysis as an intermediary between the limited physical testing and the comprehensive performance assessment. The computational model acts as a mediator that translates results from the small tested subset into predictions for the entire group, enabling reliable evaluation of all connections without the time cost of testing each individually.
2Reliability
If physical testing is conducted on all threaded connections to ensure adequate performance, then reliability is improved, but cost increases to several hundred thousands of dollars
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the evaluation population into a small tested subset and a larger untested group. By performing physical testing only on the subset and using computational methods for the remainder, the patent dramatically reduces the total cost of evaluation while maintaining reliable performance assurance through the computational calibration approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a computational replica or model of the threaded connections that can be analyzed without physical testing. This virtual copy allows performance assessment of the entire group at a fraction of the cost of physical testing, while the model is calibrated using actual test data from the subset to ensure accuracy.
3Loss of time
If finite element analysis is used to evaluate threaded connections, then cost and time are reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to false positives
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary physical testing on a subset of connections before conducting the full computational analysis on the entire group. This preliminary action provides calibrated reference data that improves the accuracy of subsequent computational predictions, eliminating the false positive problem that occurs when computational analysis is performed in isolation without empirical calibration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback loop where physical test results from the subset are used to validate and calibrate the computational model, which then provides refined predictions for the entire group. This feedback mechanism ensures that the computational analysis is grounded in actual performance data, significantly improving measurement precision while maintaining the time efficiency of computational methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A method associated with the selection of tubulars for hydrocarbon production is described based upon evaluating the performance limits of threaded connections. Constituents of an evaluation group of threaded connections are determined and then a first group of the connections is evaluated via model analysis over a range of conditions. Then, physical testing on a first group of threaded connections in the evaluation group is conducted over that range of conditions. Once modeled, the results from the physical testing and the modeling analysis of the first group are compared to assess a characteristic performance factor for the first group. A second group of threaded connections are determined and the assessed performance factor from the first group is applied to a second group, and the performance limits of the second group are defined over the range of conditions based on this characteristic performance factor, without requiring testing the second group.