Abstract:
A seal assembly including a seal body; an augmentation configuration partially radially displaced from the seal body; a filler material at least partially disposed between the seal body and the augmentation configuration and method.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    As is well appreciated by anyone involved in a downhole production industry such as for the production of hydrocarbons, sealing is a necessary and ubiquitous issue. Since for all downhole operations are affected by conditions generated naturally, sealing issues and thus seal parameters can be very different from each other. For this reason among others, many different types of sealing assemblies are known to the art. Even in view of the large number of sealing technologies already available, additional technologies are continually sought. The need for such additional technologies is sometimes related to convenience; reliability; changing well dynamics due to changing well parameters and changing production methods and technologies, for example. The art will therefore be well receptive to new and useful sealing technologies. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    A seal assembly including a seal body; an augmentation configuration partially radially displaced from the seal body; a filler material at least partially disposed between the seal body and the augmentation configuration. 
         [0003]    A method for sealing an annular space including running a seal assembly to depth having: a seal body; an augmentation configuration partially radially displaced from the seal body; a filler material at least partially disposed between the seal body and the augmentation configuration; deploying the assembly; rupturing the augmentation configuration. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several Figures: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an embodiment of a seal assembly as disclosed herein in a run-in position; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the seal assembly shown in  FIG. 1  but in the set position; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of an embodiment of a seal assembly as disclosed herein in a run-in position; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the seal assembly shown in  FIG. 3  but in the set position; 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of an embodiment of a seal assembly as disclosed herein in a run-in position; 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the seal assembly shown in  FIG. 5  but in the set position; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a surface of the augmentation configuration disclosed herein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a seal assembly  10  is illustrated. The assembly  10  comprises a seal body  12  having a sealing surface  14 . It is to be noted that while surface  14  is identified here to be radially outwardly located of the seal body  12  to seal against a tubular body radially outwardly disposed of the seal body  12 , this surface and additional components of the seal assembly  10  described herein could be located on a radially inward surface (on an opposing surface to indicated surface  14 ) of the seal body  12  to allow for sealing to a structure radially inwardly disposed of the body  12 . Accordingly, it is to be appreciated that the components discussed hereafter and illustrated in the drawings to be located upon a radially outward surface  14 , can be located alternately to be on the radially inward surface of body  12 . 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, a filler material  16  is disposed adjacent sealing surface  14  and a seal augmenting configuration  18  is disposed at an opposite side of the filler material  16  from the body  12  so as to at least partially sandwich the filler material between the seal augmenting configuration  18  and the body  12 . In such a configuration, the filler material  16  tends to energize the augmenting configuration  18  into contact with another structure  20  when the seal assembly is in a set position (see  FIG. 2 ). The augmenting configuration is, in one embodiment a soft metal material such as copper or silver, for example. The soft metal material is bonded to the surface  14  of the body  12  using a magnetic pulse welding technique that facilitates an atomic bond between the materials. This is particularly useful when the materials of body  12  and configuration  18  are dissimilar. In one case, the material of body  12  is a nickel alloy or stainless steel, clearly dissimilar to copper or silver exemplified above. Because the bond created by the magnetic pulse welding process is atomic in nature, the bond will not break or allow separation of the materials in any way regardless of temperature, pressure, or other downhole wellbore condition. The process thus is well suited to the construction of the seal assembly disclosed herein. This is the case with each of the embodiments illustrated herein. 
         [0014]    Still referring to the  FIGS. 1 and 2  embodiments, the augmenting configuration is fully closed about the filler material  16 . The material  16  is hence enclosed between the augmenting configuration  18 , the body  12  and the bonded areas between the two. In such configuration the filler material  16  functions principally as an energizer as it does not physically contact the surface  20 . Energization is beneficial as it reduces effects of changes in contact stress that are associated with thermal changes (expansion or contraction) or positional changes of the seal assembly, for example. Augmenting configuration  18 , being a relatively soft material is pressed into smaller imperfections in the surface  20  to improve the sealing capability of the seal assembly  10 . 
         [0015]    In another embodiment of the seal assembly identified as  100  for clarity, referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the seal body  12  and the filler material  16  are identical to the  FIG. 1  embodiment but the augmenting configuration  118  is distinct in that it is configured as two halves of a ring. This configuration exposes a portion of the filler material  16  at gap  24  such that it is possible for the filler material to come into contact with the surface  20  when the assembly of  FIG. 3  is set (see  FIG. 4 ). Moreover, as can be appreciated in  FIG. 4 , the augmenting configuration  118  still contacts the surface  20  between a portion of the filler material  16  and that surface  20  so that the augmenting configuration is mechanically loaded against the surface  20  and accordingly still maintains the sealing function described with reference to  FIG. 1 . In addition to the sealing function, the augmenting configuration in  FIG. 3 and 4  further plays a backup function for the filler material  16 , now in contact with the surface  20  an thereby exposed. Such a filler material, which in one embodiment is Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material, is soft enough to be extruded from its intended position by pressure imbalances experienced by the assembly in use. As such, the augmenting configuration provides service as a pair of backup rings to prevent extrusion. 
         [0016]    In a third illustrated embodiment of the seal assembly identified by numeral  200  for clarity, referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the body  12  and filler material  16  are as they are described with reference to  FIG. 1  but the augmenting configuration  218  is again distinct. In this embodiment, the augmenting configuration begins as a single ring of material having a line of weakness  26  therein. In the illustrations of  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the line of weakness is a groove formed in the material of augmentation configuration  218 . The groove functions to thin the material of configuration  218  thereby predisposing it to rupture upon setting of the assembly. The line of weakness can also be created using material consistency, heat treatment, etc providing that the effect is that a line of relatively weaker material is created to facilitate the rupture of the augmentation configuration in the location desired. During setting of the seal assembly  200 , it will be appreciated that the augmentation configuration is put into a position where a significant strain is imposed on the augmentation configuration axially, circumferentially and radially. This is because the diameter of the body  12 , as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , is growing pursuant to the setting sequence. Because the line of weakness presents a lesser resistance to rupture than the material adjacent that line, the configuration  218  is apt to part at that location as noted above. This embodiment of the seal assembly disclosed herein provides for protection of the filler material  16  while running while at the same time takes advantage of the greater conformability of the filler material to seal smaller irregularities in the surface  20 . The embodiment also presents a backup function for the filler material  16  at the two halves of the augmentation configuration  218  post rupture. 
         [0017]    It is to be appreciate that any of the embodiments disclosed herein can be configured with one or more serrations  28  on an outer surface  30  of the augmentation configuration. Such a serrated surface configuration is illustrated schematically in  FIG. 7 . The serrations (one or more) are beneficial in retrieval of the assembly after setting. This is due to the ability of the material of the augmentation configuration ‘pull down” better because the excess material dimensions caused by stretching during setting has somewhere to go. 
         [0018]    While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation.