Wellbore Cleanout Magnet Tool with Flow-Actuated Door
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wellbore cleanout operations require multiple trips of the cleanout magnet tool to remove debris, reducing operational efficiency and increasing downtime, as the tool needs to be retrieved each time to release captured magnetic items.
Innovation Solution
A wellbore cleanout magnet tool with an enclosed magnet that can be exposed or isolated by fluid flow, allowing periodic debris removal without retrieving the tool, featuring a door that transitions based on fluid flow to isolate the magnet and a receptacle for collecting debris, enabling efficient one-trip cleanout operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the cleanout magnet tool is retrieved each time to release captured magnetic items, then the magnetic items can be removed from the magnet, but the number of trips increases and operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the debris release function from the magnet tool by introducing a separate receptacle that can be independently opened. The door mechanism allows the receptacle to be accessed and emptied without retrieving the entire magnet tool from the wellbore, separating the debris containment function from the magnet tool itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a door as an intermediary mechanism between the receptacle and the wellbore environment. This door acts as a controlled interface that can be opened to release debris while keeping the magnet tool in place, mediating between the need to remove debris and the need to maintain tool position.
2Quantity of substance
If the magnet is continuously exposed to the wellbore environment, then magnetic items can be captured, but debris cannot be removed without retrieving the tool
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tool into distinct functional components: the magnet for capturing items, the receptacle for storing debris, and the door for controlled access. This segmentation allows the magnet to remain exposed for continuous capture while the receptacle can be independently accessed for debris removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where the receptacle is positioned within or alongside the magnet tool assembly. The door provides access to the nested receptacle without requiring removal of the outer magnet tool, allowing debris removal while maintaining the captured items on the magnet.
3Loss of time
If a door mechanism is added to isolate the magnet, then debris can be removed without retrieving the tool, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the door is automatically actuated by fluid pressure differential. The door opens when fluid pressure behind it exceeds the spring bias, and closes when pressure equalizes, eliminating the need for external actuation mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses hydraulic principles to actuate the door mechanism. Fluid pressure differential across the door, combined with spring bias, provides automatic door operation without requiring mechanical linkages, motors, or complex control systems, thereby minimizing added 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
Improves operational efficiency by allowing debris removal from the magnet while it remains in the wellbore, reducing the number of trips needed and enhancing the tool's ability to capture all sizes of metallic junk, thus streamlining the cleanout process.
Implementation Method 1
A magnet is disposed in the interior volume. In the absence of the wellbore fluid flow through the housing, the door exposes the opening on the circumferential surface of the housing and the magnet to an environment outside the housing
Implementation Method 2
The assembly includes a gate member coupled to the housing and a spring coupled to the gate member. In the absence of the wellbore fluid flow through the housing, the gate member is in a closed position
Implementation Method 3
The door is configured to slide axially relative to the housing in a first direction to transition the door from the open position to the closed position in response to the wellbore fluid flow through the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A wellbore cleanout magnet tool includes a housing and a door positioned within the housing. The housing can be connected to a wellbore tubing. The housing defines an interior volume and an opening on a circumferential surface of the housing. The door is positioned within the housing. The door can transition between an open position in an absence of wellbore fluid flow through the housing and a closed position in a presence of the wellbore fluid flow through the housing. A magnet is disposed in the interior volume. In the absence of the wellbore fluid flow through the housing, the door exposes the opening and the magnet to an environment outside the housing. In the presence of the wellbore fluid flow through the housing, the door closes the opening on the circumferential surface of the housing and isolates the magnet from the environment.