US2746431A - Rodless fluid pressure-operated pump - Google Patents

Description

May 22' 1956 w. F. TEBBET-rs RODLESS FLUID PRESSURE-OPERATED PUMP '2 Sheets-Shee:

Filed July 3l, 1953 illllll-Illlilll 74.1%... A -vVl Y Gttorneg May 22, 1956 w. F. TEBBETTS RODLESS FLUID PRESSURE-OPERATED PUMP 2 Sheets-Shea r 2 Filed July 3l. 1953 Zhmcntor l/l//LLm/w 75555775 Bg g J/ amt/ @duction- This invention relates ,to -a well pump and, more particularly, to a rodless .pump that performs .its cycle United States Patent O of operation .through the medium of a constant ow of `pressure `fluid `from above.

The present rinventionis characterized by its simplicity of construction, fewness of :operating `elements in vrela- :tionto prior hydraulic or iluidoperated pumps, and long life enabling continuousand ,economical use, it being an importantobject-of `the invention to providea well pump as lcharacterized above.

4Another -objectfof theinvention is to ,provide a -uidoperated .well pump `.that .has general `use and 4.is-more particularly suited `for handling Asandy yand viscous oil deposits.

yA furtherobject -of theinvention is vto provide a fluidoperated well Lpump ,in which :the Yoperating parts .are

` under yconstant .lubrication by y,clean high-pressure oil `to :minimize wear due `to the ,abrasive action of sand-in the ,production i'low from a well .inwhich said vvpump is installed.

A `still `further .object .of Vthe invention yis to provide ,a pump A.as characterized 4above that is adapted `to .handle production of -.a well in which gases may be present.

VThe ability Aof the .present pump rto Yhandle a `sandy production flow results from ,a construction Athat -main- Arains continuous lmotion or lagitation of the llow :both :on the lling and discharge strokes of the pump dueto the ,provision of oversize ,filling and discharge valves `in relation toa relatively small pumping piston. The -advantages of the above .are well-known to those skilled .in :this art.

By providing the present pump withya pumping .piston ,of small size and lrelatively .long stroke, and ,providing the cylinder for said piston `with a ,port or .ports that -are opened, near .the .upperend of the piston movement, to communicate said cylinder with .the production flow, :gas in the uid beneath -sai-d ,piston readilyfvents to pro- A-t the -sarne time, these gases ,pressurize the pumping cylinder' to Vobviate -a gas lock and said `.port Vor ports also r,fulfill `the important 'function 'of :preventing Ja -too -ra'pid 'descent `of the rpumping piston Zby insuring `the presence of liquid rather `than a gas directly beneath the piston. Another result of the gas `relief afforded by said iport or ports is a material increase in the volumetric displacement ellciency of the pump.

The invention also has for its robjects toprovide such means that are positive jin operation, convenient in use, easily installed rin a working position `and easily disconnected theretrom, economical :of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general-superiority and serviceability.

The invention also .comprises novel `details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, Ywhich will more fully appear in 'the course `of `the :following description. However, the drawing merely shows andthe following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the .present invention, which `are given by way of illustration `or example '.only.

` 2,746,431 Patented May 22, .1956

In `the drawing, like reference characters designate similar ,p'arts inthe several views.

Fig. ,1 4isalongitudinalsectional view of a`rodless fluid ,pressure-operated `pump according `to the `present invention.

Figs. Z, 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views as taken on the respective lines 2-2, 3 3 and 4-4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a partial elevational and partial longitudinal sectional View of a modication.

Fig. 6 is alongitudinal lsectional view of an alternative construction, drawn toasomewhatenlarged scale.

Fig. `7 is a further `enlarged cross-sectionalV view as taken on `line 7--7 of .-Fig.;6. 1

:Thepump that is-illustrated in .Figs l to 4.comprises', generally, .an outer tubing'or casing '10, an inner tubing 11 deining -an annular production passage ,12 between 4itself and tubing 1t), a fluid-operated motor .13 suspended 'from inner tubing 11 and operated by pressure Viluid `introduced from above into tubing 11, -an annular production ,passage w14 being dened'between `motor 13 and :outer tubing 10 and said latter `passage being a lower `extension of `and ,in communication with passage` 12, -a ,pump 15 extending downwardly from motor 13, `and `till ,and discharge valving means .16 at the lower end of tubing 10 and through which .production fluid from a well is drawn bypump d5 anddischargedinto production passage 14.

Themotor 13 :iscarried by :inner tubing y11 by means `of ,an internally `threaded collar :17 connected to .the

,lower end of said tubing, .a .tube -18 connected at `its upper end 4tosaid collar, a cage V19 withintube 18, and a pressure seal 20 carried -by the `cage andtightly engaged with the inner faceof tube 18. rIp'he motor 13 iscarriedby .the lower `end lof said cage which is interiorly .hollow kat `21 and is ,provided with ports `22 `that'freelyv l admit `pressure ,fluid k'from tubing 11 into the hollow --21 of saidcage.

The motor -13 `comprises an relongated body `23 that mounts a master valve .24 Yin its upper end and a-pilot --valve ,25 in its lower end, Iboth valves being preferably o n the .longitudinal `axial .center `of said body.

Master valve 24 comprises an upper` poppet 26, a lower ylarger .poppet 27, anda stem ,-28 integrally connecting saidpoppets land slidingly engaged ina-bore .29

.in the valve body 23. .Poppet 26 is disposed -above the --valve body .and -is preferably .providedv with a conical portion adapted to `engage `the seat of -a port 30 that vsis in communication with the interior 21 of cage 19 and, thereby, controls pressure ,fluid llow to said port. A

longitudinal passage 31 extends from said port 30 to,

the 'lower end lof body 23. A chamber `32 somewhat larger than lower poppet 27 houses the latter fand is in lateral communication with passage 31. Chamber 32 is ydelined at the-top yby an annular shoulder 33 that is Iadapted to engage an upper conical portion of .poppet 27 to limit the upward movement of master valve 24. A reduced chamber 34 is provided in the motor -body 23 aboveA shoulder 33 and an exhaust port 35 extends 4rfromchamberid to the outside of said body and, therefore,`,communicates with production chamber 14.

Pilot valve .25 comprises-a plunger 36 that .-hasa push v fit -in a bore 37 in motor body 23, said bore extending v ,from :chamber 32 to the bottom yof said body. r=l`-heqgilung terior 21; of cafge il?. A ,transverse passage 4-2 -is provided for venting chamber 32 to production `'chamber 14 .when

the pilot valve has been moved downwardly as later described.'

A fitting 43 is attached to and forms a lower extension of body. 23, the same being provided with an intermediate transverse spider 44that is spaced below the lower end of said body. rThe lower end of plunger 36 is guided by said spider. Since said plunger has upper and lower positions, to insure retention of the same in said positions fitting 43, said cylinder being open at its bottom Said piston 4S, is provided with an interior .cavity 51 that is defined by an upper abutment 52. The head 47 of pilot valve 25 operates in said cavity and is engaged by abutment 52 to effect downward movement of said pilot valve. The upper end 53 of piston 48 comprises an abutment that engages thelower end of plunger 36 to effect upward ,movement of the pilot valve.

The pump is carried by a tube 54 that surrounds cylinder 49 and extends downwardly from body 23. Said tube and cylinder are spaced to define an annular passage 55 that communicates passages 40 and 41 with the lower open end 5t) of said cylinder 49. A bottom fitting 56 is carried b y the lower end of tube 54. v

The pump 15 comprises a cylinder 57 extending downwardly from fitting 56 and a pump piston 58 operating in said cylinder and comprising a smaller lower extension of motor piston 48, a downwardly facing annular shoulder 59 being defined between pistons 48 and 58. Intermediate Y its ends, cylinder 57 is provided with pressurizing ports This upward movement of piston 58 causes an upward displacement of material into the` lower end of cylinder 57, the same moving past check valves 71 and 64 through port 70, chamber 66, port 65 and passage 67. Simultaneously, the low pressure head in chamber 14 forces check valve 62 to close port 63. p

This inlet of material-both liquid and sand-continues during upward movement of piston 58. As the latter nears the top of its stroke, its lower end uncovers ports 60. Since any gases that may be present in the material in cylinder 57 will ri-se to the top,. the same will readily pass into production chamber 14 leaving a substantially solid column of liquid andparticles in cylinder 57.

Before the pistons reach the top of their stroke, abutment 53 encounters the lower end of plunger 36 of the pilot valve and moves said valve upwardly against the friction lof drag 45. When port 39 achieves register with transverse passage 40,`pressure uid from passage 41 enters longitudinal passage 38 in plunger 36 and, entering chamber 32, is effective on the bottom of poppet 27.

, Since poppet 27 is larger than poppet 26, the fluid pressure on the latter is overcome and port is cracked open. As the pressure in chamber 32 builds up, the master valve moves to its uppermost position with the poppet 27 against shoulder 33 and port 30 fully open. Vent 35 permits full seating of the poppet on said shoulder.

' Opening of port 30 admits full flow of pressure fluid in longitudinal passage 31 and the same becomes effective 68 thatV are uncovered by piston 58 at the top of its stroke.

The fill and discharge valving means 16 comprises a cage 61 extending downwardly from pumping cylinder 57. The upper portion of said cage houses a ball valve 62 that i `-controls a port 63 which communicates the interior of cylinder 57 with the production chamber 14, The lower portion of said cage 61 houses a ball valve 64 that controls a port 65v in the lower end of said cage and which communicates the interior of cylinder 57 with a chamber 66 by means of a passage 67. The chamber 66 is provided in a fitting 68 carried by the lower end of outer tubing 10. Cage 61 has a seated engagement at 69 with fitting 68 shutting off production chamber 14 from chamber 66 except through valved ports 65 and 63. Said fitting 68 has Y c a bottom inlet port 70 that is controlled by a ball valve 71 that may be housed in a cage 72 disposed in chamber 66.

Operation Y with poppet 26 closing port 30, the pilot valve 25 in its low position with port 39 out of register with and below passage 40, and the combined motor and pumping pistons 48 and 58 in their lowermost position with head 47 of the pilot Valve engaged by abutment 52, pressure fiuid, oil, for instance, supplied in inner tubing 11, passes into the interior of cage 19 through ports 22 and enters longitudinal passage 41. Since ports 39 and 40 are out of register, this fluid can only pass into annular chamber 55 and, through the open bottom V of cylinder 49, is efective onfpiston shoulder 59 to move the combined pistons 48 and 58upward. There is, at this time, only low production pressure onthe top of piston 48 because the upper end of cylinder 49 is open to production chamber v14 through spider 44, longitudinal passage 31, chambers 32 Aand 34, and transverse passage 35. Since the unit presthan the resistance of the head of material in the production chambers 12, 14 and on the top of piston 48. Consequently, the combined pistons move up.

on the top of piston 48 to overcome the continuing fluid pressure on piston shoulder 59 because of the substantially greater area of said piston top than said shoulder. The pistons 48, 58, therefore, move down. The pilot valve is held in'its raised position by drag 45 and because the same is inhydraulic balance. A slight downward movement ofpilot valve 25 during initial downward movement ofthe pistonswould be immaterial providing passage 42 is not uncovered by the top of plunger 36. If any such vmovement would occur to move port 39 out of register with passages 40 and 41, hydraulic pressure on thebottom of poppet 27 would still be present, being supplied through passage 31 to chamber 32 in which said poppet is but loosely fitted, as shown. Therefore, the master valve remains open as the pistons 48, 58 move down.

Since the bottom of piston 58 is pressing on a solid column of material in cylinder 57 because of the gas relief afforded by ports 60, at the instant that downward movement of said piston-s start check valves 64 and 71 close ports 65 and 70 and valve 62 opens port 63, enabling the pumping piston 58 to effect a full discharge of material into production chamber 14.

` Before the `motor piston 48 approaches the bottom of its stroke, abutment 52 thereof encounters head 47 of pilot valve 25. `The first downward movement of said valve has no effect on Vthe master valve 24, as above explained, but, as abutment 52 continues to pull on head 47, the upper end` of plunger 36 moves below passage 42, thereby `venting chamber 32 to the low Vpressure of production chamber 14. Since this vent acts to relieve the pressure onpoppet 27 as supplied through passage 31, the constant pressureon poppet 26 is now the greater and moves the master valve 24 to its initial low position closing port 38. Residual high pressure in passage 31 and above piston 48 is Avented by said passage 42. Since the two valves 24 and 25 and the pistons 48, 58 are in their lowerjmost positions as at the start of the description of theoperation, a full cycle has been completed pacity than in the above-described form. In this modi- -fication, the motor is the same or equal to the motor 13 of Fig. 1, while pump 15a and fill and discharge valving means 16a have been modified with respect to the respective 'means v15 and 16.

substantially smaller thaninner tubing 11.

The pump a comprises a cylinder 75 that depends from a fitting 76 which constitutes abottom closure for chamber 55. A pump piston '17 reciprocatively operates in cylinder and is connected by a stem 78 to motor piston 48. The latter extends through litting-` 76, packing y79 being provided to seal around said stem.

.y Whereas the bottom face of piston 5S isthe materialdisplacing face, thetop face 80 of piston 77 serves this purpose in the modification. Thus, the constant pressure on piston shoulder 59 constitutes the force that discharges material from between piston 77 and tting 76 into production chamber 14, the discharge beingV through ports 81 in cylinderv'S. Accordingly, the diametral size of stem 7S is such as to providel for relatively large surface area'of face 3G.

Piston`77 carries a traveling check valve 82 that controls a bottom port 83 in said piston and flow between .saidport and ports 84 that open into cylinder 75. Whereas port 63 closed during up stroke of piston 58 and opened during down stroke, port 83 is closed during up stroke of piston 77 and open during down stroke to displace well production from beneath said piston to thereabove and outwardly through ports Sl into production chamber la. In other respects, means 16a is lsimilar to means I6 above described.

`The form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 more nearly followsthe vform of Figs. l to 4 inthat 4the motor 13, pump i5k andv valving means 16 are similarly arranged, it being understood that vsaid means I6, while omitted from Fig. 6, is the same or similar to the means shownA in Fig. l. The particular advantage of the `alternative construction of Fig. 6 resides in the increased size or capacity of pump 15 or, conversely, in the reduced size of the outer tubing il) with a pump 15 of the same capacity as the pump of Fig. l.

In the alternative construction, innertubing 11 carries a tting at its lower end and the same is provided .with longitudinal passages` 4in-that replace the `passage 4I of the earlier form. Tube 54 depends from iitting Stil to enclose annular passage 55, and a fitting 56a replaces fitting 56 of said earlier form. instead of motor cylinder 49 being open at the bottom, the same carries a fitting 91 and holes 92 admit flow of pressure uid from passage 55 to the` annular shoulder 59 of motor piston d Inthis manner, constant uid pressure is exerted on said 'shoulder 59.

Since the inner tubing il and tube 5ft are approxiv.

mately the same diametral size for the same size of outer tubing, the size or" piston 4S in the alternative form may belarger than in the form-of Fig. l where tube 54 is ln order to limit the position of the inner 'tubing l and the parts depending therefrom in tubing l0, the titting 56a has shoulder abutment on an internal ange 93 of a coupling 9d that connects outer tubing iii) to a lower extension lila of similar size. tiange 93 communicate passages l2 and 14 so that production displaced by pump piston 58 may enter production passage l2. Also, gas passing through holes 61) may find its way to the surface of the well.

Fittings 56a and 91 also have shoulder abutting engagement to limit the longitudinal position of the motor 13 and pump l5 relative to inner tubing 11 and the parts depending therefrom. Pump cylinder 57 extends downward from iitting 9i, as before.

The internal diameter of tting @il slidingly `receives motor body 23 and suitable seals in the form of O-rings 96 seal between said fitting and body. It will be noted that iitting 9i) constitutes a separable part` of body 23 and, together, the same serve as the motor body when assembled as shown. The vents 35 and 42 are connected to the production passage 12 by holes 97 in tting 90. Since in other respects the construction is similar to the form of Fig. 1,-' the same reference num- Holes 95 in said "6 bers for similar parts `have been applied `to Figs.l 6 and 7 asto Fig. l.l l 'i The present alternative pump structure of Figs. 6 `and 7 functions in the manner described above for Fig. l, and the same need not be repeated.

While I have illustrated and described what I now contemplate to be the best modes `of carrying out my invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification without departing from the 'spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular forms of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modiications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. In a pressure fluid-operated well pump comprising outer tubing and inner duid-conducting tubing, a iluid# operated motor carried by the lower end of the inner tubing and comprising a body ,having passages to conduct tiuid supplied by the inner tubing, an outer tube depending from the body, an inner tube depending from said body and constituting a motor cylinder, said tubes deiining an annular chamber, one of said passages being in direct communication with said annular chamber, the inner tube being open at the bottom and in communication with said annular chamber, another of said passages communicating the inner fluid-conducting tubing and the upper end of` said cylinder, a reciprocative master valve in the upper end of said body to control the latter` passage, a pilot valve in the lower end ofthe body and provided with a downwardly directed extension provided with spaced abutments, a motor piston in said cylinder and having longitudinally spaced abutments alternately engaged with the abutments of said pilot valve to reciprocate the same, said piston having a downwardly-facing annular shoulder against which the fluid supplied through the rst-mentioned passage constantly impinges to constitute a constant force urging said piston upwardly, the second-mentioned passage, when open, conducting pressure fluid to impinge the top of said piston to create a force larger than the force on the annular shoulder to urge said piston downwardly, passage means connected with the inst-mentioned passage and controlled by the pilot valve to control ow of pressure iiuid to the master valve to move the latter to a position opening the second-mentioned passage, and means to vent the pressure inthe latter passage when the pilot valve is moved bythe piston to close said passage means.

2. In a pressure Huid-operated well pump according to claim l: said master valve comprising an upper poppet controlling said second-mentioned passage, a lower larger poppet subject to the pressure in the mentioned passage means, and a stem connecting the poppets and guided in said body, the larger poppet being disposed in a chamber receptive of pressure fluid from said passage means and in communication with the second passage to receive pressure uid therefrom when open, the chamber being larger than the larger poppet therein.

3. In a pressure duid-operated well pump according to claim l: said master valve comprising an upper poppet controlling said second-mentioned passage, a lower larger poppet subject to the pressure in the mentioned passage means, and a stem connecting the poppets and guided in said body, the larger poppet being disposed in a chamber receptive of pressure fluid from said passage means and in communication with the second passage to receive pressure fluid therefrom when open, the chamber being larger than the larger poppet therein, a shoulder on the body above the larger poppet to engage the latter and limit the upward movement thereof, and a vent in the body to exhaust said chamber' above said shoulder.

4. In a pressure fluid-operated well pump according torclaim l: said pilot valve comprising a plunger in a longitudinal bore in said body, and the mentioned passage means comprising a laterally-ported top-open passage in the upper end ofl said plunger and open to the master valve and a communicating passage extending from 'the first-mentioned passage.

`5. 'In a pressure huid-operated well 4pump according to claim 1: said pilot valve comprising a plunger in a longitudinal bore in said body, and the mentioned passage means comprising a laterally-ported top-open passage in the upper end of said plunger and open to the master valve and a communicating passage extending from -the first-mentioned passage, said plunger being reciprocative by alternate moving engagement of the piston abutments with the head thereof, and friction means engagedwith said plunger to hold the same in the positions to which moved by the piston.

6. A uid motor comprising, in combination, a stationary cylindrical body member, an outer cylinder rattached tosaid body, an inner cylinder attached to said body, said outer and inner cylinders being concentric to one another and said inner cylinder having an open end in respect to said outer cylinder, a piston movable within said inner cylinder, said piston having opposed pressure receiving areas, one of said areas being large in respect to the other area to provide a substantial pressure differential between said areas when fluid pressure is applied, a passage extending through said body member for conducting fluid to the annular area defined by said outer and inner concentric cylinders, a pilot valve in one end of said body member and interconnecting said body member and said piston, a reciprocable poppet valve in -the opposite end of said body member from said pilot valve, a second passage extending through said body member from said pilot valve to said poppet valve for conducting fluid therethrough, the flow of fluid through said passage being controlled by said pilot valve and causing said poppet valve to reciprocate, a third passage extending through said body member for conducting fluid therethrough to the larger of said opposed pressure receiving areas of said piston when vsaid poppet Valve is actuated, and a plurality of transverse passages in said body member to releaseV the iluid pressure in the passages extending through said body member to permit subsequent cycles of operation of said uid motor.

References Cited inthe tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dempsey Mar. 17,

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