Back to results
US 12,024,955 B2Granted
Contact chamber flushing apparatus for concentric electrical wet connect
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsMathusan Mahendran, Bryan Thomas Philpott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A downhole tool for coupling an electrical connection in the wellbore comprising a locator sub and a receptacle sub. The locator sub can be conveyed into the wellbore with a workstring. The receptacle sub can be coupled to a lower completion with at least one downhole tool. Workstring manipulation can insert the locator sub into the receptacle sub to provide an electrical connection between a resilient connector on the locator sub and ring connector within the receptacle sub. A fluid source fluidically connected to the electrical connection can flush out trapped wellbore fluids via a fluid pathway. The electrical connection can electrically couple to a control system at surface to the at least one downhole tool.
Claims21
A downhole tool, comprising:
- an electrical disconnect tool comprising a locator sub and a receptacle sub, wherein the locator sub and receptacle sub engage to provide an electrical connection;
- a fluid source in fluid communication via a fluid flowpath with the electrical connection via the locator sub, the receptacle sub, or both;
- and
- a trigger mechanism coupled to the fluid source, wherein upon activation of the trigger mechanism a volume of flushing fluid is provided from the fluid source to the locator sub, the receptacle sub, or both,
- wherein the fluid flowpath comprises a first fluid pathway, at least one entrance port, a flow chamber, at least one exit port, and wherein the flow chamber is formed by the electrical connection in a mated configuration.
2 more elements
A method of connecting a downhole tool assembly, comprising:
- conveying a locator sub with at least one resilient connector into a wellbore coupled to a workstring, wherein the at least one resilient connector is electrically coupled to a control system;
- installing the locator sub into a receptacle sub with at least one ring connector electrically coupled to a downhole device and wherein the receptacle sub and at least one downhole device are coupled to a tubular;
- sealingly engaging a bore on the receptacle sub with two seals on the locator sub;
- fluidically coupling a first hydraulic port between the two seals on the locator sub and a second hydraulic port on the receptacle sub, wherein a first hydraulic conduit coupled to the locator sub is fluidically coupled to a second hydraulic conduit coupled to the receptacle sub in response to the fluidic coupling of the first hydraulic port on the locator sub to the second hydraulic port on the receptacle sub;
- connecting at least one electrical connection comprising the at least one resilient connector and the at least one ring connector;
- activating a triggering mechanism with a communication signal;
- and
- flushing the at least one electrical connection with a flushing fluid from a fluid source via a fluid flowpath in response to the triggering mechanism being activated.
5 more elements
A downhole tool, comprising:
- an electrical disconnect tool comprising a locator sub and a receptacle sub, wherein the locator sub and receptacle sub engage to provide an electrical connection;
- a fluid source in fluid communication via a fluid flowpath with the electrical connection via the locator sub, the receptacle sub, or both;
- and
- a trigger mechanism coupled to the fluid source, wherein upon activation of the trigger mechanism a volume of flushing fluid is provided from the fluid source to the locator sub, the receptacle sub, or both,
- wherein the trigger mechanism comprises:
- a motive device comprising an activation chamber formed with a knocker piston movably and sealingly engaged with a housing;
- and
- a locking device comprising a shearable pin;
- wherein the knocker piston produces an activation force in response to a pressure differential between wellbore hydrostatic pressure and a volume of gas within the activation chamber;
- wherein the locking device is coupled to a pin port in the housing and a shear port in the knocker piston;
- wherein the locking device is configured to release the motive device in response to the activation force exceeding a shear value of the locking device;
- and
- wherein the motive device is configured to activate in response to release of the locking device.
10 more elements
A downhole tool, comprising:
- an electrical disconnect tool comprising a locator sub and a receptacle sub, wherein the locator sub and receptacle sub engage to provide an electrical connection;
- a fluid source in fluid communication via a fluid flowpath with the electrical connection via the locator sub, the receptacle sub, or both;
- and
- a trigger mechanism coupled to the fluid source, wherein upon activation of the trigger mechanism a volume of flushing fluid is provided from the fluid source to the locator sub, the receptacle sub, or both,
- wherein the fluid source comprises:
- a fluid chamber with the volume of flushing fluid;
- and
- a motive device comprising an activation chamber formed with a knocker piston movably and sealingly engaged with a housing;
- wherein the fluid chamber is formed with the knocker piston movably and sealingly engaged with a housing;
- wherein the motive device produces an activation force in response to a pressure differential between wellbore hydrostatic pressure and a volume of gas below atmospheric pressure, at atmospheric pressure, or above atmospheric pressure within the activation chamber;
- and
- wherein the volume of flushing fluid is pressurized by the knocker piston via the activation force.
9 more elements
A downhole tool, comprising:
- an electrical disconnect tool comprising a locator sub and a receptacle sub, wherein the locator sub and receptacle sub engage to provide an electrical connection;
- a fluid source in fluid communication via a fluid flowpath with the electrical connection via the locator sub, the receptacle sub, or both;
- and
- a trigger mechanism coupled to the fluid source, wherein upon activation of the trigger mechanism a volume of flushing fluid is provided from the fluid source to the locator sub, the receptacle sub, or both,
- wherein the trigger mechanism comprises:
- an isolation sleeve with a generally cylinder shape with an inner surface movingly and sealingly engaged with a second isolation seal and first isolation seal on a connector;
- and
- a retaining spring configured to bias the isolation sleeve into a first configuration;
- wherein the first configuration retains the volume of flushing fluid within a fluid source;
- wherein a second configuration releases the volume of flushing fluid from the fluid source into the fluid pathway;
- and
- wherein connection of the electrical connection via workstring manipulation displaces the isolation sleeve from the first configuration to a second configuration.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.