US2530445A

US2530445A - Electric air circulating oil well heater

Info

Publication number: US2530445A
Application number: US144697A
Authority: US
Inventors: John S Young
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-02-17
Filing date: 1950-02-17
Publication date: 1950-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1967-11-21

Description

Nov. 21, 1950 J. s. YOUNG ELECTRIC AIR CIRCULATING OIL WELL HEATER Filed Feb. 17, 1950 IlIIIllIIIlIllllllilllilllllllnlllllll! Patented Nov. 2l, i956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC AIR CIRCULATING OIL WELL HEATER 2 Claims.

r1"his invention relates to an oil well heater designed and intended for clearing of oil Well of paraffin and other analogous congealed constituents of petroleum that may have accumulated around the bottom of the Well to such an extent as to partially retard or entirely stop the flow of oil to the pumping apparatus employed for removing the oil from the well.

Important objects and advantages of the invention are to provide a heater of the character described, which will function effectively to quickly liquefy any congealed constituents of petroleum that may have accumulated around the bottom of the oil well, by means of forcing and circulating heated air into and through such accumulations, and thereby reestablish and increase the oil production of the Well, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, compact, durable and efficient in its use, and comparatively economical in its manufacture, in- .f

stallation, operation, and maintenance.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction,

combination, and arrangement of parts herein specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it is to be understood that changes in the form, proportions and details of construction may be resorted to that come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a well heater constructed in accordance with the invention, and illustrating the position of the heater within a well.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the heater with the casing being in cross section.

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional View of the heatel` taken on line 3 3, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the power mechanisms at the top of the well, for supplying the required electrical energy and air for operating the heater.

Referring in detail to the drawing the improved well heater comprises an elongated cylindrical casing I, which has its interior wall face formed with screw threads 2 extending throughout the length thereof.

A top plug 3 is threadedly engaged in and closes the upper end of the casing I, and a similar bottom plug 4 is threadedly engaged in and closes the lower end of the casing. A partition plug 5 is threadedly engaged in the casing and lil is disposed adjacent to the top plug 3 to thereby provide a comparatively large air chamber 6 below the partition plug, and a smaller compartment 'I above said partition plug.

The improved heater is intended to be secured, in the vertical position, to the lower threaded end portion B of the pump tubing 9, whereby the heater will be located at the bottom of the oil well I0. The tubing end portion 8 extends through the casing I, and is threadedly engaged in each of the

plugs

3, 4 and 5, and carries the pumping barrel II at the lower projecting end thereof. The tubing end portion 8 is ecoentrioally oiset in the casing I to provide space and clearance within the latter for other embodied elements of the device. The

plugs

3, 4 and 5 may be adjusted in the casing, prior to the engagement of the tubing end portion 8 therein, and may be secured in the adjusted positions by lock nuts I2 on the tubing end portion 8.

The lower portion of an air supply pipe I3 is threadedly engaged in the top plug 3 and in the partition plug 5, amd' projects into the air chamber 6 of the casing I. The lower end of the air supply pipe I3 is disposed in close proximity to the bottom plug 4 and is curved to provide a laterally disposed outlet opening I4 in the air chamber 6.

The air supply pipe I3 extends parallel to the pump tubing 9 in the well I0, and has its upper end connected with a suitable air compressor I5, at the top of the well. An air discharge pipe I6 secured in the vertical position in the bottom plug 4, and has its inlet port 22 disposed in the air chamber 6 in proximity to the partition plug 5. The lower portion of the discharge pipe projectsfrom the casing IA and is provided with a curved lower outlet end Il, which is disposed adjacent to the lower end of the pumping barrel I I.

A plurality of electrically energized air heating elements I8 are mounted in the air chamber 6 of the casing I. The heating elements are disposed vertically in parallel spaced relation to each other, and have their ends xed in respective bottom and partition plugs 4 and 5. An electrical conductor I9 extends from the casing I, through the well ID, to a suitable electric generator 2D at the top of the well. Electrical leads 2I connect the conductor I9 with respective heating elements I8, and are housed in the leakproof compartment I at the upper end of the casing I.

The improved well heater is preferably designed and intended to be permanently located at the bottom of the well I0, and is, of course, connected with the lower endv of the pump tubing 9 when the latter is placed in the well in the ber through the outlet opening I4 at the lower end of the air chamber, and will be circulated and heated in the latter, and will enter the discharge pipe I6 through the inlet opening 22 at the upper end of the air chamber to be discharged through the outlet end Il into the bottom of the well.

Due to the relative positions of the outlet opening I4 of the air pipe i3 and the inlet port 22 of the air discharge pipe I6, within the air chamber 6, the air must circulate through said air chamber and around the heating elements I8 before it is discharged through the outlet end l'i of the discharge pipe I 6. The heating elements I6 will function to heat the air as it passes through the air chamber, and such heated air will be forced and circulated into any congealed accumulations of petroleum to thereby liquefy such congealations'and allow the latter to be pumped from the well in the usual manner and increase the production of the well so treated.

The casing l is preferably provided with a conically-shaped hood 23, which is detachably secured to the upper end of the casing and functions to center the casing when the heater structure is withdrawn from the well l0 with the pump tubing 9 for any reason, and thereby prevent the heater structure from striking any interruption in the wall of the well during the withdrawal operation. Y

The air discharge pipe I5 may be provided with an automatically operable check valve to prevent the entrance of petroleum through said discharge pipe into the air chamber 6 while the heater is inoperative. of petroleum into the air chamber will not interfere with the operation of the heater in the manner described.

The air pipe I3 may be connected to the pump tubing 9 by the removal of the cap 24 from said tubing, whereby the petroleum may be circulated upwardly through the tubing and back into the well through the air pipe. Such circulation will act to liquefy congealations at the bottom of the well.

The present invention provides a most economical and eiicient device of its kind, which may be successfully employed for the purpose and in the manner herein set forth.

What I claim is:

1. A well heating apparatus ci the class described comprising the combination with the pump tubing of the well, of an elongated cylindrical casing, a top plug having a screw thread connection with the upper end of said casing, a bottom plug having a screw thread connection with the lower end of said casing, a partition secured in said casing and providing a comparatively large air chamber below said partition and a smaller compartment above said partition, the lower end of the pump tubing having a screw thread engagement in each of said plugs and in said partition forv supporting the apparatus in the well, an air supply pipe extending into said air chamber'and having the out- However, such entrance i ated-ias 4 let opening thereof disposed at the lower end of said air chamber, an air compressor connected with said air supply pipe and being operable for forcing air into said air chamber through said air supply pipe, an air Vdischarge pipe mounted in said bottom plug and extending into said air chamber and having the inlet opening thereof disposed at the upper end of said air chamber, the lower end portion of said discharge pipe projecting from the lower end of said casing and having the outlet opening thereof disposed at the lowerend of said projecting lower end portion, a plurality of electrically operated heating elements mounted in said air chamber, an electric conductor having the lower end thereof secured in said top plug, a plurality of leads connected with the lower end of said conductor and being housed in said compartment and being connected with respective heating elements, an electric generator connected with said conductor and being operable for energizing said heating elements for heating the air on' the passage of the latter through said air chamber, and a conically-shaped hood secured to the upper end of said casing.

2. A well heating apparatus of the class described comprising the 'combination with the pump tubing ofthe well, of an elongated cylindrical casing, a top'plug secured in the upper end of said casing, a bottom plug secured in the lower end of said casing, a partition secured in said casing and providing a comparatively large air chamber below said partition'and a smaller compartment above said partition, the lower end of the pump tubing attached in each of said lll v Number plugs vand in said partition for supporting the apparatus in the well, an air supply pipe extending into said air chamber and having the outlet opening thereof disposed at the lower end of said air chamber, an air compressor connected with said air supply pipe and operable for4 forcing air into said air chamber through said air supply pipe, an` air discharge pipe mounted in said bottom plug and extending into said air chamber and having the inlet opening thereof disposed at the upper end of said air chamber, the lower end portion of said dischargeV pipe projecting from the lower end of said casing and having the outlet thereof disposed at thelower end of said projecting lower end portion, a plurality of electrically operated heating elements mounted in said air chamber, an electric conductor having the lower end thereof securedin said top plug, a plurality of leads connected with the lower end of said conductor housed in said compartment and connected with respective heating elements, an electric generator Aconnected with said conductor operable for energizing said lheating elements for heating the air on the passage of the latter through saidl air chamber, and a conically-shaped hood secured to the upper end of said casing. l

JOHN S. YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,082,971 Pick Dec. 30, 1913 1,648,242 Powell Nov. 8, 1927 1,661,971 Seymour Mar. 6, 1928 1,672,200 Buck June 5, 19,28 1,839,632 Agnew Jan. 5, 19,32 2,076,669 Redfield et al. 'Aprz 13, 1937