Well tools operable via thermal expansion resulting from reactive materials
Methods of actuating a well tool can include releasing chemical energy from at least one portion of a reactive material, thermally expanding a substance in response to the released chemical energy, and applying pressure to a piston as a result of thermally expanding the substance, thereby actuating the well tool, with these steps being repeated for each of multiple actuations of the well tool. A well tool actuator can include a substance contained in a chamber, one or more portions of a reactive material from which chemical energy is released, and a piston to which pressure is applied due to thermal expansion of the substance in response to each release of chemical energy. A well tool actuator which can be actuated multiple times may include multiple portions of a gas generating reactive material, and a piston to which pressure is applied due to generation of the gas.
1. An actuator for actuating a tool in a well, comprising:
a non-explosive reactive material configured to release chemical energy when activated, wherein the non-explosive reactive material comprises a mixture of two reagents and is connected to and communicable with a first chamber;
a substance located in the first chamber and thermally expandable by the release of the chemical energy from the non-explosive reactive material; and
a piston in pressure communication with the well and to which pressure is applied due to the thermal expansion of the substance in the first chamber.
2. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the substance is compressible by hydrostatic pressure in the well.
3. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the piston is displaceable in response to the applied pressure.
4. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein chemical energy is releasable from one or more portions of the non-explosive reactive material individually.
5. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the chemical energy released from the non-explosive reactive material in a first portion of the non-explosive reactive material causes thermal expansion of the substance in the first chamber, and chemical energy released from the non-explosive reactive material in a second portion of the non-explosive reactive material causes thermal expansion of the substance in a second chamber.
6. The actuator of claim 5 , wherein the piston is displaceable in a first direction in response to thermal expansion of the substance in the first chamber, and the piston is displaceable in a second direction opposite to the first direction in response to thermal expansion of the substance in the second chamber.
7. The actuator of claim 5 , further comprising a passage configured to equalize pressure across the piston.
8. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the non-explosive reactive material comprises a thermite mixture.
9. The actuator of claim 8 , wherein the thermite mixture comprises powdered aluminum and at least one of iron oxide, copper oxide, or a combination thereof.
10. The actuator of claim 8 , wherein the substance comprises at least one of nitrogen gas or water.
11. An actuator for actuating a tool in a well, comprising:
a piston in pressure communication with the well;
a thermally expandable substance located on a side of the piston in a chamber; and
a non-explosive reactive material configured to release chemical energy when activated and to thermally expand the substance to apply pressure to the side of the piston, wherein the non-explosive reactive material comprises a mixture of two reagents and is connected to and communicable with the chamber.
12. The actuator of claim 11 , wherein the piston is displaceable in response to the applied pressure.
13. The actuator of claim 11 , wherein gas is generated from multiple portions of the non-explosive reactive material individually.
14. The actuator of claim 11 , wherein gas is generated from multiple portions of the non-explosive reactive material sequentially.
15. The actuator of claim 11 , wherein the piston is displaceable in a first direction in response to generation of gas from a first portion of the non-explosive reactive material, and the piston is displaceable in a second direction opposite the first direction in response to generation of gas from a second portion of the non-explosive reactive material.
16. The actuator of claim 11 , further comprising a passage configured to equalize pressure across the piston.
17. The actuator of claim 11 , wherein the non-explosive reactive material comprises a thermite mixture.
18. The actuator of claim 17 , wherein the thermite mixture comprises powdered aluminum and at least one of iron oxide, copper oxide, or a combination thereof.
19. The actuator of claim 17 , wherein the substance comprises at least one of nitrogen gas or water.
20. An actuator for actuating a tool in a well, comprising:
a non-explosive reactive material configured to release chemical energy when activated;
a substance located in a first chamber and thermally expandable by the release of the chemical energy from the non-explosive reactive material;
a piston in pressure communication with the well and to which pressure is applied due to the thermal expansion of the substance in the first chamber;
wherein the chemical energy released from the non-explosive reactive material in a first portion of the non-explosive reactive material causes thermal expansion of the substance in the first chamber; and
wherein chemical energy released from the non-explosive reactive material in a second portion of the non-explosive reactive material causes thermal expansion of the substance in a second chamber.