Manufacturing Technique for a Composite Ball for Use Downhole in a Hydrocarbon Wellbore

• US 20130098600A1
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Team Oil Tools LP (Innovex Downhole Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Team Oil Tools LP (Innovex Downhole Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, William M.
• Application Number:
  US13/652,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20130098600A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/193
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/86 Incorporated in coherent impregnated reinforcing layers, e.g. by winding
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0042 Producing plain balls hollow balls B29D22/04
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/02 characterised by a sequence of laminating steps, e.g. by adding new layers at consecutive laminating stations
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/12 Packers; Plugs used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16

Abstract

A system and method for a composite ball for use downhole in a hydrocarbon wellbore, the composite ball having: a core; a fiber structure arranged around the core, wherein the fiber structure has non-uniform oriented fiber; and a resin within and encasing the fiber structure arranged around the core. A system and method for fabricating a composite ball for use downhole in a hydrocarbon wellbore, including arranging at least one fiber m a plurality of non-uniform orientations around a core; infusing a resin onto the at least one fiber arranged around the core; and forming a resin skin on the composite ball.

Claims

1. A composite ball for use downhole in a hydrocarbon wellbore, the composite ball comprising:

a core;

a fiber structure arranged around the core, wherein the fiber structure comprises non-uniform oriented fiber; and

a resin within and encasing the fiber structure arranged around the core, wherein the composite ball is substantially spherical.

2. The composite ball of claim 1, wherein the tensile strengths of the composite ball along each of its x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis are substantially the same, and wherein the compression strengths of the composite ball along each of its x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis are the same.

3. The composite ball of claim 1, wherein the core is substantially spherical, and wherein the fiber comprises at least one single fiber wound around the core.

4. The composite ball of claim 1, wherein the fiber structure comprises a plurality of fibers in a compressed mesh wrapped and compressed around the core.

5. The composite ball of claim 4, wherein the compressed mesh also comprises the core.

6. The composite ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a plurality of fibers in a compressed mesh.

7. The composite ball of claim 1, wherein the resin is vacuum-deposited within and on the fiber structure, and wherein the resin encases the arranged fiber structure forming a resin skin around the arranged fiber structure as an exterior surface of the composite ball.

8. The composite ball of claim 1, wherein:

the core comprises Bakelite, metal, glass, rubber, or cotton, or any combination thereof;

the fiber comprises fiberglass, metal, cotton, polymer, or carbon, or any combination thereof; and

the resin comprises a phenolic resin.

9. A method for fabricating a composite ball for use downhole in a hydrocarbon wellbore, the method comprising:

arranging at least one fiber in a plurality of non-uniform orientations around a core;

infusing a resin onto the at least one fiber arranged around the core; and

forming a resin skin on the composite ball.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein arranging the at least one fiber comprises winding the at least one fiber around the core.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein winding the at least one fiber around the core comprises wrapping successive windings around the core at a substantially uniform angular offset.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one fiber comprises a plurality of fibers, and wherein arranging the at least one fiber forming a mesh from the plurality of fibers and compressing the mesh around the core.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein infusing the resin comprises infusing the resin by vacuum deposition, and wherein forming the resin skin comprises forming the resin skin during the vacuum deposition.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein infusing the resin further comprises soaking the at least one fiber in the resin prior to arranging the at least one fiber around the core.

15. A spherical composite ball for use downhole in a hydrocarbon wellbore fabricated by a method comprising:

arranging at least one fiber in a plurality of non-uniform orientations around a core;

infusing a resin onto the at least one fiber; and

forming a resin skin around the resin-infused fiber and the core.

16. The composite ball of claim 15, wherein the composite ball has similar tensile and compressive properties along each of its x-axis, y-axis and z-axis.

17. The composite ball of claim 15, wherein the at least one fiber comprises a single, wound fiber.

18. The composite ball of claim 15, wherein arranging the at least one fiber comprises wrapping a fiber around the core in windings having a non-aligned fiber orientation.

19. The composite ball of claim 15, wherein the fiber comprises a plurality of fibers, and wherein wrapping the fiber around the core comprises forming a mesh from the plurality of fibers, and compressing the mesh around the core.

20. The composite ball of claim 15, wherein infusing the resin comprises infusing the resin by vacuum deposition onto the at least one fiber, or by soaking the at least one fiber with the resin, or a combination thereof.