Continuous Backup Assembly for High Pressure Seals
An extrusion barrier assembly for high pressure and temperature applications for a sealing element incorporates a backing member between the sealing element and a multi-row petal type backup ring assembly. The surface irregularities of the offset petals are distributed through the backing member so that stress concentration locations at the petal transitions between rows are diffused through the backing member to avoid or minimize the tendency of the petals to stress crack at row to row transitions. The backing member is formed from spirally wound strip of sheet material that can be coated to promote relative sliding of overlapping layers. The assembly can be temporarily bonded to retain its shape with adhesive that releases under expected well conditions when the packer or bridge plug is set.
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The field of the invention is anti-extrusion assemblies for subterranean seals in high differential pressure and high temperature environments and more particularly to intermediate structures between a sealing element and a backup ring assembly to control stress at said backup ring assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONHigh pressure elastomer seals often require the use of a backup system to prevent extrusion failure of the seal material. Backup systems may be comprised of multiple components with different design intents. Petal backups are employed as means of mechanically reinforcing an elastomer seal against applied pressures. Petal backups are so named due to their resemblance to a flower—typically a thin metallic cup-shape with slots cut into the sidewalls to reduce the amount of for required to expand the part during setting. One such design is shown in
In use, when the petal backups expand are set, a gap is generated between adjacent petals, which would cause seal failure if only one backup were present. As a result, petal backups are staggered and stacked, so that when the complete backup system is assembled the gaps of one backup are against the centers of the petals of the next backup. A disadvantage to this approach is that a discontinuous surface will exist within a set seal stack, and as temperature and pressure increase, that discontinuous surface becomes an increasingly risky potential failure point.
High expansion packers are used in through tubing applications where the packer or plug is then set in casing below the tubing through which it was delivered. Some designs provided cup shaped backup ring stacks that has staggered slots as between layers as an extrusion barrier in expansion ranges up to 25%. U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,150 is an illustration of one such design. Others are U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,145; US Publication 2004/0149429 and 2005/0115720. Other high expansion packer designs are U.S. Re 32,831; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,311,778; 6,318,461 and 6,164,375.
Another design is revealed in US Publication 2008/0251250 where a series of overlapping petals 310 are initially retained by a band 314. The petals are connected to tubular 312 that is expanded. The band breaks with expansion of the tubular. The petals can be in a single row but are stated to be preferably in multiple rows. The main issue with this design is the dependency for sealing on petal overlap which can be problematic if the petals do not all move out radially in a uniform fashion.
In extreme pressure differential applications the surface irregularity presented with the offset gaps among the petal layers becomes a stress concentration location and the end result can be cracking where a gap in the innermost row that is up against the sealing element is backed by the middle of another petal in an adjacent row. Once the petal ring assembly develops stress cracks the seal can be lost as portions of the sealing element begin to flow and extrude through such newly formed cracks. Situations where there are high temperatures aggravate these types of potential failures.
To help limit the risk, a new backup is proposed. In the simplest embodiment, the backup would be constructed from a spool of sheet material that would be wrapped onto a mandrel of the desired shape. Material type and thickness would be determined by the application. In operation, the helically wrapped backup would be part of a seal stack that might include one or more elastic elements, non-elastic elements, and other metallic backup components included for strength. In use, the layers of the backup should slide relative to one another fairly easily until compressive forces become large, allowing the part to conform to a desired shape. Because the layers are fairly thin, a smooth surface remains in the load path against the seal, limiting non-uniform loading of the seal, and ultimately reducing the risk of failure. Applying a coating on the sheet material as the part is wrapped may ease the force required to set the backup. A temporary adhesive might also be useful to hold the wrapped component together until use. The adhesive is chosen in such a way that a slight application of force or exposure to wellbore fluid would disable it. Shear or other temporary mechanical means might also be used.
Those skilled in the art will more readily understand these and other aspects of the invention from a review of the description of the preferred embodiment and the associated drawings while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be determined from the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn extrusion barrier assembly for high pressure and temperature applications for a sealing element incorporates a backing member between the sealing element and a multi-row petal type backup ring assembly. The surface irregularities of the offset petals are distributed through the backing member so that stress concentration locations at the petal transitions between rows are diffused through the backing member to avoid or minimize the tendency of the petals to stress crack at row to row transitions. The backing member is formed from spirally wound strip of sheet material that can be coated to promote relative sliding of overlapping layers. The assembly can be temporarily bonded to retain its shape with adhesive that releases under expected well conditions when the packer or bridge plug is set.
Mandrel 10 has a taper 12 and a cylindrical portion 14 that is used to support the mandrel 10 as the sheet 16 comes off the roll 18 and is spirally wound beginning with the cylindrical portion 14 and then continuing to the taper 12. The spiral winding leaves a potion 20 of the previous winding exposed as another winding is made. As a result when the mandrel 10 is removed and portions wound on the cylindrical portion 14 are trimmed off the resulting shape shown in section is a chevron shape or a frusto-conical shape illustrated in
The backup member 22 is not intended to be structural and is combined with the petal ring assembly 26 for the strength of the assembly 26 combined with a layered petal assembly having the ability to be axially compressed and to extend radially while serving as an extrusion barrier. The addition of backup member 22 that is a thin multi-layer spiral structure preferably shaped to conform to the end of the sealing element 24 serves the purpose of distributing compressive loading when the assembly is set about the petal ring assembly 26. Referring to
The petal ring assembly 26 of
The initial shape shown in
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:
Claims
1. An extrusion barrier assembly for a subterranean seal, comprising:
- a seal element having a longitudinal axis;
- a backup ring assembly located adjacent at least one end of said seal element;
- a backup member disposed between said backup ring assembly and said seal element and formed from an elongated strip rolled into overlapping layers.
2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:
- said strip is spirally wound so that adjacent layers are offset from each other.
3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:
- said layers slide relatively upon compressive loading of said seal element along the longitudinal axis of said element.
4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:
- said layers are initially secured to each other with an adhesive.
5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:
- said layers have a coating in between that reduces friction to promote relative sliding between said layers.
6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:
- said backup member conforms to the shape of said petal backup ring at a contact location.
7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:
- said petal backup ring provides structural support for said backup member.
8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:
- said strip is continuous throughout said layers.
9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:
- said backup member has a frusto-conical shape.
10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein:
- said shape comprising an axis and a taper slope angle of 5-60° with respect to said axis.
11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:
- spaced petal pairs in one row of said petal backup ring are backed by another petal in an adjacent row to define step transitions at adjacent edges of said spaced petals;
- said backup member spanning said step transitions of said spaced petal pairs to reduce stress at said step transitions from compressive loading in a direction of said longitudinal axis of said sealing element.
12. The assembly of claim 2, wherein:
- said layers slide relatively upon compressive loading of said seal element along the longitudinal axis of said element.
13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein:
- said strip is continuous throughout said layers.
14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein:
- said backup member has a frusto-conical shape.
15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein:
- spaced petal pairs in one row of said petal backup ring are backed by another petal in an adjacent row to define step transitions at adjacent edges of said spaced petals;
- said backup member spanning said step transitions of said spaced petal pairs to reduce stress at said step transitions from compressive loading in a direction of said longitudinal axis of said sealing element.
16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein:
- said layers are initially secured to each other with an adhesive.
17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein:
- said layers have a coating in between that reduces friction to promote relative sliding between said layers.
18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein:
- said backup member conforms to the shape of said petal backup ring at a contact location.
19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein:
- said petal backup ring provides structural support for said backup member.
20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein:
- said shape comprising a axis and a taper slope angle of 5-60° with respect to said axis.
21. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:
- said backup ring assembly comprises a petal backup ring assembly further comprising at least two rows of circumferentially offset petals and located adjacent at least one end of said seal element.
22. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:
- said backup ring assembly comprises at least one ring with abrupt surface transitions.
23. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:
- said backup ring assembly comprises a plurality of split rings with circumferentially spaced splits.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 8, 2011
Publication Date: Jun 13, 2013
Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED (Houston, TX)
Inventor: Edward J. O'Malley (Houston, TX)
Application Number: 13/314,986
International Classification: E21B 33/12 (20060101);