US2008134922A1PendingUtilityA1

Thermally Activated Well Perforating Safety System

46
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Dec 6, 2006Filed: Dec 6, 2006Published: Jun 12, 2008
Est. expiryDec 6, 2026(~0.4 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Antony F. GrattanJohn D. BurlesonFlint R. GeorgeJohn H. HalesRyan A. Harrison
F42C 15/44E21B 43/1185F42C 15/005F42C 15/36F42C 15/34
46
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Claims

Abstract

An explosives safety system includes an explosive component, a blocking member displaceable to selectively permit and prevent detonation of the explosive component, and a thermal actuator responsive to temperature change and configured to displace the member in response to the temperature change. Another explosives safety system includes a thermal actuator with a material having a volume variable in response to the temperature change, and detonation of the explosive component being selectively permitted and prevented by the actuator when the material volume changes. A method of preventing undesired detonation of an explosive component includes the steps of: providing a material having a volume variable in response to a change in a temperature; positioning the material and the explosive component in a well, thereby increasing the material temperature; increasing the material volume in response to the increasing temperature; and permitting detonation of the explosive component in response to the increasing volume.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A thermally activated explosives safety system, comprising:
 an explosive component;   a blocking member displaceable to selectively permit and prevent detonation of the explosive component; and   a thermal actuator responsive to temperature change, the actuator being configured to displace the blocking member in response to the temperature change.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a material, a volume of the material being variable in response to the temperature change. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the material volume increases in response to a temperature increase, and wherein the material volume decreases in response to a temperature decrease. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the blocking member displaces to a position preventing detonation of the explosive component in response to an increase in the material volume. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the blocking member displaces to a position permitting detonation of the explosive component in response to an increase in the material volume. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator displaces the blocking member to a position preventing detonation of the explosive component in response to a temperature decrease. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator displaces the blocking member to a position permitting detonation of the explosive component in response to a temperature increase. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking member is positioned between a firing head and a perforating gun. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking member is positioned between perforating guns. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking member is positioned between a firing pin and the explosive component. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system includes at least two explosive components, and wherein the blocking member is positioned between the explosive components. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking member is displaced laterally relative to a passage by the actuator in response to the temperature change. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking member is rotated by the actuator about an axis parallel to a passage in response to the temperature change. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking member is rotated by the actuator about an axis orthogonal to a passage in response to the temperature change. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking member blocks a passage to prevent detonation of the explosive component. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking member has an opening which is aligned with a passage to permit detonation of the explosive component. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a biasing device which biases the blocking member in a direction to prevent detonation of the explosive component. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system includes at least two of the thermal actuators, and wherein the actuators are cooperatively operable to displace the blocking member. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a bimetallic structure which changes shape in response to the temperature change. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a shape memory alloy material which changes shape in response to the temperature change. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking member engages a firing pin to prevent displacement of the firing pin and thereby prevent detonation of the explosive component. 
   
   
       22 . A thermally activated explosives safety system, comprising:
 an explosive component;   a thermal actuator responsive to temperature change, the actuator including a material having a volume which is variable in response to the temperature change; and   wherein detonation of the explosive component is selectively permitted and prevented by the actuator when the material volume changes.   
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein detonation of the explosive component is prevented when the material volume increases. 
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein detonation of the explosive component is prevented when the material volume decreases. 
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the material volume increases in response to a temperature increase, and wherein the material volume decreases in response to a temperature decrease. 
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein a blocking member displaces to a position preventing detonation of the explosive component in response to an increase in the material volume. 
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein a blocking member displaces to a position permitting detonation of the explosive component in response to an increase in the material volume. 
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator displaces a blocking member to a position preventing detonation of the explosive component in response to a temperature decrease. 
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator displaces a blocking member to a position permitting detonation of the explosive component in response to a temperature increase. 
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein a blocking member displaceable by the actuator blocks a passage to prevent detonation of the explosive component. 
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator includes a bimetallic structure which changes shape in response to the temperature change. 
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator includes a shape memory alloy material which changes shape in response to the temperature change. 
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator reduces a gap between elements of the system to thereby permit detonation of the explosive component. 
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator extends a firing pin outwardly to thereby permit detonation of the explosive component. 
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator aligns multiple elements of an explosive train to thereby permit detonation of the explosive component. 
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator displaces a blocking member to thereby permit detonation of the explosive component. 
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator aligns an opening with a passage to thereby permit detonation of the explosive component. 
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the actuator rotates a blocking member to thereby permit detonation of the explosive component. 
   
   
       39 . A method of preventing undesired detonation of an explosive component, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a material having a volume which is variable in response to a change in a temperature of the material;   positioning the material and the explosive component in a subterranean well, thereby increasing the temperature of the material;   increasing the volume of the material in response to the temperature increasing step; and   permitting detonation of the explosive component in response to the volume increasing step.   
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising the steps of decreasing the volume of the material in response to decreasing the temperature of the material, and preventing detonation of the explosive component in response to the volume decreasing step. 
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the volume decreasing and detonation preventing steps are performed after the volume increasing and detonation permitting steps. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising the step of preventing detonation of the explosive component, and wherein the detonation preventing step is performed prior to the volume increasing and detonation permitting steps. 
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising the step of containing the material in an enclosure, thereby forming an assembly which becomes increasingly rigid as the volume of the material increases. 
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising the step of transmitting a force through the assembly when the assembly has an increased rigidity to thereby detonate the explosive component. 
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising the step of preventing detonation of the explosive component by preventing effective transmission of a force through the assembly when the assembly has a reduced rigidity. 
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the providing step further comprises providing the material as part of a thermal actuator. 
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the detonation permitting step further comprises the actuator displacing a blocking member in response to the volume increasing step. 
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the detonation permitting step further comprises the actuator rotating a blocking member in response to the volume increasing step. 
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the detonation permitting step further comprises the actuator extending a firing pin outward in response to the volume increasing step. 
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the detonation permitting step further comprises the actuator decreasing a gap in response to the volume increasing step. 
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the detonation permitting step further comprises the actuator aligning multiple explosive components in response to the volume increasing step.

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