WO2024015635A1 - Electro-mechanical actuator assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

Electromechanical actuators are provided. Such electromechanical actuators can be used in full-bore flow control valves. The flow control valves comprise a generally cylindrical housing, a choke sleeve disposed within the housing, and an electro-mechanical actuator (EMA) assembly housed by the housing. The EMA assembly comprises an actuator and an electronics cartridge. The actuator and electronics cartridge disposed parallel to and at least partially circumferentially aligned with each other.

Description

ELECTRO-MECHANICAL ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present document is based on and claims priority to US Provisional Application Serial No: 63/368,495, filed July 15, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Field

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to electromechanical actuators. Description of the Related Art

[0003] An oil well may have multiple production zones or intervals. It is of interest for the operator to be able to produce these zones altogether (commingled production) to maximize production and the return on investment made in such well. The different producing zones may have different pressures and may deplete at different rates. To optimize production or even shut off a water producing zone, the operator relies on downhole flow control valves (FCVs) that control the flow of hydrocarbon from each producing interval into the production tubing string. The same applies for an injection well where selective and controlled injection into the different intervals involves controlling the flow of fluid at each interval.

[0004] FCVs are traditionally hydraulically operated from surface by hydraulic control lines running from in the well and fed through the well head and packers. Because the number of penetrators or allowable control lines is limited, this may restrict the number of valves that can be installed in a well. Moreover, such a well often includes chemical injection lines and electrical cable for communication and power of downhole sensors, thus restricting even further the number of hydraulic penetrations left at the well head or packer.

SUMMARY [0005] In some configurations, an electro-mechanical actuator assembly includes an actuator and an electronics cartridge. The actuator and electronics cartridge are disposed parallel to each other.

[0006] The EMA assembly can further include a single housing, with the actuator and electronics cartridge both disposed in or housed by the single housing. The actuator can be enclosed in a first welded and sealed unit, and the electronics cartridge can be enclosed in a second welded and sealed unit. An electric wire can extend downhole from a bottom or downhole end of the second unit. A splice to the electric wire can be made below or downhole of a downhole tool including the EMA assembly. The first unit can contain dielectric fluid. The assembly can further include a bellows configured to compensate volume changes of the dielectric fluid due to pressure and temperature changes downhole. The second unit can contain inert gas. The assembly can further include a junction box coupling the first and second units. The junction box can have a curxed shape or profile. The assembly can include a bellows configured to compensate volume changes due to extension and/or retraction of the actuator in use.

[0007] In some configurations, a flow control valve includes a generally cylindrical housing, a choke sleeve disposed within the housing, and an electro-mechanical actuator housed by the housing. The EMA assembly includes an actuator and an electronics cartridge. The actuator and electronics cartridge are disposed parallel to and at least partially circumferentially aligned with each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0008] Certain embodiments, features, aspects, and advantages of the disclosure will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements. It should be understood that the accompanying figures illustrate the various implementations described herein and are not meant to limit the scope of various technologies described herein.

[0009] Figure 1 shows a flow control valve including a standard EMA configuration.

[0010] Figure 2 shows a parallel EMA configuration.

[0011] Figures 3A-3D show the EMA of Figure 2 disposed in a single housing.

[0012] Figures 4A-4C shows various transverse cross-sectional views of the assembly of Figure 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of various embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the system and/or methodology may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments are possible. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but rather made merely for the purpose of describing general principles of the implementations. The scope of the described implementations should be ascertained with reference to the issued claims.

[0014] As used herein, the terms “connect”, “connection”, “connected”, “in connection with”, and “connecting” are used to mean “in direct connection with” or “in connection with via one or more elements”; and the term “set” is used to mean “one element” or “more than one element”. Further, the terms “couple”, “coupling”, “coupled”, “coupled together”, and “coupled with” are used to mean “directly coupled together” or “coupled together via one or more elements”. As used herein, the terms "up" and "down"; "upper" and "lower"; "top" and "bottom"; and other like terms indicating relative positions to a given point or element are utilized to more clearly describe some elements. Commonly, these terms relate to a reference point at the surface from which drilling operations are initiated as being the top point and the total depth being the lowest point, wherein the well (e.g., wellbore, borehole) is vertical, horizontal or slanted relative to the surface.

[0015] Historically, downhole tools (e.g., valves) have been actuated with hydraulic systems. It has been difficult to implement an electric actuation mechanism with comparable capabilities (e.g., force, stroke) to hydraulic systems on downhole products. It is desirable for downhole products to have a small outer diameter, to fit in the smallest practical drilled hole, while having the largest possible flow area through the inner diameter in the case of flow control valves. Therefore, an electric actuation system for a downhole tool must fit into a small cross-section. Motors, gearboxes, and transmission systems can be made small enough to fit into the required cross-section. However, to generate the force required to operate the products (comparable to hydraulic system forces), an electro-mechanical system requires many gear stages, increasing the length of the actuator. Resulting electrical actuation systems can therefore become quite long, which increases the overall product cost.

[0016] The present disclosure provides an electro-mechanical actuation system, or EMA, in which the actuator and electronics are placed in a side-by-side or parallel configuration. This side-by-side or parallel configuration advantageously reduces product cost. Actuation systems are installed onto expensive housings, and longer actuation systems require longer housings and therefore higher costs. EMAs of the present disclosure are shorter, thereby reducing costs. The parallel configuration of the present disclosure advantageously improves the OD-to-ID ratio for the downhole tool. Shortening the actuation system enables the actuator to fit onto a single housing with milled slots. This enables the best OD-to-ID ratio for the product. For comparison, if the system has to span multiple housings, each housing needs a threaded connection, which takes up cross-sectional space, worsening the product’s OD-to-ID ratio.

[0017] In some configurations, an EMA system according to the present disclosure includes a motor, gearbox, and power screw (although other electric actuator configurations are also possible), and a cartridge containing downhole electronics boards. When the EMA is used in a valve, systems according to the present disclosure can also include a valve. The components are placed in a parallel configuration to optimize the system length, and all components are located on a single housing to optimize the OD-to-ID ration (i.e., smallest possible OD and biggest possible ID). Maximizing the inner diameter for a given outer diameter results in the largest possible flow area. Eccentricity between the OD and ID can also be reduced or eliminated.

[0018] In some configurations, the electronics, motor, gearbox, and screw are sealed in welded tubes to a welded bellows, such that all components are sealed in a controlled environment with clean fluid and not exposed to well fluid. In some configurations, the system includes two bellows - a first bellows that compensates volume changes of the sealed dielectric fluid due to pressure and temperature changes downhole, and a second bellows for compensating volume changes due to extending/retracting the actuator.

[0019] The actuator (e.g., motor, gearbox, and/or screw) can be enclosed in a first welded and sealed unit, and the electronics cartridge can be enclosed in a second welded and sealed unit. The electronics cartridge is sealed separately from the EMA, as the EMA requires lubrication oil (dielectric fluid), while the electronic boards in the electronics cartridge cannot be exposed to liquid and are therefore sealed in inert gas. As shown, the electric wire comes out of the bottom or downhole end of the electronics cartridge and/or unit containing the electronics cartridge. During assembly on the rig floor, the splice for the wire is therefore down below the valve (or other tool) instead of above the valve or tool as in a conventional arrangement.

[0020] The EMA and electronics cartridge units are connected via a junction box. The junction box is welded and contains wires going between the electronics cartridge and EMA. The junction box has a curved profde or shape to correspond to the curved cylindrical profde of the housing and allow the tubes or units of the electronics cartridge and EMA to be disposed in parallel about the circumference of the housing. The junction box can coupled to the top or uphole ends of the EMA unit and electronics cartridge unit.

[0021] In some configurations, systems according to the present disclosure include a pressure/temperature gauge. The gauge can be coupled to the junction box. In some configurations, the gauge is positioned between (e g., radially or circumferentially between) the actuator and electronics cartridge. The gauge can be a DC gauge. Typically, a well run on AC power includes an AC gauge assembly in the completion. The gauge itself requires DC power, so the AC gauge assembly includes an AC to DC transformer. In systems according to the present disclosure including a junction box, a DC gauge can utilize the AC to DC transformer already present in the electronics cartridge. Eliminating the AC to DC transformer that would be required in a typical AC gauge assembly advantageously reduces cost and improves reliability (due to removing the risk of unreliability of a second transformer).

[0022] Figure 1 shows a flow control valve including a standard EMA configuration, with the actuator and electronics axially aligned. Due to the length of the EMA, the assembly includes two housings connected via a threaded connection. The EMA must be disposed radially outside of the thread, which worsens the OD-to-ID ratio. In the illustrated example, the eccentricity of the flow control valve is about 0.5.

[0023] Figures 2-4 show an EMA according to the present disclosure, in which the actuator and electronics are disposed in a parallel arrangement, relative to each other and a longitudinal axis of the valve or other product. In other words, the electronics and actuator are at least partially circumferentially aligned with each other rather than axially aligned and are side-by-side circumferentially. Figure 2 shows the actuator and electronics arranged in a substnatially parallel configuration. Figures 3A-3D show the EMA components of Figure 2 disposed in the single housing. Figure 4A-4C show various transverse cross-section views of the assembly of Figures 3A-3D, taken at various points along the length of the housing.

[00241 The table below compares various values of an example flow control valve including an EMA with a conventional configuration compared to an example flow control valve including a parallel configuration EMA according to the present disclosure. As shown, the parallel configuration reduces the eccentricity of the valve from 0.5 to 0.25 (e.g., by 50% in the example) and the length of the product (e g., by 28% in the example). In some other embodiments, the eccentricity of the valve s below 0.3. ;

[0025] Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and/or within less than 0.01% of the stated amount. As another example, in certain embodiments, the terms “generally parallel” and “substantially parallel” or “generally perpendicular” and “substantially perpendicular” refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that departs from exactly parallel or perpendicular, respectively, by less than or equal to 15 degrees, 10 degrees, 5 degrees, 3 degrees, 1 degree, or 0.1 degree.

[0026] Although a few embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail above, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims. It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments described may be made and still fall within the scope of the disclosure. It should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with, or substituted for, one another in order to form varying modes of the embodiments of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the disclosure herein should not be limited by the particular embodiments described above.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. An electro-mechanical actuator (EMA) assembly comprising: an actuator; and an electronics cartridge, wherein the actuator and electronics cartridge are disposed parallel to each other.

2. The EMA assembly of Claim 1, further comprising a single housing, the actuator and electronics cartridge disposed in the single housing.

3. The EMA assembly of Claim 1, wherein the actuator is enclosed in a first welded and sealed unit, and the electronics cartridge is enclosed in a second welded and sealed unit.

4. The EMA assembly of Claim 3, wherein the first unit contains dielectric fluid.

5. The EMA assembly of Claim 4, further comprising a bellows configured to compensate volume changes of the dielectric fluid due to pressure and temperature changes downhole.

6. The EMA assembly of Claim 3, wherein the second unit contains inert gas.

7. The EMA assembly of Claim 3, further comprising a junction box coupling the first and second units.

8. The EMA assembly of Claim 7, wherein the junction box has a curved shape or profile.

9. The EMA assembly of Claim 3, wherein an electric wire extends downhole from a bottom or downhole end of the second unit.

10. The EMA assembly of Claim 9, wherein a splice to the electric wire is made below or downhole of a downhole tool comprising the EMA assembly.

11. The EMA assembly of Claim 1, further comprising a bellows configured to compensate volume changes due to extension and/or retraction of the actuator in use.

12. The EMA assembly of Claim 1, further comprising a first and second bellows, the first bellows configured to compensate volume changes of dielectric fluid associated with the actuator due to pressure and temperature changes downhole, and the second bellows configured to compensate volume changes due to extension and/or retraction of the actuator in use.

13. A flow control valve comprising: a generally cylindrical housing; a choke sleeve disposed within the housing; and an electro-mechanical actuator (EMA) assembly housed by the housing, the EMA assembly comprising: an actuator; and an electronics cartridge, the actuator and electronics cartridge disposed parallel to and at least partially circumferentially aligned with each other.

14. The flow control valve of Claim 13, wherein the actuator is enclosed in a first welded and sealed unit, and the electronics cartridge is enclosed in a second welded and sealed unit.

15. The flow control valve of Claim 14, wherein the first unit contains dielectric fluid and the second unit contains inert gas.

16. The flow control valve of Claim 1 , further comprising a bellows configured to compensate volume changes of the dielectric fluid due to pressure and temperature changes downhole.

17. The flow control valve of Claim 14, further comprising a junction box coupling the first and second units, wherein the junction box has a curved shape or profile.

18. The flow control valve of Claim 13, wherein the flow control valve has an eccentricity less than 0.5.

19. The flow control valve of Claim 13, wherein the flow control valve has an eccentricity less than 0.3.

20. The flow control valve of Claim 13, further comprising a first and second bellows, the first bellows configured to compensate volume changes of dielectric fluid associated with the actuator due to pressure and temperature changes downhole, and the second bellows configured to compensate volume changes due to extension and/or retraction of the actuator in use.