GB2125085A - Mud pulse valve for measurement-while-drilling system - Google Patents
Mud pulse valve for measurement-while-drilling system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2125085A GB2125085A GB08310095A GB8310095A GB2125085A GB 2125085 A GB2125085 A GB 2125085A GB 08310095 A GB08310095 A GB 08310095A GB 8310095 A GB8310095 A GB 8310095A GB 2125085 A GB2125085 A GB 2125085A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- valve
- valve member
- pressure
- seal
- valve seat
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B47/00—Survey of boreholes or wells
- E21B47/12—Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
- E21B47/14—Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling using acoustic waves
- E21B47/18—Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling using acoustic waves through the well fluid, e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B47/00—Survey of boreholes or wells
- E21B47/12—Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
- E21B47/14—Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling using acoustic waves
- E21B47/18—Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling using acoustic waves through the well fluid, e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry
- E21B47/22—Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling using acoustic waves through the well fluid, e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry by negative mud pulses using a pressure relieve valve between drill pipe and annulus
Abstract
A valve for a measurement-while- drilling (MWD) system is disclosed that uses a cylindrical valve member 56 that passes through a valve member guide 42 that carries a seal 78 in sliding engagement with the cylindrical valve member 56. A longitudinal opening extending from the end of the valve member to laterally extending openings 80 keeps the pressure on one side of the seal equal to the pressure below the valve member. This is downstream pressure when the valve is closed and upstream pressure when the valve is open. By having the area of the valve seat 47 that is contacted by the valve member 56 substantially equal to the area of the seal, the valve member will be substantially balanced when open and when closed. The valve discharges drilling mud from the drill string to the annulus to create pressure drops in the pump pressure at the surface. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Mud pulse valve for measurement-whiledrilling system
This invention relates to valve for
Measurement-While-Drilling (MWD) Systems that produce negative pressure pulses in the drilling fluid being pumped down a drill string by discharging a portion of the drilling fluid to the annulus between the drill pipe and the well bore.
MWD systems have in the past used both "positive" pressure pulses and "negative" pressure pulses to send measurements to the surface. Positive pressure pulses are created by introducing a momentary restriction to the flow of the mud through the drill pipe. Negative pressure pulses are created by opening a valve that allows a portion of the drilling fluid in the drill pipe to be discharged directly to the annulus between the drill pipe and the well bore. The pressure pulses, whether they are positive or negative, are sent to the surface in a predetermined sequence that will indicate the downhole measurement. The most common information sent to the surface by MWD systems are the inclination of the well bore adjacent to bit, its compass direction, and the position of the tool face, if a downhole motor is being used.
Usually, these systems are operated electrically with the power being supplied by a battery or a downhole generator driven by a turbine located in the flowing drilling fluid. In either case, it is very important to keep the power consumption of the system to a minimum. Opening and closing the valve to create the negative pressure pulses consumes a substantial portion of the energy available.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a valve for creating negative pressure pulses in the drilling fluid flowing through a drill string that requires a minimum amount of energy to open and close.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a valve for discharging drilling fluid from a drill string to the annulus between the drill string and the well bore to create a sharp drop in pressure in the drill pipe that can be detected at the surface to allow downhole information, such as the inclination and azimuth of a well bore, to be transmitted to the surface, comprising a housing having an opening through which drilling fluid can flow into the housing, means for mounting the housing in the drill string, a valve seat member mounted in the housing having a valve seat and an opening downstream of the valve seat through which drilling fluid can flow through the valve seat member, conduit means connecting the opening of the valve seat member to the annulus between the drill string and the well bore through which drilling fluid can flow from the drill string to the annulus, a valve member, means for moving the valve member into and out of engagement with the valve seat to open and close the opening in the valve seat, a valve member guide having an opening through which the valve member extends seal means carried by the valve member guide in engagement with the valve stem, said seal area being substantially equal to the area of the end of the valve member exposed to downstream pressure when the valve is closed, an opening in the valve member connecting the end of the valve member to the opening in the valve member guide on the opposite side of the seal from the valve seat so that when the valve member is in engagement with the valve seat closing the valve, the pressure on the side of the seal away from the seat will equal annulus pressure and when the valve member is out of engagement with the valve seat, the pressure on the side of the seal away from the seat will equal the pressure of the drilling fluid in the drill string and there will be no unbalanced forces acting on the valve member from the pressure of the drilling fluid in the drill string and the annulus in either position of the valve member.
The preferred embodiments of the valve of this invention have a valve stem which is not subjected to any ununbalanced forces from upstream or downstream pressure when the valve is closed or when it is open.
One preferred embodiment of valve in accordance with this invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the lower portion of a drill string showing where the valve would be located in a MWD system;
Figure 2 is a sectional view through the drill string where the valve is located showing the valve in a closed position;
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, on an enlarged scale, showing the valve in the open position;
Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3; and
Figure 5 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the lower end of the valve member of the valve in enlargement with the valve seat.
The lower end of the drill string using a MWD system is typically made up as shown in Figure 1.
On the bottom is drill bit 10, which is connected to bit cross-over sub 11. Immediately above the crossover sub is power pack assembly 1 2 in which is located the batteries for operating the system or a turbing driven generator that provides the power. Above the power pack is pulser section 1 3 in which is located the valve for discharging drilling mud to annulus 14 between the drill string and well bore 15 to produce the pressure drops in the fluid being pumped down the drill pipe from the surface that are detected at the surface.
Above the pulser section is probe section 1 6 in which is located the sensors for measuring the downhole conditions that are desired to be transmitted to the surface. Typically, these will include the inclination of the well bore from the vertical, the compass direction that the well bore is headed, and, if a downhole motor is used, the position of the tool face relative to the high side of the hole. The rest of the drilling assembly will include one or more drill collars 17 all of which are supported from the surface by a string of drill pipe.
In the assembly shown in Fig. 1, the bit is rotated by rotating the drill string from the surface. If a downhole motor is being used, the motor rotates the bit while the drill string remains more or iess stationary. While drilling, drilling mud is pumped down the drill string from the surface, is discharged through nozzles in bit 10, and returns to the surface through annulus 14. There is a pressure drop across the nozzles in bit 10 which results in there being a pressure differential between the pressure of the drilling mud in the drill pipe and the drilling mud flowing upwardly through annulus 14 back to the surface.As stated above the pulser valve of this invention is designed to discharge the high pressure drilling mud from the drill pipe into the annulus sequentially to create a series of pressure drops in the pump pressure at the surface that can be detected and which indicate the value of the measurements made of the downhole conditions by the sensors.
As shown in Figure 2, the mud pulser valve of this invention is located in tubular 13, which is a thick walled member like a drill collar. Located in the center of tubular member 13 is a valve housing 20. The upper end of housing 20 is closed by solenoid retainer 21 and retaining nut 22. The lower end of housing 20 is closed by bypass nozzle seat 23 and retaining nut 24.
Connected to the upper end of housing 20 above nut 22 is housing 25 in which is located the electronics for operating the mud pulser valve.
Opening 26 extends longitudinally through the wall of housing 20 through which electrical conductor 27 extends to connect the electronics above the valve to the power source below the valve. Conductor 27 is connected to the power source through connector 28 mounted in the lower end of the valve housing.
The housing is supported in the center of tubular member 13 by centralizer 30, which has a plurality of rubber fins that engage the inside wall of the tubular member 13. Lower centralizer 32 serves to mount the valve housing in tubular member 1 3. It has three ribs spaced 1200 apart.
Rib 32a is wider than the other two, so that anchor bolts 33 and 34 can extend through openings provided in the rib and tubular member 1 3. The anchor bolts engage tapped blind holes in the side of housing 20 to anchor the valve housing against longitudinal movement in tubular member 13. Rib 32a also has an opening that is aligned with openings in the side wall of housing 20 and tubular member 13 to receive nozzle 36 through which drilling mud is discharged from the inside of the drill pipe to the annulus. The nozzle is provided with threads 37 that engage threads
provided in the opening in the side wall of tubualr
member 1 3 to anchor the nozzle in position.
To get to nozzle 36, drilling mud enters
housing 20 through screen 38. The housing at
this location is provided with three windows 39,
as shown in Fig. 4, which leaves three vertically
extending ribs 40 to connect the upper and lower
portion of the housing together. Valve member
guide 42 is located inside the housing and is also provided with milled out windows 43 that
coincide with the windows of housing 20.
The lower portion of valve member guide 42 is
cylindrical and encircles valve seat member 46.
The valve seat member has an opeing through
which mud can flow when the valve is open.
Upper section 47 of the opening has side walls
inclined at about a 450 angle to form the valve
seat. This is followed by cylindrical section 48 and
tapered section 49, which connects cylindrical
section 48 to another cylindrical section 50 of a
substantially smaller diameter. This section
provides a restriction to the flow of drilling fluid
through valve seat member 46 for reasons to be
described below.
Below cylindrical section 51, the opening
through the valve seat member increases in
diameter downwardly to conduct drilling fluid to
an L shaped opening in bypass nozzle 23. The L
shaped opening along with nozzle 36 provide a
conduit through which the drilling mud passing
through the valve seat member can flow to the
annul us. The L-shaped opening includes vertical
section 52, of the same diameter as the lower end
of section 51 of the opening through the valve
seat member, and horizontal section 53 that
conducts the drilling fluid to nozzle 36 from where
it is discharged into the annulus between the drill
pipe and the well bore.
Controlling the flow through valve seat
member 46 is valve member 56. The valve
member includes valve rod 57 and outer sleeve
58. The valve sleeve has an opening therethrough
that is contoured to provide inclined shoulders 59
that engage similar shoulders on valve rod 57 to
limit the upper movement of the sleeve on the
valve rod. Nut 60 located in an enlarged section
of the opening through the sleeve securely clamps
the sleeve in position on the valve rod for
movement therewith.
The lower end of sleeve 58 engage the tapered
sides of valve seat 47 to stop the flow of drilling
fluid from the drill pipe to the annulus when the
valve is in the closed position. Holding the sleeve
in sealing engagement with the valve seat is
spring 62 which is positioned between shoulder
63 on the valve rod and shoulder 64 on upper
bellows housing 65. In the embodiment shown,
the valve is opened by a solenoid that includes
solenoid plunger 70, and solenoid coil assembly
71. The coil assembly is held against longitudinal
movement by solenoid retainer 21 above and by
the upper end of upper bellows housing 65 below.
Solenoid plunger 70 is connected to the upper
end of valve rod 57 by shaft 72 which is an
integral part of plunger 70. Thus, when the
solenoid is actuated, solenoid coil 71 will move
solenoid plunger 70 upwardly to the position
shown in Figure 3 and open the valve.
As stated above it is one of the unique features of this invention to provide a valve member that is pressure balanced in the open and closed position to.reduce the amount of force required to hold the valve open, to hold it closed, and to move it between such positions.
To pressure balance the valve member, seal 78 is carried by valve member guide 42 and provides a sliding seal on the outside surface of valve sleeve 58. Vertical opening 79 extends upwardly through the valve rod portion of the valve member and intersects transverse openings 80, which connect opening 79 to cavity 74 located in the housing above seal 78. Thus, when the valve is closed, as shown in Figure 2, downstream pressure will be acting downwardly on the valve member across the internal area of seal 78 and the same pressure will be acting upwardly across the area of the valve seat contacted by the lower end of the valve member. With these areas equal, there will be no unbalanced force exerted on the valve member by downstream pressure.
The upstream pressure will cause no unbalanced force either since the pressure differential between the upstream pressure and the downstream pressure acting across seal 78 will be offset by this same differential pressure acting across the area of the valve seat engaged by the valve member.
As the valve begins to open, as soon as the valve member moves off the valve seat, the pressure below the valve member will quickly equal upstream pressure and consequently, the pressure differential across seal 78 will drop to zero and again the valve member is balanced. The condition remains the same as the valve member is moved to its fully opened position because restriction 50 in the flow passage through the valve seat member keeps the pressure acting on the end of the valve member equal to upstream pressure.
When the solenoid is deactivated, since there are no unbalanced forces acting on the valve member spring 62, the valve member can be quickly moved into engagement with the valve seat. Restriction 50 will keep the pressure above seal 78 close to upstream pressure until the valve is nearly closed.
Quick action in opening and closing the valve is important in MWD systems because they produce pressure pulses that are easier to detect at the surface.
In order to have the area of the seat engaged by the valve member approximately equal to the area of seal 70, the angle of the valve seat and the angle at the lower end of the valve member are different so that they diverge as shown in
Figure 5. In the embodiment shown, angle A on the bottom of valve sleeve is 70 and angle B the angle of the valve seat is 450. This results in the outer edge of the valve member engaging the valve seat along a circular line that is approximately equal in diameter to the area engaged by seal 78 so that the forces acting on the valve member are balanced in the manner described above.
Flexible diaphragm 75, a molded elastic material is located in cavity 74 in sealing engagement with valve rod 57 above transverse openings 80. Its outer periphery is clamped between upper bellows housing 65 and the upper end of valve stem guide 42. The flexible diapgragm allows the housing above the diaphragm to be filled with clean oil and isolated from the drilling mud passing through the valve.
From foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with other advantages that are obvious and that are inherent to the apparatus and structure.
It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.
Because many possible embodiments may be made of this invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Claims (3)
1. A valve for discharging drilling fluid from a drill string to the annulus between the drill string and the well bore to create a sharp drop in pressure in the drill pipe that can be detected at the surface to allow downhole information, such as the inclination and azimuth of a well bore, to be transmitted to the surface, comprising a housing having an opening through which drilling fluid can flow into the housing, means for mounting the housing in the drill string, a valve seat member mounted in the housing having a valve seat and an opening downstream of the valve seat through which drilling fluid can flow through the valve seat member, conduit means connecting the opening of the valve seat member to the annulus between the drill string and the well bore through which drilling fluid can flow from the drill string to the annulus, a valve member, means for moving the valve member into and out of engagement with the valve seat to open and close the opening in the valve seat, a valve member guide having an opening through which the valve member extends, seal means carried by the valve member guide in engagement with the valve stem, said seal area being substantially equal to the area of the end of the valve member exposed to downstream pressure when the valve is closed, an opening in the valve member connecting the end of the valve member to the opening in the valve member guide on the opposite side of the seal from the valve seat so that when the valve member is in engagement with the valve seat closing the valve, the pressure on the side of the seal away from the seat will equal annulus pressure and when the valve member is out of engagement with the valve seat, the pressure on the side of the seal away from the seat will equal the presure of the drilling fluid in the drill string and there will be no unbalanced forces acting on the valve member from the pressure of the drilling fluid in the drill string and the annulus in either position of the valve member.
2. The valve of Claim 1 further provided with a cavity in the valve member guide above the seal and a flexible diaphragm that extends across the cavity between the valve member and the housing to divide the cavity into two portions and to seal the portion of the cavity away from the valve seat from the drilling fluid.
3. The valve of Claim 1 in which the crosssectional area of the opening in the valve seat member is reduced sufficiently immediately downstream of the valve seat to cause the pressure upstream of the restriction to be substantially equal to upstream pressure when the valve is open to reduce the pressure differential across the seal to substantially zero.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US40656382A | 1982-08-09 | 1982-08-09 |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8310095D0 GB8310095D0 (en) | 1983-05-18 |
| GB2125085A true GB2125085A (en) | 1984-02-29 |
Family
ID=23608531
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08310095A Withdrawn GB2125085A (en) | 1982-08-09 | 1983-04-14 | Mud pulse valve for measurement-while-drilling system |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU1347383A (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2125085A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0697501A3 (en) * | 1994-08-15 | 1997-07-23 | Halliburton Co | Integrated well drilling and formation evaluation system |
Families Citing this family (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPH02142981A (en) * | 1988-11-21 | 1990-06-01 | Diesel Kiki Co Ltd | Pressure balancing solenoid valve |
| CN107989543B (en) * | 2017-11-30 | 2018-09-25 | 中国石油大学(北京) | Coiled tubing modulates shaft bottom part underbalance hydraulic characteristic(s) and tests system and method |
-
1983
- 1983-04-13 AU AU13473/83A patent/AU1347383A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1983-04-14 GB GB08310095A patent/GB2125085A/en not_active Withdrawn
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0697501A3 (en) * | 1994-08-15 | 1997-07-23 | Halliburton Co | Integrated well drilling and formation evaluation system |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8310095D0 (en) | 1983-05-18 |
| AU1347383A (en) | 1984-02-16 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |