DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a run in section view of a prior art swelling element on a mandrel;
FIG. 2 is the view of FIG. 1 showing the inside diameter of the element pulling away after swelling;
FIG. 3 illustrates a vacuum technique for mounting the swelling element to the mandrel to resist the pulling away from the mandrel tendency on swelling;
FIG. 4 illustrates a pressure technique for mounting a swelling sleeve on blank pipe;
FIG. 5 shows the addition of a swelling sleeve between screen sections for eventual isolation using a pressure technique;
FIG. 6 shows the use of a pressure technique to cover a portion of a screen as needed by anticipated well conditions and again using the pressure technique;
FIG. 7 shows a swelling sleeve on a portion of a screen that is to be covered to avoid surrounding well conditions from affecting the function of the screen above or below.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of one way to get a swelling element 22 mounted on a mandrel 24 by securing it to slotted tube 26 and using retaining wedges 28 to seal off the ends. A vacuum source 30 is applied to the outside of the slotted tube 26 which reduces the inside diameter 32 of the element 22. With the vacuum applied the inside diameter 32 is larger than the outside diameter of the mandrel 24 to allow the mandrel 24 to be moved through the inside diameter 32. When the relative position between the element 22 and the mandrel 24 is achieved, the vacuum is removed and the inside diameter 32 grows until it makes intimate contact with the mandrel 24. The initial inside diameter 32 before a vacuum is pulled is preferably smaller than the outside diameter of the mandrel 24. After the vacuum is removed, the retaining wedges 28 can be removed and what is left is an element 22 that is stretched over the mandrel 24 leaving residual circumferential tensile forces in the element 22 that help retain it to the mandrel 24 for run in and after swelling. Adhesives in the interface between the mandrel 24 and the element 22 are not necessary. The net result of this assembly technique is that the element is subjected to hoop stresses that tend to make its inside dimension stay put against the mandrel 24 surface to which it is mounted to minimize, if not eliminate, a leak path between them.
The mounting technique can be varied to get the same result. For example, instead of pulling an initial vacuum as illustrated in FIG. 3 the element 22 can be internally pressurized, shown schematically by arrow 23 in FIG. 4, to increase its inside diameter 32 as a mandrel 24 is then slipped through the inside diameter 32 that is increased in dimension due to the pressurization from within. The arrows 25 and 27 indicate that either on or both mandrel 24 and element 22 can move in the assembly process. In this alternative way, the result of creating residual hoop stresses in the element 22 are accomplished so that upon swelling in service the inside diameter 32 tends to stay fixed against the mandrel 24 with a sufficient net force to minimize if not eliminate leak paths between the mandrel 24 and the element 22. FIG. 5 shows that the element 22 can be placed over a tubular between sections of screen 29 and 31 so that it can act as an isolator between them. Either the pressure or vacuum technique previously described can be used for such placement. FIG. 6 shows placement of a swelling element 22 over a screen 33 using either the vacuum or internal pressure techniques described above. The element 22 can then be advanced to a particular spot to coincide, for example, with a zone of shale 35 between production zones 37 and 39. In that way, when element 22 swells, it will prevent the shale from entering the screen 33 while the producing zones 37 and 39 will flow through the screen 33.
A variety of known swelling materials can be used for the element 22 such as rubber.
In addition to swelling by the element 22 the mandrel 24 or underlying screen 33 could also be radially expanded using a variety of known expansion techniques.
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.
Patent Application
20070295498
