Patent Application
20230175333
The field of the invention is actuation tools for subterranean use and more particularly power charge actuation tools with a deceleration feature for the actuating piston.
Certain subterranean operations require sequential isolation of zones so that the isolated portion of the formation can be pressure treated to create fractures and subsequently to prop open the fractures after the fractures are created with applied pressure. One way this has been done is to assemble seats into the tool string so that objects can be sequentially dropped as each zone is treated in a bottom zone to top zone sequence. A downside of this approach is that the placement of the seats has to be determined as the string is made up and run into the hole. Formation conditions that are later determined after all the seats are in position may reveal that the positioning of the seats does not optimally coincide with the discrete zones to be isolated and treated.
More recently seats that can be delivered with a delivery tool have been developed as well an associated delivery tool so that supports for isolation devices can be located after the string is assembled and run in the hole. The supports rely on stored potential energy that the delivery tool captures until a release sleeve frees the support from the delivery tool and the dimension of the support increases until contact with the surrounding tubular is achieved. This contact can be abutting or penetration against the surrounding tubular. The engagement of the seat with the surrounding tubular also releases the support from the delivery tool. The delivery tool is designed to create relative movement when powered to actuate. In one embodiment the actuating force during such relative movement is initiated by an explosive charge. U.S. Ser. No. 10/273,769 describes such a running tool. U.S. Ser. No. 10/329,362 and U.S. Ser. No. 10/287,365 describe the adaptive support that is positioned in a tubular with a release of stored potential energy by actuation of the running tool. U.S. Pat. No. 11,111,747 illustrates using a power charge to build pressure and create relative movement that allows the running tool to release the adaptive support for fixation in the surrounding tubular. The contents of these four patents is incorporated by reference herein as though fully set forth.
One potential issue when using the above described equipment is that the force generated by the shifting sleeve on the setting tool can be so high due to the rapid acceleration to impact on the assembly of parts that creates relative movement that releases the adaptive seat can be so high that components in the setting tool or the delivery tool for the adaptive support experience failure in compressive force applied when accelerating parts make impact with stationary parts and, in turn, accelerate other parts to his a travel stop that is held fixed by the setting tool.
This issue is addressed by regulating the rate of flow of well or other fluid that needs to flow into an enlarging void as the piston rod moves to release the adaptive support. Although the piston is referred to as having a rod shape, it can have other shapes and can be solid or tubular and preferably round but other shapes are also contemplated. Conversely, the rate of fluid flow from a decreasing volume due to piston rod movement can also have the same decelerating effect on the pasts to reduce applied stress as the assembly of accelerated parts hits a supported surface that acts as a travel stop. In a similar manner as the first example, the failure of parts under a spiking load is avoided as the impact with the piston rod is reduced as the piston rod is initially accelerated and the peak stress as the assembly of accelerated parts hits a fixed travel stop. Either flow in or out of a volume of the tool can regulate the transmitted force applied to the piston rod as it is accelerated to the point of impact against a fixed travel stop. In another alternative fluid can be isolated within the release tool to avoid contaminants found in well fluids such that the relative movement that releases the support for tubular wall contact results in shifting fluid through a restriction or an orifice between two or more isolated compartments, which results in a stress reduction when the piston rod hits a travel stop and the adaptable support is released for contact against the surrounding tubular wall. These and other aspects of the present invention will be more readily understood by those skilled in the art from a review of the description of the preferred embodiment while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be determined from the scope of the appended claims.
An assembly of a setting tool in combination with a delivery tool for an adaptive support allows delivery of the adaptive support in a condition where it stores potential energy. Relative movement between a mandrel and a surrounding sleeve allows release of the adaptive support at a desired subterranean location. The relative movement to release the adaptive support comes from a setting tool that has a setting sleeve and a supporting connection to the mandrel of the delivery tool. The setting sleeve, when triggered to move by preferably an explosive charge, engages a piston rod assembly supported by the delivery tool mandrel for tandem movement to a mandrel travel stop. The tandem movement is regulated, preferably in the delivery tool, with regulation of fluid flow through a restriction to eliminate component failure due to high impact loads when the travel stop is engaged.
Referring to
Actuation of the setting tool 1 preferably by setting off an explosive charge that is not shown accelerates shifting sleeve 2 into ring 36. That impact with delivery tool mandrel 6 retained by setting tool mandrel 10 breaks shear pin 16 and moves piston rod 24 to release the potential energy in the adaptive support 28 allowing the adaptive support 28 to engage the surrounding tubular 32. As such movement occurs, the volume of chamber 20 has to enlarge to permit piston rod 24 to move. Fluid has to come into chamber 20 and it does so through orifice 4. Orifice 4 is sized to control the force of ultimate impact between ring 36 and surface 38 by virtue of speed regulation of relative component movement between the delivery tool mandrel 5 and the piston rod assembly 6. Until such impact the moving parts are free to accelerate as shear pin 16 is sheared. Without the deceleration effect of orifice 4 the final impact can be so severe as to distort or fracture parts such as setting sleeve 2 or ring 36 which could make removal of the tool problematic and in extreme cases require a millout.
While the above described preferred embodiment features sucking ire well fluid to accomplish deceleration as the volume of chamber 20 enlarges, the compartment that changes volume in tool can be configured to decrease in volume, as shown in
In another variation, shown in
Another approach in addition to fluid flow restriction or in addition to it is to use a resilient ring 39 adjacent surface 38 to absorb or dissipate some of the impact loading. Another variation is a crushable ring against surface 38 or a spring that can be compressed at that location. The intent is to keep the design simple and therefore economical while addressing the high impact loads that setting off different setting tools with a power charge can encompass. Using a setting tool that can be run into position quickly preferably on wireline or slickline in combination with a power charge is the preferred method of conveyance. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that different sized setting tools will be used with matching size delivery tools depending on the tubular 32 size. The orifice 4 is preferably mounted with a threaded connection for easy replacement when reconfiguring the delivery tool for additional runs for placement of multiple adaptive supports 28 in spaced locations in the tubular 32. The illustrated preferred design actuates the piston rod 24 from within the delivery tool mandrel 5 thus allowing placement of the adaptive support 28 in groove 26 with mandrel end 30 overlaying the adaptive support 28 to hold it in a compressed dimension with stored potential energy so that in the
The above description is illustrative of the preferred embodiment and many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention whose scope is to be determined from the literal and equivalent scope of the claims below:
