Pressure compensator, method for pressure compensation, and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11746609-B2
Application number	US-202117526512-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2021
Priority date	Nov 15, 2021
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A pressure compensator including a housing, an electroactive polymer (EAP) disposed in the housing and defining a volume therein, the volume being changeable upon application of an electric signal. A method for managing pressure in a tool including applying an electrical signal to the pressure compensator and changing a shape of the EAP to change the volume of the compensator whereby the pressure in the tool is altered. A borehole system including a borehole in a subsurface formation, a string in the borehole, a pressure compensator disposed within or as a part of the string.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure compensator system comprising:
a housing configured for connection to a tool creating a contained fluid volume, wherein the tool requires pressure compensation;
an electroactive polymer (EAP) disposed in the housing and defining a volume therein, the EAP volume being changeable upon application of an electric signal, that causes a change in pressure of a fluid in the contained fluid volume to compensate pressure in the tool, during use.

2. The compensator system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the EAP is annular shaped.

3. The compensator system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electric signal is one of voltage or current.

4. The compensator system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a controller electrically connected to the EAP.

5. The compensator system as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising a sensor functionally connected to the controller.

6. The compensator system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the sensor is one or more of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor.

7. The compensator system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the controller dictates when a change signal is presented to the EAP.

8. The compensator system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the controller is autonomous.

9. A method for managing pressure in a tool comprising:
applying an electrical signal to the pressure compensator as claimed in claim 1 ; and
changing a shape of the EAP to change the volume of the compensator whereby the pressure in the tool is altered.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further including sensing at least one of temperature and pressure in the tool.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising determining whether the sensed temperature and/or pressure exceeds a threshold and then initiating the shape change of the EAP.

12. A borehole system comprising:
a borehole in a subsurface formation;
a string in the borehole;
a pressure compensator system as claimed in claim 1 disposed within or as a part of the string.

Assignees

• Loh Yuh
• Zhang Zhihui
• Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Llc

Inventors

• Loh Yuh
• Zhang Zhihui

Classifications

• E21B41/00 Primary

  Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 · CPC title

• E21B21/08 Primary

  Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10) · CPC title

• E21B7/00

  Special methods or apparatus for drilling · CPC title

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• E21B47/07

  Temperature · CPC title