System for temporary isolation and opening by automatic pressure break in a production pipe

Abstract

The present invention discloses a system for temporary isolation and opening by automatic pressure break in a production pipe that, besides allowing the breakage of a sealing element in order to clear out its residues from where it is housed, allows to prevent any obstruction along the system due to the residues of a sealing element; the system comprises: a) a pipe section comprised of an inner wall, a break off profile, a shoulder, at least one shear bolt housing, and a lower sealing element; and b) an break off opening device comprised of: an upper sealing element, a mandrel, at least one shear bolt, and an isolated chamber.

1 . A system for temporary isolation and opening by automatic pressure break in a production pipe, characterized by comprising: a) a pipe section comprised of an inner wall, a break off profile located at the inner wall and configured to break a flat base of an upper sealing element, a shoulder located at the inner wall and configured to restrict the movement of a mandrel when it travels, at least one shear bolt housing crossing throughout the inner wall and which is configured to house at least one shear bolt, and a lower sealing element comprised of a concave face facing in an opposite direction to the concave face of an upper sealing element, and a flat base located perpendicularly to the pipe section inner wall, and the lower sealing element is configured to be attached to the flat base with the pipe section inner wall, to prevent the passing of a working fluid when it flows to an isolated chamber, and to be broken when contacting the working fluid when it flows from the isolated chamber; and b) a break off opening device comprised of: an upper sealing element comprising a concave face and a flat base located perpendicularly to the pipe section inner wall, where the upper sealing element is configured to be attached to the flat base with a mandrel and to prevent the passing of a working fluid when it flows to the isolated chamber, a mandrel concentric with respect to the pipe section and having an outer wall adjacent to the pipe section inner wall, the mandrel is attached to the flat base of an upper sealing element and is configured to travel along the pipe section from an starting position to an ending position where it collides with the shoulder of the pipe section, at least one shear bolt located at the at least one shear bolt housing, each shear bolt connects the mandrel to the pipe section maintaining it fixed in an starting position, and each shear bolt is configured to be broken at a predetermined pressure, and an isolated chamber located between the upper and lower sealing elements and within the mandrel, the isolated chamber is configured to allow the working fluid to enter therein when the upper sealing element is broken; such that when the working fluid generates a pressure in the upper sealing element reaching and overcoming the predetermined pressure, it causes each shear bolt to be broken, then the mandrel and the upper sealing element are offset due the pressure difference generated between the working fluid and the isolated chamber, where the upper sealing element contacts a break off profile which breaks the upper sealing element from its base, removing all the residues from the upper sealing element from where it is attached to the mandrel, then the working fluid enters into the isolated chamber and the mandrel contacts the shoulder which is reaching the ending position, and the working fluid contacts the lower sealing element and breaks the lower sealing element. 
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the break off profile has a slope with respect to the inner wall in a range from 1 to 90 degrees. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the break off profile has a 15 degrees slope. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the system comprises from 1 to 50 shear bolts. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  1 , wherein the predetermined pressure each shear bolt supports is in the range from 10 to 138 MPa. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  1 , wherein the isolated chamber is at a vacuum pressure, atmospheric pressure, or a pressure lower than the predetermined pressure. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  6 , wherein the isolated chamber is at atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  1 , wherein the working fluid is a fragmentation fluid, drilling sludge, or hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  1 , wherein the upper sealing element and the lower sealing element are made of ceramic material, plastic, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  9 , wherein the upper sealing element and the lower sealing element are made of ceramic material. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  1 , wherein the pipe section is assembled at its ends with different devices belonging to a production pipe, this assembly is by threading or pressure. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  1 , wherein the pipe section is formed by an upper coupling part, a lower coupling part, and an intermediate part. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  12 , wherein the pieces of the pipe section are attached such that they form the inner wall; the upper coupling part is assembled with the intermediate part and is in contact with the upper sealing element outside its concave face; the lower coupling part is assembled with the intermediate part and is in contact with the lower sealing element outside its concave face; and the intermediate part where the following are located: the break off profile, the shoulder in turn is configured to be in contact with the lower sealing element in its base, the at least one shear bolt housing, and the break off opening device. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  13 , wherein the pieces in the pipe section are uncoupled to each other such that they allow to monitor and/or replace any component. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  14 , wherein the coupling between the pipe section pieces is by threading or pressure.