High-expansion packer elements

• US 10,641,056 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exacta-Frac Energy Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Exacta-Frac Energy Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Saeed, Ahmed Mohamed, Hrupp, Joze John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutchins, Cathleen R
• Application Number:
  US16/012,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20190390529A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/1208 characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means E21B33/1277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/128 with a member expanded radially by axial pressure E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence

Abstract

A high-expansion packer element is injection molded from chemical-resistant elastomers and provided with multiple upsets in an inner surface of the sidewall to relieve stress as the high-expansion packer element is compressed and held in a set condition.

Claims

1. A high-expansion packer element, comprising a hollow cylindrical body of non-absorptive packer element elastomers having a first end, a second end, a smooth outer surface, and a sidewall having a smooth inner surface, the smooth inner surface of the sidewall including only first and second spaced-apart U-shaped upsets, the respective upsets having a depth of about 40% of the total thickness of the sidewall and radiused side edges to relieve internal stress as the high-expansion packer element is compressed lengthwise and expands radially to a packer set condition.

2. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first, and second U-shaped upsets partition the inner surface of the sidewall into three sections of substantially equal length.

3. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 1 wherein at maximum engineered compression the high-expansion packer element has a compressed length that is about 40% of a relaxed length and a compressed diameter that is about 140% of a relaxed diameter of the high-expansion packer element.