Well tools operable via thermal expansion resulting from reactive materials

• US 8,839,871 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Wright, Adam D., Fripp, Michael L., Kyle, Donald G., Irani, Cyrus A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gay, Jennifer H
• Assistant Examiner(s): GITLIN, ELIZABETH C GOTTLIEB
• Application Number:
  US12/688,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20110174504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 166/264, 166/381, 166/383, 166/63, 166/165
• US Class Current: 166/383
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/142 unsupported or free-falling elements, e.g. balls, plugs, darts or pistons
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/008 using chemical heat generating means
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/017 Protecting measuring instruments
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/06 Measuring temperature or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/081 with down-hole means for trapping a fluid sample E21B49/10 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods of actuating a well tool can include releasing chemical energy from at least one portion of a reactive material, thermally expanding a substance in response to the released chemical energy, and applying pressure to a piston as a result of thermally expanding the substance, thereby actuating the well tool, with these steps being repeated for each of multiple actuations of the well tool. A well tool actuator can include a substance contained in a chamber, one or more portions of a reactive material from which chemical energy is released, and a piston to which pressure is applied due to thermal expansion of the substance in response to each release of chemical energy. A well tool actuator which can be actuated multiple times may include multiple portions of a gas generating reactive material, and a piston to which pressure is applied due to generation of the gas.

Claims

1. A method of actuating a well tool in a well, the method comprising:

compressing a substance in a chamber of the well tool due to hydrostatic pressure while conveying the well tool into the well; and

a) releasing chemical energy from at least one portion of a reactive material;

b) thermally expanding the substance in response to the releasing; and

c) applying pressure to a piston as a result of the expanding, thereby displacing the piston and actuating the well tool in response to the displacing, wherein the piston is disposed within the chamber, and the piston is attached to at least a portion of the well tool which is external to the chamber.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the releasing, the expanding and the applying multiple times while the well tool is positioned downhole.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

allowing the substance to cool between each repeated set of the releasing, the expanding and the applying.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reducing pressure applied to the piston as a result of allowing the substance to cool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displacing further comprises displacing the piston as a result of allowing the substance to cool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the displacing further comprises:

displacing the piston in a first direction as a result of the applying; and

displacing the piston in a second direction opposite to the first direction as a result of allowing the substance to cool after the expanding.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compressing the substance with a spring.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

restricting displacement of the piston with a latching device or friction producer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compressing a formation fluid sample as a result of the applying.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanding further comprises changing a phase of the substance.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the releasing further comprises oxidizing an aluminum component of the reactive material.

12. A method of actuating a well tool multiple times in a well, the method comprising:

a biasing device compressing a substance in a chamber of the well tool prior to conveying the well tool into the well, wherein the biasing device maintains the substance in compression during the conveying; and

for each of multiple actuations of the well tool while the well tool remains positioned in the well, performing the following;

a) releasing chemical energy from at least one portion of a reactive material;

b) thermally expanding the substance in response to the releasing; and

c) applying pressure to a piston as a result of the expanding, thereby displacing the piston and actuating the well tool in response to the displacing,

wherein the piston is disposed within the chamber, and the piston is attached to at least a portion of the well tool which is external to the chamber.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

allowing the substance to cool between each successive actuation of the well tool.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

reducing the pressure applied to the piston as a result of allowing the substance to cool.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the displacing further comprises:

displacing the piston as a result of allowing the substance to cool.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the displacing further comprises:

displacing the piston in a first direction as a result of the applying; and

displacing the piston in a second direction opposite to the first direction as a result of allowing the substance to cool after each time the substance is thermally expanded.

17. The method of claim 12,

wherein the biasing device is a spring.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the expanding further comprises changing a phase of the substance.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the releasing further comprises oxidizing an aluminum component of the reactive material.

20. A well tool actuator, comprising:

a substance contained in a first chamber, wherein a biasing device compresses the substance in the first chamber prior to placement of the well tool actuator into a well, and the biasing device maintains the substance in compression as the well tool actuator is placed in the well;

one or more portions of a reactive material from which chemical energy is released; and

a piston to which pressure is applied due to thermal expansion of the substance in response to release of chemical energy from the reactive material,

wherein the piston is positioned between the first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the piston is displaced in response to the applied pressure, and wherein a fluid selectively enters and exits the second chamber through a port which is in fluid communication with an annulus that is external to the well tool actuator in response to displacement of the piston.

21. The well tool actuator of claim 20, wherein the biasing device comprises a spring.

22. The well tool actuator of claim 20, wherein chemical energy is released from multiple portions individually.

23. The well tool actuator of claim 20, wherein the substance comprises a material selected from the group including solids, liquids and gases.

24. The well tool actuator of claim 20, wherein the reactive material comprises aluminum and at least one of iron oxide and copper oxide.

25. A method of actuating a well tool multiple times in a well, the method comprising:

for each of multiple actuations of the well tool while the well tool remains positioned in the well, performing the following set of steps;

a) generating gas in a first chamber from at least one portion of a reactive material;

b) applying pressure to a piston as a result of generating gas from the portion of the reactive material, thereby displacing the piston in a first direction; and

c) allowing the gas to cool, thereby displacing the piston in a second direction opposite to the first direction,

wherein the piston is positioned between the first chamber and a second chamber, wherein a port enables fluid communication between the second chamber and an annulus that is external to the well tool, and wherein a fluid selectively enters and exits the second chamber through the port in response to displacement of the piston.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the pressure applied to the piston is reduced as a result of allowing the gas to cool.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the piston is displaced in the second direction by pressure in the well.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the piston is displaced in the second direction by a biasing device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the biasing device comprises at least one of a mechanical spring and a gas spring.

30. A well tool actuator, comprising:

multiple portions of a reactive material which generates gas; and

a piston to which pressure is applied due to generation of gas by the reactive material, whereby the piston displaces in a first direction in response to the applied pressure, and the piston displaces in a second direction opposite to the first direction in response to allowing the gas to cool,

wherein the piston is positioned in a chamber, and wherein a fluid exits the chamber through a port into an annulus which is external the well tool actuator in response to displacement of the piston in the first direction, and the fluid enters the chamber from the annulus through the same port in response to displacement of the piston in the second direction.

31. The well tool actuator of claim 30, wherein the pressure applied to the piston is reduced as a result of allowing the gas to cool.

32. The well tool actuator of claim 30, wherein gas is generated from the multiple portions individually.

33. The well tool actuator of claim 30, wherein gas is generated from the multiple portions sequentially.

34. The well tool actuator of claim 30, wherein the piston is displaced in the second direction by at least one of pressure in the well and a biasing device.