Well Screen Filter Tubular Supporting Element Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional well screen filters face challenges with large mechanical stresses during manufacturing, transportation, and positioning, requiring substantial time and increased costs due to the need for a tubular casing that must be installed and removed, which hampers the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of horizontal and vertical well projects.
Innovation Solution
A filtering device with a tubular supporting element providing sufficient tensile strength, allowing the porous filter medium to be designed for optimal filtering characteristics and eliminating the need for a protective casing, with perforations that ensure unhindered fluid flow and a modular design for easy assembly and handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a tubular casing is used to provide sufficient tensile strength for handling and positioning the filtering device, then the mechanical strength during transportation and positioning is improved, but the device complexity and positioning time increase due to the need to install and remove the casing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the protective casing from the final device configuration. The tubular supporting element provides the necessary tensile strength during handling and positioning, but unlike a traditional casing, it is designed to remain integrated with the filter medium or be easily decomposed after positioning, eliminating the need for separate installation and removal operations
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the structural support function with the filter medium itself. The tubular supporting element is combined with the porous filter medium to form an integrated filtering device, where the supporting element provides mechanical strength while the filter medium provides filtration function, eliminating the need for a separate protective casing
2Reliability
If a tubular casing is used to protect the filtering device during transportation and positioning, then the mechanical protection is improved, but the positioning time increases due to the additional steps of installing and removing the casing
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular supporting element is pre-integrated with the filter medium during manufacturing, providing mechanical protection from the outset without requiring separate protective casing installation. The supporting element is designed to be decomposed or removed in-situ after positioning using methods such as chemical degradation, mechanical disassembly, or thermal processing, eliminating the need for separate removal operations at the well site
Solution Approach 2:
The tubular supporting element is designed as a temporary structural component that serves its protective function during handling and positioning, then is discarded through in-situ decomposition or removal methods. This approach eliminates the need to recover and reuse the protective casing, significantly reducing positioning time while maintaining reliability during critical handling phases
3Productivity
If the filter medium is designed with high porosity to optimize filtering characteristics, then the fluid flow efficiency is improved, but the mechanical strength of the filter medium decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the filtering device into two distinct functional components: a tubular supporting element that provides mechanical strength and structural integrity, and a porous filter medium that provides filtration function with high porosity. The supporting element bears the mechanical loads while the filter medium optimizes fluid flow, allowing each component to be designed independently for its specific function without compromising the other
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a composite structure combining a non-porous or low-porosity tubular supporting element material with a high-porosity filter medium material. This composite approach allows the supporting element to provide the necessary mechanical strength while the filter medium provides optimized filtering characteristics with high porosity for efficient fluid flow
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to filtering device which is especially designed for use as a well screen filter. The filtering device comprises a tubular supporting element (12) and two or more tubular segments (14) of a porous filter medium arranged in axial alignment to one another and concentrically and essentially coextensive with the tubular supporting element (12), said tubular supporting element (12) having a tubular wall provided with a plurality of perforations (26, 28, 30) and having a plurality of projections projecting from said tubular wall, said projections supporting the two or more tubular segments in axial alignment with the tubular wall, said tubular segments each having two end portions which are in sealing contact with the tubular supporting element or an end portion of another tubular segment.