Patent Publication Number: US-11398710-B2

Title: Protective barrier for the dielectric materials of an electrical connection/interface in an oil well environment and a method of forming the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 62/849,460, filed 17 May 2019, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to protecting electrical conductors within an oil well and, more particularly, to using the deposition/application of a metallic layer onto a thermoplastic substrate to create an impermeable barrier between a metallic encapsulating material and a thermoplastic substrate. 
     In the oil and gas industry, a multitude of electrical devices are utilized to retrieve oil and gas. Cable, typically consisting of three heavy gauge copper conductors, individually insulated with a high dielectric material and wrapped by a continuous layer of a metallic encapsulating material, is used to provide power to the electrical devices. 
     The environment within the well in which the electrical devices are operated contain various harsh elements. These elements make the electrical connections within the well extremely susceptible to corrosion, fatigue, or damage which can ultimately lead to the disruption of the electrical conduction necessary to operate the electrical devices. 
     In order to enable the electrical connection to the cable, copper pins must be attached to the cable conductors. The process of attaching these pins involves removing a section of the protective layer of metallic encapsulating material and dielectric insulation from each cable conductor. A thermoplastic insulation sleeve with high dielectric properties for electrical insulation, as well as high temperature and chemical resistant properties, is used to protect the pin from harsh oil well elements. 
     Presently, the connection between the copper pins and cable is electrically insulated using high dielectric materials such as tapes and/or rubber; however, this does not provide any protection form the harsh well environment. Harsh oil well environments are extremely destructive to these high dielectric materials and will rapidly degrade their dielectric properties, which can cause a disruption of electrical conduction. This disruption of electrical conduction can potentially cause the electrical device to shut down, ultimately ceasing the production of oil. 
     In short, one side of an electrical connection/interface, such as a conducting pin may be protected by a thermoplastic substrate, while the other side of the electrical interface (e.g., a conductor cable) may be protected by a metallic encapsulating material; however, the engagement between the metallic encapsulating material and the thermoplastic substrate themselves is currently insufficient as a barrier against the harsh oil well environment. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a protective barrier for the dielectric materials of an electrical connection/interface in an oil well environment. Once connected, the copper pin is insulated and protected from harsh well environment conditions by a thermoplastic material on one side of the connection; and the cable conductors are insulated and protected by continuous high dielectric material and continuous metal barrier sleeve or lead on the other side of the connection. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a method of protecting an electrical interface in an oil well environment includes the following: depositing a metallic layer along an outer surface of a first insulating layer of a first conductor of the electrical interface; bonding a first end of a metallic encapsulating material to the metallic layer; and bonding a second end of the metallic encapsulating material to a metallic sleeve of a metallic barrier sleeve of a second insulating layer of a second conductor of the electrical interface, wherein the metallic encapsulating material circumscribes the electrical interface, wherein the first conductor is a pin, wherein the second conductor is a cable, and wherein the electrical interface is the pin operatively associated with the cable, wherein the first insulating layer is a thermoplastic material; and further including, prior to bonding the metallic encapsulating material, applying a dielectric material between the metallic layer and the metallic barrier sleeve and overlap the electrical connection, wherein a first side and an opposing second side of the dielectric material abuts the metallic layer and the metallic barrier sleeve, respectively. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, barrier system for preventing elements of an oil well environment from disrupting a dielectric material of an electrical interface includes the following: an insulation material on each side of the electrical interface; a deposition of metallic material on each insulation material; a deposition of the dielectric material between each insulation material; and a bond between a metallic encapsulating material and each metallic material in such a way that the dielectric material is completely sandwiched between the metallic encapsulating material, each metallic material, each insulation material, and the electrical interface. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with all materials applied; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the placement of conductor cables  16  into conducting pins  10 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an elevation exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the placement of conductors  16  into copper pins  10 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, showing high dielectric material  24  applied over the connected cable-pin interface  30 , wherein the high dielectric material  24  ends at a location wherein a metallic layer  14  begins; 
         FIG. 5  is an elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, with metallic encapsulating material  26  applied over both the high dielectric material  24  and the metallic layer  14  (shown in  FIG. 4 ); and 
         FIG. 6  is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for protecting an electrical interface in an oil well environment, the method providing the deposition/application of a metallic layer onto a thermoplastic substrate of a first conductor of the electrical interface to create an impermeable barrier between a metallic encapsulating material and the thermoplastic substrate. 
     The present invention may include a method of protecting an electrical interface  30  in an oil well or other similarly harsh environments having elements that corrode, fatigue and/or damage electrical connections. The electrical connection or interface  30  may be defined by the physical engagement between a conductor cable  16  and a conducting pin  10 , or in certain embodiments a cable-pin assembly. The conducting material may be copper or the like. 
     The inventive method may embody the deposition/application of a metallic layer  14  onto a thermoplastic substrate  12  to create an impermeable barrier between a metallic encapsulating material  26  and the thermoplastic substrate  12  shielding an electrical interface  30 , preventing the permeation of vapors, gases or liquids without compromising the dielectric strength of the electrical interface  30  and thus overall electrical system. 
     The thermoplastic substrate  12  may be materials that include, but are not limited to, PEEK, Arlon, Torlon, Ceramic, Teflon, PTFE, PFA and the like. As the thermoplastic substrate  12  coats a conducting pin  10 , the thermoplastic substrate  12  may also be known as the thermoplastic insulating sleeve or just thermoplastic material. 
     The deposition/application metallic layer  14  materials may include but are not limited to gold, silver, tin, nickel, lead, and the like. The metallic encapsulating materials  26  may include but are not limited to lead, gold, silver, and the like. 
     In the prior art, a first side of the electrical interface  30  (e.g., the conducting pin  10 ) may be protected by the thermoplastic substrate  12 , and the second side of the electrical interface  30  (e.g., the conducting cable  16 ) may be protected by an insulating sleeve  18 . As a result, in the prior art, the connection between them is left unprotected from the harsh oil well environment. In order to effectively protect this connection/interface  30 , the present invention may include/apply/deposit a layer of high dielectric material  24  over the interface  30  and the insulating sleeve  18  and the thermoplastic substrate  12  on opposing sides thereof. In effect, the high dielectric material  24  interconnects or bridges the metal barrier sleeve  20  of the second side and the metallic layer  14  of the first side. Overlaying the high dielectric material  24  (and the metal barrier sleeve  20  and the metallic layer  14  on opposing sides thereof) is the metallic encapsulating material  26  extending beyond the high dielectric material  24  along the first side so as to interface/bond with the metallic layer  14 , wherein the metallic layer  14  interconnects the metallic encapsulating material  26  and the thermoplastic substrate  12  along the first side. The metallic layer  14  abuts or is adjacent to the interconnecting/bridging high dielectric material  24 . 
     A bond between the metallic encapsulating material  26  to both the metallic layer  14  of the conducting pin  10  and the lead/metallic barrier sleeve  20  of the conductor cable  16  is critical in order to sufficiently prevent the harsh well environment from contacting the high dielectric elements. The metallic encapsulating material  26  can be bonded to the lead/metallic barrier sleeve  20  of the conducting cable  16  on the second side of the connection/interface  30 . However on the opposite, first side of the connection/interface  30 , the metallic encapsulating material  26  cannot be bonded directly to the thermoplastic material  12 , but rather to the sandwiched metallic layer  14  between the thermoplastic material  12  and the metallic encapsulating material  26 . 
     The technology of using the deposition/application of the metallic layer  14  onto thermoplastic substrate  12  enables the creation of a successful bond between the thermoplastic substrate  12  and metallic encapsulating material  26 . This bond creates an impermeable barrier preventing the permeation of gas, vapors or liquids in the harsh well environment from attacking the insulating sleeve  18  material and the high dielectric materials  24 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the present invention includes the following components:
         Thermoplastic Insulation Sleeve  12  with deposited/applied metallic layer;   Conducting Pin  10 ;   Insulating Sleeve  18  material (high dielectric tapes/rubber), used to insulate the connection between conducting cable  16  and pin  10 ;   Metallic Encapsulating Material  26 ;   Cable, made up of a plurality of conductor cables  16 , bounded together with cable armor  22 ; and   Power Pin Assembly, including the Thermoplastic Insulation Sleeve  12  with metallic layer  14  interface attached to the conducting pin  10 .       

     The thermoplastic insulator sleeve  12  may be attached to the conducting pin  10 , creating a power pin assembly—electrical connection/interface  30 . The cable may be stripped back such that the three conductor cables  16  are exposed to connect the power pin assemblies (a conductor pin  10  and associated thermoplastic insulator sleeve  12 ). The power pin assemblies may be attached to the conductors  16 , forming an electrical connection/interface  30 . The insulating material  18  of the conductor cables  16  may terminate at the interface  30 . High dielectric materials  24  may be used to cover and insulate the connection/interface  30  between the power pin assemblies and conductor cables  16 . The metallic encapsulating material  26  may then be bonded to the metallic layer  14  of the thermoplastic insulator sleeve  12  and then to the metal barrier sleeve  20  or lead of the conductor cables  16 . 
     This unique use of the deposition/application of a metallic layer  14  onto a thermoplastic substrate  12  enables an impermeable barrier between the thermoplastic substrate  12  and the metallic encapsulating material  26 . Thus, preventing the permeation of vapors, gasses or liquids without compromising the dielectric strength of the system. 
     A method of making the present invention may include the following. A manufacturer may assemble the power pin  10  to conductor cable  16  as described above. The insulating material is used to insulate the connection/interface  30  between the conductor cables  16  and power pins  10 . A metallic encapsulating material  26  is then bonded to the metallic layer  14  of the thermoplastic insulation sleeve  12  and then to the lead or metallic encapsulating material of the conductor cables  16 . This bond on either side creates an impermeable barrier and therefore protects the insulation material  18  and  12  from any gases, vapors, or liquids of the harsh oil well environment. Once assembled properly, the assembly created above can now utilized to provide electrical power to various electrical devices within harsh oil well environments. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.