Dissolvable tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9267347-B2
Application number	US-201313772104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2013
Priority date	Dec 8, 2009
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A dissolvable tool includes a body having at least one stress riser configured to concentrate stress thereat to accelerate structural degradation of the body through chemical reaction under applied stress within a reactive environment.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A tool comprising a dissolvable body having at least one stress riser defined as an indentation in a surface of the dissolvable body having a vertex defined by a cone configured to concentrate stress thereat to accelerate structural degradation of the dissolvable body through chemical reaction under applied stress within a reactive environment, wherein the tool is a ball.

2. A tool comprising a dissolvable body having a shell configured to provide structural integrity to the dissolvable body and having at least one stress riser defined as an indentation in a surface of the dissolvable body having a vertex defined by a cone configured to concentrate stress thereat to accelerate structural degradation of the dissolvable body through chemical reaction under applied stress within a reactive environment wherein the shell surrounds a fluidized core.

3. The tool of claim 2 , wherein the shell is hollow.

4. A dissolvable tool comprising a body having at least one stress riser configured to concentrate stress thereat to accelerate structural degradation of the body through chemical reaction under applied stress within a reactive environment, wherein at least a portion of the body is made of a powder metal compact, the compact comprising:
a substantially-continuous, cellular nanomatrix comprising a nanomatrix material;
a plurality of dispersed particles comprising a particle core material that comprises Mg, Al, Zn or Mn, or a combination thereof, dispersed in the cellular nanomatrix; and
a solid-state bond layer extending throughout the cellular nanomatrix between the dispersed particles.

5. The tool of claim 4 wherein the at least one stress riser is defined as a indentation in a surface of the dissolvable body having a vertex defined by a cone configured to concentrate stress thereat to accelerate structural degradation of the dissolvable body through chemical reaction under applied stress within a reactive environment.

6. The tool of claim 5 , wherein foreign matter is embedded in the dissolvable body and the foreign matter is at least partially exposed to a surface of the dissolvable body.

7. The tool of claim 5 , wherein the at least one stress riser is an indentation in a surface of the dissolvable body having a vertex at intersection of at least two surfaces.

8. The tool of claim 5 , wherein the applied stress is due to changes in pressure.

9. The tool of claim 5 , wherein the applied stress is due to pressure differential applied across a portion of the dissolvable body.

10. The tool of claim 5 , wherein the applied stress is due to changes in temperature.

11. The tool of claim 5 , wherein the applied stress is due to hydrostatic pressure.

12. The tool of claim 4 wherein the indentation includes a vertex.

13. The tool of claim 12 , wherein the vertex is an intersection of at least two surfaces.

14. The tool of claim 12 , wherein the vertex is defined by a cone.

15. The dissolvable tool of claim 4 , wherein the dispersed particles comprise Mg—Zn, Mg—Zn, Mg—Al, Mg—Mn, Mg—Zn—Y, Mg—Al—Si or Mg—Al—Zn.

16. The dissolvable tool of claim 4 , wherein the dispersed particles have an average particle size of about 5 μm to about 300 μm.

17. The dissolvable tool of claim 4 , wherein the dispersed particles have an equiaxed particle shape.

18. The dissolvable tool of claim 4 , wherein the nanomatrix material comprises Al, Zn, Mn, Mg, Mo, W, Cu, Fe, Si, Ca, Co, Ta, Re or Ni, or an oxide, carbide or nitride thereof, or a combination of any of the aforementioned materials, and wherein the nanomatrix material has a chemical composition and the particle core material has a chemical composition that is different than the chemical composition of the nanomatrix material.

19. The dissolvable tool of claim 4 , wherein the cellular nanomatrix has an average thickness of about 50 nm to about 5000 nm.

Assignees

• Agrawal Gaurav
• Xu Zhiyue
• Baker Huges Inc

Inventors

• Agrawal Gaurav
• Xu Zhiyue

Classifications

• E21B23/0413 Primary

  using means for blocking fluid flow, e.g. drop balls or darts (using balls or the like for actuating downhole valves E21B34/142) · CPC title

• E21B23/00

  Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells (setting of casings, screens or liners E21B43/10) · CPC title

• E21B23/04 Primary

  operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion (E21B23/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B41/00

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

• E21B2200/08

  Down-hole devices using materials which decompose under well-bore conditions · CPC title