Filtration of fluids using conformable porous shape memory media
AssigneeBaker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
InventorsAnil Sadana, Devesh Agrawal
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Abstract
A fluid control device includes a support structure configured to be deployed in a borehole, and a filtration component disposed at the support structure, the filtration component including a porous medium made from a thermoplastic polymer material, the porous medium including an open cell foam. The porous medium has a porosity selected to cause the porous medium to exhibit shape memory behavior, and the porous medium is configured to be compacted from an initial shape to a compacted shape, deployed in the borehole, and subsequently expanded due to a downhole temperature to conform to a surface of the borehole.
Claims20
A fluid control device comprising:
- a support structure configured to be deployed in a borehole;
- a filtration component disposed at the support structure, the filtration component including a porous medium made from a thermoplastic polymer material having a resistance to downhole temperatures of at least about 100 degrees Celsius, the porous medium including an open cell foam, the porous medium having a selected porosity, the selected porosity providing a shape memory effect that causes the thermoplastic polymer material to exhibit shape memory behavior, the porous medium configured to be compacted from an initial shape to a compacted shape, deployed in the borehole, and subsequently expanded due to a downhole temperature to conform to a surface of the borehole, wherein the thermoplastic polymer does not exhibit the shape memory behavior when a porosity of the thermoplastic polymer is less than the selected porosity.
A fluid control method comprising:
- deploying a fluid control device in a borehole, the fluid control device including a support structure and a filtration component disposed at the support structure, the filtration component including a porous medium made from a thermoplastic polymer material having a resistance to downhole temperatures of at least 100 degrees Celsius, the porous medium including an open cell foam, the porous medium having a selected porosity, the selected porosity providing a shape memory effect that causes the thermoplastic polymer material to exhibit shape memory behavior, wherein the fluid control device is deployed when the porous medium is in a compacted shape, and wherein the thermoplastic polymer does not exhibit the shape memory behavior when a porosity of the thermoplastic polymer is less than the selected porosity;
- activating the porous medium to cause the porous medium to expand due to a downhole temperature, and conform to a surface of the borehole;
- and
- flowing a fluid through the porous medium and filtering undesirable material from the fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.