Filtration of fluids using conformable porous shape memory media

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12221863-B2
Application number	US-202016918524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2020
Priority date	Jul 1, 2020
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

A fluid control device includes a support structure configured to be deployed in a borehole, and a filtration component disposed at the support structure, the filtration component including a porous medium made from a thermoplastic polymer material, the porous medium including an open cell foam. The porous medium has a porosity selected to cause the porous medium to exhibit shape memory behavior, and the porous medium is configured to be compacted from an initial shape to a compacted shape, deployed in the borehole, and subsequently expanded due to a downhole temperature to conform to a surface of the borehole.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid control device comprising:
a support structure configured to be deployed in a borehole;
a filtration component disposed at the support structure, the filtration component including a porous medium made from a thermoplastic polymer material having a resistance to downhole temperatures of at least about 100 degrees Celsius, the porous medium including an open cell foam, the porous medium having a selected porosity, the selected porosity providing a shape memory effect that causes the thermoplastic polymer material to exhibit shape memory behavior, the porous medium configured to be compacted from an initial shape to a compacted shape, deployed in the borehole, and subsequently expanded due to a downhole temperature to conform to a surface of the borehole, wherein the thermoplastic polymer does not exhibit the shape memory behavior when a porosity of the thermoplastic polymer is less than the selected porosity.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid control device is configured as a screen assembly, the screen assembly configured to filter undesirable material including sand from fluid entering the borehole from a subterranean region, the support structure including a tubular having a fluid conduit defined therein, the porous medium being at least one layer disposed on an outer surface of the tubular and at least partially surrounding the tubular.

3. The device of claim 2 , further comprising at least one additional filtration layer disposed at the tubular.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the porous medium is configured to have a glass transition temperature that is greater than about 100 degrees C.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the porous medium is configured to be activated by injecting an activation fluid into the borehole to the porous medium, the activation fluid configured to reduce the glass transition temperature to below the subterranean temperature.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer material has a resistance to downhole temperatures of at least 120 degrees Celsius.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the selected porosity is at least about 40%.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer material includes polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the selected porosity is at least about 55 percent.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer material includes a cross-linked thermoplastic polymer.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the thermoplastic material includes cross-linked PTFE.

11. A fluid control method comprising:
deploying a fluid control device in a borehole, the fluid control device including a support structure and a filtration component disposed at the support structure, the filtration component including a porous medium made from a thermoplastic polymer material having a resistance to downhole temperatures of at least 100 degrees Celsius, the porous medium including an open cell foam, the porous medium having a selected porosity, the selected porosity providing a shape memory effect that causes the thermoplastic polymer material to exhibit shape memory behavior, wherein the fluid control device is deployed when the porous medium is in a compacted shape, and wherein the thermoplastic polymer does not exhibit the shape memory behavior when a porosity of the thermoplastic polymer is less than the selected porosity;
activating the porous medium to cause the porous medium to expand due to a downhole temperature, and conform to a surface of the borehole; and
flowing a fluid through the porous medium and filtering undesirable material from the fluid.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fluid control device is configured as a screen assembly, the support structure includes a tubular having a fluid conduit defined therein, the porous medium includes at least one layer disposed on an outer surface of the tubular and at least partially surrounding the tubular, and the undesirable material includes sand from the subterranean region.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the fluid control device includes at least one additional filtration layer disposed at the tubular.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the porous medium has a glass transition temperature that is greater than about 100 degrees C.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer material has a resistance to downhole temperatures of at least 120 degrees Celsius.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein activating the porous medium includes injecting an activation fluid into the borehole to the porous medium, the activation fluid reducing the glass transition temperature to below the subterranean temperature.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the selected porosity is at least about 40%.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer material includes polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer material includes a cross-linked thermoplastic polymer.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the thermoplastic material includes cross-linked PTFE.

Assignees

• Sadana Anil
• Agrawal Devesh
• Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Llc

Inventors

• Sadana Anil
• Agrawal Devesh

Classifications

• B01D35/02

  Filters adapted for location in special places, e.g. pipe-lines, pumps, stop-cocks, (B01D35/05 takes precedence; {water pipe system filters E03B3/18, E03B7/07; dirt catchers in sewers E03F; filters or strainers for pipe-lines in general B08B, E03F; object or dirt catching devices in sinks or the like E03C1/26; suction strainers or filters for pumps F04B53/005, F04D29/70}) · CPC title

• B01D2239/0291

  comprising swelling polymers · CPC title

• B01D2201/04

  Supports for the filtering elements · CPC title

• B01D2239/1208

  Porosity · CPC title

• B01D39/1676

  of synthetic origin · CPC title