EXTRUSION PREVENTING DEVICE FOR INCORPORATION INTO A SEALING ELEMENT AND A WELL TOOL DEVICE COMPRISING A SEALING ELEMENT IN WHICH SUCH AN EXTRUSION PREVENTING DEVICE IS INCORPORATED

Abstract

An extrusion preventing device for incorporation into a sealing element of a well tool device includes a wire wound with a plurality of turns to form a torus-shaped coiled spring. Each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring is canted. A method for manufacturing a sealing element for a well tool device includes providing a mould shaped as the sealing element; inserting an extrusion preventing device including a wire wound with a plurality of turns to form a torus-shaped coiled spring into the mould; filling molten elastomeric material into the mould, thereby incorporating the torus-shaped coiled spring into the molten elastomeric material; curing the elastomeric material; and retrieving the sealing element from the mould.

Claims

1. An extrusion preventing device for incorporation into a sealing element of a well tool device, wherein the extrusion preventing device comprises: a wire wound with a plurality of turns to form a torus-shaped coiled spring, each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring is canted.

2. The extrusion preventing device according to claim 1, wherein each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring is canted with respect to a poloidal plane.

3. The extrusion preventing device according to claim 2, wherein each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring is canted with a first angle (α1) with respect to a radial direction of the poloidal plane.

4. The extrusion preventing device (10) according to claim 2, wherein each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring is canted with a second angle (α2) with respect to a longitudinal direction of the poloidal plane WPM.

5. The extrusion preventing device according to claim 3, wherein the first angle (α1) is between 3° and 60°, preferably between 10° and 40° in the run state.

6. The extrusion preventing device according to claim 4, wherein the second angle (α2) is between 3° and 60°, preferably between 10° and 40° in the run state.

7. The extrusion preventing device according to claim 3, wherein the first angle (α1) and/or the second angle (α2) are larger in the set state than in the run state.

8. The extrusion preventing device according to claim 1, where the extrusion preventing device further comprises a first core provided inside the torus-shaped coiled spring, wherein the first core comprises: a further wire wound with a plurality of turns to form a further torus-shaped coiled spring; where each turn of the further torus-shaped coiled spring is canted.

9. The extrusion preventing device according to claim 10, wherein the wire is wound in a first toroidal direction and the further wire (21) of the first core is wound in a second toroidal direction opposite of the first toroidal direction.

10. A well tool device comprising: a mandrel device having a longitudinal center axis; a sealing device provided radially outside of the mandrel device, wherein a sealing element of the sealing device is configured to be brought from a radially retracted state to a radially expanded state, where the sealing element in the radially extracted state is brought into sealing contact with an inner surface of a well, wherein the well tool device further comprises an extrusion preventing device incorporated into the sealing element, and wherein the extrusion preventing device comprises a wire wound with a plurality of turns to form a torus-shaped coiled spring, each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring is canted.

11. The well tool device according to claim 10, wherein the extrusion preventing device is moulded into the sealing element.

12. A sealing element for a well tool device wherein the sealing element comprises: a body made of an elastomeric material; an extrusion preventing device incorporated into the sealing element, wherein the extrusion preventing device comprises a wire wound with a plurality of turns to form a torus-shaped coiled spring, each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring is canted.

13. The sealing Skating element according to claim 12, wherein the extrusion preventing device is moulded into the elastomeric material.

14. A method for manufacturing a sealing element for a well tool device, wherein the method comprises: providing a mould shaped as the sealing element; inserting an extrusion preventing device comprising a wire wound with a plurality of turns to form a torus-shaped coiled spring into the mould; filling molten elastomeric material into the mould, thereby incorporating the torus-shaped coiled spring into the molten elastomeric material; curing the elastomeric material; and retrieving the sealing element from the mould.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the enclosed drawings, where:

[0066] FIG. 1a illustrates schematically a prior art well tool device in its run or radially retracted state;

[0067] FIG. 1b illustrates schematically the prior art well tool device in its set or radially expanded state;

[0068] FIG. 1c illustrates a torus representing the coiled spring, where a poloidal plane PP and some other geometric definitions of a torus are indicated;

[0069] FIG. 1d (inside a dashed box) illustrates how the plane PP in FIG. 1c can be rotated around two different axis;

[0070] FIG. 2a illustrates a perspective view of a prior art coiled spring used as an extrusion preventing device;

[0071] FIG. 2b illustrates a top view of the coiled spring of FIG. 2a;

[0072] FIG. 2c illustrates a side view of the coiled spring of FIG. 2a;

[0073] FIG. 2d illustrates the cross sectional view along line A-A in FIG. 2c;

[0074] FIG. 2e illustrates the cross sectional view along line B-B of FIG. 2b;

[0075] FIG. 2f illustrates an enlarged view of the dashed box DB of FIG. 2d;

[0076] FIGS. 3a-f correspond to FIG. 2a-2f, but shows a prior art coiled spring with a core formed by two coiled springs;

[0077] FIG. 4a illustrates a perspective view of a first embodiment of a coiled spring used as an extrusion preventing device according to the present invention;

[0078] FIG. 4b illustrates a top view of the coiled spring of FIG. 4a;

[0079] FIG. 4c illustrates a side view of the coiled spring of FIG. 4a;

[0080] FIG. 4d illustrates the cross sectional view along line L-L in FIG. 4c;

[0081] FIG. 4e illustrates the cross sectional view along line M-M of FIG. 4b;

[0082] FIG. 4f illustrates an enlarged view of the dashed box DB of FIG. 4d;

[0083] FIG. 5a illustrates a perspective view of a first embodiment of a coiled spring used as an extrusion preventing device according to the present invention;

[0084] FIG. 5b illustrates a top view of the coiled spring of FIG. 5a;

[0085] FIG. 5c illustrates a side view of the coiled spring of FIG. 5a;

[0086] FIG. 5d illustrates the cross sectional view along line L-L in FIG. 5c;

[0087] FIG. 5e illustrates the cross sectional view along line M-M of FIG. 5b;

[0088] FIG. 5f illustrates an enlarged view of the dashed box DB of FIG. 5d;

[0089] FIG. 6a illustrates a perspective view of a first embodiment of a coiled spring used as an extrusion preventing device according to the present invention;

[0090] FIG. 6b illustrates a top view of the coiled spring of FIG. 6a;

[0091] FIG. 6c illustrates a side view of the coiled spring of FIG. 6a;

[0092] FIG. 6d illustrates the cross sectional view along line L-L in FIG. 6c;

[0093] FIG. 6e illustrates the cross sectional view along line M-M of FIG. 6b;

[0094] FIG. 6f illustrates an enlarged view of the dashed box DB of FIG. 6d;

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

[0095] Initially, some terms and definitions will be discussed. These terms and definitions are relevant for both the detailed description below, and for the claims.

[0096] First, it is referred to FIG. 1c, where some geometric parameters of a torus are indicated. It should be noted that the torus of FIG. 1c is a ring torus, having an opening 13. A center axis CA is indicated in the center of the opening 13. When incorporated into a sealing element of the well tool of FIGS. 1a and 1b, the center axis CA of the extrusion preventing device 10 will typically coincide with the center axis of the well tool 1.

[0097] As mentioned in the introduction above, a torus has a minor radius rm and a major radius Rm, as indicated in FIG. 1c. Moreover, a toroidal direction is indicated by arrow TD and is often referred to as the “long way around the torus”, while a poloidal direction is indicated by arrow PD and is often referred to as the “short way around the torus”.

[0098] A plane, hereinafter referred to as a poloidal plane PP, is also indicated in FIG. 1c, shown as a vertical rectangle, where a first short side is coinciding with the center axis CA, the second short side is parallel to the center axis and the first long side is coinciding with the radial direction RD (and hence, the second long side is also coinciding with the radial direction, as, by definition, the radial direction RD is perpendicular to the center axis). Alternatively, the poloidal plane PP may be defined as the plane in which the minor radius rm of the torus is defined. It should be noted that there is a plurality of different poloidal planes when moving in the toroidal direction around the torus.

[0099] In FIG. 1d, it is illustrated how the poloidal plane PP of FIG. 1c can be rotated around two different axes referred to as longitudinal direction axis LD (i.e. parallel with the center axis CA) and the radial axis RD (i.e. perpendicular to center axis CA):

[0100] 1) Axis LD, where the PP plane, now referred to as PP-LD has been rotated around the axis LD that is parallel to center axis CA. LD goes through the center of the turns, i.e. in the start of vector rm. The plane PP-LD has been rotated around LD at an angle α1.

[0101] 2) Axis RD, where the PP plane, now referred to as PP-RD has been rotated around axis R that is perpendicular to CA. R goes through the center of the turns, i.e. in the start of vector rm. The plane PP-RD has been rotated around R at an angle α2.

[0102] It is now referred to FIGS. 2e and 2f again. The first line L1 shown in FIG. 2f, defined in the introduction above, is located in the poloidal plane PP. The second line L2 shown in FIG. 2e defined in the introduction above, is also located in the poloidal plane PP. As these lines L1 and L2 are both provided in the poloidal plane PP, each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring 12 is considered to be located in this poloidal plane PP. The purpose of this description is to use the poloidal plane to describe how the coils are spun along the radius R in FIG. 2f in the toroidal direction while retaining the circular cross section projected onto the unrotated poloidal plane PP. With other words, the embodiment of FIG. 2a-f, each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring 12 is considered to be “straight”.

Example 1

[0103] It is now described to FIG. 4a-f, where a first embodiment of the extrusion preventing device 10 is described.

[0104] Similar to prior art, the extrusion preventing device 10 comprises a wire 11 wound with a plurality of turns T1, T2, T3, Tn to form a torus-shaped coiled spring 12.

[0105] In FIG. 4f, points P1 and P2 are defined similar to the points P1 and P2 of FIG. 2f. The first point P1 is located between a first turn T1 and a second turn T2 proximal to the center axis CA of the torus-shaped coiled spring 12, while the second point P2 is defined as a second point P2 located in the center of the first turn T1 distal to the center axis CA. The first and the second turns T1, T2 are adjacent to each other. It should be noted that this first line L1 can be drawn between first and second points P1, P2 defined for any one of the turns of the torus-shaped coiled spring 12.

[0106] In FIG. 4f, it is shown that each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring 12 is canted. The canting angle is shown as al, which corresponds in direction (but not necessarily in size) with angle α1 in FIG. 1d. Hence, each turn of the coiled spring 12 in FIG. 4f is canted with a first angle α1 with respect to a radial direction RD of the poloidal plane PP. By means of the definition of FIG. 1d, each winding of the coiled spring 12 is provided in the plane PP-LD.

[0107] It is now referred to FIG. 4e. Here, third and fourth points P3 and P4 are defined similar to the points P3 and P4 of FIG. 2e. The third point P3 is located between a third turn T3 and a fourth turn T4 in the lower part LP of the torus-shaped coiled spring 12 and the fourth point P4 is located in the center of the third turn T3 in the upper part UP of the torus-shaped coiled spring 12. The second line L2 is drawn between points P3 and P4. Here, the second line L2 is in the longitudinal direction LD and the angle α2 in FIG. 4e (and hence also in FIG. 1d) is 0°.

[0108] It should be noted that turns T1 and T2 in FIG. 4f does not necessarily are adjacent to turns T3 and T4 in FIG. 4e. Hence, while T1 is adjacent to T2 (FIG. 4f) and T3 is adjacent to T4 (FIG. 4e), T2 and T3 are not necessarily adjacent to each other. However, due to the torus-shape of the coiled spring, the relationship between T1 and T2 (and points P1 and P2) in FIG. 4f is true for all windings in the toroidal direction around the torus, and the relationship between T3 and T4 (and points P3 and P4) in FIG. 4e is true for all windings in the toroidal direction around the torus.

[0109] A torus-shaped coiled spring 12 according to the embodiment of FIG. 4a-f has a larger weight when compared with the prior art torus-shaped coiled spring 12 of FIG. 2a-f even if the coiled springs 12 both have the same wire radius Rw, the same outer radius Roc and the same inner radius Ric. This is caused by the longer wire needed to manufacture the torus-shaped coiled spring 12 of the first embodiment of FIG. 4a-f.

Example 2

[0110] It is now described to FIG. 5a-f, where a second embodiment of the extrusion preventing device 10 is described.

[0111] Here, in FIG. 5f, it is shown that each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring 12 is canted (as indicated by line L1 as defined in the first embodiment above) with a first angle α1≈30° with respect to a radial direction RD of the poloidal plane PP.

[0112] It is now referred to FIG. 5e. Here, third and fourth points P3 and P4 are defined similar to the points P3 and P4 of FIGS. 2e and 4e above. The second line L2 here has an angle α2≈30° with respect to the longitudinal direction LD of the poloidal plane PP. The longitudinal direction LD is perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis CA.

[0113] According to the above, each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring (12) is canted with a relatively smaller first angle (α1) with respect to a radial direction (RD) of the poloidal plane (PP) and is canted with a relatively larger second angle α2 with respect to the longitudinal direction LD of the poloidal plane PP.

[0114] It should be noted that the windings can have a first angle α1=0° and hence only be canted with a second angle α2 with respect to the longitudinal direction LD of the poloidal plane PP. In such an example, each winding would be oriented in the plane PP-RD shown in FIG. 1d.

[0115] The embodiment of the second example will have the same or similar advantages as the embodiment of example 1.

Example 3

[0116] It is now described to FIG. 6a-f, where a third embodiment of the extrusion preventing device 10 is described.

[0117] Here, in FIG. 6f, it is shown that each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring 12 is canted (as indicated by line L1 as defined in the first embodiment above) with a first angle α1≈40° with respect to a radial direction RD of the poloidal plane PP.

[0118] It is now referred to FIG. 5e. Here, third and fourth points P3 and P4 are defined similar to the points P3 and P4 of FIGS. 2e and 4e above. The second line L2 here has an angle α2≈35° with respect to the longitudinal direction LD of the poloidal plane PP.

[0119] According to the above, each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring (12) is canted with a relatively large first angle (α1) with respect to a radial direction (RD) of the poloidal plane (PP) and is canted with a relatively large second angle α2 with respect to the longitudinal direction LD of the poloidal plane PP.

[0120] The embodiment of the third example will have the same or similar advantages as the embodiment of example 1.

[0121] The above examples and drawings show the coiled spring 12 in its radially retracted state. When incorporated into a sealing element 7 used in a well tool device 1, the sealing element 7 with its extrusion preventing device 10 will expand radially. Due to the typical location of the extrusion preventing device 10 in the radially outer parts of the sealing element 7, as shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, both the inner diameter Ric and the outer diameter Roc (defined in FIG. 2d) will increase in the set state. This may also cause the canted angles α1 and/or α2 to increase further in the set state. In all of the above embodiments of the extrusion preventing device 10, the extrusion preventing device 10 may comprise a first core 20 provided inside the torus-shaped coiled spring 12. The first core 20 may comprise core segments or the prior art core 20 shown in FIG. 3a-f (i.e. a straight torus-shaped coiled spring 22 made from a wire 21). Alternatively, each turn of the further torus-shaped coiled spring 22 may be canted as described for the above first, second or third embodiment. A second core 30 may also be provided inside the first core 20.

[0122] The wire 11 forming the torus-shaped coiled spring 12 may be wound in a first toroidal direction TD, while the further wire 21 of the core 20 may be wound in a second toroidal direction opposite of the first toroidal direction TD.

[0123] It should be noted that in some of the above drawings, the windings are numbered clockwise and in other drawings, they are numbered counterclockwise. This is a matter of definition only and is mainly done to obtain positive angles α1, α2.

[0124] It should further be noted that there are many poloidal planes in the toroidal direction around the torus. Hence, the poloidal plane PP for the first turn is different from the poloidal plane PP for the second turn etc. Hence, each turn of the torus-shaped coiled spring 12 is canted with respect to the poloidal plane PP at the location of the respective turns.