Volume Transfer Container for Pump-Free Drill String Solids Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for delivering large objects, such as lost circulation materials larger than 10 mm in diameter, through standard charge pumps are inefficient and can damage these objects, leading to issues like formation damage and well abandonment due to excessive fluid loss in subterranean drilling.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for delivering large objects using a drill string assembly with a volume transfer container that bypasses standard pumps, allowing objects to be introduced directly into the circulation fluid flow path without passing through pumping mechanisms, utilizing a drill string with a central bore and annulus for fluid flow, and employing a transfer container with selective port communication and pressure management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional charge pumps are used to deliver large lost circulation materials, then the pumping mechanism can handle the fluid, but the large objects (larger than 10 mm in diameter) cannot pass through the pump or become damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the fluid delivery path by creating a separate bypass line that diverts the circulation fluid around the charge pump. This allows large objects to travel through the bypass line without encountering pump components, while the pump continues to handle the fluid circulation independently. The bypass line with volume transfer container effectively divides the delivery system into two parallel pathways: one for fluid pumping and another for undamaged object transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass line and volume transfer container act as intermediary structures that facilitate the transport of large objects without direct interaction with the charge pump. The volume transfer container serves as a mediator that receives objects from one source and delivers them to the circulation fluid through the bypass line, preventing direct contact between objects and pump mechanisms while maintaining system functionality.
2Ease of manufacture
If large objects are forced through the charge pump, then the pumping system maintains its standard configuration, but the objects become damaged and cause formation damage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the object transport function from the charge pump by creating a separate bypass line. Large objects are removed from the pump flow path and transported independently through the bypass line to the volume transfer container. This extraction prevents objects from being subjected to damaging forces within the pump while maintaining the pump's standard configuration for fluid handling.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of forcing objects through the pump as in conventional systems, the invention inverts the approach by having the pump bypass the objects entirely. The circulation fluid is pumped through the charge pump while objects travel in the opposite direction through the bypass line, eliminating the harmful interaction between pump mechanisms and large objects.
3Reliability
If the bypass line is used to deliver large objects, then object damage is prevented, but the system complexity increases with additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass line and volume transfer container serve multiple functions: they transport large objects, maintain fluid circulation, and enable flexible deployment of lost circulation materials. The volume transfer container can be filled with objects of various sizes and types, and the bypass line can accommodate different object configurations. This multi-functionality justifies the additional components by providing versatile object delivery capabilities that protect object integrity while maintaining system efficiency.
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 the safe and effective deployment of large objects into subterranean wells, preventing damage and ensuring proper sealing of lost circulation zones, thereby maintaining well integrity and reducing the risk of well abandonment.
Implementation Method 1
The pump assembly is operable to draw fluids from the mud tank through the suction line
Implementation Method 2
the drill string has a central bore defining an interior portion of a fluid flow path for the circulation fluid
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
System and methods for delivering objects formed of a solid material into a circulation fluid of a subterranean well include a volume transfer container (58). The volume transfer container has an inlet port (60), an outlet port (62), and a charge access opening sized to provide for the filling of the volume transfer container with the objects. A discharge line extends from a pump assembly (72) to the volume transfer container (58). A transfer line (52) extends from the volume transfer container (58) to the drilling assembly, providing a fluid flow path from the volume transfer container to the drilling assembly (36) that is free of any pump.