Composite spoolable tube

• US 6,857,452 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2003
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fiberspar Corp. (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fiberspar Corp. (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: Quigley, Peter A., Williams, Jerry G., Nolet, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRINSON, PATRICK F
• Application Number:
  US10/460,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20040031532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 138123-125, 138129-133, 138/140, 138/141, 138/153, 138/172, 138/174, 138/DIG.3, 138/DIG.2, 138/111, 138/114, 138/118, 428/36.1, 428/36.9, 174/47, 174/502.5, 174/500.5
• 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 composite tube extending along a longitudinal axis, the composite tube comprising:

a polymer liner; and

a composite layer exterior to the liner, the composite layer being formed of a first set of fibers in a thermoplastic matrix, at least 80% of the fibers, by fiber volume, of the first set of fibers being helically oriented relative to the longitudinal axis at an angle of between 30° and

70°

, the thermoplaslic matrix having a tensile modulus of elasticity of at least 100,000 psi.

2. The composite tube of claim 1, wherein the tensile modulus of elasticity of the thermoplastic matrix is at least 250,000 psi.

3. The composite tube of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic matrix has a maximum tensile elongation of greater than or equal to 5%.

4. The composite tube of claim 1, herein the thermoplastic matrix has a melt temperature of at least 180°

F.

5. The composite tube of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic matrix has a tensile modulus of elasticity of at least 250,000 psi, a maximum tensile elongation of greater than or equal to 5%, and has a melt temperature of at least 180°

F.

6. The composite tube of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic matrix is at one of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), nylon, vinyl ester, polyester, polyphenylen sulfide, and thermoplastic urethane.

7. The composite tube of claim 1, wherein the liner is a thermoplastic polymer having a mechanical elongation of at least 25% and a melt temperature of at least 250°

F.

8. The composite tube of claim 1, wherein liner is a thermoplastic or thermoset material.

9. The composite tube of claim 1, wherein the liner is a homo-polymer, a co-polymer, a composite polymer, or a co-extruded composite polymer.

10. The composite tube of claim 1, wherein the liner is at least one of polyvinylidene fluoride, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, and polyester.

11. The composite tube of claim 1, wherein the liner is at least one of epoxy, polyphenylene sulfide, polyethersulfone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polypropylene, and acetyl.

12. The composite tube of claim 1, wherein the liner has a mechanical elongation of at least 25%.

13. The composite tube of claim 1, wherein the liner has an axial modulus of elasticity of at least 100,000 psi and less than 500,000 psi.

14. The composite tube of claim 1, wherein a plurality of fibers of the first set of fibers are formed of at least one of carbon, glass, thermoplastic, nylon, polyester, and aramid.

15. The composite tube of claim 1, further comprising an energy conductor embedded in and extending along a length of the composite tube.

16. A spoolable composite tube extending along a longitudinal axis, the composite tube comprising:

a polymer liner, and

a composite layer exterior to the liner, the composite layer being formed of a first set of fibers in a thermoplastic matrix, at least 80% of the fibers, by fiber volume, of the first set of fibers being helically oriented relative to the longitudinal axis at an angle of between 30° and

70°

, the thermoplastic matrix having a tensile modulus of elasticity of at least 100,000 psi; and

a polymer layer external to the composite layer.

17. The composite tube of claim 16, wherein the polymer layer is formed of a thermoplastic polymer.

18. The composite tube of claim 16, wherein the polymer layer is formed of a material selected to have a low permeability to fluids external to the liner, the layer having a permeability of less than or equal to 0.4×

−

10¹⁰ ccs per sec-cm²-cm-cmhg.

19. The composite tube of claim 16, wherein the polymer layer is an impermeable film bonded to the composite layer.

20. The composite tube of claim 16, further comprising an outer protective layer external to the polymer layer.

21. The composite tube of claim 16, further comprising an energy conductor embedded in the polymer layer.

22. A spoolable composite tube extending along a longitudinal axis, the composite tube comprising:

a polymer liner; and

a composite layer exterior to the liner, the composite layer being formed of a first set of fibers in a her thermoplastic matrix, at least 80% of the fibers, by fiber volume, of the first set of fibers being helically oriented relative to the longitudinal axis at an angle of between 30° and

70°

, the thermoplastic matrix having a tensile modulus of elasticity of at least 100,000 psi; and

a metal layer for substantially preventing diffusion of fluids through a wall of the composite tube.

23. The spoolable composite tube of claim 22 wherein the metal layer is external to the liner.

24. The spoolable composite tube of claim 22, herein the metal layer is external to the composite layer.

25. The spoolable composite tube of claim 22, wherein the metal layer is interposed between the liner and the composite layer.

26. The spoolable composite tube of claim 22, further comprising an external layer.

27. The spoolable composite tube the of claim 26, wherein external layer is a polymer wear resistant layer.

28. The spoolable composite tube of claim 26, wherein the metal layer is interposed between the composite layer and the external layer.

29. The composite tube of claim 22, wherein the metal layer is at least one of steel, copper, or stainless steel.

30. The composite tube of claim 22, further comprising an energy conductor embedded in and extending along a length of the composite tube.