Collecting drilling microchips

• US 10,428,606 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Al-Badran, Mohammad Saud, Li, Bodong
• Primary Examiner(s): Bemko, Taras P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Portocarrero, Manuel C
• Application Number:
  US15/647,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20190017338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 5/04 on shaking tables on vanners B03B5/08
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 5/06 Constructional details of shaking tables, e.g. riffling
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/12 Apparatus having only parallel elements
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/4654 Corrugated Screening surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/4681 Meshes of intersecting, non-woven, elements
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/003 Means for stopping loss of drilling fluid plastering the borehole wall E21B33/138
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/06 Arrangements for treating drilling fluids outside the borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/065 Separating solids from drilling fluids
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/08 Screens or liners expandable screens or liners E21B43/108
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/082 Screens comprising porous materials, e.g. prepacked screens
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/086 Screens with preformed openings, e.g. slotted liners comprising porous materials E21B43/082
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/088 Wire screens comprising porous materials E21B43/082; comprising woven materials E21B43/084
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/10 Setting of casings, screens, liners or the like in wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/16 Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/35 specially adapted for separating solids down-hole drilling fluid separation systems E21B21/002; separating solids from drilling fluids E21B21/065

Abstract

Multiple wires run parallel to one another. Each of wires is spaced apart from each adjacent wire at a distance less than a width of an encased microchip. Each of the plurality of wires includes a plurality of straight segments in a plane and bent segments that connect two of the plurality of straight segments. For each of the wires, each bent segments includes a first end, a second end, and a curved portion curved away from the plane. The first end is connected to at least one of the straight segments and separated from the second end a distance greater than the width of the encased microchip. The curved portion includes a diameter greater than the width of the encased microchip.

Claims

1. A wire screen comprising:

a plurality of wires running parallel, each of the plurality of wires is spaced apart from each adjacent wire at a distance less than a width of an encased microchip, and each of the plurality of wires includes a plurality of straight segments in a plane and each of a plurality of bent segments connects two of the plurality of straight segments, at least one of the plurality of bent segments of each wire being positioned between two straight segments of the same wire; and

for each of the plurality of the wires, each bent segments in the plurality of segments includes a first end, a second end, and a curved portion curved away from the plane, the first end connected to at least one of the plurality of straight segments and separated from the second end a distance greater than the width of the encased microchip, and the curved portion includes a diameter greater than the width of the encased microchip.

2. The wire screen of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of support wires aligned across and attached to the plurality of segments.

3. The wire screen of claim 2, wherein the plurality of support wires comprises four or more support wires.

4. The wire screen of claim 1, wherein the distance between the first end and the second end and the diameter of the curved portion is five millimeters or greater.

5. The wire screen of claim 1, wherein each bent segment further comprises:

a continuously decreasing radius that circles back toward the plane; and

a third bend at the second end that brings the wire to be in-line and parallel with the plane.

6. The wire screen of claim 5, wherein a gap between the first end and the second end is ten percent larger than the encased microchip.

7. The wire screen of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bent segments is a first plurality of bent segments and the encased microchip is a first encased microchip, the wire screen further comprising:

a second plurality of bent segments, each bent segment in the second plurality of segments includes a third end, a fourth end, and a curved portion curved away from the plane, the third end connected to at least one of the plurality of straight segments and separated from the fourth end a distance greater than the width of a second encased microchip, and the curved portion includes a diameter greater than the width of the second encased microchip.

8. The wire screen of claim 7, wherein the second encased microchip is a different size than the first microchip.

9. The wire screen of claim 1, wherein the screen comprises a substantially rectangular cross-section.