Multi-Stage Water Jet Cavity Tool for Hydrate Extraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current natural gas hydrate exploitation tools lack controllability in jet crushing flow rates, suffer from poor sealing during jet crushing, do not have a soils and sands backflow passage, and experience reduced efficiency due to telescopic head protrusion issues during pull-back, leading to inefficient cavity creation and stability concerns in submarine environments.
Innovation Solution
A cavity creation tool with a multi-stage controllable water jet system, featuring an intermediate sleeve, C-shaped ring, coaxial throttle rod, poppet valve sealing structure, hydrate suction port, and telescopic jet heads, allowing for adjustable jet crushing flow, complete axial sealing, soils and sands discharge, and enhanced crushing radius during pull-back.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the current jet crushing tool uses a fixed number of sprinklers with specific flow rate, then the jet crushing can be achieved under specific conditions, but it cannot adapt to multi-flow rate levels with variable number of sprinklers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the sprinkler system adjustable and controllable. The throttle rod can be positioned at different locations to control the opening of different numbers of sprinklers, and the flow rate can be adjusted dynamically during operation. This transforms a static, fixed-configuratioin system into a dynamic, adaptable one that can respond to varying operational conditions.
2Reliability
If the axial drilling fluid path is strictly blocked to ensure maximum jet pressure, then maximum jet crushing radius can be obtained, but extrusion sealing results in axial leakage and poor sealing effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the sealing function into multiple components: the poppet valve for primary sealing, the C-shaped ring for secondary sealing, and the O-ring for tertiary sealing. This segmented approach distributes the sealing task across multiple specialized elements, improving overall sealing reliability while making each component's function clear and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the C-shaped ring as an intermediary sealing element between the poppet valve and the O-ring. This intermediary component provides an additional sealing barrier and helps distribute the sealing pressure, preventing direct extrusion damage to the primary sealing surfaces while maintaining effective sealing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the jet crushing device lacks a separate soils and sands backflow passage, then the structure is simpler, but it cannot achieve in-situ backfilling after separator
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by designing the jet crushing device to perform multiple functions: jet crushing of hydrates, recycling of crushed material through the separator, and in-situ backfilling of soils and sands. The same device structure handles all these functions by incorporating dedicated passages for each function, making the system universally applicable to the complete exploitation process.
4Productivity
If the telescopic head structure is designed for larger crushing radius, then the crushing capability is improved, but the head protrudes immediately after initiation and gets blocked by soils and sands
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating a cavity through jet crushing before the telescopic head protrudes. The jet crushing process prepares the path and clears the way in advance, so when the telescopic head subsequently protrudes to achieve larger crushing radius, it does so into a pre-prepared space rather than through uncrushed material and soils, preventing blockage.
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 controllable jet crushing under varying flow rates, prevents axial leakage, facilitates in-situ backfilling of soils and sands, and improves the efficiency and radius of hydrate exploitation by preventing tool string blockage, thus enhancing the overall efficiency of natural gas hydrate extraction.
Implementation Method 1
jet crushing with multi-stage controllable water jet for natural gas hydrate development
Implementation Method 2
maximum jet pressure in order to obtain the maximum jet crushing radius
Implementation Method 3
sealing structure with a poppet valve end face... can ensure complete blocking of the axial flow path during jet crushing
Implementation Method 4
The crushed hydrate mixture reaches the separator through a suction port and a recycling passage
Implementation Method 5
separating hydrates from soils and sands through a separator
Data Source
AI summary
A cavity creation tool by crushing with multi-stage controllable water jet, it is used in natural gas hydrate development and mainly consists of an inner tube upper joint, an inner tube lower joint, an intermediate sleeve, an inner structure consisting of a coaxial throttle push rod, an outer layer sleeve, an outer layer structure consisting of a supporting ring, a jet head mounted to the intermediate sleeve and threading the outer layer sleeve, and a jet crushing structure consisting of a single-stage telescopic jet head and a two-stage telescopic jet head.