US1939124A - Evacuator - Google Patents

Description

l. C. LooMAN Dec. l2, 1933.

.EvAcUAToR Filed Jan. 14, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Irfvcnlar llame y l. C. LOOMAN Dec. 12, 1933.

EVACUATOR' Filed Jan. 14, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor f1 Homey Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EVACUATOR Iris C. Looman, Skellytown, Tex. y

Application January 14, 1933. Serial No. 651,788

2 Claims.

My invention relates generally to means for evacuating wells, such as oil wells, and an important object of my invention is to provide an evacuator'which may be operated tc cause a thorough intermixture of the several uid elements in the well before discharging the same from the well.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide an evacuator of the type described which enables heating of the fluid elements in the well so as to liquefy and soften congealable elements and thereby facilitate complete evacuation of the well without incurring stoppage and other faults in the withdrawal of the fluid elements in the well.

It is also an important object of my invention* `to provide an evacuator .of the type described which enables forcing motive fluid into the well so as to evacuate the fluid elements of the well, either by forcing the motive fluid into the casing and between the casing and the flow string, or into the flow string for evacuating the fluid elements of the well through the casing and between the casing and the flow string.

It is also an important object of. my invention to provide an evacuator of the type described which may be adjusted in the well casing at dif-u` ferent heights above the sand or the like in the well casing so as to exert a suction'of varying degrees upon or with respect to thesand, or avoid such an effect upon the sand.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide a process of evacuating a well of the type described, so as to reduce the congealed m/aterial in the well to a stage of fluidity and then pass the same out of the well with the discharged fluid elements in the well.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown preferred embodiments of my invention.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view through an embodiment of the invention in which the motive fluid is forced downwardly through the ilow string or pipe.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of another form cf the invention.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view through an application of the form of the invention shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken through Figure 1 approximately on the line 4 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

(Cl. Mii-260) Figure 5 is a similar sectional view taken through Figure l' approximately on the line 5-5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the same, the letter A refers generally to that embodiment of the invention which is arranged to receive the motive fluid through the flow string or pipe thereof, and the letter B refers generally to that form of the invention in which the motive fluid is forced downwardly between the well casing and the ilow string cr pipe, andthe fluid elements of the well evacuated through the ow string or pipe.

Embodiment A is located at a suitable height in the well casing 5 and comprises a cylindrical 70 body 6 which is of an exterior diameter considerably less than the interior diameter of the Well casing 5 so as to be in spaced relation to the sides of the well casing when in use. The body 6 has leading from the upper end thereof and from 7l one side a conduit 7 which is secured in the lower end of a head 8 and in communication with a vertical passage 9 in the head.` The head .has on its upper end a nipple 10 to which is threaded the lower end of the flow string or pipe 11. Vertical conduits 12 project from the upper end of the body 6 and pass through the head 8 and then into the space which exists above the head 8 between the flow string or pipe 11 and the sides of the well casing 5. Spacing the head 8 from 85 the sides of the well casing and acting as a packing is an' annular compressible member 13 which is of dish-shape and is cupped so as to present the concave side upwardly. This is provided to properly position the head 8 in the` well casing 90 and to provide a positive stop-.for any pressure which may be passed downwardly between the flow string or pipe 11 and the interior of the well casing, so as to prevent passage of such pressure below the head.' The packer 13 is located 95 at fluid level in the casing.

The cylindrical body 6 has at its lower end an anchor or foot 14 which is of a vertical dimension proper to space the .lower end of the body 6 from the sand or other material in the well casing, so as toprovide the proper suction with respect to such sand or the like, and avoid direct engagement of the body 6 with such sand or other material. The anchor 14 is relatively reduced and depends from an inverted conical portion 15 105 in which is located a series of circumferentially spaced vertical passages 16. Each passage 16 has at its upper end a'n enlarged ball seat in which normally rests a ball check 17. The upper end of each passage' 16 communicates with a 110 gether.

relatively enlarged vertical passage i8 in the lower end oi' which is located a pin 19 for stopping extreme upward movement of the ball check 17. The upper end of each vertical `passage 18 communicates with an angular passage 20, said passages 20 converging toward the axis of the` body 6- where the passages merge as shown at 35. Communicating with the meeting point oi the upper ends oi the passages 20 is a reduced vertical passage 2l. which is located on the axis of the body G .and is communicated at its lower end with an enlarged.Y generally cylindrical re cess 22 which is located in the center oi the body d between the upper and. lower ends of the vertical passages ld. The bottom of the recess 22 is provided with a ball seat in which a large ball checl; 23 is adapted to seat normally. Communicating with the ball seat and hence with the recess 22 is an opening 2d below the ball seat into which leads a horizontal passage 25 extending inwardly from a vertical passage 26. rhe pas sage 2d leads to the upper end ci the body d where communicates with the lower end of the pipe l.

Above the meeting point oi. the angular passages 20 is a conical chamber 2.7 which is axially located in the body d and has a base which is very considerably larger in diameter than the opening communicating it with the upper ends of the angular passages 2G. Above the conical chamber 2'? is a smaller inverted conical chamber 28 with which the conical chamber 27 coinmunicates by means of the reduced passage or choke 22. Communicating with the inverted conical chamber 28 is a small conical chamber 3@ Whose upper end is equipped with a ball seat normally receiving a large ball 'checlr` 3l in a large generally cylindrical chamber32. 'Ihe base of the chamber 32 is much larger in diameter than the ball seat for the ball check 3l.. [i cage 33 surrounds the ball seat for the ball check 3l and permits the ball 31 definitely limited freedom in the cylindrical chamber 32. As indicated at 34, the upper end of the cylindrical chamber 32 is somewhat conical but not symmetrical. 'The lower ends of the pipes 12 leading through the head 8 communicate with the upper end of the chamber 32.

The device Just described is utilized by placing the same properly in the well casing, then pumping motive fluid down through the flow string or pipe il. The motive fluid passes through the vertical passage 9 in the head 8 and through the pipe 'Z into the vertical passage 26 to the opening 24 so as to raise the ball check 23 and pass through the confining vertical passage 2l, whence it passes at high velocity upwardly past the open upper ends oi the angular passages 2li. This produces a vacuum effect in the angular passages 20 which is communicated through the zfvertical passages 18 so as to draw the ball checks 1'? from their seats and communicate the vacuum to the exterior of the lower end oi the body 6, so as to act upon the fluid elements or sand or the like in the well casing,-depending upon whether the device is placed close to or is much vertically spaced from the sand or the like. As the iluid elements in the well are drawn upwardly by the said vacuum effect through the passages 16, 18, 20, and meet the motive fluid at the point and enter the conical chamber 27, the various elements are thoroughly mingled to- Then they pass through the choke 29 by which they are further intermingled and mixed. Then they pass into the chambers 28 and 30 where they expand, and are thoroughly mixed together, and pass upwardly through the chamber 32 and through the pipes 12 communicated with the chamber 32 to a point above the head 8 and into the well casing between the weil casing and the flow string or pipe 1i from where they are withdrawn at the top of the well. It will be observed that the described use of the deviceA of the invention permits the forcing down the ow string or pipe l1 of steam, hot air, hot gas, or other heated ilud, so that the same will intermingle with the uid elements of the well as they are drawn into the body 6 and passed through the various chambers in the same direction of travel, whereby parafline may be liquefied and will pass out of the Well with the liquid elements without impeding the same or clogging the device. This feature of the invention enables an enormous saving through the elimination of parafne and other similar troubles, which very greatly cut down the efficiency of well working.

Referring to the embodiment shown in. Figures 2 and 3, attention is called to the fact that all portions of the device described above are common to the embodiment oi' the invention I; except the upper part of the body which corresponds to the body 6 in Figure 1 in. the embodiment A. In the embodiment B the upper cham-s ber 34a, corresponding to the upper chamber 34 in the embodiment A is located somewhat below the upper end of the body 6a and communicates with arather long vertical passage 36 in a head 37. To the upper end of the head 37 is directly connected the lower end of the flow string or pipe lle. At one side of the head 32 is a small. vertical passage 38 which communicates at its lower end with the small vertical passage 26a which corresponds to passage 26 in the embodiment A. The upper end of' the ilow string or pipe 11a passes upwardly through one side oi a head 8c which is similar in construction and purpose to the head 8 in embodiment A. Above the head 8a a conduit 39 connected to the upper end of passage 33 passes through head 8a and leans slightly inwardly toward the flow string or pipe liaJ which passes axially through the head 8a, and opens to the space between the flow string or pipe 11a and the well casing. Like the head 3, the head 8a has the compressible packing member 13a which serves a similar purpose and is also to be located at the fluid level in the casing 5.

In the employment of the embodiment B, the motive fluid is forced downwardly through the well casing and between the well casing and flow string or pipe 11a and passes into the upper end oi the conduit 39 downwardly into the vertical conduit 38 so as to lift the fluid elements of the well in through the various chambers in the body 6a in the same manner as described in connection with the embodiment A. Instead of the evacuated fluid being passed upwardly from the body of the device and vto a point between the flow string and the well casing above the packing head, the fluid elements inthe embodiment B are passed upwardly through the flow string or pipe 11a. In all other respects the embodiments A and B function similarly and can be employed with equal advantage in appropriate situations.

Though I have shown and described herein preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be deilnitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in material and structure and arrangement of parts, within the lili spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed isz- 1. In a well evacuator, a body having vertically arranged passages in its lower part opening out through the lower end portions thereof, the upper parts of said passages converging and meeting at their upper ends, said body also having a jet passage vertically arranged therein with its upper end communicating with the meeting upper ends of the first passages, means for introducing fluid into said jet passage, said body having mixing chambers therein, the lower one of which is in communication with the upper ends of the first mentioned passages, and said body having a reduced passage therein connecting the chambers together and a conduit connected with the upper end of the upper chamber.

2. In a well evacuator, a body having a depending reduced portion at its lower end and vertically arranged passages in its lower part opening out 'through the lower part of the body above the reduced portion, said passages having their upper portions converging with their upper ends meeting, said body having a jet passage in its lower part, the upper end of which communicates with the upper ends of the rst mentioned passages,

a conduit for introducing uid into the lower end of said jet passage, said body having mixing chambers therein connected together by a small passage, the lower chamber being of substantially conical shape with its large lower end in communication with the upper ends of the first mentioned passages, the other chamber being of double conical shape, the upper end of said body having a cage chamber therein in communication with the upper end of the double cone chamber, a cage in the upper chamber, a valve in the cage for normally closing the upper end of the double conical chamber, a conduit connected with the upper end of the cage chamber, a head through which the conduits pass and a packing carried by the head for engaging a well casing.

IRIS C. LOOMAN.

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