Embodiments described relate to electronics packaging. In particular, packaging that is to be exposed to significant amounts of heat and shock. More specifically, packaging that is employed in a high temperature downhole environment and subject to several hundred g's of shock is detailed herein.
Exploring, drilling and completing hydrocarbon and other wells are generally complicated, time consuming, and ultimately very expensive endeavors. As a result, over the years, a significant amount of added emphasis has been placed on overall well architecture, monitoring and follow on interventional maintenance. Indeed, perhaps even more emphasis has been directed at minimizing costs associated with applications in furtherance of well formation, monitoring and maintenance. All in all, careful attention to the cost effective and reliable execution of such applications may help maximize production and extend well life. Thus, a substantial return on the investment in the completed well may be better ensured.
Depending on the nature and architecture of the well, interventional maintenance may be a routine part of operations. For example, proper well management may require the periodic clean-out of debris or scale from certain downhole locations. This may require isolating the location at issue and halting production during the clean out. Indeed, such isolating may be required in the natural course of completions, for example, to allow for perforating and/or stimulating applications to proceed. That is, in certain instances, high pressure perforating and stimulating of well regions may be called for. In this case, the active perforating or stimulating intervention may be preceded by the added intervention of closing off and isolating the well regions with mechanisms capable of accommodating such high pressure applications.
Closing off of a well region for a subsequent high pressure application may be achieved by way of setting a mechanical plug. That is, a plug may be positioned at a downhole location and ‘set’ to seal off a downhole region adjacent thereto. The plug is configured to accommodate the high pressures associated with perforating or stimulating as noted. Thus, it is generally radially expandable in nature through the application of substantial compressible force. In this manner, slips of the radially expandable plug may be driven into engagement with a casing wall of the well so as to ensure its sufficient anchoring. By the same token, the radial responsiveness of elastomeric portions of the plug may help ensure adequate sealing for the high pressure application to be undertaken.
Unfortunately, the noted compression and overall setting application is generally achieved by way of an explosively powered setting tool that is coupled to the plug. Even setting aside the transport hazards and limited reliability associated with such explosively driven applications, the operator is unable to direct a controlled, monitored, or intelligent setting application when such is explosively driven. Thus, the setting application generally proceeds in an unintelligent manner without readily available data to ensure its effectiveness.
Alternatively, in the case of perforating or stimulating applications, electronics may be used to trigger the application. However, such electronics are relatively unsophisticated and limited to initiating a trigger, for example, for perforating. Thus, the cost of replacement due to heat or shock damage encountered in carrying out the application may be relatively low. To the contrary, substituting explosives with electronics for a setting application involves directing a motor drive unit over the period of the application (e.g. as opposed to merely initiating a perforating trigger). As such, the electronics involved may utilize digital signal processing and other sophisticated capacity, thereby driving up replacement cost where heat and/or shock damage are experienced over the course of the application.
Unfortunately, techniques for mitigating heat and shock damage to sophisticated electronics packaging generally run contrary to one another. In the particular circumstance of plug setting, the setting tool, packaging, and plug may be exposed to about 200 g's or more, not to mention temperatures in excess of 150° C. So, for example, if heat dissipation is addressed through a conventional technique including a heat sink in conjunction with spring compression directed at the electronics, secondary shocks in excess of 200 g's are likely imparted on the electronics. In other words, the heat dissipation technique may have amplified shock directed at the electronics.
Alternatively, where electronics are tightly accommodated through a conventional o-ring or centralizer mounting technique to enhance shock tolerance, thermal contact between the electronics and heat sink, or other thermal dissipating structure, is compromised. Ultimately, due to such counterintuitive options available for dealing with heat and shock, explosively driven setting is generally utilized in lieu of superior, but costly electronics that would allow for a controlled, monitored, and/or intelligent setting application.
An electronics package is provided with a housing having a channel therethrough. The channel is configured to accommodate first and second electronics chassis adjacent one another. Each chassis includes an inclined surface for interfacing one another. An activation force mechanism is also disposed in the channel adjacent one of the chassis. The mechanism may be configured for axially directing this chassis toward the other such that radial expansion of the chassis toward the housing takes place via interfacing of the inclined surfaces.
Embodiments herein are described with reference to certain shock tolerant heat dissipating electronics packaging types. For example, these embodiments focus on sophisticated electronics packages utilized in conjunction with setting a downhole bridge plug or other type of well isolation mechanism. However, a variety of applications utilized at, or outside of, the oilfield environment may take advantage of the unique combination of shock and heat dissipating features of electronics packaging as detailed herein. Indeed, such packaging may be beneficial wherever electronics are subject to both extreme temperature and shock environments. Regardless, embodiments of the electronics packaging detailed herein include multiple chassis with interfacing inclined surfaces, such that application of an activation force leads to a radial expansion of the chassis toward a housing thereabout. As a result, a near monolithic structure is formed that is substantially enhanced in terms of heat and shock resistance.
Referring now to
In the embodiment of
Continuing with reference to
The bridge plug setting tool 101 is equipped with a housing sleeve 110 which may be hydraulically driven by the above noted pump via an extension 115. Thus, as detailed below with added reference to
In an embodiment, the line 140 may be a slickline or other non-powered line. In such an embodiment, powering of the application may be achieved by way of a suitably sized downhole power source (e.g. a lithium-based battery) coupled to the tool 101. Nevertheless, downhole conditions and other data relating to the application may be recorded and stored by electronics of the package 100. Thus, subsequent analysis at surface may be available to help determine effectiveness and other details of the application.
Referring now to
Continuing with reference to
Referring now to
In the particular embodiment of
As the screw 350 is turned to threadably apply axial downward force on the adjacent chassis 165, this chassis 165 slides along the interface 360. In one embodiment, skids, perhaps of beryllium copper, are provided to each chassis 160, 165 for interfacing and stably aiding such sliding. Once more, an end of the sliding chassis 165 may enter a stop space 301 adjacent the stop 375. More importantly, however, this movement eliminates the available space 300 adjacent the chassis 165 as noted above. Thus, the entire interior radius (r) of the housing 175 is occupied by chassis structure, forming a substantially monolithic package 100. As such, the possibility of secondary shock induction is largely eliminated, while at the same time near complete thermal contact between the chassis 160, 165 and housing 175.
In the embodiment shown, the angle of interface 360, via surfaces 262, 267 (see
In the embodiment of
Referring now to
The well 480 traverses various formation layers 490, 495 and may expose the electronics package 100 to a variety of extreme pressures and temperatures as alluded to above. The well 480 is also defined by a casing 485 that is configured for sealing and anchored engagement with the plug 400 upon a high shock inducing setting application as also described above (and further below). In the embodiment shown, the plug 400 is equipped with upper 440 and lower 460 slips to achieve anchored engagement with the casing 485 upon the setting. Similarly, a generally elastomeric, sealing element 475 is disposed between the slips 440, 460 to provide sealing of the plug 400 relative the casing 485 by way of the setting application.
The assembly of the setting tool 101 and plug 400 also includes a platform 420 at its downhole end. This platform 420 is coupled internally to the extension 115 of the tool 101 (see
In the embodiment shown, the targeted location for placement and setting of the plug 400 is immediately uphole of a production region 497 with defined perforations 498. So, for example, the plug 400 may be utilized to isolate the region 497 for subsequent high pressure perforating or stimulating applications in other regions of the well 480.
Continuing with reference to
Referring now to
Continuing with reference to
With specific reference to
Referring to
Ultimately, as the sequential setting of plug components is completed a fully anchored plug 400 and sealingly isolated well 480 are provided at the targeted location. The application is completed with the breaking of a tension stud within the plug mandrel 575. This may induce a large shock of over about 200 g's and lead to a release of the housing sleeve 110 of
Regardless, a setting of a plug 400 has now been fully completed in a manner driven by relatively sophisticated electronics without undue concern over shock damage to the electronics packaging 100. In fact, due to the substantially monolithic nature of this packaging 100, exposure to secondary shock is virtually eliminated (see
Referring now to
In the unexpanded pre-set position of
Ultimately, the free space 602 is eliminated and the near-monolithic packaging structure of
Embodiments described hereinabove utilize techniques for mitigating both heat and shock damage to sophisticated electronics packaging. Thus, such comparatively higher cost packaging may be reliably utilized even upon repeated exposure to shock in excess of 200 g's and temperatures in excess of 100° C. in downhole operations. Such packaging is configured in a manner that avoids significant secondary shock through compression springs disposed in the load path while also avoiding o-ring or centralizer mounting techniques that tend to adversely affect heat dissipation.
The preceding description has been presented with reference to presently preferred embodiments. Persons skilled in the art and technology to which these embodiments pertain will appreciate that alterations and changes in the described structures and methods of operation may be practiced without meaningfully departing from the principle, and scope of these embodiments. Furthermore, the foregoing description should not be read as pertaining only to the precise structures described and shown in the accompanying drawings, but rather should be read as consistent with and as support for the following claims, which are to have their fullest and fairest scope.
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PCT/US2010/061727 | 12/22/2010 | WO | 00 | 10/1/2012 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2011/079171 | 6/30/2011 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20130025886 A1 | Jan 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61290045 | Dec 2009 | US |