US3643432A

US3643432A - Pneumatic pump activator for oil wells

Info

Publication number: US3643432A
Application number: US31158A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph H Klaeger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-04-23
Filing date: 1970-04-23
Publication date: 1972-02-22
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-22

Abstract

A wellhead mounted pneumatic actuating device for oil well pumps designed for operation by compressed air or gas. The preferred embodiment utilized a single action cylinder with the down stroke actuated by the weight of the sucker rods. The elongated pneumatic cylinder was powered by filtered lubricated compressed air. The pressure or solenoid control floating piston bleeder valve supplies high-pressure air or gas from an external source for lifting the piston and attached sucker rods and the release of pressure from the cylinder accomplishes the down stroke.

Description

llnitelil States same 11 K /fle t 1 Feb. 22, 1972 [54] PNEKJMATHC PUMP AC'llii/A'IQR F0 2,287,709 6/1942 Ringman ..60/52 P1 0M, WELLfi 2,681,623 6/1954 Kane ..60/52 F] [72] Inventor: 'K 225; 147 Stardream San Primary Examiner-Robert M. Walker ntomo, ex. Attorney-Willard J. Hodges, Jr. [22] Filed: Apr. 23, 11970 57 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No: 311,1l5fl l A wellhead mounted pneumatic actuating device for oil well pumps designed for operation by compressed air or gas. The 2% g 3 1 5 preferred embodiment utilized a single action cylinder with [58] lFitid 41 5461 -9l/27 4 the down stroke actuated by the weight of the sucker rods. 1 e 0 am 60 The elongated pneumatic cylinder was powered by filtered lubricated compressed air. The pressure or solenoid control floating piston bleeder valve supplies high-pressure air or gas [56] References (med from an external source for lifting the piston and attached UNITED STATES pATENTS sucker rods and the release of pressure from the cylinder accomplishes the down stroke. 1,619,474 3/1927 Hubbard ..60/52 PJ 1,860,137 5/1927 Carr ..60/52 PJ 11 Claims, 8 Drawinghigures PAIENTEDFEB22 I972 SHEET 1 [1F 3 INVENTOR JOSEPH H. KLAEGER BYW%% ATTORNEY PAIENTEDmzz m2 SHEET 2 OF 3 PRESSURE OILER FILTER REGULATOR INVENTOR JOS PH H. KLAEGER BY/ FIG.7

PAIENTE0FEB221912 3,643,432

sum 3 [IF 3 INVENTOR JOSEPH H. KLAEGER PNEUMATMI PIUMIP ACTIWATOIR FUR OIL WELLS Oil and water well pumps are a highly developed art. Scores of inventions have been made primarily in the area of pumping cylinders placed at or near the bottom of the well. Several attempts have been made to improve the mechanism for actuating the sucker rods; however, the more common practice even today is to utilize a lever actuated pump jack for stroking the sucker rods and the well pump cylinder.

In certain oil fields and particular areas of production from oil sand employing secondary recovery techniques, gaseous crude requires a long stroke pump to effectively operate the well pump cylinder. Hydraulic pumps and long stroke mechanically actuated pumps are quite expensive.

One of the objects of this invention was to devise a pump inexpensive to construct with low maintenance costs and de pendable operating characteristics.

A primary object was to design a pump adapted to a stroke of any length with particular emphasis on a long pumping stroke.

Another object was to design a pump highly adapted for use in oil fields having a ready supply of compressed air or gas.

The device of this invention may in summary be described as a pneumatic wellhead pump designed to be secured to the wellhead for reciprocating either hollow or solid sucker rods. The pump actuating mechanism of this invention may be utilized in conjunction with a wider variety of well-known reciprocating plunger-type oil well pumping units. The primary components of this invention are secured to a mounting frame and base plate attached to the wellhead casing. A preferred embodiment of this invention employed an adapter mechanism which was secured to the wellhead flange. The device is mounted directly above the wellhead and is constructed on a bottom plate. Space at opposite edges of this bottom plate was two tubular steel side supports. At the top end of the side supports were secured a cylinder base plate. Above the base plate was mounted the elongated power cylinder in which was housed the piston with associated rings or seals. The piston rod projected downward from the piston through a polished rod packing gland. This polished rod was secured to the sucker rod adjacent the wellhead. As was indicated above, the normal operation of this device utilizes compressed air or gas to lift the piston and employs the weight of the sucker rods to return the piston to the lower position on the down stroke. This mode of operation necessitates the utilization of a cylinder breather unit at the top end of the cylinder. The cylinder is enclosed at each end by a top and a bottom cylinder head. The exterior of the cylinder might be placed in compression utilizing tension cylinder heads secured means. The power source of this invention is received from an external source of compressed air or high-pressure natural gas. The operating air or gas may be supplied through a pressure regulator valve. The compressed air may be filtered and lubricated prior to passage into the bleeder valve. A floating piston is operably positioned in the bleeder valve cylinder, which has multiple pump cylinder drive and exhaust appertures separated by a suitable sealing means such as rings. A cylinder inlet tubing supplies high pressure air to the pump cylinder below the piston when the bleeder valve piston is in the bottom position forcing the piston up in the pump cylinder lifting the sucker rods. As the piston reaches the end of its upstroke, the button bleeder actuator plate strikes the top bleeder valve button releasing pressure in the upper end of the bleeder valve cylinder. The static pressure in the bleeder valve causes the bleeder valve piston to move to the top position interrupting the flow of air to the cylinder and releasing the air contained in cylinder. This loss of pressure results in the static weight of the sucker rods pulling the piston in the pump cylinder to the bottom position. As it approaches the bottom position, the bleeder valve actuator plates strikes the lower bleeder valve button releasing pressure from the lower portion of bleeder valve. This immediately causes the piston in the bleeder control valve to move to the bottom position which again admits the propelling gas through the cylinder inlet tubing to the pump cylinder forcing the piston up starting a second cycle.

Various modifications of the standard device is possible in that the piston itself might be utilized to actuate bleeder buttons with the bleeder valve control means mounted internal of the cylinder. It is also possible to utilize a counterbalance weight mechanism to balance the weight of the sucker rods and pump assembly in a fashion to substantially reduce the pressure required to actuate the piston in the cylinder.

Objects, advantages and other modifications of the device will be apparent to those skilled in the art of oil well pump operations from a study of the following detailed description. Reference is now made to the attached. several views wherein identical reference characters will be utilized to refer to identical or equivalent components throughout the various views and the following detailed description.

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the device, in position on a wellhead, partially fragmented.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the button bleeding valve.

FIG. 3 is a partially fragmented partially sectionalized view of the button bleeder valve.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are schematic diagrams of the operation of an embodiment of a button bleeder valve.

FIG. 6 is an elevation view of an embodiment of the device partially fragmented in position on a wellhead.

FIG. 7 is a view of a possible filter, oiler and pressure regula tor in the supply line for high pressure gas.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the device illustrating an improved and preferred method of providing an external source of high-pressure gas.

The preferred embodiment of this device initially utilized on a relatively shallow well of approximately 900 feet in a secondary recovery operation from oil-bearing sands near Hondo, Texas. At the time, a secondary recovery operation was employing a compressed air supported fire ignited and maintained in the oil-bearing sand by air compressors to increase the heat of the deposit and decrease the viscosity of the crude. The characteristic of the gaseous crude in the recovery process resulted in minimal flow from the wells utilizing a short pump jack. The initial device employed a 36-inch stroke which was adequate to break the vapor lock in the lower well pumping unit and increased the production of a typical well threefold.

An illustration of the construction of a preferred embodiment reference is made to FIG. 1. The mounting frame assembly II was secured to the wellhead casing 12 by attaching the device to the well flange 13. Above this flange was secured a substantially circular /2 inch steel bottom plate 14. The side support structure 15 may be substantially cylindrical and welded to the bottom plate M. Another structure could very well comprise two parallel erect side supports 15. These side supports may comprise 2-inch steel pipes welded to the bottom plate 14. The length of the side support 15 is a matter of choice. It must, however, exceed in length the desired stroke to be used in the pumping operation. Welded to the top end of the side support 15 is a circular cylinder base plate 16. Secured above this cylinder base plate is the elongated pneumatic cylinders 17. The polished piston rod 18 is attached to piston I9 slidably mounted in the power cylinder 17. Piston rings or sealing glands 20 are utilized on the outer edge of the piston 19 to produce substantially airtight seal against the internal cylinder 17 wall. This piston rod is secured to the piston by a suitable piston rod securing means 21. Piston rod 13 projects through an aperture in the cylinder base plate 116 and is sealed against leakage of air or gas by means of the piston rod packing gland 22. The polished rod or piston rod 118 is attached to sucker rod 23 utilizing adapter 24. At substantially the point of this adapter 24 on a plane parallel to the cylinder base plate 20 should be mounted a bleeder valve actuator 25. This structure projects perpendicular to the piston rod 18 to a point adjacent side support 15. This actuator 25 is utilized in conjunction with the operation of bleeder valve 26.

Pneumatic power cylinders 117 are available on the commercial market. They may be constructed, however, of pipe or tubing of the desired diameter having a polished interior surface. A lower cylinder head 27 and an upper cylinder head 28 are secured to each end of the power cylinder 17 by cylinder head securing means 29. In a single action pump operation, the upper cylinder head 28 is provided with a cylinder bleeder vent 30. As previously mentioned, the source of propulsion of the device is an external source of high-pressure air or gas 31. This source may be provided by any number or variety of air compressors and more than one of these devices may be powered by a single compressor. As previously mentioned, natural gas could be utilized for operating the device. This external source of high-pressure air may be passed through a pressure regulator valve 32, FIG. 7, to maintain the desired uniform pressure. It is desirable to pass the air or gas through an air filter 33. In utilizing air as a mode of propulsion, an oil air lubricator 34 should be placed in the system to lubricate the internal components. Air bleeder valve 26 is connected to the lower end of the power cylinder 17 by means of the cylinder inlet tubing 36 which might be conventional pipe or copper tubing or flexible high-pressure neoprene hose. This bleeder valve 26 is of a design widely used in control of pneumatic pressures and is available on the commercial market. For a description of a typical example of this device, reference is made to FIG. 2, 3, 4 and 5. The construction employs a bleeder valve cylinder 37 in which is mounted a bleeder valve piston 38. The cylinder is normally equipped with one inlet port 39, a cylinder port no. 1 40 and a cylinder port no. 2 41. The device would normally also include exhaust port no. 1 42 and exhaust port no. 2 43. The flexibility of the design of this type bleeder valve 26 permits the closing or blocking of any of the ports by means of a bull plug 44. In the preferred embodiment, this bleeder valve 26 was mounted at substantially the center portion of the side supports by means of bleeder valve mounting bracket 46 FIG. 1. In this particular embodiment, spring loaded top bleeder valve activator button 47 was secured to side support 15 adjacent cylinder base plate 16 and bottom bleeder valve activator button 48 was secured to the opposite end of the side support 15. The internal construction of the bleeder valve 26 is illustrated in FIG. 3 again. Referring again to FIG. 1, the top bleeder valve activator button 47 and the bottom bleeder valve activator button 48 are connected to bleeder valve 26 by a top bleeder valve hose 49 and a bottom bleeder valve hose 50. Aircraft hydraulic tubing was utilized for this purpose. These two bleeder

valve activator buttons

47 and 48 are preferably secured to the side support by means of adjustable brackets 57 to pennittheir contact with bleeder valve actuator 25 at the exact desired point to regulate the length of the pumping stroke. The preferred embodiment just described is designed for utilization in a pumping operation employing a hollow sucker rod 23 of the type illustrated in FIG. 1. Adjacent the top of this hollow sucker rod 23 is a crude oil flow outlet 51 to which is attached the flexible oil hose 52. This hose 52 leads into a tank or reservoir for storing the crude (not shown).

A secondary method of constructing an embodiment of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 6. This device is primarily designed for utilization in a pumping operation employing solid sucker rods 23. This use, of course, is in conjunction with a different pump mechanism mounted in the bottom of the well (not shown). This device and pumping operation necessitates the utilization of well tubing 54 in which the sucker rod 23 oscillates to accomplish the pumping operation and remove the oil from the well. A similar oil flow outlet 51 is utilized in this type construction. Reference is made particularly to FIG. 6 for the modifications of the device for adaptation to solid sucker rod 23 operation. The piston rod 18 is secured to sucker rod 23 by conventional adapter clamping means 24. The pneumatic cylinder is modified by placing the top bleeder valve activator 47 internal of the pneumatic cylinder 17 adjacent the upper cylinder head 28. In this type of operation, the upper portion of the pneumatic cylinder 17 is vented to the air accordingly, this position operates entirely satisfactory. This top bleeder valve button activator 47 may be activated by piston 19. The bottom bleeder valve button 48 may be mounted internal or external of the power cylinder. Referring particularly to FIG. 6, the operation of the modified embodiment wherein activation of the

bleeder valve buttons

47 and 48 is accomplished by piston 19 requires a modification in the structure which activates the bottom bleeder valve activator button 48. There must be mounted in aperture in the lower cylinder head 27 an actuator button 56 for the bottom bleeder valve. This must be sealed and secured in lower cylinder head 27 by an airtight actuator button securing means 57 employing a packing gland.

Another apparent modification would be to utilize a solenoid activated bleeder valve 26 incorporating electrical contacts as the equivalent of bleeder

valve activator buttons

47 and 48.

The structure may also incorporate appropriately modified porting, venting, and tubing to power the piston of the pneumatic cylinder 26 in both directions.

For an illustration of another embodiment of the invention or method of utilizing the combination, reference is made to FIG. 8. In this structure, a looped closed circuit is envisioned. Such a circuit would attach exhaust line 69 to bleeder valve 26 to either exhaust port one 42 or exhaust port two 43 depending on the desire operation. Exhaust line 69 would lead to low pressure tank 70 which would include a low-pressure relief valve 71. This tank is connected by intake lines 72 to compressor 73. There should be provided in the intake line 72 a cutoff valve 74 and a check valve 75 which is open to the atmosphere desirably through a filter 76. The high-pressure line 77 leads from compressor 73 to high pressure tank 78. In this embodiment, inlet tubing 36 is connected to high-pressure tank 78 with the cylinder inlet tubing 36 connected to inlet port 39 of bleeder valve 26. The high-pressure tank 78 should be equipped with a high-pressure relief valve 79. The purposes of the high-pressure relief valve 79 and the low-pressure relief valve 71 is to insure the maintaining of a pumping differential in the enclosed system. A preferred setting would be 150 p.s.i. in the

high pressure tank

78 and 80 p.s.i. in the low pressure tank 71. A higher or a lower pumping differential may be used depending upon requirements. The regulator for the air compressor is set to activate the compressor 73 in the pressure ranges selected for illustration at p.s.i. The structure and operation of the bleeder valve 26 is as previously described. The foregoing is intended as an illustration of a preferred external source of high-pressure gas 31.

Another possible modification of the device also illustrated in schematic FIG. 8 is the interposing of an oil air tank 80 between the bleeder valve 26 and the power cylinder 17. The cylinder 17 would be structurally as previously described. The oil air tank 80 would be constructed with an appropriate inlet 81 and outlet baffles 82 to reduce foaming or emulsifying of the oil. The oil air tank 80 should have a volume of at least three times that of power cylinder 17. Air from bleeder valve 26 feeds into the top of the oil air cylinder 80 and the oil under pressure activates the piston 19 of the power cylinder 17. In this concept, cylinder inlet tubing 36 would feed from and be powered by oil from the bottom of oil tank 80.

Another modification which is quite apparent would be to utilize counterbalance weights to reduce the pressure required in cylinder 17 for pumping. This might be accomplished in various ways and might be employed on any model of this invention. For purposes of illustration, references is made to FIG. 6. A counterbalance weight 60 may be fitted around cylinder 17. The weight 60 is suspended from cables 61 supported by roller 62. The ends of the cable are secured to piston 19 and weight 60 by cable clamp means 63. This counterbalance weight 60 is so varied or adjusted as to substantially reduce the pumping effort. Other modifications and counterbalance means are apparent.

The operation of the device of this invention was described in a brief summary of the invention prior to the detailed description of the construction of the device. The operation of the invention will not herein be further described. To avoid .atm

repetition, the reader is referred to the initial portions of the specification for the specific details of the operation of the device.

Having described in detail the construction and operation of the device of this invention in a preferred embodiment and having illustrated and described at least one acceptable modification of the construction, what is desired to be claimed is all modifications and equivalents not departing from the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. A pneumatic pump activating device comprising:

a. a base plate adapted to be secured to a wellhead,

b. side support means mounted perpendicular to said base plate,

c. power cylinder means having a top portion and a bottom portion mounted on said side support means,

d. a piston movably mounted in said cylinder,

e. a piston rod secured to said piston,

f. means of securing said piston rod to a well sucker rod,

g. an external source of high pressure air or gas,

h. a floating piston bleeder valve intermediate said high pressure air or gas and said power cylinder conductively connected to said cylinder and adapted to control the flow of air or gas to and from said power cylinder,

i. a top bleeder valve activator button remotely spaced and operably connected to said floating piston bleeder valve,

j. a bottom bleeder valve activator button remotely spaced and operably connected to said floating piston bleeder valve,

k. hollow impervious tubing operably interconnecting said top and said bottom bleeder valve activator buttons to said floating piston bleeder valve, and

I. means for retaining said top and bottom bleeder valve activator buttons in a position to be contacted and activated responsive to said piston arriving at the top or bottom of the said cylinder thereby activating said floating piston bleeder valve and controlling the flow of gas or air to and from said power cylinder.

2. The invention of claim ll wherein the means for retaining said top and bottom bleeder valve activator buttons include:

a. a bracket and associated means retaining said top and bottom bleeder valve activator button in such a position as to be contacted by said piston.

3. The invention of claim ll wherein said means for controlling said bleeder valve comprises:

a. a bleeder valve activator secured to and projecting substantially perpendicular to said piston rod constructed and arranged to contact said bleeder valve activator buttons.

The invention of claim ll including:

a. counterbalance means secured to said piston means, said counterbalance means adapted to counterbalance the weight of a well sucker rod.

5. The invention of claim 4- wherein said counterbalance means comprises:

a. a cable secured to said piston,

b. a counterbalance weight movably positioned adjacent said cylinder, and

c. cable rollers positioned intermediate said piston and said counter weight supporting said cable.

6. The invention of claim ll comprising:

a. oil lubricating means in association with said external source of high pressure air or gas adapted to dispense lubricating oil into said air or gas.

7. The invention of claim ll comprising:

a. filter means in association with said external source of high pressure air or gas constructed and arranged to filter said air or gas.

8. The invention of claim ll comprising:

a. a pressure regulator in association with said external source of high pressure air or gas adapted to regulate the pressure of said air or gas.

9. The invention of claim 1 including an oil air tank intermediate said bleeder valve and said ovyer cylinder,

lit). A pneumatic pump activator evice comprising:

a. a base plate adapted to be secured to a well head,

b. side support means mounted perpendicular to said base plate,

d. a piston movably mounted in said cylinder.

e. a piston rod secured to said piston,

f. means of securing said piston rod to a well sucker rod,

g. an external source of high pressure air or gas comprising:

l. a looped closed system,

2. a low pressure tank,

3. a high pressure tank,

t. a compressor intermediate low and high pressure tanks,

5. said high pressure tank connected. to said bleeder valve and functioning as said external source of high-pressure air of gas, and

6. said flow from said bleeder valve discharging into said low pressure tank,

h. a floating piston bleeder valve intermediate said high pressure air or gas and said power cylinder conductively connected to said cylinder and adapted to control the flow of air or gas to and from said power cylinder, and

i. means for controlling said bleeder valve.

ill. The invention of claim 10 including an oil air tank intermediate said bleeder valve and said power cylinder.

fl= l l 4= b

Claims

1. A pneumatic pump activating device comprising: a. a base plate adapted to be secured to a wellhead, b. side support means mounted perpendicular to said base plate, c. power cylinder means having a top portion and a bottom portion mounted on said side support means, d. a piston movably mounted in said cylinder, e. a piston rod secured to said piston, f. means of securing said piston rod to a well sucker rod, g. an external source of high pressure air or gas, h. a floating piston bleeder valve intermediate said high pressure air or gas and said power cylinder conductively connected to said cylinder and adapted to control the flow of air or gas to and from said power cylinder, i. a top bleeder valve activator button remotely spaced and operably connected to said floating piston bleeder valve, j. a bottom bleeder valve activator button remotely spaced and operably connecteD to said floating piston bleeder valve, k. hollow impervious tubing operably interconnecting said top and said bottom bleeder valve activator buttons to said floating piston bleeder valve, and l. means for retaining said top and bottom bleeder valve activator buttons in a position to be contacted and activated responsive to said piston arriving at the top or bottom of the said cylinder thereby activating said floating piston bleeder valve and controlling the flow of gas or air to and from said power cylinder.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the means for retaining said top and bottom bleeder valve activator buttons include: a. a bracket and associated means retaining said top and bottom bleeder valve activator button in such a position as to be contacted by said piston.

2. a low pressure tank,

3. a high pressure tank,

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said means for controlling said bleeder valve comprises: a. a bleeder valve activator secured to and projecting substantially perpendicular to said piston rod constructed and arranged to contact said bleeder valve activator buttons.

4. The invention of claim 1 including: a. counterbalance means secured to said piston means, said counterbalance means adapted to counterbalance the weight of a well sucker rod.

4. a compressor intermediate low and high pressure tanks,

5. said high pressure tank connected to said bleeder valve and functioning as said external source of high-pressure air of gas, and

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said counterbalance means comprises: a. a cable secured to said piston, b. a counterbalance weight movably positioned adjacent said cylinder, and c. cable rollers positioned intermediate said piston and said counter weight supporting said cable.

6. The invention of claim 1 comprising: a. oil lubricating means in association with said external source of high pressure air or gas adapted to dispense lubricating oil into said air or gas.

6. said flow from said bleeder valve discharging into said low pressure tank, h. a floating piston bleeder valve intermediate said high pressure air or gas and said power cylinder conductively connected to said cylinder and adapted to control the flow of air or gas to and from said power cylinder, and i. means for controlling said bleeder valve.

7. The invention of claim 1 comprising: a. filter means in association with said external source of high pressure air or gas constructed and arranged to filter said air or gas.

8. The invention of claim 1 comprising: a. a pressure regulator in association with said external source of high pressure air or gas adapted to regulate the pressure of said air or gas.

9. The invention of claim 1 including an oil air tank intermediate said bleeder valve and said power cylinder.

10. A pneumatic pump activator device comprising: a. a base plate adapted to be secured to a well head, b. side support means mounted perpendicular to said base plate, c. power cylinder means having a top portion and a bottom portion mounted on said side support means, d. a piston movably mounted in said cylinder, e. a piston rod secured to said piston, f. means of securing said piston rod to a well sucker rod, g. an external source of high pressure air or gas comprising:

11. The invention of claim 10 including an oil air tank intermediate said bleeder valve and said power cylinder.