HIGH-EXPANSION PACKER ELEMENTS

• US 20190390529A1
• Filed: 06/20/2018
• Published: 12/26/2019
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,056 B2
• 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 having a first end, a second end, a smooth outer surface, and a sidewall having an inner surface, the inner surface of the sidewall including first and second U-shaped upsets to relieve internal stress as the high-expansion packer element is compressed to a packer set condition.

2. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second U-shaped upsets have radiused side edges.

3. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second U-shaped upsets have a respective depth of about 40% of the total thickness of the sidewall.

4. 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 substantially equal sections.

5. 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.

6. A high-expansion packer element, comprising a hollow cylindrical body having a first end, a second end, an outer surface, and a sidewall having an inner surface, the inner surface of the sidewall including first, second and third U-shaped upsets to relieve internal stress as the high-expansion packer element is compressed to a packer set condition.

7. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 6 wherein the first, second, and third U-shaped upsets have radiused side edges.

8. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 6 wherein the second U-shaped upset has a depth of about 40% of the total thickness of the sidewall and the first and third upsets have a respective depth of about 20% of a total thickness of the sidewall.

9. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 6 wherein the second U-shaped upset is centered in the sidewall and a center of the first and third U-shaped upsets is spaced from a center of the second U-shaped upset by about 25% of a length of the inner surface of the sidewall.

10. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 6 further comprising at least two external upsets in the outer surface of the cylindrical body.

11. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 10 wherein the at least to external upsets are U-shaped and have radiused edges.

12. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 10 wherein the at least to external upsets respectively have a depth that is about 25% of a thickness of the sidewall.

13. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 10 wherein the at least to external upsets respectively offset from respective ends of the outer surface by about 25% of a total relaxed length of the high-expansion packer element.

14. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 6 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.

15. A high-expansion packer element, comprising a hollow cylindrical body having a first end, a second end, an outer surface, and a sidewall having an inner surface, the inner surface of the sidewall including, first and second upsets with transverse grooves interconnecting the first and second upsets to relieve internal stress as the high-expansion packer element is compressed to a packer set condition.

16. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 15 wherein the first internal upset and the second internal upset are respectively inset from the respective ends by about 33% of a length of the inner surface of the sidewall.

17. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 15 wherein the transverse grooves are separated by lands and spaced apart at 60°

intervals.

18. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 15 wherein the first and second upsets have a depth of about 33% of a thickness of the sidewall.

19. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 18 wherein the transverse grooves have a depth of about 33% of a thickness of the sidewall.

20. The high-expansion packer element as claimed in claim 15 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.