WO2025184596A1

WO2025184596A1 - Vacuum insulated container with active plug cooling and well intervention tool made therewith

Info

Publication number: WO2025184596A1
Application number: PCT/US2025/017975
Authority: WO
Inventors: Matthew White
Original assignee: Hephae Energy Technology
Current assignee: Hephae Energy Technology
Priority date: 2024-03-01
Filing date: 2025-02-28
Publication date: 2025-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 2026-09-01

Abstract

A vacuum insulated container has a double wall enclosure shaped to define an enclosed volume. The enclosed volume is open at at least one end. An annular space between inner and outer walls of the double wall enclosure is evacuated. A thermally sensitive device is disposed in the enclosed volume. A thermal mass is disposed in the enclosed volume and in thermal contact with the thermally sensitive device. An insulator is disposed in the enclosed volume and in contact with the thermal mass on a side of the thermal mass opposed to the thermally sensitive device. At least one thermoelectric cooling element is disposed in the enclosed volume having a cold side oriented toward the insulator and a hot side oriented away from the insulator and in thermal contact with a thermally conductive plug disposed in the at least one open end so as to close the enclosed volume.

Description

VACUUM INSULATED CONTAINER WITH ACTIVE PLUG COOLING AND WELL INTERVENTION TOOL MADE THEREWITH

Background

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to thermal isolation of thermally sensitive devices such as electronic circuits from an external environment. The disclosure also relates to the field of well intervention tools. More particularly, the disclosure relates to well intervention tools having temperature sensitive devices such as electronics, and means to thermally isolate and thereby protect such temperature sensitive devices from environmental conditions in subsurface wells.

[0002] The term “well intervention tools” includes any instrument conveyed along the interior of a subsurface well for performing tasks related to drilling, completion and/or reworking of the well. Conveyance may be performed, for example, by deploying the tool at the end of an armored electrical cable, at the end of a coiled tubing, by drill pipe or completion pipe. In the case of conveyance by coiled tubing or drill pipe, the tool(s) may be deployed during drilling the well.

[0003] Some well intervention tools comprise electronic circuitry in order to control various functions performed by the tool, and/or to make measurements about the well and the earthen formations adjacent to the well Those skilled in the art are aware that many wells, in particular very deep wells and/or wells used to recover geothermal energy expose electronic circuits to high temperatures, and in the case of while-drilling operations, expose the circuits to high amplitude shock and vibration. Furthermore, while-drilling well intervention tools may be subjected to high temperature and shock for extended periods of time, e.g., several weeks.

[0004] It is known in the art to enclose electronic circuits in well intervention tools within a vacuum-insulated container (e.g., Dewar flask). A length of time such vacuum insulated containers can protect electronic circuits depends on a number of factors including the differential temperature between the interior of the container and the external temperature, the materials used to construct the container and their associated geometries.

[0005] A Dewar flask has an evacuated chamber between nested inner and outer walls of an enclosed volume. In some cases the inner and outer walls are connected to each other at one longitudinal end of the inner and outer walls in order to close the chamber. The evacuated chamber serves to reduce all forms of communication of heat, specifically conduction, convection and radiation. Both conduction and convection heat transfer are almost completely eliminated by reason of the evacuated chamber; only radiation heat transfer remains. Many Dewar flasks have coatings and other materials on the inner and/or outer walls to minimize radiation as well. This results in the heat transfer through the walls of the chamber radially to be very small.

[0006] A typical Dewar flask is open at least on one end, and the flask inner and outer walls are connected at such end to seal the chamber between the walls to enable evacuation. Substantial thermal conduction between the inner and outer walls takes place at such connection. In addition to the flask wall connection, the remaining area of the open end of the flask is generally filled with a thermal insulator to reduce heat transfer through the open area of the flask end. In some cases electrical wires will be passed from outside the flask to the enclosed volume for purposes of powering the electronic circuits disposed in the enclosed volume. These wires also provide a thermal conduction path to the payload. The joined sections of inner and outer flask wall, the flask plug and electrical wiring may be expected to cause over 90% of the total heat energy entering the flask.

[0007] In the case of while-drilling well intervention, using such vacuum insulated containers has proven to be impractical because the foregoing sources allow substantial heat transfer between the external environment and the interior of the container, thus limiting the time such electronic circuits may be disposed in a well and/or limiting the external temperatures in which such intervention tools may be operated.

[0008] There is a need for improved structures for vacuum insulated containers that have reduced heat transfer through the foregoing sources. Summary

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is a vacuum insulated container. A vacuum insulated container according to this aspect has a double wall enclosure shaped to define an enclosed volume. The enclosed volume is open at at least one end. An annular space between inner and outer walls of the double wall enclosure is evacuated. A thermally sensitive device is disposed in the enclosed volume. A thermal mass is disposed in the enclosed volume and in thermal contact with the thermally sensitive device. An insulator is disposed in the enclosed volume and in contact with the thermal mass on a side opposed to the thermally sensitive device. At least one thermoelectric cooling element is disposed in the enclosed volume having a cold side oriented toward the insulator and a hot side oriented away from the insulator and in thermal contact with a thermally conductive plug disposed in the at least one open end so as to close the enclosed volume.

[0010] A well intervention tool according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a pressure resistant housing adapted to traverse a subsurface well. The pressure resistant housing has a coupling to attach the pressure resistant housing to another tool part. A vacuum insulated container according to any implementation of the previous aspect of this disclosure is disposed in the pressure resistant housing.

[0011] A well intervention tool according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a pressure resistant housing adapted to traverse a subsurface well. The pressure resistant housing has a coupling to attach the pressure resistant housing to another tool part. A vacuum insulated container as in the previous aspect is disposed in the pressure resistant housing.

[0012] Some implementations further comprise a thermal conductor disposed between the plug and the hot side.

[0013] In some implementations, a thermal conductivity of the thermal conductor is at least

150 w/m °K.

[0014] In some implementations, the thermal conductor comprises metal or ceramic. [0015] In some implementations, a thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive plug is at least 20 w/m °K.

[0016] In some implementations, the thermally sensitive device comprises electronic circuits.

[0017] Some implementations further comprise at least one electrical conductor extending from the electronic circuits to a location outside the enclosed volume, the at least one electrical conductor in thermal contact with the cold side.

[0018] In some implementations, the at least one electrical conductor passes through a longitudinal opening in the plug.

[0019] Some implementations further comprise a thermal conductor disposed between the insulator and the cold side., the thermal conductor in contact with the inner wall of the double wall enclosure at a lateral edge of the thermal conductor.

[0020] In some implementations a thermal conductivity of the cold side thermal conductor is at least 150 w/m °K.

[0021] Other aspects and possible advantages will be apparent from the description and claims that follow.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] FIG. 1 shows an example implementation of a vacuum insulated container, end cap or plug and components disposed in the container according to the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows an example implementation of a well intervention tool or tool part having a vacuum insulated container as shown in FIG. 1.

Detailed Description

[0024] FIG. 1 shows an example implementation of a vacuum insulated container 10 (e.g., a Dewar flask) according to the present disclosure. The vacuum insulated container 10 may comprise a double wall enclosure 12 shaped to define an enclosed volume 13. The materials from which the double wall enclosure 13 may be made are a matter of discretion for the user or designer and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some implementations, the double wall enclosure 12 may be generally U-shaped, and as a result define the shape of the enclosed volume 13; other implementations may comprise different shapes for the double wall enclosure 12 as long as an enclosed volume is defined. The double wall enclosure 12 may comprise an inner wall 12A disposed within an outer wall 12B so as to define therebetween an annular space 12C. The inner wall 12A and the outer wall 12B may be attached to each other, or the annular space 12C otherwise may be closed, or closable such as by using a plug, at one longitudinal end of the double wall enclosure 12 to enable evacuation of the annular space 12C.

[0025] A thermally sensitive device 14 may be disposed in the enclosed volume 13, e.g., at one longitudinal end as shown in FIG. 1. The thermally sensitive device 14 may be anything that must be maintained at a different temperature than the environment outside the vacuum insulated container 10. In the present example implementation, the thermally sensitive device 14 may comprise electronic circuits that must be maintained at a lower temperature than the environment outside the thermally insulated container 10 (as part of a well intervention tool). In some implementations, the electronic circuits 14 may be provided operating electrical power and may communicate signals through one or more electrical conductors 27; other signal communication devices such as optical fiber and electromagnetic communication are within the scope of the present disclosure. The electronic circuits 14 may be in thermal contact with a thermal mass 16 disposed inside the enclosed volume 13. The thermal mass 16 may be made from a material having a high volumetric heat capacity to absorb heat generated by the electronic circuits 14. In some implementations, the volumetric heat capacity of the thermal mass 16 may be at least 3.5 MJ/m³-°K. The thermal mass 16 may be initially inserted into the enclosed volume 13 at a substantially different temperature than is expected to exist outside the vacuum insulated container 10. A thermally insulating material plug 18 may be disposed on a side of the thermal mass 16 opposed to the electronic circuits 14.

[0026] One or more thermoelectric cooling (TEC) elements 22 may be disposed on an opposed side of the thermally insulating material plug 18. A cold side plate 20, which may be a thermal conductor made from, e.g., metal or thermally conductive ceramic, may be disposed between the thermally insulating material plug 18 and the heat input (cold) side of the TEC elements 22. A thermal conductivity of the cold side plate 20 in some implementations may be at least 150 w/m °K. The cold side plate 20 may fill the entire cross section of the interior of the enclosed volume 13 and be in thermal contact at its lateral edges with the inner wall 12A so as to both thermally close the cross section and conduct heat away from the inner wall 12A. A hot side plate 24 for the TEC elements 22 may also be a thermal conductor and be in thermal contact with a thermally conductive end cap or plug 26. The hot side plate 24 may also be made from thermally conductive material such as metal or ceramic. The plug 26 may be made from thermally conductive material such as metal. A thermal conductivity of the material used for the plug 26 in some implementations may be at least 20 W/m °K.

[0027] A rim or edge 26A of the plug 26 may be in thermal contact with the inner wall 12A for a selected longitudinal distance proximate the open longitudinal end of the inner wall 12A so as to minimize heat that is transferred to the plug 26 proximate the open longitudinal end of the inner wall 12A, where the inner wall 12A and the outer wall 12B may be joined. A partial annular space 26B between the rim 26A and the main body of the plug 26 may be filled with insulating material 28 to reduce heat transfer from the center of the plug 26 radially outwardly to the rim 26A (and thereby the inner wall 12A). One or more electrical conductors 32 may pass through the thickness (longitudinal) dimension of the plug 26, e.g., through a longitudinal opening 26C and contact the thermal conductor 31. The electrical conductors 32 may provide power to operate the TEC elements 22, and may ultimately connect to the electrical conductors 28 inside the enclosed volume 13.

[0028] In the structure shown in FIG. 1 the double wall enclosure has a closed longitudinal end, and an open longitudinal end in which the disclosed plug and TEC elements may be disposed. The scope of the present disclosure is not so limited; a double wall enclosure open at opposed (both) longitudinal ends, one of each having a plug as disclosed herein disposed in such open end(s) is also within the scope of this disclosure.

[0029] The structure shown in FIG. 1 may be used in a well intervention tool or a part thereof as will now be explained with reference to FIG. 2. The well intervention tool or tool part 50, (“tool” for convenience) may have certain components disposed in a pressure resistant housing 40. A vacuum insulated container 10 having devices therein as explained with reference to FIG. 1 in some implementations may be disposed within a protective, e.g., elastomer sleeve (not shown) within the pressure resistant housing 40. In some implementations, the vacuum insulated container 10 may have its outer wall (12B in FIG. 1) serve as part of the pressure resistant housing 40; the separate housing structure shown in FIG. 2 is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0030] The pressure resistant housing 40 may be coupled to other devices (not shown separately herein) such as a cable head or other part of a well intervention tool (not shown in FIG. 2) at a longitudinal end 51 of the pressure resistant housing 40. The longitudinal end 51 may have therein or otherwise comprise an adapter or coupling 58 to make mechanical connection to such other tool or tool part. In some implementations, the insulator and the thermal mass may be structurally and compositionally optimized, e.g., such as providing a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart discrete elements, e.g., disks or rings of a high volumetric heat capacity material may be disposed, e.g., uniformly distributed within a low thermal diffusivity material, which may be in liquid or gel form prior to cure and may be cured after insertion and placement of the disks. The foregoing structure for a well intervention tool is provided only as an example of arrangements of components inside a well intervention tool and such described structure does not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0031] A vacuum insulated container and a well intervention tool according to the present disclosure may have longer use times in environments wherein a large differential temperature is required to be maintained and/or a temperature differential must be maintained for an extended period of time. Further, a vacuum insulated container according to the present disclosure may enable such capabilities while providing electrical power and communication to electronic components within the container from devices outside the container. In some implementations a larger cross section inner wall may be used while maintaining a duration of reduced internal temperature, allowing for a more structurally stable container. [0032] In light of the principles and example implementations described and illustrated herein, it will be recognized that the example implementations can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. The foregoing discussion has focused on specific implementations, but other configurations are also contemplated. In particular, even though expressions such as in “an implementation," or the like are used herein, these phrases are meant to generally reference implementation possibilities, and are not intended to limit the disclosure to particular implementation configurations. As used herein, these terms may reference the same or different implementations that are combinable into other implementations. As a rule, any implementation referenced herein is freely combinable with any one or more of the other implementations referenced herein, and any number of features of different implementations are combinable with one another, unless indicated otherwise. Although only a few examples have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible within the scope of the described examples. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the following claims.

Claims

Claims What is claimed is:

1. A vacuum insulated container, comprising: a double wall enclosure shaped to define an enclosed volume, the enclosed volume open at at least one end, an annular space between inner and outer walls of the double wall enclosure being evacuated; a thermally sensitive device disposed in the enclosed volume; a thermal mass disposed in the enclosed volume and in thermal contact with the thermally sensitive device; an insulator disposed in the enclosed volume and in contact with the thermal mass on a side of the thermal mass opposed to the thermally sensitive device; and at least one thermoelectric cooling element disposed in the enclosed volume having a cold side oriented toward the insulator and a hot side oriented away from the insulator and in thermal contact with a thermally conductive plug disposed in the at least one open end so as to close the enclosed volume.

2. The container of claim 1 further comprising a thermal conductor disposed between the plug and the hot side.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein a thermal conductivity of the thermal conductor is at least 150 watts per meter-degree Kelvin (w/m °K).

4. The container of claim 2 wherein the thermal conductor comprises metal or ceramic.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein a thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive plug is at least watts per meter-degree Kelvin (w/m °K).

6. The container of claim 1 wherein the thermally sensitive device comprises electronic circuits.

7. The container of claim 6 further comprising at least one electrical conductor extending from the electronic circuits to a location outside the enclosed volume, the at least one electrical conductor in thermal contact with the cold side.

8. The container of claim 7 wherein the at least one electrical conductor passes through a longitudinal opening in the plug.

9. The container of claim 1 further comprising a thermal conductor disposed between the insulator and the cold side, the thermal conductor in contact with the inner wall of the double wall enclosure at a lateral edge of the thermal conductor.

10. The container of claim 9 wherein a thermal conductivity of the thermal conductor is at least 150 watts per meter-degree Kelvin (w/m °K).

11. A well intervention tool comprising: a pressure resistant housing adapted to traverse a subsurface well, the pressure resistant housing having a coupling to attach the pressure resistant housing to another tool part; and a vacuum insulated container according to any of claims 1 through 10 disposed in the pressure resistant housing.

12. A well intervention tool, comprising: a pressure resistant housing adapted to traverse a subsurface well, the pressure resistant housing having a coupling to attach the pressure resistant housing to another tool part; and a vacuum insulated container disposed in the pressure resistant housing and comprising, a double wall enclosure shaped to define an enclosed volume, the enclosed volume open at at least one end, an annular space between inner and outer walls of the double wall enclosure being evacuated, a thermally sensitive device disposed in the enclosed volume, a thermal mass disposed in the enclosed volume and in thermal contact with the thermally sensitive device, an insulator disposed in the enclosed volume and in contact with the thermal mass on a side of the thermal mass opposed to the thermally sensitive device, and at least one thermoelectric cooling element disposed in the enclosed volume having a cold side oriented toward the insulator and a hot side oriented away from the insulator and in thermal contact with a thermally conductive plug disposed in the at least one open end so as to close the enclosed volume.

13. The well intervention tool of claim 12 further comprising a thermal conductor disposed between the thermally conductive plug and the hot side.

14. The well intervention tool of claim 13 wherein a thermal conductivity of the thermal conductor is at least 150 watts per meter-degree Kelvin (w/m °K).

15. The well intervention tool of claim 13 wherein the thermal conductor comprises metal or ceramic.

16. The well intervention tool of claim 12 wherein a thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive plug is at least watts per meter-degree Kelvin (w/m °K).

17. The well intervention tool of claim 12 wherein the thermally sensitive device comprises electronic circuits.

18. The well intervention tool of claim 17 further comprising at least one electrical conductor extending from the electronic circuits to a location outside the enclosed volume, the at least one electrical conductor in thermal contact with the cold side.

19. The well intervention tool of claim 18 wherein the at least one electrical conductor passes through a longitudinal opening in the thermally conductive plug.