US 12,352,127 B2
Voltage to accelerate/decelerate expandable metal
Michael Linley Fripp, Carrollton, TX (US); Luke Holderman, Dallas, TX (US); and Richard Decena Ornelaz, Frisco, TX (US)
Assigned to Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Jan. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/151,468.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/962,901, filed on Jan. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0222510 A1, Jul. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. E21B 33/12 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 33/1208 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for setting a downhole tool, comprising:
positioning a downhole tool within a wellbore, the downhole tool including expandable metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis, the expandable metal including an alkaline earth metal or a transition metal;
subjecting the expandable metal to a wellbore fluid to expand the expandable metal into contact with one or more surfaces, wherein while subjecting the expandable metal to the wellbore fluid the expandable metal goes from metal to micron scale particles that expand and lock together; and
applying a voltage to the expandable metal while the expandable metal is being subjected to the wellbore fluid.