WO2021262703A1

WO2021262703A1 - Electric flow control valve

Info

Publication number: WO2021262703A1
Application number: PCT/US2021/038459
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alain Guelat; Oguzhan Guven; Brad Swenson; Eric Grandgirard; Steve WATTELLE; Charley Martinez; Thomas EVRARD; Cassius ELSTON; Ali BIN ALSHEIKH
Original assignee: Schlumberger Canada Ltd; Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA; Schlumberger Technology BV; Schlumberger Technology Corp
Current assignee: Schlumberger Canada Ltd; Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA; Schlumberger Technology BV; Schlumberger Technology Corp
Priority date: 2020-06-22
Filing date: 2021-06-22
Publication date: 2021-12-30
Anticipated expiration: 2022-12-22

Abstract

A flow control valve including an electro-mechanical actuator and an external sleeve or piston is provided.

Description

ELECTRIC FLOW CONTROL VALVE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. The present application claims priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/042,292, filed June 22, 2020, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein and should be considered part of this specification.

BACKGROUND

Field

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to flow control valves, and more particularly to fully electric flow control valves.

Description of the Related Art

[0003] Oil and gas wells can include one or more downhole flow control valves (FCVs). FCVs can control the flow of fluid (e.g., hydrocarbons) from the exterior of the FCV to the interior of the FCV and into the production tubing string and/or the flow of fluid (e.g., injection fluid) from the interior of the FCV to the exterior of the FCV. FCVs operate via actuation means such as hydraulic, electric, and/or wireless technologies, or combinations thereof, and may not require mechanical intervention.

SUMMARY

[0004] In general, a system and methodology are provided for facilitating flow control downhole. In some configurations, a flow control valve has an external piston. An electrically powered actuator is coupled to the flow control valve and connected to the external piston via a linkage. The electrically powered actuator responds to electrical inputs to shift the external piston to desired flow positions of the flow control valve. The actuator can be an electro-mechanical actuator (EM A).

[0005] The flow control valve can be mounted along a well tubing and have a flow area equivalent to an internal cross-sectional area of the well tubing. The actuator can include a motor, a gearbox, and a drive shaft. The motor, gearbox, and drive shaft can be disposed or aligned along a longitudinal axis. The external piston can be disposed or aligned along the longitudinal axis. Translational movement of the drive shaft can cause translational movement of the external piston.

[0006] Bypass lines can extend longitudinally and be disposed external of the external piston. The flow control valve can include a housing configured to house and protect the bypass lines.

[0007] The flow control valve can include a contingency system. The flow control valve can include a housing and a choke sleeve disposed external to the housing and comprising one or more ports, the external piston disposed external to the choke sleeve. The contingency system can include a contingency secondary sleeve disposed within the housing and a contingency flow port extending through a wall of the housing. In the case of flow control valve failure, the contingency secondary sleeve is configured to be shifted to cover and block flow through the ports of the choke sleeve and configured to be shifted to selectively cover and uncover the contingency flow port.

[0008] In some embodiments, a flow control valve includes a housing; a choke sleeve disposed external to the housing; a piston movably disposed external to the housing and choke sleeve to adjust flow through the flow control valve; an electrically powered actuator; and a linkage coupling the actuator to the piston such that movement of the actuator causes movement of the piston. The actuator can be an electro-mechanical actuator (EMA).

[0009] The actuator can include a motor, a gearbox, and a drive shaft disposed or aligned along a longitudinal axis. The piston can be disposed or aligned along the longitudinal axis. Translational movement of the drive shaft can cause translational movement of the piston.

[0010] The flow control valve can include a contingency secondary sleeve disposed within the housing and a contingency flow port extending through a wall of the housing. In the case of flow control valve failure, the contingency secondary sleeve is configured to be shifted to cover and block flow through ports of the choke sleeve and configured to be shifted to selectively cover and uncover the contingency flow port.

[0011] A method of operating the flow control valve can include operating the actuator to cause translational movement of a drive shaft of the actuator, translational movement of the drive shaft causing translational movement of the piston to selectively adjust flow through the flow control valve. The method can further include, in the event of flow control valve failure, shifting a contingency secondary sleeve disposed within the housing to cover and block flow through ports in the choke sleeve. The method can further include shifting the contingency secondary sleeve to selectively cover and uncover a contingency flow port in the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0012] 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.

[0013] Figure 1 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view and a side view of an example flow control valve.

[0014] Figure 2 shows a partial longitudinal cross-section of the flow control valve of Figure 1.

[0015] Figure 3 show a partial perspective view of the flow control valve of Figure 1.

[0016] Figure 4 shows a partial longitudinal cross-section of an example flow control valve.

[0017] Figure 5 shows an example traditional choke section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] The present disclosure provides systems and methods to facilitate flow control downhole. In some configurations, such systems and/or methods include a high flow rate, fully electric flow control valve (FCV). In other words, FCVs according to the present disclosure may include no hydraulic components.

[0021] In subsea fields, hydraulic flow control valves utilize the infrastructure on the seabed to handle and distribute pressurized hydraulic fluid to each well head and each hydraulic control line. In conventional systems, this functionality represents a substantial cost and complexity for the subsea infrastructure, the umbilical, and the surface platform or FPSO. Removing the need to handle pressurized hydraulic fluid can lead to substantial reduction in cost of the subsea infrastructure.

[0022] A fully electric downhole flow control system helps overcome both of these limitations especially when other (traditionally hydraulically operated) equipment in the well is converted to full electric as well (e.g., the safety valve). A high number of electrically powered flow control devices can be connected on a single electrical cable, thus using just one penetrator at the wellhead. Electrical power it is used to operate such a completion system, simplifying greatly the system on the seabed and potentially also simplifying the umbilical to the production facility.

[0023] A valve providing a flow area equivalent to the tubing inner cross-sectional area is referred to as a “Full Bore” valve. Traditional hydraulic full bore valves have an internal piston to control the amount of opening and flow through a choke. Given the size of the piston, sealing systems and bearings around the piston, substantial loads may be used to operate such a valve by overcoming the amount of friction generated by the dynamic and choke seals. Hydraulically operated valves can easily provide the desired load via a high hydraulic supply pressure and a large piston area. Converting such valves to an electric drive poses some challenges as the load provided by an electromechanical actuator is usually lower than what can be delivered by traditional hydraulic FCVs.

[0024] FCVs according to the present disclosure can include an actuator 200, such as an electro-mechanical actuator (EMA), and an external sleeve or piston 204. The FCV can be actuated via translational movement or motion of the external sleeve or piston 204. The EMA or other actuator 200 can be mounted or coupled externally to the valve. The actuator 200 can be coupled (e.g., physically or operably coupled) to the external piston 204. Designs according to the present disclosure can advantageously maximize the flow area and be operated electrically.

[0025] Full bore FCVs may rely on a sleeve or piston moving back and forth, e.g., up or down, to open or close hydraulic flow ports that selectively place the annulus (e.g., an area outside of the tubing) and the tubing in fluid communication. The actuation mechanism and position indexing mechanism of the FCV may be located in an upper section of the FCV. Choking (or flow control) and sealing mechanisms and functions of the FCV are located and performed at the choke section. Figure 5 shows a choke 100 of a traditional FCV having an internal piston. As shown, the choke 100 may include a sleeve 102, which can be made of or include a hard material for erosion resistance, for example, carbide, and an inner piston 104, which in operation closes and/or opens ports 106 of the sleeve 102. The piston 104 and sleeve 102 are disposed in a choke housing 108. The choke also includes a seal stack 110 sealing off the valve when the piston 104 is in the closed position.

[0026] In FCVs according to the present disclosure, instead of inner piston 104, the FCV sleeve 204 is disposed external to (e.g., radially or circumferentially external to) the choke sleeve 102. In FCVs according to the present disclosure, the choke sleeve 102 can be disposed outside (radially or circumferentially outside) the housing 108, for example as shown in Figure 2, with the FCV sleeve or external piston 204 disposed outside (radially or circumferentially outside) the choke sleeve 102. An isolation seal 112 can be disposed between (radially between) the housing 108 and the FCV sleeve 204. As shown, the isolation seal 112 can be positioned uphole or downstream of the choke sleeve 102.

[0027] Figures 1-3 show an example FCV according to the present disclosure. In FCVs according to the present disclosure, a section, for example, an upper section, of the flow control valve may be modified to house an electrical actuator 200, for example as shown in Figure 1. The actuator 200 can be or include an electro-mechanical actuator (EMA). The EMA receives electrical power as input, e.g., from one or more electrical cables, and converts the electrical power into a translating movement. The actuator 200 or EMA includes an electric motor, a gear box or reducer, and a screw, drive shaft 202, or axial rod. The actuator 200, e.g., the drive shaft 202, can be coupled (e.g., physically or operably coupled) to the FCV sleeve 204 via a linkage mechanism 300. Translational movement of the drive shaft thereby causes translational movement of the external FCV sleeve 204 to open and/or close (e.g., selective uncover and/or cover) ports 106 in the choke sleeve 102. The housing 108 includes one or more ports underlying or aligned with the ports 106 of the choke sleeve 102. When the sleeve 204 is shifted to uncover one or more ports 106 of the choke sleeve 102, fluid can flow through the ports 106 and underlying port(s) of the housing. In Figure 1, the linkage mechanism 300 includes a nut connection to the sleeve. Other linkage mechanisms 300 are also possible.

[0028] FCVs according to the present disclosure can have an in-line design with the motor, gearbox, and drive shaft 202 or axial rod disposed or aligned along the same longitudinal or axial axis. The external sleeve 204 is in line with the EMA rod or drive shaft 202, or disposed or aligned along the same longitudinal axis.

[0029] In some configurations, for example as shown in Figure 4, the housing 108 is in two parts, 108a, 108b. The housing parts 108a, 108b can be coupled, e.g., screwed, together. In some configurations, a sleeve, for example, sleeve 109 in Figure 4, can help protect the choke sleeve against erosion. The sleeve 109 can be coupled, e.g., screwed or otherwise coupled, to either or both of the housing parts 108a, 108b. As shown, the sleeve 109 can be disposed internal to (e.g., radially or circumferentially inside of) the housing 108, 108a, 108b. In some configurations, the sleeve 109 is made of or includes carbide.

[0030] Bypass lines can be disposed and/or pass outside (e.g., radially or circumferentially outside of) the FCV sleeve 204. The bypass lines can be protected, for example, in a housing 118, for example as shown in Figures 1 and 3. In some configurations, the FCV includes bearing rings to promote smooth translation of the sleeve 204 to help balance possible eccentric load (e.g., due to the positioning of the actuator 200 external to and/or on one side of the FCV). The FCV can include a spring-loaded protective cover 310 for the seals, for example as shown in Figure 1. A cover portion for the spring can include a flow window 312 for contingency flow. The housing 108 can include a corresponding contingency flow port 314 underlying the flow window 312.

[0031] In some configurations, the FCV includes an integrated contingency system. For example, the FCV can include a contingency secondary sleeve 320, which may include a shifting profile 322. If the FCV fails in some way (e.g., the actuator 200 fails and/or the FCV sleeve 204 becomes stuck), an intervention tool can be introduced. The intervention tool may latch onto the contingency secondary sleeve 320, for example, via the shifting profile 322. The contingency secondary sleeve 320 can be shifted (e.g., upwards or uphole) to cover and block fluid flow through the ports 106 of the choke sleeve 102. The contingency secondary sleeve 320 can be shifted (e.g., while still covering the ports 106) to selectively cover and/or uncover the contingency flow port 314 and flow window 312 to block and/or allow fluid flow between the tubing and annulus. A collet 316 can be disposed about a portion of the contingency secondary sleeve 320. The collet 316 can help selectively lock and unlock the contingency secondary sleeve 320, e.g., relative to the housing 108. One or more seals 318 can disposed between (e.g., radially between) the contingency secondary sleeve 320 and the housing 108.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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. A system for use in a well, comprising: a flow control valve having an external piston; and an electrically powered actuator mounted to the flow control valve and connected to the external piston via a linkage, the electrically powered actuator responding to electrical inputs to shift the external piston to desired flow positions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrically powered actuator comprises an electro-mechanical actuator (EMA).

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow control valve is mounted along a well tubing, the flow control valve having a flow area equivalent to an internal cross-sectional area of the well tubing.

4. The system of claim 1, the actuator comprising a motor, a gearbox, and a drive shaft.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the motor, gearbox, and drive shaft are disposed or aligned along a longitudinal axis.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the external piston is disposed or aligned along the longitudinal axis.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein translational movement of the drive shaft causes translational movement of the external piston.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising bypass lines extending longitudinally and disposed external of the external piston.

9. The system of claim 8, the flow control valve comprising a housing configured to house and protect the bypass lines.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a contingency system.

11. The system of claim 10, the flow control valve comprising a housing, a choke sleeve disposed external to the housing and comprising one or more ports, and the external piston disposed external to the choke sleeve, the contingency system comprising a contingency secondary sleeve disposed within the housing and a contingency flow port extending through a wall of the housing, wherein in the case of flow control valve failure, the contingency secondary sleeve is configured to be shifted to cover and block flow through the ports of the choke sleeve and configured to be shifted to selectively cover and uncover the contingency flow port.

12. A flow control valve comprising: a housing; a choke sleeve disposed external to the housing; a piston movably disposed external to the housing and choke sleeve to adjust flow through the flow control valve; an electrically powered actuator; and a linkage coupling the actuator to the piston such that movement of the actuator causes movement of the piston.

13. The flow control valve of claim 12, the actuator comprising an electro-mechanical actuator.

14. The flow control valve of claim 12, the actuator comprising a motor, a gearbox, and a drive shaft disposed or aligned along a longitudinal axis.

15. The flow control valve of claim 14, wherein the piston is disposed or aligned along the longitudinal axis.

16. The flow control valve of claim 14, wherein translational movement of the drive shaft causes translational movement of the piston.

17. The flow control valve of claim 12, further comprising a contingency secondary sleeve disposed within the housing and a contingency flow port extending through a wall of the housing, wherein in the case of flow control valve failure, the contingency secondary sleeve is configured to be shifted to cover and block flow through ports of the choke sleeve and configured to be shifted to selectively cover and uncover the contingency flow port.

18. A method of operating the flow control valve of claim 12, the method comprising: operating the actuator to cause translational movement of a drive shaft of the actuator, translational movement of the drive shaft causing translational movement of the piston to selectively adjust flow through the flow control valve.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising in the event of flow control valve failure, shifting a contingency secondary sleeve disposed within the housing to cover and block flow through ports in the choke sleeve.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising shifting the contingency secondary sleeve to selectively cover and uncover a contingency flow port in the housing.