U.S. patent application number 15/406040 was filed with the patent office on 2018-07-19 for setting tool power charge initiation.
This patent application is currently assigned to Baker Hughes Incorporated. The applicant listed for this patent is Baker Hughes Incorporated. Invention is credited to Ping Duan, Kevin E. Harrington, Levi Oberg.
Application Number | 20180202248 15/406040 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 62838760 |
Filed Date | 2018-07-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180202248 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Harrington; Kevin E. ; et
al. |
July 19, 2018 |
Setting Tool Power Charge Initiation
Abstract
A power charge for a packer setting tool includes an outer
casing and an amount of flammable material within the casing. A
heating igniter is retained within the outer casing in contact with
the flammable material. The heating igniter is energized by
electrical power to heat it to a temperature that is sufficient to
ignite the flammable material.
Inventors: |
Harrington; Kevin E.;
(Houston, TX) ; Oberg; Levi; (Houston, TX)
; Duan; Ping; (Cypress, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Baker Hughes Incorporated |
Houston |
TX |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Baker Hughes Incorporated
Houston
TX
|
Family ID: |
62838760 |
Appl. No.: |
15/406040 |
Filed: |
January 13, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B 23/065 20130101;
E21B 33/12 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E21B 23/06 20060101
E21B023/06; E21B 33/12 20060101 E21B033/12 |
Claims
1. A power charge for a packer setting tool, the power charge
comprising: an outer casing, the casing being shaped and sized to
reside within a power charge recess within a packer setting tool;
an amount of flammable material within the casing; and a
non-explosive heating igniter retained within the casing and in
contact with the flammable material, the heating igniter being
energizable by electric power to reach a temperature sufficient to
ignite the flammable material.
2. The power charge of claim 1 wherein the heating igniter
comprises a metallic resistive heating element.
3. The power charge of claim 1 wherein the heating igniter
comprises a coil of wire.
4. The power charge of claim 1 wherein the heating igniter is
formed of stainless steel.
5. A packer setting tool for setting an associated packer device
within a wellbore, the packer setting tool comprising: a setting
tool housing; a piston which is axially moveable with respect to
the setting tool housing, movement of the piston being effective to
set the associated packer device; a power charge retained within
the setting tool housing, the power charge having an outer casing,
the casing being shaped and sized to reside within a power charge
recess within a packer setting tool; an amount of flammable
material within the casing; and a non-explosive heating igniter
retained within the casing and in contact with the to flammable
material, the heating igniter being energizable by electric power
to reach a temperature sufficient to ignite the flammable
material.
6. The packer setting tool of claim 5 further comprising an
electrical conduit which interconnects the heating igniter with an
electric power source.
7. The packer setting tool of claim 5 wherein the heating igniter
comprises a metallic resistive heating element.
8. The packer setting tool of claim 5 wherein the heating igniter
comprises a coil of wire.
9. The packer setting tool of claim 5 wherein the heating igniter
is formed of stainless steel.
10. A method of setting a packer device within a wellbore, the
method comprising the steps of: disposing a packer device and
associated packer setting device into a wellbore, the packer
setting device including a power charge with a non-explosive
heating igniter; detonating the power charge by energizing the
heating igniter with electric power.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the heating igniter is energized
by a power source which is located at a surface location with
respect to the wellbore.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The invention relates generally to devices and methods for
initiating or setting off a power charge within a wellbore.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0002] Power charges are used to generate gases needed to apply
compressive force for an affixed setting tool. A typical use for a
power charge is as the motive force for a wireline setting tool.
Such a setting tool is used to set bridge plugs, cement retainers
and production packers or other downhole devices which must be
anchored within a wellbore. Power charges are typically initiated
by an igniter which uses electrical current to detonate a small
amount of explosive material. A jet of hot burning gases created by
the igniter will detonate a secondary pellet which, in turn,
initiates the setting tool.
[0003] Some conventional igniters have reliability problems. A
nichrome wire which is in contact with black powder within the
igniter tends to suffer corrosion. As a result, there can be an
unacceptable failure rate for such igniters after one year of shelf
life. These conventional igniters are usually rated as explosive
material, requiring special packaging and handling and thus
increasing costs and delivery times.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The invention provides improved systems and methods for
initiating a power charge when the setting tool is within a
wellbore. Power charges are described which include at least one
heating igniter which is non-explosive and which detonates the
power charge by generating a high temperature which is sufficient
to cause the flammable material within the power charge to ignite.
Electrical voltage is supplied to the igniter to energize it. In
preferred embodiments, electrical current is provided from the
surface via wireline. In one embodiment, the igniter is a resistive
heating element. In an alternative embodiment, the igniter is an
uninsulated coil of wire.
[0005] In accordance with preferred methods of use, a power charge
containing a heating igniter is incorporated into a packer setting
tool. The packer setting tool and an affixed packer device are then
run into a wellbore using a wireline running string. When the
packer device is at a location wherein it is desired to set the
packer device, the power charge is detonated by energizing the
heating igniter thereby setting the packer device within the
wellbore.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] For a thorough understanding of the present invention,
reference is made to the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or similar
elements throughout the several figures of the drawings and
wherein:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a side, cross-sectional view of an exemplary
wellbore containing a packer device and packer setting tool in
accordance with the present invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a side, cross-sectional view of portions of the
setting tool from FIG. 1 and related components, including a power
charge in accordance with the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary power charge igniter
constructed in accordance with the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment for a power
charge igniter constructed in accordance with the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0011] FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary wellbore 10 which has been
drilled through the earth 12 from the surface 14. The wellbore 10
is lined with metallic casing 16. A tool string 18 is shown
disposed into the wellbore 10. The tool string 18 includes a
wireline running string 20 from which is suspended a packer device
22. The packer device 22 may be a compression-set packer of a type
known in the art. In the depicted embodiment, the packer device 22
includes an elastomeric packer element 24 which is expanded
radially to set against the casing 16 by axial compression.
[0012] The packer device 22 is affixed to a packer setting tool 26.
The packer setting tool 26 is operable to set packer device 22 by
applying compressive force to portions of the packer setting tool
26. Except where otherwise described herein, the packer setting
tool 26 can be constructed and operated in the same manner as the
E-4 packer setting device which is available commercially from
Baker Hughes Incorporated of Houston, Tex.
[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates portions of the packer setting tool 26 in
greater detail. The packer setting tool 26 includes an outer
housing 28 which defines a recess 30 for retaining power charge 32.
A piston 34 is retained within the housing 28 and is axially
moveable therein. As is known, movement of the piston 34 with
respect to the housing 28 will cause setting of the packer device
22.
[0014] The power charge 32 includes an outer casing 36 which
contains an amount of flammable material 38. The flammable material
38 may be made up using different recipes or mixtures, as is known
in the art, to allow burning at various rates to allow optimum
setting times for different types of packer devices. The flammable
material 38 is a material in the solid phase of matter that can
readily undergo combustion in the source of ignition under standard
circumstances, i.e., without artificially changing variables such
as pressure or density or by adding accelerants. Flammable material
is readily combustible. It may cause or contribute to fire through
friction. Readily combustible materials can be powdered, granular
or pasty chemicals which are dangerous if they can be easily
ignited by brief contact with an ignition source. Flammable
material 38 is very energetic and produces high temperature gaseous
products on combustion which leads to high energy density needed
for producing the required propulsive force. Flammable material 38
can consist of several chemical ingredients such as oxidizer, fuel,
binder, plasticizer, curing agent, stabilizer and cross-linking
agent. The specific chemical composition depends on the desired
combustion characteristics for a particular application. Different
chemical ingredients and their proportions result in different
physical and chemical properties, combustion characteristics and
performance. The outer casing 36 is shaped and sized to reside
within the recess 30 in a complementary manner. A heating igniter
40 is also contained within the casing 36 in contact with the
explosive 38. Electrical conduit 42 is interconnected with the
heating igniter 40. The electrical conduit 42 will extend upwardly
along the wireline 20 to an electrical power source 44 (FIG. 1) at
surface 14. The electrical power source 44 may be a generator,
battery or other source of electrical energy which is sufficient to
provide energizing power to the heating igniter 40.
[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary heating igniter 40 in
greater detail. The depicted heating igniter 40 is a metallic
resistive heating element which will heat up when electrical
current is applied to it. The resistive heating element is
preferably made of stainless steel. However, it might also be
fashioned from a bimetallic or non-metallic material or other
suitable materials. In the depicted embodiment, the resistive
heating element is rod shaped. However, it should be understood
that the resistive heating element may have other shapes. When
energized, the heating igniter 40 should achieve a temperature that
is sufficient to reach the ignition temperature of the flammable
material 38. This temperature may be in the range of from about
750.degree. F. to about 900.degree. F. Most preferably, the
temperature is about 800.degree. F.
[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment for an igniter
40' in accordance with the present invention. The heating igniter
40' is a coil of wire. Current power supplies in the field will
provide about 200 volts of electrical power and 1 to 1.5 amps. That
power can be used for up to about 10 seconds. Wire size can be
varied to provide different watt densities, output temperatures and
the like to adjust for different flammable material 38.
[0017] In an exemplary method of operation, the packer setting tool
26 and packer device 22 are run into the wellbore 10 on wireline
running string 20. When the packer device 22 is at a location
wherein it is desired to set the packer device 22 within the
wellbore 10, the packer setting tool 26 is actuated by initiating
the power charge 32 within. Initiation of the power charge 32 is
done by energizing the heating igniter 40 or 40'.
[0018] Because heating igniter 40 or 40' is non-explosive, it is
believed that use of them will provide improved safety and reduced
costs. Those of skill in the art will recognize that numerous
modifications and changes may be made to the exemplary designs and
embodiments described herein and that the invention is limited only
by the claims that follow and any equivalents thereof.
* * * * *