Electrical contact for perforating gun assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12320203-B2
Application number	US-202318501730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2023
Priority date	Dec 21, 2022
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

In general, in one aspect, embodiments relate to an electrical contact that includes a contact plate, a support plate, and three or more bends disposed between the contact plate and the support plate to counteract a force applied to the contact plate when engaged by a contact pin, where the electrical contact is configured to convey a detonating signal through an electrical feedthrough extending through at least a bulkhead of two or more perforating guns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical contact comprising:
a contact plate;
a support plate;
three or more bends disposed between the contact plate and the support plate to counteract a force applied to the contact plate when engaged by a contact pin, wherein the electrical contact is configured to convey a detonating signal through an electrical feedthrough extending through at least a bulkhead of two or more perforating guns, wherein the three or more bends comprise three or more folds that do not extend past a diameter of the support plate to keep the contact plate axially located during deformation from contact with the contact pin; and
two or more exterior fins for maintaining axial contact with the contact pin, wherein the two or more exterior fins are disposed about the support plate, wherein an outer diameter of the support plate and the two or more exterior fins is greater than a longitudinal distance between two folds.

2. The electrical contact of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal distance between two folds is approximately equal to an outer diameter of the support plate not including exterior fins.

3. The electrical contact of claim 1 , wherein the electrical contact is further configured to convey the detonating signal through an end alignment to a detonator via a mandrel and a spring.

4. The electrical contact of claim 1 , wherein the electrical contact comprises an electrical connector and a wire connector, wherein the electrical connector and the wire connector are joined at a mating connection.

5. The electrical contact of claim 4 , wherein the mating connection comprises one or more crimped connections.

6. The electrical contact of claim 4 , wherein the mating connection comprises a mating end of the electrical connector inserted into a lock receptacle of the wire connector.

7. The electrical contact of claim 4 , wherein a mating end of the electrical connector comprises one or more protrusions, and wherein the one or more protrusions are configured to contact a stop of the wire connector.

8. The electrical contact of claim 1 , wherein the electrical contact consists of a single unitarily formed piece.

9. A method comprising:
disposing two or more perforation guns into a wellbore extending into a subterranean formation, wherein the two or more perforation guns are electrically coupled by an electrical contact and a contact pin, the electrical contact comprising:
a contact plate;
a support plate;
three or more bends disposed between the contact plate and the support plate to counteract a force applied to the contact plate when engaged by the contact pin, wherein the three or more bends comprise three or more folds that do not extend past a diameter of the support plate to keep the contact plate axially located during deformation from contact with the contact pin; and
two or more exterior fins for maintaining axial contact with the contact pin, wherein the two or more exterior fins are disposed about the support plate wherein an outer diameter of the support plate and the two or more exterior fins is greater than a longitudinal distance between two folds.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electrical contact further comprises two or more exterior fins for maintaining axial contact with the contact pin.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the two or more exterior fins are disposed about the support plate, wherein a diameter of a circumferential profile formed by the two or more exterior fins is greater than a two-dimensional linear dimension of the three or more bends, wherein the two-dimensional linear dimension comprises a 2D bend-to-bend distance.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein a two-dimensional linear dimensions of the three or more bends is approximately equal to or less than a diameter of the support plate not including exterior fins.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising passing a detonation signal through an electrical feedthrough extending through a bulkhead and an end alignment of at least one of the two or more perforating guns with at least the electrical contact, wherein the electrical contact is in electrical communication with the contact pin.

14. The method as in claim 9 , wherein the electrical contact comprises an electrical connector and a wire connector, wherein the electrical connector and the wire connector are joined at a mating connection.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the mating connection comprises one or more crimped connections, and wherein the mating connection comprises a mating end of the electrical connector inserted into a lock receptacle of the wire connector.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the contact pin comprises, or is attached to, a spring and a mandrel.

17. A method of assembling a perforating gun string, the method comprising:
securing a plurality of perforating charges at different positions and firing orientations along a charge carrier;
securing an end alignment between the charge carrier and a bulkhead, the end alignment and bulkhead comprising an electrical feedthrough;
disposing an electrical contact within the electrical feedthrough, the electrical contact comprising a contact plate, a support plate, three or more bends disposed between the contact plate and the support plate, wherein the three or more bends comprise three or more folds that do not extend past a diameter of the support plate to keep the contact plate axially located during deformation from contact with the contact pin, and two or more exterior fins for maintaining axial contact with the contact pin, wherein the two or more exterior fins are disposed about the support plate, wherein an outer diameter of the support plate and the two or more exterior fins is greater than a longitudinal distance between two folds;
engaging the contact plate with a contact pin, wherein the electrical contact and the contact pin are configured to transmit a detonation signal between a first perforating gun and a second perforating gun for detonating the perforating gun string.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Roberts Courtney Ann Thain
• Cook Kevin
• Kane Cynthia Anne
• Ludwig Wesley N

Classifications

• E21B17/028 Primary

  Electrical or electro-magnetic connections · CPC title

• E21B43/1185 Primary

  Ignition systems · CPC title

• F42B3/198

  of electric initiator heads {e.g., testing, machines} · CPC title

• F42B3/103

  Mounting initiator heads in initiators; Sealing-plugs · CPC title

• E21B43/119

  Details, e.g. for locating perforating place or direction · CPC title