Patent Application
20220081983
The present disclosure relates generally to downhole tools, and more specifically to devices for coupling and sealing a downhole tool to a tubular.
Certain downhole tools are positioned on the outside of a tubular to be placed in a wellbore. Such downhole tools need to be coupled to the tubular and, in certain cases, need to be sealed to the tubular. However, due to variations in diameter of the tubular, traditional seals such as O-rings may not provide adequate sealing for the entire range of nominal tubular diameters encountered.
The present disclosure provides for a modular tool anchor. The modular tool anchor may include an anchor body, the anchor body positioned about a tubular. The modular tool anchor may include an anchor wedge positioned within a pocket formed in the anchor body, the anchor wedge including a first wedge surface, the first wedge surface engaging a tapered face of the pocket. The modular tool anchor may include a piston, the piston positioned within a piston bore formed in the anchor body, the piston bore aligned with the pocket. The modular tool anchor may include a wedge drive screw, the wedge drive screw positioned within the piston bore and threadedly coupled to the anchor body, the wedge drive screw abutting the piston.
The present disclosure also provides for a modular downhole tool anchor. The modular tool anchor may include an anchor body, the anchor body positioned about a tubular. The modular tool anchor may include a compression seal, the compression seal being annular and positioned within the anchor body. The modular tool anchor may include a sealing flange, the sealing flange including a tapered seal flange face, the tapered seal flange face abutting the compression seal, the sealing flange threadedly coupled to the anchor body by a seal compression screw.
The present disclosure also provides for a method for coupling a downhole tool to a tubular. The method may include positioning the downhole tool about the tubular. The method may include tightening a wedge drive screw such that an anchor wedge is biased radially inward from an anchor body of the downhole tool into contact with the tubular. The method may include tightening a seal compression screw such that a compression seal is biased radially inward from the anchor body into contact with the tubular.
The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.
It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of various embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.
Downhole tool 10 may include modular casing anchor 100. Modular casing anchor 100 may be used to couple downhole tool 10 to the outer surface of tubular 20. In some embodiments, modular casing anchor 100, as shown in
In some embodiments, modular casing anchor 100 may include anchor wedges 103. Anchor wedges 103 may be positioned within wedge pockets 105 formed in anchor body 101. As shown in
In some embodiments, anchor wedges 103 may include second wedge surface 109. Second wedge surface 109 may be positioned to engage piston 111. Piston 111 may be generally cylindrical and may be positioned within piston bore 113 formed in anchor body 101. Piston bore 113 may be formed generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of modular casing anchor 100. Piston 111 may include tapered piston face 115. Tapered piston face 115 may abut second wedge surface 109. In some embodiments, piston 111 may include piston seal 112 positioned to fluidly seal between piston 111 and piston bore 113.
In some embodiments, modular casing anchor 100 may include wedge drive screws 117. Wedge drive screws 117 may be positioned at least partially within and threadedly coupled to piston bore 113. Wedge drive screws 117 may be positioned to bias piston 111 toward anchor wedge 103 as wedge drive screws 117 are rotated. As piston 111 moves toward anchor wedge 103, longitudinal force is applied to anchor wedge 103 between piston 111 and anchor body 101. Due to the angled interface between tapered face 108 and first wedge surface 107 and tapered piston face 115 and second wedge surface 109, such longitudinal force may cause anchor wedge 103 to move radially inward relative to anchor body 101 and into engagement with tubular 20 as shown in
In some embodiments, with reference to
In some embodiments, with reference to
In some embodiments, modular casing anchor 100 may include sealing flange 127. Sealing flange 127 may be annular or tubular in shape and may be threadedly coupled to anchor body 101 by seal compression screws 129. Seal compression screws 129 may extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of modular casing anchor 100. Sealing flange 127 may include tapered seal flange face 131 positioned to abut second tapered seal surface 133 of compression seal 121.
In some embodiments, as seal compression screws 129 are tightened, sealing flange 127 may be biased toward anchor body 101 and thereby impart a longitudinal compression force on compression seal 121 between tapered seal flange face 131 and tapered seal body face 125. Such compression may deform compression seal 121 into engagement with tubular 20 as shown in
In some embodiments, compression seal 121 may include circumferential groove 135 formed in the radially outward face of compression seal 121. Circumferential groove 135 may, in some embodiments, promote buckling of compression seal 121 such that compression seal 121 more readily contacts tubular 20.
In some embodiments, with reference to
The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that a person of ordinary skill in the art may better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Such features may be replaced by any one of numerous equivalent alternatives, only some of which are disclosed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. One of ordinary skill in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
This application is a nonprovisional application which claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 63/079,658, filed Sep. 17, 2020, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63079658 | Sep 2020 | US |
