Core-containing sealing assembly

Abstract

The invention generally provides a sealing assembly with a deformable portion and a core at least partially disposed within the deformable portion that can be radially expanded to engage an adjacent surface and effect a seal. In one embodiment, the core is a fluid-containing core that preferably comprises a compressible fluid and the deformable portion comprises a deformable metal. The core can retain an amount of stored energy and adjust to changing conditions that otherwise might affect the seal integrity. The core can be sealed within the deformable portion and can be compressed by a force applied to the deformable portion to cause radial expansion. The core can also be coupled to a piston which can apply a force to fluid within the core to cause the radial expansion necessary to effect sealing. An elastomeric member can be attached to the deformable portion to assist in sealing.

1 . A sealing assembly, comprising 
 a) a deformable portion; and    b) a fluid-containing core disposed at least partially within the deformable portion, the core being deformable toward one or more adjacent surfaces and having a quantity of stored energy for further deformation when the sealing assembly is engaged against the one or more adjacent surfaces.    
     
     
         2 . The sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing assembly comprises a packer and the deformable portion comprises a metal deformable portion.  
     
     
         3 . The sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid-containing core comprises a compressible fluid.  
     
     
         4 . The sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein fluid in the fluid-containing core comprises a liquid portion and a gaseous portion.  
     
     
         5 . The sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the deformable portion expands in a radial direction under an axial force applied substantially perpendicular to the radial direction.  
     
     
         6 . The sealing assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the packer further comprises an elastomer member attached to the deformable portion.  
     
     
         7 . The sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing assembly comprises an annular shape and the deformable portion expands primarily radially inward from the sealing assembly.  
     
     
         8 . The sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing assembly comprises an annular shape and the deformable portion expands primarily radially outward from the sealing assembly.  
     
     
         9 . The sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the core is sealed in the deformable portion.  
     
     
         10 . The sealing assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a piston in communication with the core for pressurizing a fluid therein.  
     
     
         11 . The sealing assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a piston at least partially disposed in the core.  
     
     
         12 . The sealing assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the piston is annularly shaped and axially aligned with the fluid-containing core.  
     
     
         13 . The sealing assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising an actuator that moves the piston toward the core to increase the pressure of the fluid.  
     
     
         14 . The sealing assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a controller connected to the actuator.  
     
     
         15 . The sealing assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a seal disposed about the piston.  
     
     
         16 . A sealing assembly, comprising 
 a) a deformable portion; and    b) a core disposed at least partially within the deformable portion, the core being expandable to deform the deformable portion toward an adjacent surface and to retain a quantity of stored energy for further deformation.    
     
     
         17 . The sealing assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the core comprises a fluid disposed therein.  
     
     
         18 . The sealing assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the core comprises an elastomer material.  
     
     
         19 . The sealing assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the core comprises a shape memory material.  
     
     
         20 . The sealing assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the core comprises two or more compartments, wherein at least two of the compartments contain chemically reactive materials therein.  
     
     
         21 . The sealing assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the compartments containing the chemically reactive material are partitioned by a member that separates upon compression of the core in a first direction and allows the chemically reactive material in the compartments to mix to expand the core in a second direction different than the first direction.  
     
     
         22 . The sealing assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the deformable portion is adapted to expand in a radial direction under an axial force applied substantially perpendicular to the radial direction.  
     
     
         23 . The sealing assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the sealing assembly further comprises an elastomer member attached to the deformable portion.  
     
     
         24 . The sealing assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising a piston in communication with the core.  
     
     
         25 . The sealing assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising a controller coupled to the sealing assembly.  
     
     
         26 . The sealing assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising an actuator coupled to the sealing assembly.  
     
     
         27 . The sealing assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising at least one gripping surface coupled to the deformable portion.  
     
     
         28 . A packer for insertion in a wellbore, comprising: 
 a) a deformable portion; and    b) a fluid-containing core within the deformable portion designed to expand the deformable portion radially in the wellbore and retain stored energy in the core after the radial expansion.    
     
     
         29 . The sealing assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the fluid-containing core comprises a compressible fluid.  
     
     
         30 . The sealing assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the core retains stored energy from compression of the fluid.  
     
     
         31 . The sealing assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the deformable portion is adapted to expand in a radial direction toward the wellbore under an axial force applied substantially perpendicular to the radial direction.  
     
     
         32 . The sealing assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the packer further comprises an elastomer member attached to the deformable portion.  
     
     
         33 . The sealing assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the fluid-containing core comprises a silicone-based fluid.  
     
     
         34 . The sealing assembly of  claim 28 , wherein the fluid-containing core is separated into two or more compartments by at least one separable member.  
     
     
         35 . A sealing assembly, comprising: 
 a) a deformable portion;    b) a fluid-containing core disposed at least partially within the deformable portion; and    c) a piston in communication with the fluid-containing core.    
     
     
         36 . The sealing assembly of  claim 35 , wherein the deformable portion comprises a metal.  
     
     
         37 . The sealing assembly of  claim 35 , wherein the piston is annular disposed about the sealing assembly and axially aligned with the fluid-containing core.  
     
     
         38 . The sealing assembly of  claim 35 , further comprising an actuator coupled to the piston.  
     
     
         39 . The sealing assembly of  claim 35 , wherein the sealing assembly further comprises an elastomer member attached to the deformable portion.  
     
     
         40 . A method of sealing against a surface, comprising: 
 a) positioning a sealing assembly adjacent a surface;    b) increasing a pressure of a fluid in a fluid-containing core in the sealing assembly;    c) deforming a deformable portion of the sealing assembly toward the surface;    d) engaging the surface; and    e) retaining an amount of stored energy in the core after engaging the surface.    
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the sealing assembly comprises a packer and the deformable portion comprises a deformable metal.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the fluid-containing core is sealed in the deformable portion and wherein increasing the pressure in the core comprises compressing the core by forces external to fluid in the fluid-containing core.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the fluid-containing core is sealed in the deformable portion and wherein increasing the pressure in the core comprises increasing the pressure in the core by forces internal to the core.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein increasing the pressure in the core comprises compressing the fluid in the core by forcing a piston into the fluid.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein increasing the pressure in the core comprises compressing the deformable portion axially.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising engaging the surface with an elastomeric material attached to the deformable portion.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the piston comprises an annular ring.