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US 10,378,302 B2Granted
Drop ball sizing apparatus and method
AssigneeGlobal Core Technologies Corp.
InventorsRobert Sinkewich, Joseph Watmough, Nigel Halladay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for measuring the size of a round object. Apparatus and methods for checking that a drop ball used in a well fracturing process has a predetermined diameter before being introduced into the wellbore.
Claims37
An apparatus for introducing a drop ball into a wellbore, the apparatus comprising:
- an inlet;
- an outlet that can be placed in fluid communication with both the inlet and the wellbore;
- a measuring chamber interposing the inlet and the outlet;
- a ball release support positioned to initially support the drop ball within the measuring chamber and actuable to allow the drop ball to move from the measuring chamber to the wellbore via the outlet;
- a measuring piston actuable to contact an edge of the drop ball within the measuring chamber;
- and
- a measuring unit for measuring a displacement of the measuring piston between an initial position of the measuring piston and a point where the measuring piston contacts the edge of the drop ball within the measuring chamber to measure a diameter of the drop ball.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.