Composite spoolable tube

• US 20050121094A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jerry G. Williams, Peter A. Quigley, Stephen C. Nolet
• Original Assignee: Jerry G. Williams, Peter A. Quigley, Stephen C. Nolet
• Inventors: Quigley, Peter A., Williams, Jerry G., Nolet, Stephen C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 138/125
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 1/06 Braid or lace serving particular purposes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/20 Flexible or articulated drilling pipes , e.g. flexible or articulated rods, pipes or cables
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/203 with plural fluid passages
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/206 with conductors, e.g. electrical, optical
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 11/085 comprising one or more braided layers in combination with layers of a helically wound core or wire F16L11/088
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 11/127 electrically conducting
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 11/14 made of rigid material, e.g. metal or hard plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 9/12 of plastics with or without reinforcement F16L9/16 - F16L9/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 9/125 electrically conducting
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 9/147 comprising only layers of metal and plastics with or without reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 9/19 Multi-channel pipes or pipe assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/139 Open-ended, self-supporting conduit, cylinder, or tube-type article

Abstract

A spoolable composite tube capable of being spooled onto a reel for storage and for use in oil field applications. The spoolable tube exhibits unique anistropic characteristics that provide improved burst and collapse pressures, increased tensile strength, compression strength, and load carrying capacity, while still remaining sufficiently bendable to be spooled onto a reel in an open bore configuration. The spoolable composite tube can include an inner liner, an interface layer, fiber composite layers, a pressure barrier layer, and an outer protective layer. The fiber composite layers can have a unique triaxial braid structure.

Claims

1. A spoolable tube comprising:

an inner liner;

a composite layer enclosing said liner and comprising high strength fibers;

an outer protective layer enclosing said composite layer and inner liner;

wherein said spoolable tube has an open bore configuration when spooled on a reel.

2. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said composite layer further includes a glue.

3. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said composite layer further includes a resin.

4. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said composite layer further includes a polymer.

5. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said fibers comprise one or more of:

glass, carbon and aramid.

6. The spoolable tube of claim 5, wherein said fibers comprise glass.

7. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said fibers are helically wound about said inner liner.

8. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said fibers include clockwise and counter-clockwise helically oriented fibers.

9. The spoolable tube of claim 6, wherein said fibers include clockwise and counter-clockwise helically oriented fibers.

10. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said fibers are helically wound relative to the longitudinal axis of said tube.

11. The spoolabe tube of claim 10, wherein said fibers are helically wound at about ±

30°

to about ±

70°

relative to the longitudinal axis of said tube.

12. The spoolabe tube of claim 1, wherein said liner comprises a thermoplastic.

13. The spoolabe tube of claim 1, wherein said liner has a melt temperature of at least 250°

F.

14. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said liner has an axial modulus of elasticity less than 500,000 psi.

15. The spoolable tube of claim 6, wherein said liner comprises at least one of:

polyethylene, cross-linked polyethylene, polyamide, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, and a polyester.

16. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said outer protective layer further includes a coupling device.

17. The spoolable tube of claim 1, further including a coupling device.

18. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said outer protective layer holds said composite layer together.

19. The spoolable tube of claim 18, wherein said outer protective layer is seamless.

20. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said outer protective layer is seamless.

21. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said outer protective layer comprises a polymer.

22. The spoolable tube of claim 21, wherein said outer protective layer comprises fillers.

23. The spoolable tube of claim 1, further including a pressure barrier layer.

24. The spoolable tube of claim 23, wherein said pressure barrier comprises a polymeric film.

25. The spoolable tube of claim 24, wherein said polymeric film is helically wrapped around said composite layer.

26. The spoolabe tube of claim 24, wherein said pressure barrier comprises at least one of:

polyethylene, cross-linked polyethylene, polyamide, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, and a polyester.

27. The spoolable tube of claim 1, further comprising an energy conductor.

28. The spoolable tube of claim 1, wherein said composite layer further includes a matrix.

29. The spoolable tube of claim 28, wherein said matrix includes at least one of:

a glue, a resin, and a polymer.

30. A spoolable tube comprising:

an inner liner;

an energy conductor;

a composite layer comprising high strength fibers; and

an outer protective layer.

31. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said spoolable tube has an open bore configuration when spooled on a reel.

32. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said composite layer comprises a resin.

33. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said composite layer comprises a glue.

34. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said fibers comprise one or more of:

glass, carbon and aramid.

35. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said fibers comprise glass.

36. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said fibers are helically wound about said inner liner.

37. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said energy conductor comprises an optical medium.

38. The spoolable tube of claim 37, wherein said energy conductor comprises an optical fiber.

39. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said energy conductor comprises an electrically conductive medium.

40. The spoolable tube of claim 39, wherein said energy conductor comprises copper wire.

41. The spoolabe tube of claim 30, wherein said energy conductor is helically oriented.

42. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said energy conductor is axially oriented.

43. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said energy conductor is embedded in said inner liner.

44. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said energy conductor is embedded in said composite layer.

45. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said energy conductor is disposed between said inner liner and said composite layer.

46. The spoolabe tube of claim 30, wherein said energy conductor is disposed between said inner liner and said outer protective layer.

47. The spoolable tube of claim 45, wherein said energy conductor comprises an optical medium or a electrically conductive medium.

48. The spoolable tube of claim 47, further including a pressure barrier layer.

49. The spoolable tube of claim 48, wherein said pressure barrier comprises a polymeric film.

50. The spoolable tube of claim 30, wherein said outer protective layer further includes a coupling device.

51. A spoolable tube comprising:

inner layers comprising a liner and high strength fibers helically wound about said liner; and

a seamless outer protective layer holding said inner layers together;

wherein said spoolable tube has an open bore configuration when spooled on reel.

52. The spoolable tube of claim 51, wherein said outer protective layer is seamless.

53. The spoolable tube of claim 51, wherein said inner layers further include a matrix.

54. The spoolable tube of claim 51, wherein said fibers have a distinct interface between said fibers.

55. The spoolable tube of claim 53, wherein said matrix comprises a resin.

56. The spoolable tube of claim 53, wherein said matrix comprises a glue.

57. The spoolable tube of claim 53, wherein said matrix comprises a polymer.

58. The spoolabe tube of claim 51, wherein said liner comprises a thermoplastic.

59. The spoolabe tube of claim 51, wherein said liner has a melt temperature of at least 250°

F.

60. The spoolable tube of claim 51, wherein said liner has an axial modulus of elasticity less than 500,000 psi.

61. The spoolable tube of claim 58, wherein said liner comprises at least one of:

polyethylene, cross-linked polyethylene, polyamide, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, and a polyester.

62. The spoolable tube of claim 51, wherein said outer protective layer further includes a coupling device.

63. The spoolable tube of claim 51, further including a coupling device.

64. The spoolable tube of claim 51, wherein said fibers comprise one or more of:

glass, carbon and aramid.

65. The spoolable tube of claim 64, wherein said fibers comprise glass.

66. The spoolable tube of claim 53, wherein said fibers comprise glass.

67. The spoolable tube of claim 51, wherein said fibers are helically wound about said inner liner at about ±

30°

to ±

70°

relative to the longitudinal axis of said tube.

68. The spoolable tube of claim 51, wherein said fibers include clockwise and counter-clockwise helically oriented fibers.

69. The spoolable tube of claim 66, wherein said fibers include clockwise and counter-clockwise helically oriented fibers.

70. The spoolable tube of claim 51, wherein said outer protective layer comprises a polymer.

71. The spoolable tube of claim 70, wherein said outer protective layer comprises fillers.

72. The spoolable tube of claim 51, further including a pressure barrier layer.

73. The spoolable tube of claim 72, wherein said pressure barrier comprises a polymeric film.

74. The spoolable tube of claim 73, wherein said polymeric film is helically wrapped around said composite layer.

75. The spoolabe tube of claim 73, wherein said pressure barrier comprises at least one of:

polyethylene, cross-linked polyethylene, polyamide, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, and a polyester.

76. The spoolable tube of claim 73, further comprising an energy conductor.

77. A tube comprising:

an inner liner comprising a polymer;

a first layer comprising glass fibers helically wound about the inner liner;

an outer layer comprising glass fibers helically wound about the first layer; and

an outer protective layer forming an outer surface, wherein the tube comprises at least one layer of glass fibers wrapped in a helical direction and at least one layer of glass fibers wrapped in second helical direction.