Shape memory materials are emerging as a new class of smart materials due to their ability to recover a predetermined shape following environmental changes (e.g., thermal, chemical, magnetic) even after undergoing large deformations. Recently, a thermally activated shape memory polyurethane (SMP) foam has been developed and anticipated to be used as a novel ex- pandable sand control tool. To understand the SMPs behavior in reservoir conditions, a finite element model to simulate the operational life of the SMP - in-situ deployment of the foam and subsequent depletion of the surrounding reservoir - was developed, and specifics are presented in this paper. A constitutive model based on the concept of phase transitions to describe the thermo-mechanical behavior of the SMP was used along with the Drucker-Prager model to simulate the behavior of the surrounding reservoir. An operational failure condition for the SMP-reservoir system was defined in which it is considered an operational failure if the foam-wellbore contact is compromised at any point at the foam-wellbore interface during the operational life of the SMP. Using the developed model, a set of simulations for different reservoir conditions was performed. Results show that the performance of the foam is not significantly influenced by the properties of the reservoir and the SMP stays totally conform- able during its operational life.
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