Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1 VALVE
Background
This invention pertains Jo valves and in particular to a
dual valve device utilizing a sleeve valve coupled to a ball
valve, a pressure differential sensor, and a valve positioner
and operator.
Prior Art
When drilling or operating earth wells, it is highly desire
able to have apparatus in the well which may operate to main-
lain pressure control and prevent "blowouts" by closing offal outflow near the producing formation and providing means
to introduce heavy fluid into the well to "kill" the well.
One such system is shown on p. 813 of the Thea revision of
the "Composite Catalog of Oilield Equipment and Services" and
described as a "block-kill" system. This system requires
numerous Donnelly devices such as a block-kill actuator, an
actuator mandrel, control line, and a block-Xill valve which
are operated by additional surface pumping equipment pressure
required to apply pressure to the well annuls at the surface.
JO A complicated system with fragile parts of this type could not
be depended on to remain operable over long periods when used
in well drill pipe as drill pipe is subjected to frequent
impact, compression, tensile, tonguing, and combination loads
while drilling.
The valve of the present invention replaces all the nut
Myers devices required in the above described system and
operates automatically to close formation outflow and open wall
flow passages to allow killing fluid to be pumped in. The
invention device houses in owe rugged unit, which may be in-
0 eluded in well tubing or drill pipe, a ball valve coupled to a yip
-i-
I 37~
1 sleeve valve, an annuls pressure sensor a lock positioning
the sleeve valve closed, closing the wall flow passages above
the ball valve to annuls inflow and positioning the coupled
ball valve open to flow through the housing. As the valve is
positioned in this position, an operating spring is compressed
to furnish operating force.
- The valve is then run to the desired depth in the wall and
when annuls pressure outside the valve exceeds housing through
- flow passage pressure inside the valve by a preset amount, the
sensor unlocks the positioning lock releasing the compressed
spring to close the ball valve closing of formation flow, and
opening the sleeve valve and wall flow passages to flow pumped
in from the well annuls to kill the well.
A main ball valve device of the type shown in US. Patent
No. 4,140,153 to Deacon, is utilized in the present invention.
The ball valve could be of the type disclosed in US. Patent
No. 4,289~165 to Freed or, like the prior art, a flapper type
valve could be utilized.
The sensor in one embodiment ox the present invention is a
JO ping loaded di~erential piston which is moved by treater
pressure outside the dual valve to compress a spring and
operate a collect type lock positioning device,
The sensor in another embodiment is a number of recharged
bellows which react to pressure outside the valve and operate a
ratchet type positioning lock
Both embodiments of the invention valve may be reset to
operate repeatedly while in place in the well.
An object of this invention is to provide an improved block
and kill valve which is simple and rugged enough to be used in
well drilling pipe.
Another object is to provide an improved block and kill
valve which automatically operates when preset annuls pipe
pressure differentials are present.
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l Also, an object of this invention is to provide an improved
bloc and kill valve wherein operating pressures may be preset.
An object of this invention is also to provide an improved
block and kill valve which may be reset to operate repeatedly
without retrieving from the well.
Brief Drawing Description
inure l (A and B) is an elevation Al view of an embodiment
of the invention dual valve, half sectioned showing the valves
positioned to operate during and after installation in a well.
Figure 2 PA and By is of the valve of Figure l after opt
oration.
inure 3 to and By shows another embodiment of the dual
valve of the present invention in elevation half sectioned,
wherein the two valves are positioned to operate.
Figure 4 shows the valve of Figure 3 after operation.
Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the lock mocha-
noisome of the embodiment of Figure 3 in the locked position.
Figure is a fragmentary enlarged view of the lock mocha-
noisome of the embodiment of Pyre 3 in the unlocked position.
ion of the Preferred Embodiments
Referring now to Figure l showing the dual valve 10, locked
in position for installation in a well, whereon is provided an
appropriate top Connection 11 and bottom connection 12 for con-
netting the valve 10 into a well pipe string Jo be lowered into
a well An internal profile 13 is provided in upper connector
14. The upper end of operator tube 15 is slid ably received in
upper connector bore 16. A downward facing shoulder lea is
provided on operator tube 15 to compress operating spring 17,
and a longitudinal bore and flow passage 15~ is provided there-
through. Upper connector 14 is connected Jo upper housing 18
I n
1 at thread 19 and sealed thereto with seal 20. Housing 18 is
provided with internal shoulder 21 on opposite sides of which
press operator spring 17 and piston spring 22. The lower end
of piston spring 22 presses through rink 23 on the upper end of
sensor piston 24. A seal 25 is provided in internal should
26 in lower housing 27 slid ably sealing piston 24 to housing
27. At least one port aye is provided in housing 27; A Neal
28 is also provided for sealing upper housing to lower
housing 27 above their connecting threads 29. Another seal 30
I in sensor piston I slid ably seals it to the outside of opt
orator tube 15. An internal bore 31 is provided in the lower
end of piston 24 and groove 32 is formed in the outside of
operator tube 15. Collect 33 with arm lug portions 34 is in-
stalled over the upper end of insert 35 and retained thereon by
set screws 36. Seal 37 slid~bly seals insert 35 to operating
tube 15~ Lower connector 38 is connected to lower housing 27
at threads 39 and sealed to insert 35 with seal 40. At least
one port 41 is provided in operating tube 15. A chamfered
shoulder I is formed on the lower end of insert 35~ engage able
by secondary valve surface aye Wormed on seat member. Seat
member 43 is connected to operator tube 15 at threads 44.
The construction and operation of ball valve device 45~
housed in lower connection 38, is described in US. Patent No.
4,140,153. The Hall valve device 45 includes shoulder 42, seat
member 43, control arms 46 fitted lo ball member 47 on frame
48, seat 43b formed on the lower end of seat member 43, and
shoulder 49 in lower connector 38.
Figure 3 shows another embodiment of the invention valve 50
utilizing a pair of bellows 51 with lower ends joined to body
connector 52. The upper ends of bellows 51 are joined to rink
53. Ring 53 is secured to latch tube 54 with screws 55 when
bellows 51 are in slots 56 provided for the bellows in latch
tube 54. Bellows 51 and ring 53 may be gas pressure charged
1 internally by loosening screw seals 57, opening passages 58 to
admit pressured gas into bellows 51 and rink passage aye, and
tightening seals 57 to seal the charge in the bellows and past
sages. Slots 59 are cut near the lower end of latch tube 54
through which paws 60 may engage teeth 61 on operating tube 65
(see also Figures 5 and 6). Paws 60 are positioned in opposed
slots 62 in the lower end of body connector 52 and are retained
by and pivot around pins 63. Cramming surfaces I and 66 are
formed at either end of slots 59 to cam paws 60 into and out
of engagement with teeth 61. The lower end of latch tube 54 is
enlarged to extend gemming surface 66. A longitudinal wow
passage 67 is provided through operating tube 65. An operating
spring 68 biases operator tube 65 upwardly. At least one port
69 is provided in tube 65. A seal 70 slid ably seals tube 65 in
connector 72. At least one port 71 is provided in lower
housing 73.
zither embodiment of the present invention may be preferred
by a well operator depending on conditions in a particular well
To utilize the embodiment of this invention shown in
Figures 1 and 2, the dual valve 10, if not in sunning and
operating position shown in Figure 1, is placed in positron on
the surface by pushing down on the upper end of operating tube
15, to move operating tube 15 downwardly (disengaging valve aye
from shoulder 42~, compressing spring 17, rotating ball valve
45 to open flow passage 15b to flow while moving pouts 41 below
seal 37 to close flow through ports 41. When groove 32 on tube
15 is opposite lugs 34~ spring force in the collect arms 33
moves lugs 34 into groove 32 and compressed spring moves
ring 23 and piston 24 down and bore 31 over lugs 34 to lock
lugs 34 in groove 32 and operator tube 15 and the valve 10 in
running and operating position.
The valve lo is then connected into a well tub string and
lowered to desired depth in the well. As ball valve 45 is
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1 open, two-way willful may occur freely through flow-passage
15b, and no flow may occur through ports 41 as they are below
seal 37. In the event pressure in the well annuls outside the
valve 10 acting through ports aye on the sealed differential
piston area between the inside of seal 30 and the outside of
seal 25 produces an upward force on piston 24 sufficient to
overcome the combined downward forces of compressed spring 22
and force produced by pressure in flow passage 15b acting down
on sealed differential piston area from the outside of seal 25
to the inside of seal I piston 24 moves up compressing spring
22. The rate of spring 22 may be preselected to determine a
desired pressure difference between well tube pressure in valve
flow passage 15b and greater well annuls pressure outside of
valve 10 to move piston 24 up. Upward movement of piston 24
continues until bore 31 is above the upper end of lugs 34 us-
locking lugs 34 to be moved out ox groove 32. compressed
spring 17 maintains an upward bias on operating tube 15 surf-
fishnet to cam lugs 34 outward from groove 32 with cam surface
aye, releasing the tube 15 to be moved up until ports 41 are
above seal 37 and in pressure communication with ports aye, and
ball valve 45 has rotated to close flow passage 15b and well
outflow (Figure 2). If required, fluid may ye pumped down the
well annuls through ports aye and 41 into flow passage 15b and
up in the well tube to a level sufficient to overcome well
I pressure on the lower side ox the closed ball valve I
"killing" the well.
o reposition the valve 10 to operating position, reopening
ball valve 45 and losing ports 41 tug flow an appropriate tool
may be lowered in the well tube to contact the upper end of
operator tube 15 and push it down to reposition valve 10 in
socked operating position.
To utilize the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, bellows
I are pressure charged to a predetermined pressure which will.
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87C~
1 automatically operate the dual valve 50 when pressure outside
the valve is slightly greater than pressure in bellows 51. if
valve 50 is in the operated position as shown in Figure 4, it -
must be repositioned to run and operate position as shown in
Figure 3 by pushing down on the upper end to move operator tube
`65 down, "ratcheting'l teeth 64 by paws 60, compressing spring
68, moving ports 69 below seal 70, and rotating ball valve 45
open. The pressure charge in bellows 51 maintains the bellows
extended and exerting a constant upward pull on latch tube 54~
Cam surfaces 66 on tube 54 are constantly urging paws 60 into
engagement with teeth 64 on tube 65. Operator tub 65, there-
fore, is automatically locked in down position by paws 60
engaging a tooth 64 (see figure 5). Ports 69 are now below
seal 70 and closed to flow, and ball valve 45 is open for flow
through flow passage 67, as shown in Figure 3. The valve 50 is
then connected into a well tube and lowered into the well to
the desired depth. When well annuls pressure outside the
valve 50, acting through ports 71 in housing 73 up through
clearances between outside latch tube So and inside housing 73
20 ` and connector 52, overcomes the pressure charge in bellows 51,
the well annuls pressure compresses and shortens the bellows
and moves latch tube 54 down. Cam surfaces 66 are mowed out of
engagement with paws 60 and cam surfaces 64 contact and cam
paws 60 around pins 63 out of engagement with teeth 61 [Figure
6), unlocking tube 65 to be moved up by compressed spring 68.
Upward movement of tube 65 moves ports 69 above seal 70 and
rotates ball valve 45. Valve 45 has closed flow passage 67 to
up flow and ports 69 are above seals I and open to flow through
ports 71 into and up flow passage 67 as shown in Figure 4.
An appropriate tool may later Ballard in the well tube
to engage the upper end of and move operating tube I down no-
positioning the dual valve 50 for repeated operation.
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