Ultra-high Expansion Downhole Packer Nested Cone Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing downhole packers fail to achieve the required ultra-high expansion ratio necessary for tubing closure operations in oil and gas development, particularly during extreme casing deformation treatments.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an anchor with a first tapered through-hole, a primary expansion cone with a second tapered through-hole, and a central tube, allowing for sequential radial expansion to anchor with the wellbore inner wall, with additional features like anti-pre-expansion sections and spiral expansion plates for enhanced expansion and sealing capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing packer designs are used, then the structure is simple, but the expansion ratio is insufficient to meet ultra-high expansion requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The packer employs a nested structure where the anchor is positioned inside the expansion cone, which in turn is inside the central tube. This nested arrangement allows multiple expansion stages to occur within a compact configuration, enabling ultra-high expansion ratios while maintaining reasonable structural complexity. The anchor expands first, followed by the expansion cone, with both elements working in sequence within the same device envelope.
Solution Approach 2:
The packer is divided into distinct functional segments: the anchor with tapered through-holes for initial expansion, the expansion cone with its own tapered through-holes for secondary expansion, and the central tube for hydraulic fluid passage. This segmentation allows each component to contribute to the overall expansion ratio independently, achieving ultra-high expansion capability while keeping each individual component's design manageable.
2Strength
If the anchor is expanded radially to anchor with the wellbore inner wall, then anchoring capability is improved, but the initial expansion force requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor features tapered through-holes with specific angle ranges (15°-30°) that are optimized to control the expansion force characteristics. The taper angle is carefully selected to balance between requiring sufficient initial expansion force to engage the wellbore and limiting the peak force required. This parameter optimization allows the anchor to achieve strong anchoring capability while keeping the initial expansion force within acceptable limits for the hydraulic system.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the expansion cone is designed to support the anchor after expansion, then structural stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion cone serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the secondary expansion stage to achieve ultra-high expansion ratio, acts as a support structure for the anchor after expansion, and guides the central tube during installation. By merging these functions into a single component rather than using separate elements for each function, the design achieves high structural stability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
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 solution achieves an ultra-high expansion ratio, exceeding existing packers by up to 120%, ensuring effective tubing closure and sealing during through-tubing operations and extreme casing deformation treatments.
Implementation Method 1
The anchor is radially expandable to anchor with an inner wall of a wellbore
Implementation Method 2
The primary expansion cone is a radially expandable structure, and the primary expansion cone supports the anchor after an expansion
Implementation Method 3
the sealing element is radially expandable to create a seal with the inner wall of the wellbore
Data Source
AI summary
An ultra-high expansion downhole packer includes an anchor, a primary expansion cone, and a central tube. The anchor is provided with a first tapered through-hole having a large end sleeved at a small end of the primary expansion cone. The anchor is radially expandable to anchor with an inner wall of a wellbore. The primary expansion cone is provided with a second tapered through-hole, and the second tapered through-hole has a large end sleeved at a small end of the central tube. The primary expansion cone is a radially expandable structure, and the primary expansion cone supports the anchor after an expansion. The primary expansion cone is provided between the anchor and the central tube. The primary expansion cone is first driven into the anchor to make the anchor radially expand, and then the central tube is driven into the primary expansion cone to make the anchor radially expand again.