GB2454356A

GB2454356A - Fluid support valve with relief valve

Info

Publication number: GB2454356A
Application number: GB0819914A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Daniel Laidlaw Stewart; Ewan Armstrong Sinclair
Original assignee: Caledyne Ltd
Current assignee: Caledyne Ltd
Priority date: 2007-10-30
Filing date: 2008-10-30
Publication date: 2009-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2028-10-30
Also published as: GB0819914D0; GB2454356B

Abstract

A valve assembly includes a fluid support valve, in the form of a poppet valve for use downhole to maintain a column of fluid above an electric submersible pump, above which is mounted a relief valve, in the form of a sleeve valve, to enable fluids such as injection fluids to bypass the fluid support valve. A spring 6 biases a poppet 4A against a seat 3 and also biases a ported sleeve 7A to a first position in which the relief ports 14A do not align with ports 15 on housing 2 until the fluid pressure above the valve assembly acting on push rod pistons 9A reaches a cracking pressure and moves the sleeve 7A to a second position in which ports 14A and 15 are aligned.

Description

1 Relief Valve Device 3 This invention relates to a re]ief valve assembly in 4 particular, but not exclusively, for use in oil and water/gas well applications.

I Relief valves are known for downhole applications. When B completions include equipment such as electrzc 9 subnersible pumps (ESPe), it is desirable 10 maintain a column of fluid within the tubing to ensure that the pun'ç 11 lies within the veil fluid, to avoid damage to the pump 12 when it is started. Additionally, It is desirable to have 13 the ability to pump through or past the fluid support 14 valve to inject chemicals into the formation.

16 A solution to pump fluid past the fluid support valve is 17 to mount a discrete relief valve above this valve, which 18 opens at a predetermined "cracking" pressure. This tool 19 opens ports to the annulus and the injection fluids then bypass the fluid support valve. One such solution is 21 described in US patent 6,725,937 (Mdffardy). The key 22 disadvantage to this solution is that a further down-hole 23 tool is required to give tne required functionality, with I concomitant costs. Additionally, this also requires the 2 arrangement of down-hole tools to allow a flow path from 3 the annulus at the relief valve to the formatIon, which 4 may not be possible in some applications 6 solution, which combines the functions of fluid support 7 and the ability to inject through the tool, is described 8 in patent applicatIon GB2427637 (Reid, Brown). This 9 invention requires the use of multiple springs, opposed pistons and key interiock5 for the tool to function.

12 relief valve is described which overcomes or mitigates 13 the limitations of the current stat.e of the art, from 14 both technical and commercial aspects 16 According to an aspect of the present invention there is 17 provided a relief valve device comprising; 18 a valve body def.ining a longitudinal bore; l a valve member having an open position in which fluid may pass through the bore and a closed position in 21 which fluid is prevented from passin*g through the bore 22 such that fluid is retained within the relief valve 23 device above the valve member; 1 one o more relief ports adapted to allow the 2 passage of fluid from the bore; 3 a movable sleeve member which is movable relative to 4 the valve body between a first position in which the or each relief port.s open and a second position in which 6 the or each relief port is closed; and 7 actuat;ion means for moving the sleeve member between 8 the first and second position, 9 wherein the actuation means comprises a piston member which is operable using a predetermined pressure 11. of the fluid retained within the relief aive device 12 above the valve member.

14 Preferably the valve member comprises a single poppet and seat which is biased to the closed position by biasing 16 means, such as a spring, to act as a fluid support or 17 fluid loss prevention device. Pressure from below the 18 tool acts against the poppet, which opens a flow path for 19 oil or gas production.

21 Preferably the or each relief port is adapted Lo allow 22 fluid to bypass the valve member or to pass through the 23 valve member.

1 Preferably, the valve member and the sleeve member are 2 both biased to the closed position by the same biasing 3 means.

b Preferably the piston Member comprises one or more push 6 rod pistons mounted wIthin the valve body which act to 7 mo'e the sleeve member to the open position when the pre- 8 determined pressure is reached.

Preferably, the or each push rod piston has a plurality 11 of seals arranged cn each piston to produce a small net 12 force when pressure is applied to the tubing, with this 13 force being opposed by the biasing means.

Pressure from above the tool acts to drive the poppet 16 against a fixed seat, facilitating a high hydrostatic 17 pressure differential across the tool.

19 Particular embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of eampe only, with reference to the 21 accompanying drawinqs In which: 23 FIgure 1 shows the relief valve device in the neutral or 24 closed position.

2 Figure 2 shows the relief valve device in the production 3 mode, with the poppet open, allowing well fluids to pass 4 through the tool1

S

6 Figure 3 shows the relief valve device in the injection 7 mode, with the poppet closed and the sleeve ports open, $ allowing injection fluids to bypass through the tool.

Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment for the tool 11 housings, to allow injection fluids to pass through the 12 reLief valve device without going into the annulus. The 13 functionality of the valve device is otherwise identical 14 to that shown in figures 1-3.

16 The relief valve device has a valve body comprising a top 17 sub 1, threaded Lo ported sub 2 and threaded in turn to 18 seat 3. Each component is cylindrical in shape. Each 19 component Is locked with a set screw 8. Seals 10, preferably o-rings or similar are used to seal the 21 housing. Within the main body, a valve member or poppet 4 22 is held against the seat 3 by biasing means in the form 23 of a spring 6. The spring 6 is preferably a compression 24 coil spring, but may be of another suitable 1 configuration, such as a wave spring. Ports 5 on the 2 poppet are arranged to provide a flow path when the valve 3 is open. A ported sleeve member 7A is biased closed by 4 the spring 6, with seals 16 isolating the annulus from the tubing above the valve, such that the relief ports 6 14k do not align with the ports 15 on the ported housing 7 2. Seals 16 are preferably cap seals, which are $ comercially available, but other low friction dynamic 9 seals may be used as a substitute.

11 One or more push rod pistons 9k are held within 12 cylindrical passages in the ported housing 2. Seals 11 13 and 12 are preferably arranged on the push rod piston 9k 14 so that a net piston effect is induced by application of tubing pressure from above the relief valve, with 16 backpressure access via port 13 to the annulus. Depending 17 on the rating of the spring and the piston area of the 18 push rod pistons 9k, the "cracking" pressure of the 19 relief valve can be controlled.

21 As shown in figure 2, when the relief valve 1.s in 22 production mode, flow urges the poppet 48 to the open 23 position, opening a flow path through the tool. When 24 production or flow from below ceases, the spring 6 urges 1 the poppet 43 back to the closed position 4A as shown in 2 figure 1.

4 Figure 3 shows the valve in the "cracked" position, with push rod pistons 9B acting against the sleeve 73, with 6 spring 6 opposing the opening pressure. In the open 7 posItion relief ports 148 are aligned with ports 15 on S the ported housing 2.

3.0 Figure 4 shows a variant, which allows for the injection 11 path to be directly into the tubing below the relief 12 valve. Tbe top sub 17 is connected to the well tubing 13 string, with outer housing 19 threaded to the top sub 17.

14 The bottom sub 20 is threaded to the outer housing 19, which in turn is connected to the well tubing string 16 below the relief valve. Seals 19 maintain the pressure 17 integrity of the said well tubing string. In all other tO aspects the relief valve is identtcal to that shown in 19 figures 13.

Claims

CLAXHS

A relief valve device comprising a valve body defining a longitudinal bore; a valve member having an open position in which fluid may pass through the bore and a closed position in which fluid is prevented from passing through the bore such that fluid is retained within the relief valve device above the valve member; one or more relief ports adapted to allow the passage of fluid from the bore; a movable sleeve member which is movable relative to the valve body between a first position in which the or each relief port is open and a second position in which the or each relief port is closed; and actuation means for moving the sieeve member between the first arid second position, wherein the actuation means comprises a piston member which is operable using a predetermined pressure of the fluid retained within the relief valve device above the valve member.
2. A relief valve device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the valve member comprises a poppet and seat which i.s biased to the closed position by biasing means to act as a fluid support or fluid loss prevention device.
3. A relief valve device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the relief valve device is configured such that pressure from below the tool can act against the poppet to open a flow path for oil or gas production.
4. A relief valve device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each relief port is adapted to allow fluid to bypass the valve member or to pass through the valve member.
5. A relief valve device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the valve member and the sleeve member are both biased to the closed position by the same biasing means.
6. A relief valve device as claimed in any preceding claim, wh.erer.i the piston member comprises one or more push rod pistons mounted within the valve body which act to move the sleeve member to the open position when the pre-determined pressure Is reached.
7. A relief valve device as claimed in ClaIm 6, wherein S the or each push rod piston has a plurality of seals arranged on each piston to produce a sinai t net force when pressure is applied to the tubing, with this force being opposed by the biasing means.
8. A relief valve device as claimed in ClaIm 2 or 3, wherein pressure train above the tool acts to dxi ye the poppet against a fixed seat, facilitating a high hydrostatic pressure differential across the tool.
9. A relief valve device substantially as hereinbefoze described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
10. A downhole tool substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.