Shape memory alloy for erosion control of downhole tools

Abstract

A downhole fluid flow control device ( 188 ) and method for minimizing erosion are disclosed. The downhole fluid flow control device ( 188 ) includes a downhole surface ( 190 ) subjectable to an erosive stress ( 196, 198 ) which may be a moving fluid or an erosive agent, for example. A shape memory alloy ( 192 ) is integrated with the downhole surface ( 190 ) in order to provide erosion resistance by reversibly transforming from an austenitic phase ( 194 ) to a martensitic phase ( 200 ) in response to the application of the erosive stress ( 196, 198 ). Further, the shape memory alloy ( 192 ) reversibly transforms from the martensitic phase ( 200 ) to the austenitic phase ( 192 ) in response to the presence of sufficient heat.

1 . A downhole fluid flow control device comprising: 
 a downhole surface subjectable to an erosive stress; and    a shape memory alloy integrated with the downhole surface, the shape memory material operable to provide erosion resistance.    
   
   
       2 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the shape memory alloy is operable to reversibly transform between austenitic and martensitic phases responsive to the erosive stress and temperature.  
   
   
       3 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the shape memory material reversibly transforms from an austenitic phase to a martensitic phase in response to application of the erosive stress.  
   
   
       4 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the shape memory material reversibly phase transforms responsive to erosive stress and temperature.  
   
   
       5 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the shape memory material reversibly transforms from a martensitic phase to an austenitic phase in response to application of a temperature ∃ A 0f .  
   
   
       6 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the shape memory material is at a temperature ∃ A 0f  and reversibly transforms from an austenitic phase to a martensitic phase in response to application of the erosive stress.  
   
   
       7 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 6  wherein the shape memory material reversibly transforms from the martensitic phase to the austenitic phase in response to removal of the erosive stress.  
   
   
       8 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the shape memory material comprises an alloy selected from the group consisting of titanium nickel (TiNi) alloys, titanium carbon-Titanium nickel (TiC—TiNi) composite alloys, copper zinc (CuZn) alloys, copper zinc aluminum (CuZnAl) alloys, copper zinc gallium (CuZnGa) alloys, copper zinc tin (CuZnSn) alloys, copper zinc silicon (CuZnSi) alloys, iron platinum (FePt) alloys and tribological engineering materials.  
   
   
       9 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the shape memory material has pseudoelasticity recoverable strain between approximately 1.5% and approximately 8.5%.  
   
   
       10 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the shape memory material has resistance to chemical corrosion equivalent to a 304-series stainless-steel.  
   
   
       11 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the downhole surface and shape memory material form a portion of an assembly selected from the group consisting of back-pressure valves, ball valves, check valves, circulation valves, safety valves, equalizing valves, flapper valves, foot valves, frac valves, gas-lift valves, gate valves, isolation valves, operating gas-lift valves, orifice valves, poppet valves, reverse-circulating valves, sliding sleeves, standing valves, subsurface safety valves, traveling valves, tubing-retrievable safety valves and wireline-retrievable safety valves.  
   
   
       12 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the erosive stress comprises a moving fluid.  
   
   
       13 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the erosive stress comprises an erosive agent.  
   
   
       14 . The downhole fluid flow control device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the erosive stress comprises friction.  
   
   
       15 . A downhole tool comprising: 
 a downhole component having a surface subjectable to erosion; and    a shape memory alloy integrated with the surface, the shape memory material operable to resist erosion by reversibly transforming between austenitic and martensitic phases.    
   
   
       16 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 15  wherein the shape memory material reversibly transforms from an austenitic phase to a martensitic phase in response to application of an erosive stress.  
   
   
       17 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 15  wherein the shape memory material reversibly transforms from a martensitic phase to an austenitic phase in response to a temperature ∃ A 0f .  
   
   
       18 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 15  wherein the shape memory material is at a temperature ∃ A 0f  and reversibly transforms from an austenitic phase to a martensitic phase in response to application of an erosive stress.  
   
   
       19 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 18  wherein the shape memory material reversible transforms from the martensitic phase to the austenitic phase in response to removal of the erosive stress.  
   
   
       20 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 15  wherein the shape memory material comprises an alloy selected from the group consisting of titanium nickel (TiNi) alloys, titanium carbon-titanium nickel (TiC—TiNi) composite alloys, copper zinc (CuZn) alloys, copper zinc aluminum (CuznAl) alloys, copper zinc gallium (CuZnGa) alloys, copper zinc tin (CuZnSn) alloys, copper zinc silicon (CuZnSi) alloys, iron platinum (FePt) alloys and tribological engineering materials.  
   
   
       21 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 15  wherein the shape memory material has pseudoelasticity recoverable strain between approximately 1.5% and approximately 8.5%.  
   
   
       22 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 15  wherein the shape memory material has resistance to chemical corrosion equivalent to a 304-series stainless-steel.  
   
   
       23 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 15  wherein a moving fluid creates an erosive stress.  
   
   
       24 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 15  wherein an erosive agent creates an erosive stress.  
   
   
       25 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 15  wherein friction creates an erosive stress.  
   
   
       26 . The downhole tool as recited in  claim 15  wherein the downhole component is selected from the group consisting of crossovers, blast joints, sand screens, valves, nozzles, chokes, wear surfaces of vanes, pump pistons, turbine blades, flow straighteners, flow mixers, internal mandrels, barrel slips, flow diverters, seal assemblies, shifting sleeves, collets, snap rings, c-clamps on ball valves, landing nipples, poppets, rotors, bearings, races, slickline wires, venturis and tubulars.  
   
   
       27 . An oilfield tool comprising: 
 a component having a surface subjectable to erosion; and    a shape memory alloy integrated with the surface, the shape memory material operable to resist erosion by reversibly transforming between austenitic and martensitic phases.    
   
   
       28 . The oilfield tool as recited in  claim 27  wherein the shape memory material reversibly transforms from an austenitic phase to a martensitic phase in response to application of an erosive stress.  
   
   
       29 . The oilfield tool as recited in  claim 27  wherein the shape memory material reversibly transforms from a martensitic phase to an austenitic phase in response to a temperature ∃ A 0f .  
   
   
       30 . The oilfield tool as recited in  claim 27  wherein the shape memory material is at a temperature ∃ A 0f  and reversibly transforms from an austenitic phase to a martensitic phase in response to application of an erosive stress.  
   
   
       31 . The oilfield tool as recited in  claim 30  wherein the shape memory material reversible transforms from the martensitic phase to the austenitic phase in response to removal of the erosive stress.  
   
   
       32 . The oilfield tool as recited in  claim 27  wherein the shape memory material comprises an alloy selected from the group consisting of titanium nickel (TiNi) alloys, titanium carbon-titanium nickel (TiC—TiNi) composite alloys, copper zinc (CuZn) alloys, copper zinc aluminum (CuZnAl) alloys, copper zinc gallium (CuZnGa) alloys, copper zinc tin (CuZnSn) alloys, copper zinc silicon (CuZnSi) alloys, iron platinum (FePt) alloys and tribological engineering materials.  
   
   
       33 . The oilfield tool as recited in  claim 27  wherein the shape memory material has pseudoelasticity recoverable strain between approximately 1.5% and approximately 8.5%.  
   
   
       34 . The oilfield tool as recited in  claim 27  wherein the shape memory material has resistance to chemical corrosion equivalent to a 304-series stainless-steel.  
   
   
       35 . The oilfield tool as recited in  claim 27  wherein a moving fluid creates an erosive stress.  
   
   
       36 . The oilfield tool as recited in  claim 27  wherein an erosive agent creates an erosive stress.  
   
   
       37 . The oilfield tool as recited in  claim 27  wherein friction creates an erosive stress.  
   
   
       38 . The oilfield tool as recited in  claim 27  wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of casing valves, master valves, stabbing valves, swab valves, wing valves, wellhead isolation tools, pump jack components, flow lines and vessels.  
   
   
       39 . A method for controlling erosion in a component comprising the steps of: 
 disposing the component downhole, the component including a shape memory material integrated with a surface of the component; and    exposing the shape memory material to a downhole stimulus that transforms at least a portion of the shape memory material from a first phase to a second phase.    
   
   
       40 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein the step of exposing the shape memory material to the downhole stimuli further comprises the step of exposing the shape memory material to particulate impact that transforms the at least a portion of the shape memory material from an austenitic phase to a martensitic phase.  
   
   
       41 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein the step of exposing the shape memory material to the downhole stimuli further comprises the step of exposing the shape memory material to a moving fluid that transforms the at least a portion of the shape memory material from an austenitic phase to a martensitic phase.  
   
   
       42 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein the step of exposing the shape memory material to the downhole stimuli further comprises the step of exposing the shape memory material to an erosive stress that transforms the at least a portion of the shape memory material from an austenitic phase to a martensitic phase.  
   
   
       43 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein the step of exposing the shape memory material to the downhole stimuli further comprises the step of exposing the shape memory material to friction that transforms the at least a portion of the shape memory material from an austenitic phase to a martensitic phase.  
   
   
       44 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein the step of exposing the shape memory material to the downhole stimuli further comprises the step of exposing the shape memory material to temperature ∃ A 0f  that transforms the at least a portion of the shape memory material from a martensitic phase to an austenitic phase.  
   
   
       45 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein the step of exposing the shape memory material to the downhole stimuli further comprises the step of exposing the shape memory material to a temperature # M 0f  that transforms the at least a portion of the shape memory material from an austenitic phase to a martensitic phase.  
   
   
       46 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein the step of exposing the shape memory material to a downhole stimuli further comprises the step of exposing the shape memory material to a combination of temperature and stress that transforms the at least a portion of the shape memory material from the first phase to the second phase.  
   
   
       47 . The method as recited in  claim 39  further comprising the step of exposing the shape memory material to another downhole stimuli that transforms the at least a portion of the shape memory material from the second phase to the first phase.  
   
   
       48 . The method as recited in  claim 39  further comprising the step of exposing the shape memory material to temperature ∃ A 0f  that transforms the at least a portion of the shape memory material from the second phase to the first phase.  
   
   
       49 . The method as recited in  claim 39  further comprising the step of removing the downhole stimuli to transform the at least a portion of the shape memory material from the second phase to the first phase.  
   
   
       50 . The method as recited in  claim 39  further comprising the step of selecting the shape memory material from the group consisting of titanium nickel (TiNi) alloys, titanium carbon-titanium nickel (TiC—TiNi) composite alloys, copper zinc (Cuzn) alloys, copper zinc aluminum (CuznAl) alloys, copper zinc gallium (CuZnGa) alloys, copper zinc tin (CuZnSn) alloys, copper zinc silicon (CuznSi) alloys, iron platinum (FePt) alloys and tribological engineering materials.  
   
   
       51 . The method as recited in  claim 39  wherein the step of exposing the shape memory material to a downhole stimuli further comprises the step of displaying pseudoelasticity recoverable strain between approximately 1.5% and approximately 8.5%.