Patent ID: 7972555

Claim:
A method for fabricating a compressible object such as may be used in a wellbore, the method comprising: selecting a depth range and/or corresponding pressure range in a wellbore at which the compressible object is to be utilized, numerically modeling the compressibility of the compressible object and balancing the compressibility of the compressible object with the corresponding pressure range of the selected depth using the model, selecting a design for the compressible object such that the compressible object begins compression at or near the selected depth range, wherein the selecting a design for the compressible object includes the steps of i) selecting an architecture for the compressible object based on the model, the architecture comprising a hollow shell defining an enclosed interior region and ii) selecting a wall material for the shell of the compressible object, the wall material consisting of material having an elastic tensile yield strength of not less than 10,000 psi (68.9 Mpa); and iii) selecting an interior pressure for the compressible object that is about equal to the lower limit of the pressure range; and forming the compressible object with an interior region of the hollow shell being pressurized to the selected interior pressure such that the wall material and interior pressure provide non-linear compressibility of the object in response to changes in external pressure that does not cause the wall material to exceed the maximum elastic strain of the wall material.