Setting assembly and method thereof
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorEdward J. O'Malley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A setting assembly includes an inflatable packer, a housing including a chamber, a setting material disposed in the chamber and having a first phase of matter and a second phase of matter, the setting material occupying a greater volume in the second phase than in the first phase, the setting material arranged to exert a setting force on the inflatable packer during transition of the setting material from the first phase to the second phase, and at least one pressure relief member within the chamber, the pressure relief member configured to protect the inflatable packer from rupturing.
Claims20
A setting assembly comprising:
- an inflatable packer;
- a housing including a chamber;
- a setting material disposed in the chamber and having a first phase of matter and a second phase of matter, the setting material occupying a greater volume in the second phase than in the first phase, the setting material arranged to exert a setting force on the inflatable packer during transition of the setting material from the first phase to the second phase;
- and,
- at least one pressure relief member within the chamber, the pressure relief member configured to protect the inflatable packer from rupturing.
A downhole system comprising a tubular structure having a longitudinal axis, and a setting assembly, the setting assembly including:
- an inflatable packer;
- a housing including a chamber, the housing connected to the tubular structure and sharing an interior flowpath with the tubular structure, the chamber disposed exteriorly of the interior flowpath;
- a setting material disposed in the chamber and having a first phase of matter and a second phase of matter, the setting material occupying a greater volume in the second phase than in the first phase, the setting material arranged to exert a setting force on the inflatable packer during transition of the setting material from the first phase to the second phase;
- and,
- at least one pressure relief member within the chamber, the pressure relief member configured to protect the inflatable packer from rupturing.
A method of setting an inflatable packer, the method comprising:
- enclosing a phase changeable setting material within a chamber of a housing in a solid state;
- heating the setting material to melt the setting material to a liquid state to expand a volume of the setting material;
- harnessing the expansion of the setting material as a setting force to set the inflatable packer;
- and, protecting the inflatable packer from rupture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.