Perforating gun with internal shock mitigation

• US 9,091,152 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Rodgers, John P., Glenn, Timothy S., Serra, Marco, Eaton, Edwin A., Burleson, John D., Hales, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Andrews, David
• Application Number:
  US13/493,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20130048375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 166/55.1, 175/4.54, 181/223
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/1195 Replacement of drilling mud; decrease of undesirable shock waves

Abstract

A perforating gun can include at least one explosive component, and a shock mitigation device including a shock reflector which indirectly reflects a shock wave produced by detonation of the explosive component. Another perforating gun can include a gun housing, at least one explosive component, and a shock mitigation device in the gun housing. The shock mitigation device can include a shock attenuator which attenuates a shock wave produced by detonation of the explosive component. Yet another perforating gun can include a shock mitigation device with an explosive material which produces a shock wave that interacts with another shock wave produced by detonation of an explosive component in a gun housing.

Claims

1. A perforating gun, comprising:

at least one explosive component; and

a shock mitigation device including a shock reflector which indirectly reflects a shock wave in a fluid within the perforating gun, the shock wave produced by detonation of the explosive component, wherein the shock reflector comprises multiple tiered shock reflecting surfaces having different diameters, wherein the shock reflecting surfaces are generally conical-shaped, wherein the shock reflecting surfaces are convex relative to the explosive component, and wherein at least two of the shock reflecting surfaces have different incidence angles, whereby the shock wave is reflected as respective multiple reflected shock waves in different directions, thereby breaking up the shock wave and reducing an energy transfer from the fluid to an internal surface of the perforating gun.

2. The perforating gun of claim 1, wherein the shock mitigation device closes off an end of a gun housing containing the explosive component.

3. The perforating gun of claim 1, wherein the shock reflector reflects the shock wave toward a gun housing.

4. The perforating gun of claim 1, wherein the respective multiple reflected shock waves interfere with each other.

5. The perforating gun of claim 1, wherein the shock mitigation device comprises a shock attenuator which attenuates the shock wave.

6. The perforating gun of claim 5, wherein the shock reflector reflects the attenuated shock wave.

7. The perforating gun of claim 5, wherein the shock attenuator comprises layers of resilient and non-resilient materials.

8. The perforating gun of claim 5, wherein the shock attenuator comprises variations in acoustic impedance.

9. The perforating gun of claim 5, wherein the shock attenuator comprises a dispersive media.