Patent Application
20210207475
This disclosure relates generally to packaging components and assemblies in a work string used in a borehole.
Oilfield wellbores are drilled by rotating a drill bit conveyed into the wellbore by a drill string. The drill string includes a drill pipe (tubing) that has at its bottom end a drilling assembly (also referred to as the “bottomhole assembly” or “BHA”) that carries the drill bit for drilling the wellbore. A suitable drilling fluid (commonly referred to as the “mud”) is supplied or pumped under pressure from a source at the surface down the tubing. Conventionally, the drilling fluid flows via a central flow bore along the tubing. Thus, the various components and assemblies that may be conveyed by the drill string are preferably housed in the annular body surrounding one or more flow bores. These flow bores may be centrally located or off-center. Traditional housing arrangements include cover sleeves, hatch covers, probe based, and mega frame packaging. For logging existing wellbores, wireline instruments are lowered into the wellbore by means of a wire. Wireline instruments carry equipment by similar technologies as referred to above.
The present disclosure provides packaging arrangements that do not have the drawbacks of traditional packaging arrangements.
In aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for use in a borehole. The apparatus may include a tool conveyed by a conveyance device. The tool has a body with a load bearing section, an outer surface defined by a diameter, a rotational axis, and a channel in the body extending from an opening at the outer surface. At least a part of the channel is inclined relative to the rotational axis of the body at the axial location of the opening in the body. The apparatus also includes at least one functional element disposed in the channel; and a conduit operatively connected to the at least one functional element transferring at least one of: (i) energy, (ii) a signal, (iii) a fluid, (iv) and formation material.
In aspects, the present disclosure also provides a method for using a tool adapted for a borehole. The apparatus may include a tool conveyed by a conveyance device. The tool has a body with a load bearing section, an outer surface defined by a diameter, a rotational axis, and a channel in the body extending from an opening at the outer surface. At least a part of the channel is inclined relative to the rotational axis of the body at the axial location of the opening in the body. The apparatus also includes at least one self-contained functional element disposed in the channel.
Examples of certain features of the disclosure have been summarized (albeit rather broadly) in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the contributions they represent to the art may be appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto.
For detailed understanding of the present disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing:
The present disclosure provides arrangements and related methods for packaging “functional elements.” As used herein, a “functional element” is a physical body or assembly that is designed to execute one or more pre-determined functions either at the surface or downhole. The executed function may be done autonomously or in response to a command signal. Also, the functional device may be dynamic and move between a non-activated state and an activated state, or vice versa. This is contrasted with static devices such as bolts, hatches, and other inert structures. The teachings of the present disclosure may be used with any tool or section of a tool conveyed by a conveyance device into a wellbore/borehole. The conveyance device may be a rigid carrier such as jointed pipe including wired pipe, or a non-rigid carrier such as coiled tubing, wireline, slick-line, e-line, etc. Merely for convenience, a drill string will be used as an exemplary conveyance device in the discussion below.
Referring initially to
Referring to
The teachings of the present disclosure provide enable the packaging of a functional element directly to the load bearing section 92 of a bottomhole assembly or other well tool. These packaging methods can provide greater flexibility in size, accessibility, and maintainability while keeping internal flow bore(s) 94 free. For example, the cross-sectional flow area of the flow bore 94 does not have to be reduced and flow does not have to be diverted from the central axis of the section 90.
Referring to
The channels according to the present disclosure may have various orientations, which are illustrated in
The channel 100 is inclined and is directed to the center of the section 90. As used herein, “inclined” means that the channel 100 has a longitudinal axis 103 that has a non-zero slope relative to the horizontal plane 106 but not orthogonal to the rotational axis 96. That is, the incline is greater than zero and less than ninety degrees. The channel 100 may also be described as inclined and extending radially inward from the outer surface 104; i.e., that is the channel 100 extends at an angle greater than zero and less than ninety degrees from the outer surface 104. In embodiments, at least a part of the channel 100 that is inclined is at the axial location of the opening 102 in the body 89. That is, the inclination begins or terminates at the opening 102.
The channel 110 may be offset from the vertical plane 108 and extend radially downward in a straight line from the opening 112. Like the channel 100, the longitudinal axis 113 (
The channel 120 may be offset from the vertical plane 108 and extend radially downward in a straight line from the opening 122a. Different from the channels 100, 110, the longitudinal axis 123 of the channel 120 has a component non-parallel with the horizontal plane 106 and a component non-parallel with the vertical plane 108. Another difference is that channel 100, 110 are “blind” holes. The channel 120 is different in that it extends all the way through the section 90 and can have a second opening 122b on the outer surface 104 as shown in
It should be appreciated that the channels according to the present disclosure are susceptible to numerous variations. The channels can have non-circular cross sectional profile (not shown). A channel 130 may extend from an opening 132 formed at an inner surface 105. An opening may also be formed at an end face 91 of a section 90. Further, the channels according to the present disclosure can be non-linear. For example, a channel 134 may be curved to increase the available length for packaging a functional element. Still other channel geometries may use a slight deviation from a straight line to bring a functional element into intimate contact with the tool body to generate a pre-stress on the functional element. For instance, the channel and the functional element may have longitudinal axes that are not parallel along the whole length of the functional element when the functional element is in the channel. Thus, the functional element is in contact with the body, and the contact generates a pre-stress on the functional element. Also, the channel may include composite geometries such as one or more linear segments and one or more non-linear segments (e.g., curved segments). These segments themselves may have different geometries (e.g., different slopes or curvatures). In still other embodiments, the channels according to the present disclosure may be contoured. For instances, the channels according to the present disclosure may have different channel diameters in different sections, which form a stepped diameter channel or may have other contours such as grooves, recesses, cavities or the like.
In some embodiments, a functional element may be operatively connected to a conduit 160 as shown in
In other embodiments, the functional element can be self-contained. By self-contained, it is meant that the functional element can perform one or more functions without an operative connection, as described above, that supplies power and/or data. That is, the functional element autonomously performs one or more functions downhole by using an on-board power supply and controls.
Without being bound to any particular manufacturing method, non-linear or curved channels can be manufactured using drilling (standard), EDM (standard), ECM, metal forming, casting or additive manufacturing technologies. Channels (cavities) can also be created using more than one component; e.g., mandrel and sleeve having both ½ of the channel, split longitudinally, can form a channel when both pieces are assembled.
Referring now to
Referring to
It should be appreciated that channels according to the present disclosure may be used to package various types of functional elements. Functional elements can include tooling, instruments, and other kinds of mechanical, electro-mechanical, electric, electronic, hydraulic, or pneumatic equipment. Merely by way of example, such equipment may include signal-responsive actuators, electronics, sensors, batteries, energy emitting source (e.g., acoustic sources and radiation sources), hydraulic pumps, hydraulic actuators, electro-mechanical actuators, valves, vessels such as sample tanks to store formation material, including core barrels, or fluid reservoirs, antennas, fluid sampling tools, communication devices, steering ribs, active stabilizers, etc. A functional element may be powered electrically, hydraulically, or mechanically (e.g., using electricity, pressurized fluid, compressed springs, etc.) and controllable (e.g., responsive to control signals, and/or programmed).
Moreover, while a valve actuation assembly has been shown, it should be appreciated that a functional element may be used with any type of downhole tool, including, but not limited to, all types of reamers, anchoring tools, open-hole packers, casing packers, bridge plugs, string valves, bypass valves, (rotary) steering tools, tank carriers, pressure testing tools, sampling tools, coring tools, MWD sensor (seismic, resistivity, acoustic, gamma, NMR, etc.), pressure measurement devices, etc.
It should be appreciated that the packaging arrangements using channels according to the present disclosure provide numerous advantages over the conventional packaging arrangements. First, a functional element packaged in an above-described channel is accessible without disassembling a downhole tool. Thus, for instance, a functional element may be inserted into the downhole tool after the downhole tool is assembled via the opening of the channel on the outer surface of the downhole tool. Also, when the downhole tool is retrieved from the borehole, personnel can easily access the functional element without disturbing the joints, connections, or other portions of the downhole tool. That is, the downhole tool may be retrieved via the channel open and/or tools or instruments may be inserted through the channel opening to work on the functional element. Therefore, service activities such as maintenance, repair, refurbishment, and change-outs can be accomplished relatively quickly because no time-consuming disassembly of the downhole tool is required. Also, as noted previously, the functional elements are packaged in a manner that does not obstruct the flow of drilling fluid through the central flow bore (e.g., flow bore 94 of
While the foregoing disclosure is directed to certain embodiments of the disclosure, various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is intended that all variations within the scope of the appended claims be embraced by the foregoing disclosure.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/142,917, filed Apr. 29, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15142917 | Apr 2016 | US |
| Child | 17095574 | US |
