Wellbore Sleeve Injector Staging Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for injecting carrier sleeves into wellbores for wellbore fracturing operations are inefficient and prone to sleeve misalignment and sticking, due to complex equipment and manual handling, which increases maintenance and reduces production rates.
Innovation Solution
A sleeve injector system with a retaining device and staging mechanism that axially aligns and radially centers carrier sleeves before injection, using a staging bore for pressure equalization and isolation, and verification devices to confirm successful injection, reducing the likelihood of sleeves becoming stuck and improving operational efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual handling methods are used to inject carrier sleeves into wellbores, then operational flexibility is maintained, but injection efficiency decreases and sleeve misalignment occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated injection system that uses mechanical conveyance mechanisms to transport carrier sleeves from storage magazines through alignment fixtures into the wellbore. This automated mechanical system eliminates manual handling inefficiencies while maintaining precise alignment through dedicated alignment fixtures and guided conveyance paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection system is designed to automatically perform alignment and injection operations without requiring external manual intervention. The system self-regulates the conveyance, alignment, and injection processes through integrated mechanical components that automatically position sleeves correctly as they are conveyed from storage to the wellbore injection point.
2Reliability
If complex equipment is used for sleeve injection, then sleeve placement control is improved, but device complexity increases and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The injection system is divided into distinct functional modules: storage magazines for holding sleeves, conveyance mechanisms for transporting them, alignment fixtures for positioning, and injection mechanisms for deployment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while simplifying overall system maintenance and operation compared to a monolithic complex system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate alignment fixtures and guided conveyance mechanisms that act as mediators between the storage magazines and the wellbore injection point. These intermediary components simplify the control task by automatically handling alignment and positioning, reducing the complexity of direct manual control while improving placement reliability.
3Speed
If carrier sleeves are injected without pressure equalization, then injection speed is maintained, but sleeves become stuck due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary alignment of carrier sleeves in dedicated alignment fixtures before they are conveyed to the injection point. This preliminary action ensures correct orientation and positioning is established while the sleeve is still accessible, allowing high-speed injection to follow without causing misalignment-related sticking issues in the wellbore.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual alignment operations with automated mechanical alignment fixtures that precisely position sleeves before injection. This mechanical substitution maintains injection speed by automating the alignment process, while simultaneously improving reliability through consistent, repeatable positioning that eliminates human error in sleeve orientation.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, system, and method are provided for injecting carrier sleeves into a wellbore. The injection system is capable of individually indexing a selected sleeve from a sleeve magazine into an injector bore and axially aligning the sleeve with the bore with a retaining device. The retaining device prevents a subsequent sleeve from being indexed into the bore from the magazine. The selected sleeve can be restricted from free fall using a staging mechanism, which can subsequently be opened to permit the selected sleeve to fall into a staging bore. The staging bore is then fluidly isolated from the injector bore and the wellbore, pressure in the staging bore is equalized with the wellbore, and then opened to the wellbore for injecting the sleeve into the wellbore. The sleeve can be axially aligned and radially centered with the injector bore using a tapered portion in the bore or the staging mechanism.