Well Test Plug with Internal Explosive Charge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing well test plugs with explosive charges placed externally often leave residual parts in the well, leading to operational issues and safety concerns due to the risk of unintended explosions and incomplete crushing of the plug.
Innovation Solution
The explosive charge, ignitor, and activation mechanism are integrated within the plug itself, with the ignitor pin activated radially from the outer pipe casing, reducing the amount of explosives needed and eliminating the need for a separate housing, thus minimizing residual parts and enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the explosive charge is placed on the top side of the glass plug externally, then the plug can be detonated to remove the plug when tests are complete, but residual parts from the fitting housing remain in the well causing operational problems
Solution Approach 1:
The explosive charge is integrated inside the glass plug body, merging the explosive element with the plug structure. This eliminates the separate fitting housing that would otherwise leave residual parts in the well, while still enabling reliable plug removal through detonation.
Solution Approach 2:
The explosive charge is extracted from the external fitting housing configuration and placed directly inside the glass plug. This extraction removes the source of residual parts (the housing) while maintaining the essential function of explosive-powered plug removal.
2Loss of substance
If the explosive charge is placed inside the glass plug, then thorough crushing is achieved with reduced explosive material, but the activation mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The activation mechanism is segmented into two parts: a simple external activation component (ignitor pin) and the explosive charge inside the plug. This segmentation allows the external component to remain simple while the internal explosive charge provides the necessary crushing power, reducing overall explosive material needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the explosive charge outside requiring a complex housing to contain it, the inversion places the explosive charge inside the plug, allowing the external activation mechanism to be simpler while achieving the same functional result with less explosive material.
3Reliability
If the explosive charge is integrated in the plug, then safety is improved by reducing the risk of unintended explosion, but the plug structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The explosive charge is nested inside the glass plug body, with the ignitor pin accessible from the external activation mechanism. This nesting arrangement improves safety by containing the explosive material within the plug structure while maintaining a relatively simple overall design that avoids complex external housings.
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
This solution achieves thorough crushing with reduced explosive material, minimizing waste and safety risks, and allows for controlled pressure testing without risk of detonation during installation, improving operational reliability and reducing the risk of undetonated explosives remaining in the well.
Implementation Method 1
a plug, such as a crushable plug made of glass, is placed down in the production pipe in the well to close off the passage into it. When the testing is over, the plug is removed in a controlled explosion.
Implementation Method 2
an explosive charge with an ignitor and its associated ignitor pin of said activation mechanism are arranged internally in the plug
Implementation Method 3
the further activation mechanism parts for pushing said ignitor pin to start the detonation of the explosive charge, are arranged within a pipe casing that holds the plug
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A plug (20) is described for carrying out tests of a well (30), a pipe or the like, comprising an explosive charge (55) with an activation mechanism (50, 51, 53) and which is detonated to remove the plug when the test is completed, and the plug is characterised in that the explosive charge elements are arranged internally in the plug. The plug preferably comprises a boring (54) that holds said explosive charge (55) with the activation mechanism, and it can alternatively comprise two or more borings (54) for the placing of a corresponding number of explosive charges (55) with activation mechanisms. The explosive charge (55) with ignitor (56) and ignition pin (57) is preferably arranged in the plug boring (54) while the other parts (50, 51, 53) of the activation mechanism are integrated in the wall of the pipe bundle (10) that holds the plug.