Setting assembly and method thereof

Abstract

A setting assembly includes an inflatable packer, a housing including a chamber, a setting material disposed in the chamber and having a first phase of matter and a second phase of matter, the setting material occupying a greater volume in the second phase than in the first phase, the setting material arranged to exert a setting force on the inflatable packer during transition of the setting material from the first phase to the second phase, and at least one pressure relief member within the chamber, the pressure relief member configured to protect the inflatable packer from rupturing.

1 . A setting assembly comprising:
 an inflatable packer;   a housing including a chamber;   a setting material disposed in the chamber and having a first phase of matter and a second phase of matter, the setting material occupying a greater volume in the second phase than in the first phase, the setting material arranged to exert a setting force on the inflatable packer during transition of the setting material from the first phase to the second phase; and,   at least one pressure relief member within the chamber, the pressure relief member configured to protect the inflatable packer from rupturing.   
     
     
         2 . The setting assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first phase of the setting material is solid and the second phase is liquid. 
     
     
         3 . The setting assembly of  claim 1  wherein the housing includes a mandrel and an outer section, the outer section including a rigid portion and a flexible portion, the flexible portion forming the packer. 
     
     
         4 . The setting assembly of  claim 3  wherein the at least one pressure relief member includes a spring biased movable device longitudinally movable between the mandrel and the rigid portion of the outer section. 
     
     
         5 . The setting assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the rigid portion includes a gap, the flexible portion spanning the gap in the rigid portion. 
     
     
         6 . The setting assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the flexible portion is elastomeric. 
     
     
         7 . The setting assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the housing further includes first and second connecting members at uphole and downhole ends of the setting assembly, the first and second connecting member connecting the rigid portion of the outer section to the mandrel. 
     
     
         8 . The setting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure relief member is configured to enlarge an available volume of the chamber after the inflatable packer has expanded. 
     
     
         9 . The setting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure relief member includes a spring biased movable device, the device biased within the chamber to permit the material to occupy a first volume within the chamber, and the device movable within the chamber to allow the material to occupy a second volume within the chamber greater than the first volume. 
     
     
         10 . The setting assembly of  claim 9 , wherein a force to expand a flexible portion of the inflatable packer is less than a force to move the movable device against its spring bias. 
     
     
         11 . The setting assembly of  claim 1  wherein the inflatable packer is a first inflatable packer, and further comprising a second inflatable packer, a tubular structure extending between the first and second inflatable packers having a radial aperture, wherein steam injected through the tubular structure and out the radial aperture transitions the setting material from the first phase to the second phase to set the first and second inflatable packers and isolate a zone between the first and second inflatable packers. 
     
     
         12 . The setting assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a heat source to transition the setting material from the first phase to the second phase. 
     
     
         13 . The setting assembly of  claim 12  wherein the heat source is heated fluid pumped into a borehole. 
     
     
         14 . The setting assembly of  claim 12  wherein the heat source is a heating element adjacent the housing, the heating element selectively controlled by a control line. 
     
     
         15 . A downhole system comprising a tubular structure having a longitudinal axis, and a setting assembly, the setting assembly including:
 an inflatable packer;   a housing including a chamber, the housing connected to the tubular structure and sharing an interior flowpath with the tubular structure, the chamber disposed exteriorly of the interior flowpath;   a setting material disposed in the chamber and having a first phase of matter and a second phase of matter, the setting material occupying a greater volume in the second phase than in the first phase, the setting material arranged to exert a setting force on the inflatable packer during transition of the setting material from the first phase to the second phase; and,   at least one pressure relief member within the chamber, the pressure relief member configured to protect the inflatable packer from rupturing.   
     
     
         16 . A method of setting an inflatable packer, the method comprising:
 enclosing a phase changeable setting material within a chamber of a housing in a solid state;   heating the setting material to melt the setting material to a liquid state to expand a volume of the setting material;   harnessing the expansion of the setting material as a setting force to set the inflatable packer; and, protecting the inflatable packer from rupture.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein harnessing the expansion of the setting material includes inflating a flexible member of the inflatable packer with expanding setting material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein protecting the inflatable packer from rupture includes enlarging an available volume of the chamber after the inflatable packer inflates. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein protecting the inflatable packer from rupture includes relieving pressure within the chamber during expansion of the setting material by moving a spring biased device with expanding setting material to increase a volume of the chamber, wherein the inflatable packer expands prior to moving the spring biased device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein heating the setting material includes injecting heated fluid into a borehole.