Contact chamber flushing appartus for concentric electrical wet connect
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsMathusan MAHENDRAN, Bryan Thomas PHILPOTT
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims20
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.
The downhole tool of claim 4, wherein the locator sub further comprises:
- at least one seal coupled to the body;
- and
- a hydraulic port fluidically coupled to a hydraulic conduit.
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;
- 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.
A method of coupling an electrical connection in a wellbore, comprising:
- aligning a resilient connector with a ring connector;
- forming a flushing chamber by sealingly engaging an inner surface of the ring connector with a first isolation seal and a second isolation seal of the resilient connector;
- contacting a plate contact with a resilient contact, wherein the resilient connector is electrically connected to the ring connector by the plate contact;
- and
- flushing the flushing chamber with a volume of flushing fluid in response to a communication signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.