Ammunition and explosives – Blasting – Detonation wave modifying
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-17
2003-05-20
Nelson, Peter A. (Department: 3641)
Ammunition and explosives
Blasting
Detonation wave modifying
C102S476000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06564718
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of explosive shaped charges. More specifically, the present invention relates to a composition of matter for use as a liner in a shaped charge, particularly a shaped charge used for oil well perforating.
2. Description of Related Art
Shaped charges are used for the purpose, among others, of making hydraulic communication passages, called perforations, in wellbores drilled through earth formations so that predetermined zones of the earth formations can be hydraulically connected to the wellbore. Perforations are needed because wellbores are typically completed by coaxially inserting a pipe or casing into the wellbore, and the casing is retained in the wellbore by pumping cement into the annular space between the wellbore and the casing. The cemented casing is provided in the wellbore for the specific purpose of hydraulically isolating from each other the various earth formations penetrated by the wellbore.
Shaped charges known in the art for perforating wellbores are used in conjunction with a perforation gun and the shaped charges typically include a housing, a liner, and a quantity of high explosive inserted between the liner and the housing where the high explosive is usually HMX, RDX PYX, or HNS. When the high explosive is detonated, the force of the detonation collapses the liner and ejects it from one end of the charge at very high velocity in a pattern called a “jet”. The jet penetrates the casing, the cement and a quantity of the formation. The quantity of the formation which may be penetrated by the jet can be estimated for a particular design shaped charge by test detonation of a similar shaped charge under standardized conditions. The test includes using a long cement “target” through which the jet partially penetrates. The depth of jet penetration through the specification target for any particular type of shaped charge relates to the depth of jet penetration of the particular perforation gun system through an earth formation.
In order to provide perforations which have efficient hydraulic communication with the formation, it is known in the art to design shaped charges in various ways to provide a jet which can penetrate a large quantity of formation, the quantity usually referred to as the “penetration depth” of the perforation. One method known in the art for increasing the penetration depth is to increase the quantity of explosive provided within the housing. A drawback to increasing the quantity of explosive is that some of the energy of the detonation is expended in directions other than the direction in which the jet is expelled from the housing. As the quantity of explosive is increased, therefore, it is possible to increase the amount of detonation-caused damage to the wellbore and to equipment used to transport the shaped charge to the depth within the wellbore at which the perforation is to be made.
The sound speed of a shaped charge liner is the theoretical maximum speed that the liner can travel and still form a coherent “jet”. If the liner is collapsed at a speed that exceeds the sound speed of the liner material the resulting jet will not be coherent. The sound speed of a liner material is calculated by the following equation, sound speed=(bulk modulus/density)
1/2
(Equation 1.1). A coherent jet is a jet that consists of a continuous stream of small particles. A non-coherent jet contains large particles or is a jet comprised of multiples streams of particles. Increasing the collapse speed of the liner will in turn increase jet tip speeds. Increased jet tip speeds are desired since an increase in jet tip speed increases the kinetic energy of the jet which in turn provides increased well bore penetration. Therefore, a liner made of a material having a higher sound speed is preferred because this provides for increased collapse speeds while maintaining jet coherency.
Accordingly, it is important to supply a detonation charge to the shaped charge liner that does not cause the shaped charge liner to exceed its sound speed. On the other hand, to maximize penetration depth, it is desired to operate shaped charge liners at close to their sound speed and to utilize shaped charge liners having maximum sound speeds. Furthermore, it is important to produce a jet stream that is coherent because penetration depth of coherent jet streams is greater than the penetration depth of non-coherent jet streams.
As per Equation 1.1 adjusting the physical properties of the shaped charge liner materials can affect the sound speed of the resulting jet. Furthermore, the physical properties of the shaped charge liner material can be adjusted to increase the sound speed of the shaped charge liner, which in turn increases the maximum allowable speed to form a coherent jet. Knowing the sound speed of a shaped charge liner is important since theoretically a shaped charge liner will not form a coherent jet if the jet speed well exceeds the sound speed of the shaped charge liner.
It is also known in the art to design the shape of the liner in various ways so as to maximize the penetration depth of the shaped charge for any particular quantity of explosive. Even if the shape and sound speed of the shaped charge liner is optimized, the amount of energy which can be transferred to the liner for making the perforation is necessarily limited by the quantity of explosive.
Shaped charge performance is dependent on other properties of the liner material. Density and ductility are properties that affect the shaped charge performance. Optimal performance of a shaped charge liner occurs when the jet formed by the shaped charge liner is long, coherent and highly dense. The density of the jet can be controlled by utilizing a high density liner material. Jet length is determined by jet tip velocity and the jet velocity gradient. The jet velocity gradient is the rate at which the velocity of the jet changes along the length of the jet whereas the jet tip velocity is the velocity of the jet tip. The jet tip velocity and jet velocity gradient are controlled by liner material and geometry. The higher the jet tip velocity and the jet velocity gradient the longer the jet. In solid liners, a ductile material is desired since the solid liner can stretch into a longer jet before the velocity gradient causes the liner to begin fragmenting. In porous liners, it is desirable to have the liner form a long, dense, continuous stream of small particles. To produce a coherent jet, either from a solid liner or a porous liner; the liner material must be such that the liner does not splinter into large fragments after detonation.
The solid shaped charge liners are formed by cold working a metal into the desired shape, others are formed by adding a coating onto the cold formed liner to produce a composite liner. Information relevant to cold worked liners is addressed in Winter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,813, Ayer U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,228, and Skolnick et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,367. However, solid liners suffer from the disadvantage of allowing “carrots” to form and become lodged in the resulting perforation—which reduces the hydrocarbon flow from the producing zone into the wellbore. Carrots are sections of the shaped charge liner that form into solid slugs after the liner has been detonated and do not become part of the shaped charge jet. Instead the carrots, which can take on an oval shape, travel at a velocity that is lower than the shaped charge jet velocity and thus trail the shaped charge jet.
Porous liners are formed by compressing powdered metal into the desired liner shape. Traditional liner shapes are conical, linear, and hemispherical. Typically, the liners that have been formed by compressing powdered metals have utilized a composite of two or more different metals, where at least one of the powdered metals is a heavy or higher density metal, and at least one of the powdered metals acts as a binder or matrix to bind the heavy or higher density metal. Examples of heavy or higher density metals used in
Harvey William
Henderson Steve
Reese James W.
Slagle Terry
Baker Hughes Incorporated
Derrington Keith R.
Nelson Peter A.
Springs Darryl M.
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