CA2504503A1

CA2504503A1 - Variable orifice bypass plunger

Info

Publication number: CA2504503A1
Application number: CA 2504503
Authority: CA
Inventors: Bruce M. Victor
Original assignee: Production Control Services Inc
Current assignee: Production Control Services Inc
Priority date: 2004-04-20
Filing date: 2005-04-20
Publication date: 2005-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 2025-04-20
Also published as: CA2504503C

Abstract

An improved plunger mechanism apparatus has a manually adjustable bypass valve to increase well flow production levels in high liquid wells. The plunger's descent rate can be fine tuned in the field by adjusting the orifice opening so that liquid can optimally flow through the plunger core during descent. Efficiency of well flow is increased by the addition of a variable bypass orifice, which can be preset in numerous positions to vary the amount of liquid bypass allowed depending on the well loading parameters. The plunger mechanism of the present invention allows numerous bypass set positions, which can be tuned at a well site and later changed as a function of future well loading parametric changes.

Claims

1. A variable orifice bypass plunger comprising:
a plunger body having an internal channel to provide a fluid path out a top end of the plunger;
a plunger bottom having an inlet to the internal channel;
said inlet having a variable positionable closure means functioning to permit a user to fix the closure means to a desired opening for the inlet;
said plunger bottom further comprising a push rod means functioning to move from an inlet open position with the push rod means extended downward from the plunger bottom, and functioning to move upward to an inlet closed position upon an impact on a push rod means bottom; and wherein the desired opening for the inlet remains unchanged regardless of a movement of the push rod means.

2. The plunger of claim 1, wherein the plunger bottom has a threaded connection to the plunger body.

3. The plunger of claim 1, wherein the variable positionable closure means further comprises an outer inlet body member with an inlet hole and a rotatable control cylinder mounted therein, the rotatable control cylinder having a hole in a closure wall, wherein a rotation of the rotatable control cylinder varies the opening of the inlet by alignment of the inlet body member inlet hold and control cylinder hole.

4. The plunger of claim 3, wherein the rotatable control cylinder further comprises a top surface with engagement holes to receive spring loaded engagement means functioning to set the rotatable control cylinder at the desired rotation.

5. The plunger of claim 4, wherein the control cylinder further comprises a tool hole to receive a tool to rotate the control cylinder.

6. The plunger of claim 5, wherein the outer inlet body member further comprises a slot to receive the tool and a push rod clutch brake assembly to hold the push rod in either its open or is closed position.

7. The plunger of claim 4, wherein the spring loaded engagement means further comprises a recess in the outer inlet body member which receives a spring and a ball which fits into the engagement hole of the control cylinder.

8. An internal by-pass plunger comprising:
a plunger body having an internal conduit with an inlet at its bottom and an outlet at its top;

a plunger bottom having a push rod movable from an extended position which leaves the plunger body inlet open, to a retracted position which closes the plunger body inlet;
said plunger bottom further comprising a side opening and a rotatable cage mounted inside and the cage having an alignable hole with the side opening;
wherein changing the alignment of the side opening and the cage hole varies an inlet to the plunger body inlet; and wherein said rotatable cage further comprises a releasable lock assembly to maintain a rotated position until a user changes it.

9. The plunger of claim 8, wherein the push rod has a clutch assembly connection to the plunger bottom to maintain the push rod in a set position.

10. The plunger of claim 8, wherein the releasable lock assembly further comprises a recess in the plunger bottom which receives a spring and a ball, the ball locking into a recess in the cage.

11. The plunger of claim 8, wherein the cage further comprises an adjustment hole to receive a tool.

12. The plunger of claim 11, wherein the plunger bottom further comprises a slot to receive the tool.

13. A variable by-pass plunger comprising:

a plunger body having a fluid channel and an inlet thereto at its bottom;
a variable by-pass assembly connected to the bottom;
said variable by-pas assembly having a rotatable outer casing with a side hole;
wherein an internal fixed cage has a side hole to align with the outer casing side hole to provide a variable orifice to the bottom inlet; and wherein a push rod is mounted in the variably-pass assembly to open and close the bottom inlet.

14. A variable orifice valve (VOV) adapted to connect to an internal by-pass plunger, said VOV comprising:
an upper neck having a threaded connection for a plunger bottom;
said VOV having a lower end with a clutch broke for a centrally mounted push rod;
said push rod having an upper valve head to seal an outlet of the upper neck in a retracted position, and open the outlet in an extended position;
said VOV having an external housing with an inlet hole;
a rotatable cage mounted in the external housing; and wherein a hole in the cage is moveable in relation to the external housing inlet hole to provide a variable orifice for the outlet.

15. The VOV of claim 14, wherein the cage has a locking means functioning to temporarily set the cage in a desired position until a user changes the position.

16. The VOV of claim 15, wherein the cage has an adjustment hole for a tool, and the external housing has a slot to receive the tool.

17. The VOV of claim 16, wherein the locking means further comprises a recess in the external housing which receives a spring and a ball, the ball slidingly engaged with a recess in the cage.

18. A variable orifice valve (VOV) for an internal by-pass plunger, the VOV comprising:
a housing means functioning to provide a connection at its upper end to a lower end of a plunger;
said housing means having a lower end with a clutch means functioning to support a push rod means in a set position;
said push rod means functioning to open and close the upper end; and a cage means mounted in the housing means functioning to rotate to a desired position so as to align a cage hole with a housing hole, thereby providing a variable orifice to the upper end.

19. The VOV of claim 18, wherein the cage means has a spring loaded catch engaging the housing means, thereby providing a constant rotation position of the cage means until a user changes it.

20. The VOV of claim 19, wherein the cage means has an adjustment hole to receive a tool for rotational adjustment.