Fracture Plug

Abstract

A fracture plug having V-shaped recessions in a housing and complementary wedges is disclosed. The V-shaped recessions are broader at a top of the fracture plug and narrower toward the bottom and the wedges are complementary to the V-shaped recessions. The wedges have a similar thickness and radius as the housing and the wedges sit within an envelope defined by an exterior and interior radius of the housing.

1 . A fracture plug, comprising:
 a cone comprising a complete cylindrical member defining an interior diameter and an outer diameter, the cone having a conical surface;   a packing element surrounding a portion of the conical surface and being configured to expand as the packing element is urged against the conical surface;   a housing comprising an incomplete cylindrical member having substantially the same interior diameter and outer diameter as the cone, wherein a difference between the interior diameter and outer diameter defines a thickness of the housing in a radial dimension, wherein the incomplete cylindrical member includes a V-shaped recession having a proximal narrow portion and a distal broad portion, wherein proximal and distal are defined relative to the cone; and   a wedge positioned in the V-shaped recession and being configured to move from the distal broad portion of the V-shaped recession to the proximal narrow portion and to expand the housing to set the plug in a well, wherein the wedge has substantially the interior diameter and outer diameter as the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The fracture plug of  claim 1  wherein the housing includes a convex circumferentially-facing surface within the V-shaped recession and wherein the wedge has a corresponding convex surface. 
     
     
         3 . The fracture plug of  claim 1  wherein the housing includes a flat circumferentially-facing surface on a circumferentially-facing surface within the V-shaped recession and wherein the wedge has a corresponding flat surface. 
     
     
         4 . The fracture plug of  claim 1  wherein the housing includes a keyed circumferentially-facing surface on a circumferentially-facing surface within the V-shaped recession and wherein the wedge has a corresponding keyed surface. 
     
     
         5 . The fracture plug of  claim 1  wherein the housing has a first length along an axial direction and wherein the wedge has a second length along the axial direction and wherein the second length is less than half of the first length. 
     
     
         6 . The fracture plug of  claim 1  wherein the housing is rigidly attached to the cone. 
     
     
         7 . The fracture plug of  claim 1  wherein urging the wedge downward toward the cone causes the packing element to move along the conical surface of the cone. 
     
     
         8 . The fracture plug of  claim 1 , further comprising buttons mounted in an outer surface of the housing to facilitate setting the fracture plug. 
     
     
         9 . The fracture plug of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the cone, the packing element, the housing, and the wedge are made of a dissolvable material. 
     
     
         10 . The fracture plug of  claim 1  wherein the V-shaped recession comprises a first V-shaped recession and the wedge comprises a first wedge, the housing including a second V-shaped recession and a second wedge, wherein the first V-shaped recession and second wedge are circumferentially opposite the first V-shaped recession and first wedge. 
     
     
         11 . A fracture plug, comprising:
 a housing formed of a cylindrical member having an inner diameter and an outer diameter, wherein the housing has a V-shaped recession with a narrow portion at a first axial end of the housing and a broad portion at a second axial end of the housing, and wherein the V-shaped recession defines a slope, and further wherein the housing has a radial thickness defined between the inner and outer diameter; and   a wedge positioned in the V-shaped recession and having at least approximately the same inner diameter and outer diameter as the housing, the same slope as the V-shaped recession, and the same thickness as the housing, wherein urging the wedge toward the narrow portion of the V-shaped recession in the housing causes the housing to expand to set the fracture plug.   
     
     
         12 . The fracture plug of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a cone comprising a cylindrical member having a conical outer surface with a narrow portion proximate the housing and a wide portion distal relative to the housing; and   a packing element between the cone and the housing wherein urging the cone toward the wedge and housing causes the packing element to expand along the conical surface to set the fracture plug.   
     
     
         13 . The fracture plug of  claim 12  wherein the first axial end of the housing is proximate the cone. 
     
     
         14 . The fracture plug of  claim 11  wherein the housing has two V-shaped recessions and two wedges. 
     
     
         15 . The fracture plug of  claim 11 , further comprising buttons on an exterior surface of the housing. 
     
     
         16 . A method of setting a fracture plug in a well, the method including:
 positioning a fracture plug in the well, the fracture plug comprising a cylindrical housing with one or more recessions that are broader at a top of the housing and narrower at a bottom of the housing, the fracture plug further comprising one or more wedges positioned in the recessions, wherein the wedges have a similar thickness and radius as the housing but are shorter in an axial direction than the housing; and   urging the wedges downward along the recessions such that the wedges expand the housing radially to set the fracture plug.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the fracture plug further comprises a conical surface and an expandable packing element and wherein urging the wedges downward further comprises urging the packing element upon the conical surface to expand the packing element to set the fracture plug. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the wedges and recessions have a complementary shape at circumferentially-facing edges. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the complementary shape maintains the wedges radial position relative to the housing as the wedges are urged downward. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein before setting the fracture plug the wedges are in the broader portion of the recession and wherein urging the wedges downward causes the wedges to move toward along the recessions.