US2253396A - Intermittent flow device - Google Patents

Description

INTERMITTENT FLOW DEVICE Filed Aug. 31, 1939W 6? mz INVENTOR.

BY 7 1 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 19, 1941 UNITED STATES 'PATEN T OFFICE 4 Claims. (Cl. 103-232) The present invention is directedto a bottom 'hole intermittent flow device for gas lift wells. More. specifically, it is directed to an attachment for a string of; tubing containing a valve arrangement whichautomatically permits creation of a head of oil under the formation pressure above the valve and the injection, into said head of oil, of a stream of high pressure gas to lift the oil to the surface/.'.

Innumerable types of gas lift arrangements have been devised for use in oil wells. The majority of these are complicated valve systems which, are attached to the flow line between the formation and the surface. Others take the form of borehole pumpswhich are ordinarily quite complicated inst'ructure and operation.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a device of thefcharacter describedwhich is simple in character and construction andfcomp act in s An additional object ob i e present invention isthe provision of a device of the character described in which the gas inlet passages are not controlled by small valves which become sanded up and corroded, resulting in considerable waste of gas, but in. which the'ports aressimple passages the ends of which are sealed by a valve of the gate type when it is desired to shut off the flow of gas.

Further objects. and advantages ofthe present invention will appear from the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is a vertical section through the present invention;

Referring to the drawing in detail, numeral l designates a' length of tubing having each of its ends provided withthreads 2 for attachment to a conventional string of oil'well tubing. Adjacent its upper end the section of tubing I is provided with aninterior collar 3, thelower face 4 of which is fruste-conical in shape to form a seat for 'a.valve 5; which is solid block of metal having, in generah-the shape of aninverted cup and saucer and havingits upper face shaped to seat onface 4 of-collar 3. Thevalve 5 is protubing attachment of the through the body of thevalve 5 and terminates in shoulder l3 on which seats a ball M which is restrained from undue movement by a. screen l5 screwed into the face ofvalve 5. The saucer portion ofvalve 5 is providedalso with a series of spaced ports I6. Between the ,valve 5, when it is seated on disc 8-, and the collar '4, the section of tubing l is provided with circumferentially spaced radial passages ll. g

In practice, this section of tubing I is included in the ordinary string of tubing at a point sufliciently near the bottom so that under ordinary formation "pressure a considerable head of oil will be built up above section I, The section is fitted with a conventionalgtype of packer at a point below ports I1 and when the tubing is in place the packer is set against the casing so as to sealofl the casing above section l from the formation. A

When the assembly is set in place the pressure of the formation pushes thevalve 5 upwardly against theseat 4 thereby closing ports l1 and permitting oil to flow from the formation through 7 head of oil above the valve increases, the spring vided with a hollow stem l which passes through which is provided with a series of spaced ports Ill.

The lower end of stem 1 is. provided-with a,

collar ll between which and the lower face of thedisc 8 is arranged a spring I! whichnormally tends to hold thevalve 9 seated ondisc 8.

The passage in the hollow stem 1 continues [2 tends to force the valve back onto its lower seat, As the valve progresses downwardly, it uncovers ports 11 admitting high pressure gas. Immediately' uppn admission of the high pressure gas the valve is snapped onto its lower seat. The high pressure gas then forces the oil in the tubing upwardly until the pressure head on thevalve 5 is released whereupon the formation pressure again forces the valve upwardly closing port I1 and beginning the cycle of operation over. It will be apparent that by suitably adjusting the strength of spring I! to the formation pressure,- the amount of head of oil which can be what is claimed as new and useful and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Anvintermittent flow device for an oil well tubing string comprising. a section of tubing adapted to be connected in the string of tubing having a valve seat arranged in its interior and containing circumferential ports in its walls, a

valve slidable in said section adapted to control the flow of fluid throughsaid section of tubing normally urging said valve to its closed position.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which saidvalve is provided with a longitudinal passage having a closure which opens under less formation pressure than said valve.

3. An intermittent flow device for an oil well tubing string comprising a section of tubing adapted to be connected in the string of tubing, the interior of said section being of smaller diameter in a median portion than at its ends, a perforated plate laterally arranged in said small diameter portion, said section having longitudinal walls extending a short distance on' one side of said plate, a valve in said section arranged to seat on said perforated plate and having a smaller diameter portion slidable in the reduced diameter portion of said section, a larger diameter slidable in the enlarged portion of said section and an intermediate portion, passages connecting said intermediate portion to the enlarged diameter end of said valve, circumferential ports arranged in said section to be exposed when said valve is seated and to be covered by said valve when it is moved away from its seat, and means for normally urging said valve to its seat.

4. A device in accordance withclaim 3 in which the valve is provided with a longitudinal passage controlled by a ball valve.

EDWARD E. PEAKEV

Images