Flat pack having spacer between tubes
A flat pack ( 1 ) for operating a downhole tool or sensor includes a plurality of tubes ( 3 a, 3 b ); a spacer ( 2 ) disposed between the tubes ( 3 a, 3 b ); and a jacket ( 4 ) encapsulating the tubes ( 3 a, 3 b ) and the spacer ( 2 ). The tubes ( 3 a, 3 b ) and the spacer ( 2 ) are positioned in the jacket ( 4 ) in a side-by-side arrangement. The tubes ( 3 a, 3 b ) and the spacer ( 2 ) are not twisted along the flat pack ( 1 ).
1. A flat pack for operating a downhole tool or sensor, comprising:
a plurality of tubes;
a spacer disposed between the tubes;
a tear cord; and
a jacket encapsulating the tubes, the spacer, and the tear cord wherein:
the tubes and the spacer are positioned in the jacket in a side-by-side arrangement,
the tubes and the spacer are not twisted along the flat pack,
the spacer has a top, a bottom, and concave sides receiving portions of outer surfaces of the tubes, and
the tear cord is disposed in a guide formed in the top or bottom of the spacer.
2. The flat pack of claim 1 , wherein the tubes are each metallic.
3. The flat pack of claim 1 , wherein the spacer is made from a thermoset polymer having sufficient flexibility so that the flat pack is spoolable.
4. The flat pack of claim 1 , wherein the jacket is made from a thermoplastic polymer, a thermoplastic copolymer, or a thermoplastic elastomer.
5. The flat pack of claim 1 , wherein a height of the spacer matches a diameter of at least one of the tubes, and a minimum width of the spacer is at least one millimeter.
6. The flat pack of claim 1 , wherein a top of the spacer is flat or slightly curved, a bottom of the spacer is flat or slightly curved, and a curvature of each concave side matches a curvature of the respective tube.
7. The flat pack of claim 6 , wherein a diameter of one of the tubes is greater than a diameter of the other tube.
8. The flat pack of claim 6 , wherein the concave sides of the spacer are asymmetric.
9. The flat pack of claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the spacer resembles an hourglass shape.
10. The flat pack of claim 1 , wherein the tear cord is an upper tear cord.
11. The flat pack of claim 1 , wherein the guide is an upper guide formed in the top of the spacer.
12. The flat pack of claim 1 , further comprising a lower tear cord disposed in a lower guide formed in the bottom of the spacer.
13. The flat pack of claim 1 , wherein one of the tubes is a flowline.
14. The flat pack of claim 1 , wherein one of the tubes is part of a tubing encased conductor.
15. The flat pack of claim 1 , wherein one of the tubes is part of a tubing encased optical cable.
16. The flat pack of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of bumpers, and second and third spacers disposed between a respective tube and a respective bumper, wherein the jacket also encapsulates the bumpers and the second and third spacers.
17. The flat pack of claim 1 , wherein the top or bottom of the spacer in which the tear cord is disposed is flat.
18. A flat pack for operating a down hole tool or sensor, comprising:
a tube;
a pair of bumpers;
a pair of spacers disposed between the tube and the bumpers; and
a jacket encapsulating the tube, the bumpers, and the spacers,
wherein the tube, the spacers, and the bumpers are positioned in the jacket in a side-by-side arrangement, and
wherein the tube and the spacers are not twisted along the flat pack.
19. The flat pack of claim 18 , wherein the tube is metallic.
20. The flat pack of claim 18 , wherein the spacer is made from a thermoset polymer having sufficient flexibility so that the flat pack is spoolable.
21. The flat pack of claim 18 , wherein the jacket is made from a thermoplastic polymer, a thermoplastic copolymer, or a thermoplastic elastomer.
22. The flat pack of claim 18 , wherein a height of the spacer matches a diameter of the tube, and a minimum width of the spacer is at least one millimeter.
23. The flat pack of claim 18 , wherein a top of the spacer is flat or slightly curved, a bottom of the spacer is flat or slightly curved, and a curvature of the concave side matches a curvature of the tube.
24. The flat pack of claim 23 , wherein the concave side of the spacer is a first concave side, the spacer has a second concave side, and the first concave side and the second concave side are asymmetric.
25. The flat pack of claim 18 , wherein a cross-section of the spacer resembles an hourglass shape.
26. The flat pack of claim 18 , wherein the tube is a flowline.
27. The flat pack of claim 18 , wherein the tube is part of a tubing encased conductor.
28. The flat pack of claim 18 , wherein the tube is part of a tubing encased optical cable.
29. The flat pack of claim 18 , further comprising a tear cord,
wherein the jacket also encapsulates the tear cord,
wherein the spacer has a top, a bottom, and a concave side receiving a portion of an outer surface of the tube, and
wherein the tear cord is disposed in a guide formed in the top or bottom of the spacer.
30. The flat pack of claim 29 , wherein the top or bottom of the spacer in which the tear cord is disposed is flat.