Abstract:
A screen joint assembly includes a joint comprising a ring portion and a lip portion protruding from the ring. A first particle screen is connected to a first side of the joint and a second particle screen connected to a second side of the joint. The lip portion may be welded to form a weld seam that interconnects the first and second particle screens.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/312,109, titled “SCREEN JOINT,” filed Mar. 9, 2010, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a joint for particle control filtration screens, particularly for use in a well. 
         [0003]    Liquids and gases in water, oil and gas wells typically mix with particulates that need to be filtered away from the production fluid. These particulates include sand, clay, and other unconsolidated particulate matter. The presence of sand and other fine particles in the production fluid and well equipment often leads to the rapid erosion of expensive well machinery and hardware. 
         [0004]    Particle screens, also known as downhole screens, sand screens or well screens, have been used in the petroleum industry to remove particulates from production fluids. Commonly, particle screens are used in conjunction with a filter aid that does primary filtering, whereas the particle screen retains the filter aid but allows throughput of the liquid or gas. Particle screens are generally tubular in shape and include a perforated base pipe, a porous filter layer wrapped around and secured to the pipe, and an outer cover. Particle screens are used where fluid enters a production string, such that the fluid must pass through the filter layer and into the perforated pipe prior to entering the production string and being pumped to the surface. 
         [0005]    In the context of downhole filtration, particle screens often include woven wire mesh to prevent particles of the desired size and larger from passing through the mesh. The screen acts to trap the particles on the top surface of the mesh. Wire wrap is also commonly used in surface filtration. Wire wrap may be triangular shaped wire wrapped around a base pipe, with a given gap between wires designed to accomplish a desired micron rating. 
         [0006]    Particle screens are often constructed in modular sections, such as four foot sections. The screen sections are fixed together inside the pipe by way of a joint. Due to pressures and stresses that exists within the pipe, it is desirable that the joint be capable of tolerating designated burst and collapse pressures. Known screen joints include basic weld joints and other [insert other possible joints]. While these joints are capable of connecting screen sections, they often fail to tolerate the desired burst and collapse stresses within the pipe. Further, known joints often fail to support the shape of the particle screen to help prevent warping and other defects. Therefore, an improved screen joint is needed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    A screen joint assembly is generally described. The screen joint assembly includes a joint comprising a ring portion and a lip portion protruding from the ring. A first particle screen is connected to a first side of the joint and a second particle screen connected to a second side of the joint. The lip portion may be welded to form a weld seam that interconnects the first and second particle screens. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Objects and advantages together with the operation of the invention may be better understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the following illustrations, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates a screen joint. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates a screen joint connected to a particle screen section. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates a screen joint connected to a first particle screen and aligned with a second particle screen. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of a screen joint interconnecting two particle screen portions. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of a screen joint interconnecting two particle screen portions. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of a screen joint welded to two particle screen portions. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  illustrates an interior view of a screen joint interconnecting two particle screen portions. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  illustrates a pre-formed screen joint. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  illustrates a screen joint formed from a pre-formed metal ring. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional changes may be made without departing from the respective scope of the invention. 
         [0019]    A screen joint  10  is presented, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-9 . The screen joint  10  may be composed of any material, such as plastic or metal known in the art. In an embodiment, the screen joint  10  may be composed of a metal, such as steel, that is capable of being welded. 
         [0020]    The screen joint  10  is configured to interconnect two or more portions, such as two or more particle screens  18 . To that end, the screen joint  10  includes a generally flat ring  11  and a lip  16 . The ring  11  includes an inner surface  12  and an outer surface  14 . The lip  16  may protrude from the outer surface  14  to provide an adjoining member for a particle screen  18 . The lip  16  may be positioned to bisect the ring  11  such that the ring  11  extends generally equidistantly from either side of the lip  16 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the lip  16  may extend approximately perpendicularly from the outer surface  14 . It will be appreciated, however, that the lip  16  may protrude from the outer  14  at any angle to interconnect two screen portions. In an alternatively embodiment, the lip  16  may protrude from the inner surface  12 , or may extend through both the inner surface  12  and outer surface  14 . 
         [0021]    The screen joint  10  may be configured to connect to a similarly shaped screen portion  18  on either side of the lip  16 . For example, the screen joint  10  may be generally circular, as shown in  FIG. 1 , and configured to engage a generally circular opening of a particle screen  18 . It will be appreciated, however, that the screen joint  10  may be any shape configured to engage or interconnect particle screen portions  18 . 
         [0022]    As described herein, a particle screen  18  may comprise any screen adapted to sift and filter particles, such as sand, clay, and other particulate matter, from production fluid to be extracted. The particle screen  18  may be composed of wire mesh or a series of wire mesh layers. It will be appreciated, however, that the particle screen  18  may comprise any material capable of filtering unwanted particulate matter. The particle screen  18  may be generally tubular shaped, such as cylindrical. The tubular particle screen  18  may include an exterior surface  20  and an interior surface  22 . 
         [0023]    In an embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2-7 , the outer surface  14  of the screen joint  10  may engage the interior surface  22  of the particle screen  18 . The ring  11  may be sized and shaped to provide minimal clearance between the outer surface  14  and the interior surface  22  of the particle screen  18 , such that the outer surface  14  frictionally engages the interior surface  22  of the particle screen  18 . This arrangement allows the inner surface  12  of the screen joint  10  to form approximately flush with the interior surface  22  and thereby support the shape of the particle screen  18 . The screen joint  10  may engage a particle screen  18  on either side of the lip  16  to adjoin two particle screens  18 . 
         [0024]    The screen joint  10  may be configured to provide the desired amount of support for the particle screen  18  or to regulate flow capacity. For example, the width or thickness of the ring  11  may be increased to provide greater support along the interior surface  22  of the particle screen  18 . The engagement between the outer surface  14  and the interior surface  22  of the particle screen  18 , however, obstructs the openings in the particle screen  18 . Consequently, widening the ring  11  may reduce the flow capacity of the particle screen  18 . Thus, the width of the ring  11  may alternatively be reduced to increase the flow capacity of the particle screen  18 . 
         [0025]    The screen joint  10  may be welded to the particle screen  18  to provide permanent connection thereto. When the screen joint  10  is assembled with a particle screen  18  on each side of the lip  16 , as best seen in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the lip  16  protrudes from the exterior surface  20 . The protruding portion of the lip  16  may be welded or otherwise formed to create a seam  24  between the two connecting particle screen portions  18 . The lip  16  may be designed to control the properties of the seam  24 . For example, the width or thickness of the lip  16  may be increased or reduced to respectively increase or reduce the amount of material used in the seam  24 . 
         [0026]    It will be appreciated that the screen joint  10  may alternatively be configured to engage the exterior surface  20  of the particle screen  18 . For example, as previously mentioned, the lip  16  may protrude from the inner surface  12  of the ring  11  to provide an adjoining surface interior to the screen joint  10 . The particle screen  18  may then be inserted into the screen joint  10  such that the exterior surface  20  of the particle screen  18  engages the inner surface  12  of screen joint  10 . The lip  16  may then be welded or formed to create an interior seam. 
         [0027]    The screen joint  10  may be constructed by any means known in the art. In an embodiment, as illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the screen joint  10  may be formed from raw sheet metal. The sheet metal may be cut to a specified length to achieve the desired diameter of the screen joint  10 . The length of sheet metal may then be formed into a ring  11  having the desired shape. The ring  11  may be compressed using a tool to form the lip  16 . Alternatively, the screen joint  10  may be formed through roll forming, through connecting a lip  16  to a ring member  11  as is known in the art, or by any other manner known in the art. 
         [0028]    The invention has been described above and, obviously, modifications and alternations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. The claims as follows are intended to include all modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the claims or the equivalent thereof.