US2128073A

US2128073A - Fluid producing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2128073A
Application number: US55866A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas E Bryan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-12-23
Filing date: 1935-12-23
Publication date: 1938-08-23
Anticipated expiration: 1955-08-23

Description

Aug. 23, 1938. T. E. BRYAN FLUID PRODUCING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 23, 1935 Patented Aug. l2 3,

. 4UNITED STATESv PpsrEN'rA OFFICE 9 oisans.

This invention relates in general to an apparatus for flowing iluid from a well, or the like, where the natural pressure within the well at the bottom thereof is insufficient to cause the iiuidto rise to 6 the top of the well. More particularly, it relates to a device for employing gas, or the like, under pressure for the purpose of ejecting the fluid from the well, and to a. means for admitting such gas to the well at the proper time and place to cause 'l0 such uid to flow from the well.

In the past, various devices have been produced for the purpose of ilowing the fluid from a well where the natural pressure within the welll was insufficient to cause the uid to flow, but these l have, for the most part, depended upon aerating the column of fluid by introducing into the column relatively small quantities of gas, thus lightening the column of uid and making it possible for the natural pressure within the well to raise the column of iiuid to the top of the well and thus cause the well to flow. At best, such an arrangement is useful only so long as the natural pressure Within the well is high enough to raise a column of. uid after the same has been aerated to the greatest possible extent.

It is an object to provide a device .of this general type in which, so long as any pressure exists within the producing formation at the bottom of the well suiiicient to cause a uid to rise within the well at all, such iiuid will be periodically and automatically ejected from the well.

A further object is to provide' a device which 'does not depend upon the natural pressure at the bottom of the well to force the uid out of the well.

Still another object is to provide a device of the character set forth in which the pressure of the gas being introduced for the purpose of flowing the well, will not affect the amount' of uid pro- 40 duced by the well.

` 'Another object is to provide a device in which a gas introduced for the purpose of ilowing the well will be governed solely by the relation between the pressure due to the hydrostatic head of thecolumn of fluid within the tubing in the well, vand the natural pressure existing at the bottom of the well substantially at the lower end of such 1 tubing.

With the foregoing and )other objects in view,

u this invention consists of various parts and combinations illustrated in the accompanying drawing and set forth in the following description, it being understood, however, that such drawing and description are only by way of illustration and are not to be taken as a limitation on the scope of the (Cl. 103-232l invention. Such limitation is to be only by the prior art and by the terms of the appended claims. l Referring now to the drawing, in which like numerals indicate corresponding parts through- 5 Figure l is a vertical cross-section, illustrating a device constructed in accordance with this invention disposed at the bottom of an oil or similar well. 10

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical crosssection illustrating the details of the gas admission valve shown in Figure 1.

As illustrated in Figure 1, a casing I is placed within the well in somewhat the customary manl5 ner and lowered to substantially the` upper boundary of the producing formation 2. A tubing 3 is then lowered into the casing until its lower end 4 extends below the lower end of the casing to a point substantially at the bottom of the well hole. 20 The lower end of this tubing is threaded externally for the purpose of receiving a nut 5, this nut being threaded both internally and externally. Surrounding the lower end portion of the tubing 3 is an intermediate cylindrical member 6, 25

curved at the upper end and joined to the wall of the tubing 'I by any suitable means. This jointv need not necessarily be a lead-proof ljoint.' Adjacent to its upper end, this member 6 is provided with openings 8, for a purpose, which will be 30 presently set forth. Its lower end isthreaded `to receive the collar 9,'the lower end of this collar being threaded upon the exterior of the nut 5A.

Adjacent to its upper end, but below the per- A forations 8, the cylindrical member .6 is provided with a packing. I 0 whichserves to close oil' the annular space between the cylindrical member 6 and the internal wall of the casing I.

Just below the packing III the tubing 3 and the member 6 are provided with substantially registering'openings and a nipple Il is inserted in these openings to connect the same and provide a. passage between the exterior of the member 6 and the interior of the tubing. Inserted in this 45 nipple is a valve seat member I2 which has an opening I3 therethrough adapted to be closed by a check valve I4. This check' valve Il is hinged at I5 and is provided with a s top pin I6 to prevent it from opening too far.

Adiacent to its lower end, but above the nut 5, the tubing is provided with an opening for the purpose of receiving a nipple I 1 adapted to connect the exterior of the tubing with a cylindrical valve housing I8. An extra support I9 may also ,r-

, valve seat.

be provided to assist in properly supporting the valve housing, if so desired.

'Ihe valve4 housing i8 is provided with a pair of spaced valve seats 2l] and 2i fitted within the valve housing at positions above and below the connection with the nipple Vf. Each of these members 20 and 2| provides a downwardly facing At its lower end, the housing is internally threaded to receive a bushing 22, this bushing serving the double purpose of limiting the downward travel of the valve stem 23 and also connecting the housing I8 with the support i9.

Mounted upon the valve stem 23 in a position to close simultaneouslyI against the respective valve seats 2l] and 2l are a pair of valve elements 25 and 2li, thus forming a balanced valve controlling communication between the chamber intermediate of the tubing 3 and the cylindrical member 6 and the interior of the tubing.

AAt its lower end, the valve stem 23 is threaded to receive a plunger 26 which is locked in place on the valve stem by a lock nut 21. The plunger 26 is adapted to reciprocate within the opening 28 formed within a plug member 29, fitted into the lower end of the tubing 3 with a tight t.

In operation, the formation 2, whatever may be its natural pressure, will produce a certain quantity of fluid and this fluid will rise within the chamber between the casing and the member 6 belowv the packing i into the nipple il past the check valve I4 and into the tubing 3. As the formation continues to produce the fluid, the column of liquid will begin to build up within the tubing 3 and will continue to build up until the hydrostatic head of the column of fluid becomes substantially equal to the pressure existing outside of the lower end of the tubing. When this condition prevails, the plunger 26 will move downwardly because of the lack of any unbalanced force tending to hold it up and the valve elements 25 and 2li will be moved away from their respective seats. The annular space between the tubing and the casing above the packing l0 is filled with gas or a gaseous substance under pressure and this gas now enters through the opening 8 at the upper end of the cylindrical member 6 and passes through the nipple I1 and around the

valve elements

25 and 24 to enter the tubing at a point substantially at the bottom end thereof. It is noteworthy that the opening through the nipple Il is quite large so that a considerable amount of the gaseous fluid may pass into the lower end of the tubing in a relatively short time. In fact, this gas is permitted to enter the tubing at such a rate that instead of mixing with the liquid within the tubing it forms a large bubble or gas piston below the column of fluid which has been created within the tubing, and as gas continues to enter, it pushes the entire column of f luid toward the top of the well. No flow is permitted from the tubing into the chamber at the bottom of the well below the packing I0 because of the check valve I4, and hence no substantial pressure is removed from the piston at the bottom of the tubing until the liquid has been forced out of the tubing, the

valves

25 and 24 will remain open until this column of liquid has been forced completely out of the well.

When this takes place, the pressure within the tubing is at once relieved and the natural pressure of the formation at the bottom of the well will tien force the piston 26 upward to close the

valves

5 and 24, preventing further ingress of gas under' pressure. Then the pressure at the alaaovs bottom of the well will cause the check valve I4 to reopen and the process will be repeated.

It is noteworthy that by the arrangement above set forth, no fluid will be forced from the Well until the column of liquid has risen in the tubing to a height such that it will exert a pressure at the bottom of the tubing substantially equal to the natural formation pressure at that point. On the other hand, the operation of the device is so certain that when the column of fluid within the tubing reaches such height, the pressure within and without the bottom of the tubing, will be equalized and the gas automatically admitted to ilow the tubing, without any attention on the part of the operator.

It will thus be seen that the device is entirely independent in its operation of any human factor and that it serves to raise the fluid out of the well independent of the amount of natural pressure which may exist within the producing formation at the bottom of the well.

It will be readily apparent that a means has been provided for carrying out the objects and advantages sought by this invention in a manner both efficient and practical.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and desired by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a well flowing apparatus, a tubing adapted to extend into the well, means to admit well fluid into the said tubing, and means operatively independent of said first means to admit a gaseous substance into said tubing, adjacent to the lower end thereof when the pressure of the fluid at the bottom of said tubing bears a predetermined relation to the natural formation pressure, whereby the fluid in saidV tubing will be forced out of the well by said gaseous substance.

2. In a well flowing apparatus, a tubing adapted to extend into the well, a check valve for admitting well fluid into said tubing, and means operatively independent of said check valve to admit a gaseous substance into said tubing adjacent to the lower end thereof when the pressure of the fluid at the bottom of said tubing substantially equals the formation pressure, whereby the fluid in said tubing will be forced out of the well by said gaseous substance.

3, In a well flowing apparatus, a tubing adapted to extend into the well, means to admit well fluid into said tubing, and a balanced valve operatively independent of said first means adapted to admit a gaseous substance into said tubing adjacent to the lower end thereof below said first means when -the pressure of the fluid in said tubing substantially equals the formation pressure, whereby the fluid in said tubing will be forced out of the well by said gaseous substance.

4. In a well flowing apparatus, a tubing adapted to extend into the well, means to admit well fluid into said tubing at a point above the bottom thereof, a balanced valve for admitting a gaseous substance into said tubing below the point of admission of said well fluid, and means adapted to cause the opening of said valve when the pressure of fluid within said tubing bears a predetermined relation to the natural formation pressure at the bottom of the well. y

5. In a well flowing apparatus, a tubing adapted to extend into the well, means to admit well fluid into said tubing, a balanced valve for admitting a gaseous substance under pressure into said tubing adjacent to the lower end of same, and a plunger subject to the pressure within the lower end of said tubing and to the natural formation pressure at the bottom of the well and adapted to open said balanced valve when said pressure within the tubing rises to substantially the value of said pressure in the bottom of the well.

6. In a well owing apparatus. means for sealing oi the lower portion of the well to form a pressure chamber, a tubing closed at its lower end having its lower end extending at least to substantially the level of the upper end of said chamber, a check valve for admitting uid from said pressure chamber into said tubing, means for conducting gas under pressure to a point adjacent to the lower end of said tubing, and a valve operable by a pre-determined ratio of pressure between the interior of said tubing adjacent its lower end and the interior of said chamber at substantially the same level to admit the gaseous substance into said tubing adjacent to its lower end.

7. In a well flowing-apparatus, means for sealing off the lower portion of the well to form a pressure chamber, a tubing closed at its lower end and having its lower end extending at least to substantially the level of the upper end of said chamber, a check valve for admitting 'ilu'id from said pressure chamber into said tubing at a point above the lower end of said tubing, means for conducting a gaseous substance under pressure to a point adjacent to the lower end of said tubing and a valve operable by a" predetermined ratio of pressure between the interior and exterior of said tubing adjacent its lower end to admit said gaseous substance into said tubing adjacent to its lower end.

8. In a well flowing apparatus, a means for sealing oif the lower portion of the well to form a pressure chamber, a tubing extending into said chamber and closed at its lower end, a check valve for admitting uid from said pressure chamber into said tubing, at a point above the ed to extend into the well, means to admit well fluid into said tubing, valve means below said irst means for controlling the admission of a gaseous substance into said tubing adjacent the lower end thereof, and means for fully opening said valve means when the pressure in said tubing adjacent the bottom thereof attains a predetermined relation to the formation pressure.

THOMAS E. BRYAN.