Patent Application
20140374167
Seals and sealed components are ubiquitous in the downhole drilling and completions industry and used for a variety of applications. One example includes protecting devices, mechanisms, or other components from fluids or fluid pressure by encapsulating or isolating the components within a sealed chamber, pocket, or area. Although currently known systems work sufficiently for their intended purposes, each is not without tradeoffs and the industry would well receive additional alternative seal arrangements.
An electronics frame for a wired pipe drill string, comprising a housing arranged to be disposed within the wired pipe drill string, the housing including a chamber formed therein; one or more electronic components disposed in the chamber; and a shape memory element disposed in the chamber, the shape memory element transitionable in response to a transition stimulus between a first shape permitting positioning within the chamber and a second shape sealingly engagable with the housing to isolate the one or more electronic components from fluid.
A method of isolating an electronic component of an electronics frame for a wired pipe drill string, comprising disposing a shape memory element in a chamber formed in a housing of the electronics frame, the shape memory element having a first shape, the first shape enabling positioning of the shape memory element within the chamber; exposing the shape memory element to a transition stimulus in order to trigger a transition of the shape memory element to a second shape, the second shape enabling engagement between the shape memory element and the housing within the chamber; and isolating an electronics component disposed in the chamber from fluid due to the engagement of the shape memory element with the housing.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike:
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.
Referring to
The string 12 includes at least a pair of string components, such as tubular or pipe segments or components 14 and a coupling assembly 15 for connecting together each adjacent pair of the segments 14 as the string 12 is run into a borehole. Each of the segments 14 has a first coupling mechanism 16 at one end and a second coupling mechanism 18 at a second end to form the coupling assembly 15. An inner bore or other conduit extends along the length of each segment 14 to allow drilling mud or other fluids to flow through the string 12 when assembled by connecting the segments 14 together. Although the string component is described as a pipe segment, it is not so limited. The string components may be any type of downhole component that includes a coupling mechanism for coupling the components together, including any device, device component, combination of devices, media and/or member that may be used to convey, house, support or otherwise facilitate the use of another device, device component, combination of devices, media and/or member. Non-limiting examples include wireline or logging-while-drilling tools, wire pipe, drill strings of the jointed pipe type, casing pipes, and any combination or portion thereof.
In the illustrated embodiment, the first coupling mechanism 16 is arranged as a male coupling having an exterior threaded section, and may be referred to herein as the “pin” 16. The second coupling mechanism 18 is arranged as a female coupling having an interior threaded section, and may be referred to herein as the “box” 18. The pin 16 and the box 18 are configured so that the pin 16 can be disposed within the box 18 to enable a fixed connection therebetween to connect an adjacent pair of the segments 14 or other downhole components. In one embodiment, the exterior of the pin 16 and the interior of the box 18 are tapered along their lengths to facilitate coupling. Although the pin 16 and the box 18 are described has having threaded portions, the pin 16 and the box 18 may be configured to be coupled using any suitable mechanism, such as bolts or screws or an interference fit.
In the illustrated embodiment, the system 10 includes an electronics frame 20 disposed with the coupling mechanisms 16 and 18 of the assembly 15. In one embodiment, the electronics frame 20 includes electronics configured to facilitate wired pipe telemetry or other communications through the string 12, when it is arranged as a wired pipe drill string. In one embodiment, the frame 20 is a pressure-sealed and mechanically robust electronics frame configured to be disposed within the coupling assembly 15 between the downhole components 14, e.g., within a space 22 formed within and/or between the pin 16 and/or the box 18.
As demonstrated in
As shown in
In order to protect the electronic components 28 from fluids and fluid pressure within the string 12, e.g., drilling mud, production fluids, borehole treatment fluids, etc., each of the chambers 26 can be sealed by a shape memory element 30 as shown in
Use of the elements 30 can be better appreciated in view of the example of
In one embodiment, the transition stimulus relates to heating the elements 30 above a threshold transition temperature, although any other transition stimulus known or discovered can be used with corresponding shape memory materials. When exposed to its corresponding transition stimulus, e.g., heat, reversion of the shape memory element 30 to its remembered or default shape (the “second shape” as referred to herein) will occur. In one embodiment, removal of the transition stimulus, e.g., cooling the elements 30, will cause the elements 30 to again at least partially change shape (e.g., revert back to the first shape that is relatively smaller than the chambers 26 and enables the elements 30 to be positioned within the chambers 26). In one embodiment, the shape memory element 30 is a shape memory alloy. In a further embodiment, the shape memory alloy is a combination of nickel (Ni) and titanium (Ti). Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize any number of other materials that exhibit shape memory change and are suitable for use in the embodiments disclosed herein, e.g., shape memory polymers, shape memory composites, other shape memory alloys, etc.
As illustrated in
Some previous electronics frames utilized welds to permanently encapsulate the electronic components between various housing parts, e.g., inner and outer sleeves or the like. The use of the shape memory elements 30 advantageously avoids the need to use welds to sealingly encapsulate the electronic components 28 within the chambers 26. The high temperatures involved in welding increases the risk of damage or reduction in efficiency, effectiveness, or lifespan of electronic components. Although heat/temperature is used as the transition stimulus for enabling a shape change of the elements 30 in one embodiment, the specific shape memory material of the elements 30 can be selected such that the threshold transition temperature is less than that required by welding operations. In this way, the electronic components 28 can be protected from relatively high and potentially damaging temperatures. Of course, welding could still be utilized in assembling the frame 20 and/or temperatures used that exceed those required by welding operations. In one embodiment, components of the frame 20 are welded together and the heat of welding simultaneously triggers the shape change of the elements 30. It is of course to be understood that heat can alternatively be provided via a heated fluid, heating device such as a hot air gun, etc.
In one embodiment, the shape memory elements 30 have two “remembered” shapes, i.e., the shape memory elements 30 exhibit two-way shape memory change with both the first and second shapes being remembered shapes. In this way the elements 30 can be “deactivated” by removing the transition stimulus, e.g., cooling the elements 30 below the threshold transition temperature. In this way, the elements 30 can be removed and the electronic components 28 readily accessed if desired. For example, in one embodiment the electronic components 28 include batteries and a two-way shape change material is used for the elements 30 to enable the batteries to be changed after retrieval of the frame 20 such that the frame 20 can be reused in the same or another borehole. The use of two-way shape memory materials for the elements 30 also enable other components to be accessed, e.g., for replacement or repair, thereby increasing the lifespan and usefulness of the frame 20.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.
