CA2510900A1

CA2510900A1 - Vibrating downhole screen

Info

Publication number: CA2510900A1
Application number: CA 2510900
Authority: CA
Inventors: Jason Swist
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-06-27
Filing date: 2005-06-27
Publication date: 2006-12-27

Abstract

A wound spring wire screen that provides for the filtering of particulates during recovery of hydrocarbons and/or water that prevents, reduces and/or resists the potential for the screen to plug or clog, due to its ability to vibrate within the well bore.
Such induced vibration continuously moving the coils preventing them from clogging with debris.

Description

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to downhole screens used in the production of oil and gas.

2. Description of the Prior Art There are numerous downhole screen designs on available on the market, they range from slotted liner to welded wire mesh to simple aggregate or gravel packs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Now, in accordance with the present invention, couplers that attach to the wound spring wire screen and to the downhole pipe are provided for that allow for the attachment of the wound spring wire screen to the pipe. These couplers are located at each end of the screen and securely locate the screen to the pipe or to successive screens.
The invention provides for a wound spring wire assembly to control the collection of particulates in the inflow stream by preset coil gaps in the wound spring wire and further to resist or prevent clogging of the wound wire inlets via the ability to provide an induced vibration in the coils. The design can easily be tailored to provide for differing vibrational frequencies by varying the size of the wire, the type of winding, the width of coil gaps and the installed spring tension. By being able to effectively determine the optimum vibrational frequency for the specific filtering application and downhole conditions, clogging ca.n be prevented or resisted to a large degree.

Once the required vibrational frequency has been determined the wire is wound to the required diameter and coil gap size and then attached to the mating collars, it is then inserted into the downhole pipe at the predetermined optimum tension, for the ideal vibrational frequency. The invention also provides for stabilizing ribs to be present between the two mating collars on the opposite ends of any particular screen to ensure structural integrity of the screen as well as to fix the distance between the two collars thereby ensuring the spring tension and coil gap width remains constant at all times.
Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide an easily produced novel vibrational screen for oil or gas well bores.
Further objects and features of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description together with the drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a triangular wire screen assembly according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of a screen assembly according to the invention;
FIG. 3 is an end on side view of a screen assembly according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The wound wire spring screen according to the invention would be most commonly used during the recovery process associated with oil and gas. These down hole screens are required during the recovery of oil. The screen acts as a filter preventing sand and other contaminants from being collected with the oil or gas during the recovery process.
However, even these types of screens can plug off or clog over time as the material packs in around the screen assembly. By providing for a vibrational design element the screen will resist such packing or clogging in much the same way that a sieve will resist clogging or plugging when it is vibrated. Such vibrating sieve screens are well known within the mineral and grain handling business.
Due to the nature of the areas where oil and gas reserves are found, there are usually associated formations of sand, gravel, rock or other materials in the immediate vicinity.
During recovery the idea is to allow for the highest flow rate possible out of the formation while being able to adequately screen out contaminants that will reduce flow, clog screens, filters and the like which also ruin pumps and ancillary equipment. The proposed invention allows for maximum flow rates due to the nature of the spring wire windings and the ability to easily adjust the coil gap distances while also providing for an unmatched total flow area over the entire screen surface. With the addition of the vibrational design element this novel spring design will be able to provide unmatched flow rates with industry best resistance to clogging or plugging off By employing a differing cross-section wire such as triangulated spring wire it is possible to provide a wound spring wire screen which presents a completely flat surface towards the formation, which substantially reduces the ability for particulates to accumulate on the exterior screen wall or in the windings themselves and therefore clog the screen.
The proposed invention will therefore provide a novel vibrating downhole screen with improved flow characteristics.
The proposed invention in its preferred embodiment, attaches to the production pipe via coupling collars, providing for a unobstructed flow of fluids out of the recovery pipe. The invention consists of a preset coiled spring wire assembly with coupling means at each end. The spring wire is wound on a mandrel to the desired external and/or internal dimensions required for the designed vibrational frequency for the application. The assembly is then removed from the mandrel and the desired coupling means is attached to each end of the windings. The assembly is then set at a predetermined gap and tension for the correct vibrational frequency and particulate filtering size, it may be structurally braced to provide for a consistent tension and coil gap size as while as to maintain and/or increase the strength of the assembly.
DRAWINGS
Details of wound spring wire vibrating screen 10 made with triangular wire 11 are depicted in FIG. 1.

Details of wound spring wire vibrational screen 10 with triangular wire 11 and external bracing 14 and coupling ends 12 are depicted in FIG. 2.
Details of wound spring wire vibrational screen 10 with triangular wire 11 and external bracing 14 and coupling ends 12 and intake/exhaust port 16 are depicted in FIG. 3.
While the present invention has been described with relation to a specific embodiment, it is not intended to be limited thereto. For example, the wound spring wire element may be of a single or multiple wire configurations. Also, while a single wound spring wire element has been described, a plurality of wound spring wire screens may be employed concentrically or side-by-side can be utilized without departing from the inventive concept. Thus it is the intention to cover the invention as set forth within the full scope of the claims.

Claims

We claim:

1. A wound spring wire screen for filtering of particulates that utilizes and provides spring tension to allow for the production of a vibration in the coils which reduces or eliminates the potential for the screen to clog or plug with particulate.

2. A wound spring wire screen that provides for a preset or variable vibrational frequency due to the variance of the coil gap.

A wound spring wire screen that provides for a preset or variable vibrational frequency due to a variance of the wire mil size.

4. A wound spring wire screen that provides for a preset or variable vibrational frequency by variance of the coil gap, the wire mil size and/or a combination of both.

5. A wound spring wire screen that provides for substantial gains the life cycle of the screen and the inflow or outflow due to the ability to resist or prevent clogging due to its ability to vibrate.

6. A wound spring wire screen utilizing a triangular spring wire design to provide for a difference in the cross-sectional area of the wire to reduce or prevent clogging.

7. A wound spring wire screen that leaves an open port through the center of the screen to allow for the passing through of down hole tooling.

8. A wound spring wire screen that provides for a coupling mechanism for attachment.

9. A wound spring wire screen consisting of multiple smaller elements joined or banded together to form a larger single vibrating screening unit.