Abstract:
A downhole wet-connector and debris exclusion system includes a relatively stationary component; a relatively mobile component operably engageable with the relatively stationary component; at least one connector disposed behind a moveable debris exclusion member in a protected condition within the relatively mobile component; and at least one complementary connector disposed behind another movable debris exclusion member in a protected condition within the relatively stationary component each of the moveable debris exclusion members being openable to expose the at least one connectors therebehind upon axial motion of the relatively stationary component and the relatively mobile component into contact with one another and method.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    In the hydrocarbon exploration and recovery art, communication and control become more important and prevalent each and every day. More and more sensory, monitoring and control equipment is placed in wellbores and likely will continue to enhance production capability. While it is possible to create complete strings that include all of the communication monitoring and control conduits already in place, there is increasing interest in wet connect capabilities to speed and simplify equipment changes for maintenance, replacement or simply to employ different configurations over time in the well to optimize production. While wet connect systems are relatively common in the art, there are often trade-offs among cost, functionality, reliability, etc. 
         [0002]    Commonly, wet connects are hydraulic or electric in nature, where a pressure competent connection or an electrically isolated connection, respectively, must be created. These require a reasonably high degree of cleanliness and there are several methods currently utilized to make these connections with varying success rates. 
         [0003]    More recently, optic fibers have become more and more the conduit of preference. As optic fibers require greater positional registration and even more cleanliness, the art is always receptive to improvement in systems designed to wet-connect such fibers. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    A downhole wet-connector and debris exclusion system includes a relatively stationary component; a relatively mobile component operably engageable with the relatively stationary component; at least one connector disposed behind a moveable debris exclusion member in a protected condition within the relatively mobile component; and at least one complementary connector disposed behind another movable debris exclusion member in a protected condition within the relatively stationary component each of the moveable debris exclusion members being openable to expose the at least one connectors therebehind upon axial motion of the relatively stationary component and the relatively mobile component into contact with one another. 
         [0005]    A method for excluding debris in a connector includes orientating a relatively mobile component with a relatively stationary component; opening a physical barrier to debris for each end of a two part connector; and aligning the two part connector and axially engaging the two part connector. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several Figures: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1A  is a side partially transparent view of a downhole wet-make connector debris exclusion system as disclosed herein; 
           [0008]      FIG. 1B  is the same view as  FIG. 1A , but with two of the components illustrated in  FIG. 1A  removed to improve visibility of underlying structures; 
           [0009]      FIG. 1C  is the view of  FIG. 1B  rotated 180° to show the opposite side thereof; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a view of the system in  FIG. 1A  with profiles beginning to rotate various components of the system; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3A  is a view of the system in  FIG. 2A  with profiles further rotated; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3B  is the illustration of  FIG. 3A  rotated 180° to show the opposite side thereof; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates the next sequential movement following the  FIG. 3B  view; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a next sequential movement view after  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6A  illustrates one side of the debris exclusion system fully connected; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 6B  illustrates an opposite side of the debris exclusion system from that illustrated in  FIG. 6A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1A-6B , a system  10  capable of promoting wet connection of an optic fiber (or other conductor) with appropriate positioning and debris exclusion is illustrated. There are two major components of system  10 . These are: a relatively stationary component  12  and a relatively mobile component  14 . In the discussion that follows the relatively stationary component  12  is referred to as a portion of a Packer, the rest of the components of which are not important to this disclosure and are therefore not illustrated. The relatively mobile component  14  is described as an anchor and is run from a remote location, such as a surface location, into contact with packer  12  in order to effectively wet connect and debris exclude at least one conductor (hereinafter, the conductor is called an optic fiber however it is to be understood that other conductors are also contemplated). The system  10  includes an anchor orienter such as an orientation profile  16  and a packer orienter such as an orientation profile  18 , each of which is illustrated in  FIG. 1A  as just making contact near peaks  20  and  22  thereof. It is to be understood that the particular illustrated contact point is by way of illustration and not limitation as one of ordinary skill in the art should be aware that such profiles are designed to land in any orientation and then follow the profile to create the connection orientation that is desired in a particular application. 
         [0018]    Also visible in  FIG. 1A  through transparent profile  16  are a number of other components of the anchor  14 . It is noted that some of the components are exposed from the profile  16  at least in part and therefore may be seen without the benefit of the translucency of profile  16 . Starting from a downhole end of anchor  14 , a rotation ring  24  is a mechanical debris component that is rotationally mounted upon a rotation track  26 . Rotation of the rotation ring  24  is automatic following landing of anchor  14  in packer  12  based upon grooves and cam followers discussed further hereunder. The rotation track  26  is an extension of a tubular alignment ring  28 . The alignment ring  28  provides at least one and as illustrated two, though not necessarily limited to any particular number, tight through passages  30 . The passages  30  tightly but not sealingly each receive a leg  32  of a female connector shell  34 . The alignment ring  28  further provides a recessed section  36  visible in  FIG. 1A  but better seen in  FIG. 1B . The recessed section  36  is receptive of an inner housing  38 . 
         [0019]    Referring again to  FIG. 1B , the inner housing  38  has been exploded away from the rest of anchor  14  to make it easier to see. The inner housing  38  includes shell receptacles  40 , receptive of female connector shells  34 . Each receptacle  40  is in fluid communication with a flushing conduit  42  and a signal conductor conduit  44 . It will be noted that the flushing conduit further includes an inlet  46  in fluid communication with a reservoir that is filled with flushing fluid during use of the system  10 . The reservoir itself is defined by an uphole end  48  of alignment ring  28 , an inside surface  50  of inner housing  38  (visible only in  FIG. 1C  due to rotation of the exploded view of the system), a piston housing  52  and a housing stop  54 . The reservoir is not sealed in at least one embodiment, but is tight enough to hold most of the fluid therein until used. 
         [0020]    Inner housing  38  further includes biasing bores that in one embodiment include coil springs  58  to provide a bias on inner housing  38  toward a downhole end of anchor  14 . It will be appreciated that any type of biasing means could be substituted as desired, including but not limited to fluid pressure devices. Springs  58  bear against a downhole surface  60  of stop  54  and cooperate with slots  62  in piston housing  52  through fasteners  64  that are attached to the inner housing  38 . The fasteners  64  extend through openings  66  in inner housing  38  to positionally limit but not to fix movement of inner housing  38  so that the inner housing is compliant. The limited movement or compliancy of the inner housing  38  allows for similar limited movement in female connector shells  34  thereby reducing a potential shock load to female connector shells  34  and the conductor therewithin or allowing tolerance stack up issues to be absorbed without detrimental effect when connection is completed with packer  12 . 
         [0021]    Still referring to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , there is another fluid reservoir provided within system  10 . This is not to say that the reservoirs are necessarily distinct, but that their volumes are relatively segregated from one another. Strictly speaking, the reservoirs are fluidly connected in this embodiment and therefore constitute a single volume but due to the exit configuration for the fluid, they act as independent reservoirs. The second fluid reservoir is defined by the piston housing  52 , the alignment ring  28 , the inner housing  38  and the profile  16 . It is not necessary to seal either of the fluid reservoirs. Because the tolerances are relatively close, and although the reservoirs will be leaky, the majority of the fluid contained therein will be available, at the time its use is required, for the purpose for which it is originally installed. This will be described further hereunder in the operation section of this disclosure. It is noted that it is not necessarily inappropriate to seal portions of the fluid reservoirs providing the application of fluid to the desired location is retained. Rather, the intent of the teaching is merely to indicate that it is not necessary that these fluid chambers be sealed; relaxation of machining tolerances with respect to sealing can represent a cost savings. Finally with respect to the reservoirs, they are fillable with fluid after construction of the anchor through a port  106 . The port will in some embodiments have a check valve therein and in the illustrated embodiment uses a grease fitting  108 . This port  106  and the grease fitting  108  are numerically identified in  FIG. 1C . 
         [0022]    Returning to the female connector shell(s)  34 , two passages require introduction. The first is first conductor passage  67  which houses a conductor from uphole and second is a central conductor channel  68 . In one embodiment, these two passages are in parallel. This construction allows for a substantial benefit with respect to debris flushing relative to the connector shells discussed herein. Because of the offset nature of the passages, there is the possibility of access to the central conductor channel  68 , which is where connection is made to the male counterpart in the packer  12 . At a relative opposite end of shells  34  from leg  32  is illustrated a fluid transfer housing  70  that ensures reasonable interaction between the flushing conduit  42  and the central conductor channel  68  of the shell  34 . This interface, consistently with the other interfaces of flushing fluid in that this system, does not require a seal. Interaction of fluid transfer housing  70  and flushing conduit  42  of inner housing  38  can be appreciated from  FIG. 1A . In operation, flushing fluid is forced through the flushing conduit  42 , through housing  70  and through the extent of the female connector shells  34  in the central conductor channel  68 . It is important to note that the flushing fluid is not, in this instance, applied around or at the connector but actually directly through the central conductor channel  68  thereof. This is the very channel that the male side of the conductor connector penetrates upon connection. Thus, with this system, superior cleaning and the greatest reliability of debris exclusion is achieved by flushing the connector directly through its middle. 
         [0023]    The female connector shells are configured to ensure a signal propagating optical connection between two optical fiber members not previously connected to one another. The details of how this is done are not included in this disclosure because they are the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,857, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0024]    In order to introduce the final components of the anchor  14 , reference to  FIG. 5  is made wherein the piston housing  52  can be seen to include a groove  72  by which the rotation ring  24  is rotated during translation of alignment ring  28  along piston housing  52 . Further, in  FIG. 5  as well as in  FIG. 1B  and  FIG. 1C , a cam fastener  74  and a release fastener  76  are visible. The release fastener  76  in this embodiment is a shear screw, but it is to be appreciated that any hold and release device could be substituted for. The purpose of fastener  76  is to prevent premature motion of alignment ring  28  relative to piston housing  52 . More specifically, alignment ring  28  should only move relative to piston housing  52  upon landing of anchor  14  in packer  12 . The actual load of the landing is imparted through rotation ring  24  into alignment ring  28 . Once the shear fastener  76  or other release member has released the alignment ring  28  from the piston housing  52 , continued downward motion of piston housing  52  will cause rotation ring  24  to rotate due to the ring tracking the groove  72  (illustrated in  FIG. 5 ). While this is occurring, the alignment ring  28  is held in alignment relative to piston housing  52  by cam fastener  74  in an axial groove of the piston housing  52  not visible these drawings. The rotation of rotation ring  24  has for its purpose, to open the passages  30  at the downhole end of legs  32  of female connector shells  34 . As noted above, the rotation ring  24  is a mechanical debris excluder and must be removed prior to connection of the optic fiber conduit at female connector shell(s)  34 . 
         [0025]    Again, with reference to  FIG. 5 , it is considered useful to introduce the components of the packer  12  that are important to operation of the invention. Operation will be discussed hereunder. Within the packer  12  there are two doors, one being identified by numeral  80  and the other being identified by numeral  82 . In the  FIG. 5  position of the system  10 , the doors are already partially opened. It will be noted that each door includes an angled downhole surface  84  that rides upon an uphole angled surface  86  of a connector guard  88 . The connector guard  88  mounts and protects at least one male connector shell  90  (as illustrated two, and as in the female connector, shells any number is possible). The male connector shell(s)  90  are thus maintained in an appropriate position laterally with respect to each other and longitudinally with respect to the female connector shells  34 . Referring again to the doors  80  and  82 , it is important to note that these slidingly move on an inside dimension of profile  18  within grooves  92  and  94 . In order to interact with grooves  92  and  94 , each door  80  or  82  is provided with a cam profile (not shown) that may be a fastener or maybe a molded or machined component. 
         [0026]    Having introduced all of the operative components of system  10 , the operation of the device can now be described. Several of the drawing figures in the subject application are sequential views of the device in operation; these are  FIGS. 1A ,  2 ,  3 A,  4 ,  5 , and  6 B. It will be noted by the astute reader that at  FIG. 4  through the end of the listed sequence, the tool is illustrated 180° rotated relative to the sequenced drawings occurring before  FIG. 4 . This treatment provides the best understanding of the system  10  without unnecessarily duplicative views. 
         [0027]    Beginning at  FIG. 1A , it will be appreciated that the anchor portion  14  has been tripped in the hole and has come into contact with packer  12 . The bottom portion  100  of piston housing  52  can be seen at the interface of anchor  14  in packer  12 , that portion  100  extending into an inside dimension of packer  12 . The portion  100  is not intended to contact doors  80  and  82  but rather to slide into packer  12  at an interior aspect of the doors. As portion  100  continues to enter packer  12 , peaks  20  and  22  find a position along profiles  16  and  18  and begin to orientate anchor  14  relative to packer  12 . While this is occurring, rotation ring  24  comes into contact with doors  80  and  82  at surfaces  96  and  98 , respectively. This is a loaded contact that will push the doors open and at a preselected load will shear or otherwise release fastener  76  allowing alignment ring  28  to translate relative to piston housing  52 . This translation causes rotation ring  24  to rotate due to groove  72  of piston housing  52  moving therepast in a direction toward packer  12 , thereby removing the mechanical impediment to access to passages  30 . At the same time, alignment ring  28  is moving toward stop  54  underneath the relatively stationary inner housing  38 . This causes both of the fluid reservoirs within anchor  14  to be volumetrically reduced in size. Since the fluid within the reservoirs is relatively incompressible, it must, of course, escape during volumetric change of the reservoirs. Some of the fluid is cause to run through flushing conduit  42 , which is delivered through female connector shell  34  directly through the center of the connection. This virtually guarantees that no debris will be in the connector central opening. Moreover, fluid from the reservoir that is substantially defined by the recessed section  36 , is exhausted mostly through passages  30  thereby flooding a connection area  102  best viewed in  FIG. 5 . The flushing fluid, which may be a hydraulic oil or in other embodiments may be a different fluid. Moreover, it is contemplated that the fluid may be a viscosity adjustable fluid to allow for tailoring of the properties of the fluid for particular applications. In one embodiment the fluid is a hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) gel that is commercially available from many sources. The fluid flushes away any debris that might have landed on any of the connection portions of this system  10  during the orientation thereof and during the opening of the mechanical exclusion barriers of the rotation ring  24  and the doors  80  and  82 . Further, the flushing fluid will create a temporary bubble of clean fluid around the connection site for the final connection movement. In addition, and particularly in connection with an adjustable viscosity fluid, an added benefit can be achieved by adjusting the viscosity to provide both flushing of debris but also to provide a cushion for the connectors. The gel with enough viscosity to hold together will slow the connectors during connection and allow for a gentle engagement. In essence, the gel is used somewhat like a shock absorber. And as an added benefit, if HEC is utilized, there is no environmental impact as the material is environmentally benign. 
         [0028]    Simultaneously to the pressurization of the fluid reservoirs within the anchor  14 , doors  80  and  82  are being pushed open by an axial load applied through the rotation ring  24  and the alignment ring  28 . In  FIG. 5 , the doors  80  and  82  are illustrated in the partly opened position, whereas in the fully open position, they would be further rotated away from male connector shells  90 . Also visible in the  FIG. 5  view, is peak  20  almost aligned with a profile vee  104  of profile  18 . In  FIG. 6B , peak  20  is shown in contact with profile vee  104  of system  10 , which is its completely connected position. Referring back to  FIG. 5  again, it is noted that female connector shells  34  are still not aligned with male connector shells  90 , but are close to being aligned. Following the  FIG. 5  view, it will be apparent to the reader having been exposed to the foregoing, that anchor  14  will continue to rotate relative to packer  12  thereby aligning female connector shells  34  with male connector shells  90 . Once rotational alignment is complete, it will be appreciated that a profile flat  106  and a profile flat  108  on anchor  14  and packer  12 , respectively, will allow a direct axial motion to ensue thereby causing female connector shells  34  to engage male connector shells  90  and at the same time allow profiles  16  and  18  to seat fully with one another with us circumferentially closing and protecting the connection area. It will be appreciated also then, that the helix angle of profile  16  and profile  18  is important to the successful connection of system  10 . These profiles must be timed accurately to align all components of system  10  in order to assure that a signal connection is achieved and that a mechanical connection is complete. 
         [0029]    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.