Sand screen

Abstract

A sand screen including a base pipe. A plurality of individual segments having complementary perimetrically interlocking shapes configured to be nested together so as to limit relative movement among the elements and to form a tubular filtration media about the base pipe. End rings engaging the filtration media and the base pipe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sand screen comprising:
 a base pipe;   a plurality of individual segments having complementary perimetrically interlocking shapes configured to be nested together so as to limit relative movement among the elements and to form a tubular filtration media about the base pipe;   end rings engaging the filtration media and the base pipe.   
     
     
         2 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of segments include offsets to space certain faces of the plurality of elements from mating faces of the plurality of elements to create radial fluid passageways through the filtration media. 
     
     
         3 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of segments further include standoffs to space the segments from the base pipe. 
     
     
         3 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of segments are rings. 
     
     
         4 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the rings are castellated by merlons and crenels. 
     
     
         5 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the merlons include side surfaces that are angled at about 1 degree less than an angle represented by a radial line from an axis of the rings. 
     
     
         6 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the side surfaces are angled to so that mating side surfaces of adjacent merlons are parallel therewith. 
     
     
         7 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the merlons include side surfaces that when nested with mating side surfaces of adjacent merlons produce one of narrowing pathways from an outer surface of the filtration media to an inner surface of the filtration media or widening pathways from an outer surface of the filtration media to an inner surface of the filtration media. 
     
     
         8 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 4  wherein each merlon includes a side surface at an angle to a line parallel to an axis of the ring of about 0.5 to about 15 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 8  wherein an opposite side surface of the merlon has a mirror imaged angle. 
     
     
         10 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 4  further comprising a sealing material disposed upon a crown of each merlon. 
     
     
         11 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the sealing material creates a seal between the crown of each merlon and a base of each crenel of a mating ring. 
     
     
         12 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the sealing material is a polymer. 
     
     
         13 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of hard segments comprise a highly erosion resistant material. 
     
     
         14 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the material comprises ceramic. 
     
     
         15 . A sand screen as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the ceramic comprises Sintered Boron Carbide and/or Silicon Carbide. 
     
     
         16 . A building component for a sand screen comprising:
 a segment;   a plurality of merlons and a plurality of crenels at one longitudinal end of the segment;   a plurality of merlons and a plurality of crenels at an opposite longitudinal end of the segment, the merlons being configured and dimensioned to be received in a crenel of a mating segment such that adjacent side surfaces of each mated merlon will form a passageway therebetween.   
     
     
         17 . A building component for a sand screen as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the segment is annular. 
     
     
         18 . A building component for a sand screen as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the segment includes a keying feature to ensure adjacent segments when stacked to form a filtration media are registered. 
     
     
         19 . A sand screen cartridge comprising:
 a plurality of individual segments having complementary perimetrically interlocking shapes configured to be nested together so as to limit relative movement among the elements and to form a tubular filtration media;   end rings engaging the filtration media and the base pipe; and   a shroud spanning the filtration media and affixed to the end rings.   
     
     
         20 . A sand screen comprising:
 a base pipe;   a plurality of individual segments having complementary perimetrically interlocking shapes configured to be nested together so as to limit relative movement among the elements and to form a first tubular filtration media about the base pipe;   another plurality of individual segments having complementary perimetrically interlocking shapes configured to be nested together so as to limit relative movement among the elements and to form a second tubular filtration media about the base pipe stacked adjacent the first tubular filtration media;   end rings engaging the first and second filtration media and the base pipe; and   a shroud spanning the first and second filtration medias.