Thermally energized packer cup

• US 4,424,865 A
• Filed: 09/08/1981
• Issued: 01/10/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vickers Incorporated (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Sperry Corporation (Unisys Corporation)
• Inventors: Payton, Donald G. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Purser, Ernest R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Starinsky, Michael
• Application Number:
  US06/299,767
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 166/202, 166/179, 166/302, 277/26, 29/446, 29/447, 175/17, 285/381, 148/402
• US Class Current: 166/302
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/1208 characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means E21B33/1277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/126 with fluid-pressure-operated elastic cup or skirt E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/164 the sealing action depending on movements; pressure difference, temperature or presence of leaking fluid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/931 Seal including temperature responsive feature

Abstract

In a geothermal production well, oil well or gas well, a thermally energized packer cup having a tapered elastomer body and a reinforcing element fabricated from a shape memory alloy seals the well casing when the packer cup is heated to the transformation temperature of the shape memory alloy.

Claims

1. A thermally energized packer cup comprising:

reinforcing means which is fabricated from a shape memory alloy that is cold worked into an original shape, constrained, heated to a transformation temperature, and cooled; and

a tapered elastomer body which is coupled to said reinforcing means,

said reinforcing means so constructed and arranged that said elastomer irreversibly is urged to expand when said means is thermally energized.

3. A packer cup according to claim 1 wherein said memory alloy is selected from the group consisting of nickel-titanium, gold-cadmium, and indium-thallium.

4. A packer cup according to claim 3 wherein said reinforcing means includes a metal base plate and a plurality of reinforcing elements fabricated from said memory alloy.

2. A method for sealing a conduit with a packer cup having a tapered elastomer body and reinforcing means having an original shape fabricated from a shape memory alloy, comprising:

restraining said packer cup and said reinforcing means into a restrained shape having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of said conduit;

inserting said restrained packer cup into said conduit; and

;

applying heat to said packer cup in order to heat said reinforcing means to a transformation temperature,

whereby said reinforcing means returns to its original shape and said elastomer body irreversibly expands and seals said conduit.

7. The method for sealing a packer cup as defined in claim 2, wherein said memory alloy is selected from the group consisting of nickel-titanium, gold-cadmium, and indium-thallium.

5. A thermally energized packer cup comprising:

a tapered elastomer body,

a rigid base plate laterally extended within said body,

a plurality of restrained reinforcing wires fabricated from a alloy, said wires each having a lower end joined circumferentially to said base plate and a body extending substantially linearly from and orthogonal to said base plate and embedded in said elastomer body,

whereby said elastomer body is irreversibly urged to expand by said reinforcing wires when thermally energized.

6. A packer cup according to claim 5 wherein sid memory alloy is selected from the group consisting of nickel titanium, gold-cadmium, and indium-thallium.