US1884549A - Stage lift flowing device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 25, 1932. BOYNTQN 1,884,549

STAGE LIFT FLOWING DEVICE Filed Oct. 19 1927 INVENTOR Aierander B yn n ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES ALEXANDER IBOYNTON, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS STAGE LIFT FLOWIING DEVICE Application filed October 19, 1927. Serial No. 227,801.

An object of this invention is to provide flowing" apparatus for the liquid in a well that will not flow of its own accord, the introduction of the motive fluid," whether that be compressed gas or air, being governed by a valve device which constitutes the particular invention herein disclosed, and which is an improvementon an application for patent,

filed May 17, 1927, Serial Number 192,049, particular reference being made to Figures 13, 14, and 19 of that application, attention being directed also to Patent 1,806,872, May 26 1931, of Alexander Boynton.

lteference is made to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one of the valve devices constructed to suit the purposes of what is later identified as the tubing method,

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the adaptation of the valve device to what is later known as the casing method,

Fig. 3 is a detail cross section on the line ,33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the throttle bushing,

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the improved plunger used with each of the foregoing forms of the valve device.

It is fundamental in this, as well as all preceding and subsequent applications concerning the elevation or propulsion of liquid from a well, which-liquid cannot flow of its own accord or does not flow at the desired rate, that the volume of the motive fluid is diminished as the differential increases. The differential function is peculiar to the valve device, but the function of the valve device does not end with the automatic diminution of the stream of motive fluid, for, conversely, as thedifferential decreases, the valve device drops back to again admitmotive fluid thus applying a fresh impulse to the wavering liquid column and keeping the latter in the desired motion. The term differential cham there is a plurality of tubings coupled by similar valve bodies 2. The tubing string is situated in the well casing 3 in which itis suspended from a casing-head at thetop (not shown). Provision is made at the bottom for an appropriate liquid intake nipple (not shown).

A lateral enlargement 4 provides the necessary material in which the plunger and spring chambers 5 and'6 are formed. These ers are connected by a reduced bore 26, the merging point of which with the plunger chamber 5 is beveled at 7 to form the upper seat for what is commonly knownand identified as a difi'erential plunger (Fig. 5).

- A horizontal discharge port 9 aflords communication between the reduced bore 26 and the conduit 10 of the valve body 2 (Fig. 1). It may be observed, in passing, that the internal diameter of the conduit is the same as the internal diameter of the tubing sections 1, the result being a uniform and perfectly alining passageway for the liquid to be elevated. The bore 11 of the hollow plug 12 which is screwed into the lower threaded entremity of the chamber 5 afiords a lower seat for the differential plunger 8. A plug is screwed into the threaded upper extremity of the chamber 6, and is capable of'adjustment in order to vary the tension of the spring 14. The function of the latter is to tend, to keep the differential plunger in proximity of the lower seat without engaging the same. The plug 13 in practice has a screwdriver slot by which the foregoing adjustment is easily made.

Fixed in the plunger chamber 5.is a relatively thin. sleeve .15 herein known as the throttle bushing. This bushing ordinarily is ressed in position within the chamber 5. It is noted that the bushing has a number of small peripheral grooves 16 (Fig. 4). These are designed for the purpose of retaining litharge or some other similar substance into which the bushing is dipped prior to introduction into the chamber 5. The slight accumulations of litharge, or the like, aid in holding the throttle bushing in permanent position. While pressing the throttle bushing in place the contraction will sometimes cause the internal diameter of the bushing to become reduced, and inasmuch as this diameter is extremely important, down to onethousandth of an inch, a reamer is run through the bushing after the latter is in final osition in order that the exact gauge may e obtained.

It may be explained, in passing, that the provision of the throttle bushing by virtue of the introduction of an independent sleeve is not necessarily adhered to, for, in practice, the more expensive and probably more inconvenient mode of reaming out the chamber 5 above and below the respective ends of what is herein known as the bushing, may be resorted to. The use of the bushing is regarded as preferable, for the present at least, because of the relative simplicity of the mode of introduction. I

A special construction of the differential plunger 8 results in what is herein regarded as a new effect in the control of the motive fluid, (compressed air or gas). In construction the plunger comprises a head 17 the up. per edge of which is beveled at 18 to co-act with the upper seat 7. Succeeding the head 17 is the straight and reduced section or neck 19 which joins the tapered or outwardly arced body of the plunger. The taper is indicated at 20 and is outwardly rounded or convex in nature, the radius of the are being relatively long. I

The tapered body merges with a lower straight section 21, this in turn, being rounded oil at 22 to constitutea lower head which is engageable with the lower seat at the bore 11. 'A central recess 23 receives the axial end 24 of the spring 14. This recess is drilled to such depth thatthe distance from the bottom of the recess to the bottom of .the

' plunger is less than one-half the diameter of the plunger. {The purpose of so drilling the recess is toavoid what might aptly be termed a knee-action which would result between the plunger and the lower projection of the spring should'the contact between the two be at a point abovethe bottom of the plunger a distance greaterthan one-half the diameter. of the plunger. This contact between spring and plunger when at a point as indicated, causes the by-passing pressure fluid to hold the plunger perfectly central in its chamber.

The operation is readily understood. The action of this, as well as all preceding and succeeding flowing devices of the nature now proposed, depends on what is known as the pressure differential upon opposite ends of the plunger 8, in other words, inside and out-- side of the valve apparatus. A full understanding of the meaning of this term is to be gained by consultation of application No. 1, Serial No. 181,144, but for a brief understanding, is described as follows:

The reader may regard the liquid between the tubing string 1 and the casing 3, as standing ata common level, and then assume the application of motive fluid to the casing liquid. The introduction of said motive fluid into the casing will raise a column of the liquid within the tubing string. The pressure of the motive fluid against the lower end of the plunger 8 is considered as constant, but the back pressure upon the upper head 17 of the plunger, by virtue of the rising liquid level within the tubing string, is variable.

Consider the condition of superior motive fluid pressure against the lower head 22 with the result of a lifting of the differential plunger and an introduction of said fluid into the liquid column. The gasification of the liquid column lightens the liquid and produces an upward movement. A stage will he arrived at where the weight of the liquid column above the plunger and the back pressure thereof against the upper head 17 will closely approximate the fluid pressure against the lower head of the plunger.

This condition can be visualized by considering a fluid pressure of-250 lbs. and a liquid back pressure of 240 lbs. resulting in a differential of 10 lbs. (neglecting the weight of the differential plunger). This low differential indicates a slow movement of the liquid column, the combined back pressure of the liquid upon the head 17 and the pressure of the spring 14 serving to urge the plunger away from seating engagement from the upper seat 7, permitting a fresh impulse of pres tapering'plunger body 20 into the throttle bushing 15.

The taper 20 of the plunger bodyrostricts the volume of by-passing pressure fluid as theincreasing differential causes the plunger 8 to rise and compress the spring. It is essential that the foregoing taper 20 must act faster than the increasing pressure, that is pressure fluid is admitted at a low diflerential, as explained before, at which time the plunger is at what might be described as an unseated position both in respect to the seat 7 and the throttle bushing 15, and a complete seal-ofl' is obtained at a high pressure differ ential when the upper head 17 is held against the seat 7 by the superior fluid pressure in the casing 3.

The differential at which the plunger 8 will seal-oil against the seat 7 is determined by the tension of the spring 14, and as .alread explained, the tension of. the latter is regu ated by the adjustable plug 13. Ohviously, to decrease the sealing-01f differential the plug 13 must be unscrewed, wherea to increase the sealing-off difi'erential the plug 13 must be screwed downward. I

It is not desired that the spring action should ever force the bottom of the plunger 8 in contact with its seat in the top of the plug 12. There is always provided a certain amount oi free movement of the plunger between the bottom end of the spring projection and the top of plug 12. This free movement is provided in order that a very slight differential will lift the plunger and provide the greatest by-passing area between the plunger and the throttle bushing 15, thereby to admit the largest volume of motive fluid needed at this time when the diflerential is slight, and the upward movement of the liquid column slow.

Mention has been made of the fact that the so-called taper 20 is of outwardly arced or convex formation. It is this outward arcing of the plunger that provides the control means for regulating the admission of bypassing motive fluid in such manner as to provide for the greatest impulse of applied energy and lowest differential, and the gradually diminishing volume of applied energy as the diflerential increases to the point where the upper plunger end or seat 18 seals-off. This sealing-oil occurs at a time when the highest liquid velocity occurs in the tubing string due to the then existing differential.

All of the foregoing description concerns the modification in Fig. 1 which is according to what is known as the tubing method. This is nothing more than the application of motive fluid pressure to the liquid in the well casing 3 resulting in adischarge of the liquid from the tubing strings 1. Figure 2 discloses a slight modification for the elevation of the liquid by what is to be known as the casing method, the liquid bein elevated from the well casing by application of fluid pressure thereto through the tubing string.

The horizontal part 9 afiords communication between the reduced bore 26 and the well casing (rather than with the conduit 10,

as in Fig. ll while the intake bore 25 afl'ords communication between the conduit 10 and the valve chamber 5 rather than with the well casing, as in Fig; 1. .The reader will readily see that fluid pressure within the tubing string will have the same eflectupon liquid in the well casing as resulted from the application of fluid pressure from the well casing upon liquid in the tubing string. The principal elements are identical, and similar reference numerals are used to identify them without a repetition of the description.

1. A valve for well flowing apparatus comprising a body having a passage with a seat adjoining each end, a constriction intermediate the seats, and a plunger operable in the passage having a neck extending through the constriction with a tapering body co-acting with one part of the constriction, and heads at the extremities of the plunger co-acting with the adjoining seats to closethe passage at the extremities of high and low pressure differentials at one side of the valve body.

2. A valve comprising a body having a passage with a seat adjoining each end, a sleeve situated inthe passage defining a constriction, a plunger *movably located in the passage and sleeve having a tapering body co-acting with one edge of the sleeve, and a neck extending past the opposite edge of the sleeve, and heads at the extremities of the plunger to co-act with the adjoining seats.

3. A valve comprising a body having a passage with a seat adjoining each end, means situated in the passage defining a constriction, and a plunger operable in the passage comprising a neck and an arced formation extending in opposite directions from a point within the constriction when the plunger is in its lowermost position, a straight-sided section at the terminus of the arced forma-.

tion, and heads surmounting said section and neck for co-action with the respective seats. 4. A valve comprising a body having fluid and spring chambers connected by a bore which has a port, means defining a constriction in the fluid chamber, a plunger which is operable in the fluid chamber and through the constriction, the plunger being of a formation to progressively vary thevolumeof fluid flowing through the constriction as the plunger moves in either direction, said plunger having a central recess, and a spring situated in the spring chamber, having an'end passing through the bore and into the recess tending to resist movement of the plunger in one direction.

5. A valve comprising a body having a bore with a port and spring and fluid chamchamber having seats at' opposite ends, a

plunger operable in the fluid chamber, having heads at opposite ends to co-act with the 1 seats and having a central recess extending to a depth such that the distance from the bottom of the recess to the end of an adjoining head is less than one-half the diameter of the plunger, and a spring situated in the spring chamber having an axial end extending into the recess, keeping the plunger central in its chamber and tending to resist movement of the plunger in one direction under the influence of fluid pressure.

ALEXANDER BOYNTON.

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