Tubing Length Change Calculations
Tubing Length Change Calculations
Tubing Length Change Calculations
• As long as the tubing is allowed to move in the packer bore, the temperature and
ballooning effects will only have an impact on tubing-length changes
• Only, if the movement is prevented (or restrained) at the packer, these two
factors would then create a force.
• If the movement is prevented none of these effect can cause length change,
instead the net result will be that there will added compression or tension on the
tubing ( Depending upon the force change direction)
Piston Effect
• Piston force is a load caused directly
by changes in pressure acting on the
exposed cross sectional area of pipe.
• The length change or force induced
by the piston effect is caused by
pressure changes inside the annulus
and tubing at the packer, acting on
different areas of tubing.
• The new force can be calculated
considering the different areas where
different pressure are acting and
multiplying it the pressure.
• Hooke’s Law can be used to calculate
the length change due to resultant
deformation(Elastic Deformation)
Piston Effect
• Total force change
Tubing Detail
4.5” Tubing
ID of tubing = 3.696”
Weight per length = 17.7 lb/ft
Total Length = 10,000 ft
Fluid density = 10 ppg
Tubing is free to move in the packer
Applied surface pressure = 5,000 psi
Pressure at the bottom
• Pressure at the bottom (psi) = Hydrostatic Pressure+ Applied Surface Pressure at the
bottom (psi) = (0.052×10×10,000) + 5,000 = 10,200 psi
Force at the bottom
• Force at the bottom (lb) = Pressure at the bottom (psi) × cross sectional area of pipe (in2)
• Force at the bottom (lb) = 10,200 psi × (15.9 – 10.73) = 52,273 lb (compression ⇑(+))
(Piston Force)
Close Ended Tubular
• For example, in operation where a
temporary plug is installed inside tubing
• The total forces acting on the different
cross-section will be different and will
try to either push the tubing up or
down.
• Piston Force will be the sum of these
forces
Tubing Detail
• 4.5” Tubing
• ID of tubing = 3.696”
• Packer seal bore OD = 5.25”
• Weight per length = 17.7 lb/ft
• Total Length = 10,000 ft
• Plugged tubing depth = 10,000 ft
• Fluid density = 10 ppg
• Tubing is free to move in the packer
• Applied surface pressure = 5,000 psi
Pressure at the bottom of plug
• Since there is a plug which will stop surface pressure going down to the
bottom of tubing, the force acting up (compression force) is only
hydrostatic pressure acting against the cross sectional area.
• Pressure at the bottom (psi) = Hydrostatic Pressure (psi)
= 0.052×10×10,000 = 5,200 psi
Force at the bottom of plug
• Force at the bottom (lb) = Pressure at the bottom (psi) × cross sectional
area of pipe (in2)
• Force at the bottom (lb) = 5,200 psi × 15.9 = 82,680 lb (compression ⇑(+))
(Total area of tubing is used for this calculation because the pressure pushes
upwards against plug and cross section area of pipe.)
Pressure at top of plug
• Pressure at top of plug (psi) = Hydrostatic Pressure + Applied Surface Pressure
= (0.052×10×10,000) + 5,000 = 10,200 psi
Force at the top of plug
• Force at the top of plug (lb) = Pressure at the top of plug (psi) × internal cross sectional of
pipe (in2)
• Force at the top of plug (lb) = 10,200 × 10.73 = 109,446 lb (tensile force ⇓ (-))
Total Force acting at the bottom
• Total Force acting at the bottom = Force acting on top of plug + Force acting at the
bottom of plug
• Total Force acting at the bottom (lb) = (-109,446 lb) + (82,680 lb) = -26,776 lb (tensile
force ⇓ (-))
(It is a tensile force due to applied surface pressure on the plugged string.)
(It will cause lengthening of the tubing string if the string is free to move)
(The total force can be compressive if the fluid inside the plugged tubing is replace with a
lighter fluid in certain operation)
Ballooning Effect
• The ballooning effect is caused by the
change in average pressure inside or
outside the tubing string.
• Internal pressure swells or "balloons"
the tubing and causes it to shorten.
• Likewise, pressure in the annulus
squeezes the tubing, causing it to
elongate.
Length Change due to Ballooning Formula (If tubing is free to move)
µ is passion ratio
• Where;
• ΔLTEMP = Length change due to thermal effect (inch)
• CT = Thermal expansion coefficient (1/F)
• L = Length of tubing (inch)
• ΔT = Average temperature change from the initial condition to the final condition (F)
• Average Temperature = (Surface Temperature + Bottom Hole Temperature) ÷2 (F)
Example –.
Packer setting depth is 10,000 ft.
CT = 6.9×10-6 (1/F)
Tubing is free to move.
At the initial condition
Surface temperature (F) = 60F
Bottom hole temperature (F) = 150 F
At the final condition
Surface temperature (F) = 90F
Bottom hole temperature (F) = 150 F
Solution
Length of tubing (inch) 12 × 10,000 = 120,000 inch
Average Temperature at Initial Condition = (60 + 150) ÷2 = 105 F
Average Temperature at Final Condition = (90 + 150) ÷2 = 120 F
ΔT = 120 – 105 = 15 F
Buckling Effects
• Tubing strings tend to buckle only
when the internal tubing pressure (pi)
is greater than the annulus pressure
(po).
• The result is always a shortening of where ΔL2 = length change because of the buckling
effect;
the tubing string, but the actual force
r = radial clearance between tubing OD and casing ID,
exerted is negligible.
I = moment of inertia of tubing about its diameter
• The decrease in length occurs because [I = π/64 (D4 – d4,
of the tubing string being in a spiral where D is the tubing OD and d is the tubing ID*];
shape rather than straight. Ws = weight of tubing per inch;
Wi = weight of fluid in tubing per inch; and
Wo = weight of fluid displace by tubing per inch.