Dissolvable time delay firing head and method
AssigneeGeodynamics, Inc.
InventorMichael D. WROBLICKY
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A firing head configured to initiate the firing of an element in a perforating gun. The firing head includes an insert having a bore extending along a longitudinal direction X; a percussion detonator facing the bore and including an explosive material that is configured to detonate; a firing pin located partially in the bore; and a retention mechanism located on the firing pin and preventing the firing pin to move along the longitudinal direction X into the bore. The retention mechanism includes a degradable material that is configured to chemically react with a well fluid so that the retention mechanism degrades until freeing the firing pin so that the firing pin moves along the longitudinal direction X into the bore and strikes the percussion detonator.
Claims20
A firing head configured to initiate the firing of an element in a perforating gun, the firing head comprising:
- an insert having a bore extending along a longitudinal direction X;
- a percussion detonator facing the bore and including an explosive material that is configured to detonate;
- a firing pin located partially in the bore;
- and
- a retention mechanism located on the firing pin and preventing the firing pin to move along the longitudinal direction X into the bore,
- wherein the retention mechanism includes a degradable material that is configured to chemically react with a well fluid so that the retention mechanism degrades until freeing the firing pin so that the firing pin moves along the longitudinal direction X into the bore and strikes the percussion detonator.
A perforating gun system for perforating a casing of a well, the perforating gun system comprising:
- a perforating gun that includes shaped charges configured to perforate the casing;
- and
- a firing head attached to the perforating gun and configured to directly or indirectly initiate the shaped charges, exclusively due to a pressure difference formed in the well,
- wherein the firing head includes a degradable material that chemically interacts with a well fluid.
A method for assembling a perforating gun to be fired inside a well, the method comprising:
- placing a percussion detonator in a firing head to face a bore of an insert;
- adding a retention mechanism to a firing pin;
- placing the firing pin partially inside the bore to seal the bore;
- connecting the firing head to the perforation gun so that the percussion detonator is facing a booster inside the perforation gun;
- and
- making holes into a housing of the firing head to allow a well fluid to enter inside the firing head and chemically interact with a degradable material of the retention mechanism to release the firing pin to strike the percussion detonator,
- wherein the firing pin strikes the percussion detonator due exclusively to a pressure difference inside the well.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.