Effects of the Friction Coefficient on Sealing Performance of Packer Element

An optimal design of the packer element contact pressure is conducted to gain further insight into the packer seal mechanism and avoiding fracture. A double elements packer is investigated using the finite element method, where an orthogonal testing method is utilized to study the effects of the friction coefficient. The results show that the packer element radial friction coefficient had the greatest effect on contact pressure than other factors. Decreasing the packer element friction coefficient or increasing the support ring friction coefficient is conducive to forming the double packer elements seal and increasing the maximum contact pressure working range. However, there is additionally a slight decrease in the value of maximum contact pressure. The experiment results show that decreasing the friction coefficient of the packer element will avoid fracture effectively. The results of the study provide valuable insight into the importance of packer design optimization.