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US 10,947,814 B2Granted
Pilot controlled actuation valve system
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsEdward George Parkin, Michael Pearce, Julien Steimetz, Jonathan D. Marshall, D. Peter Johnson, Clint William Philbrick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tool, e.g. a downhole tool, utilizes at least one actuator which may be actuated rapidly between positions during operation of the tool. The actuator is moved via flow of an actuating fluid controlled by a main valve which, in turn, is controlled via a pilot valve. The pilot valve is operated to selectively control flow of the actuating fluid to the main valve so as to shift the main valve between desired operational positions.
Claims20
A system for use in a borehole, comprising:
- a tool having a component actuatable between positions via actuating fluid supplied by a main flow line;
- a valve system including a piloted main valve shiftable between positions allowing and restricting flow along the main flow line, the piloted main valve including:
- a springless shuttle shiftable between a default position and at least one operational position, the springless shuttle having a first end, a second end, and a body between the first end and second end, the first end having a first area acted on by a first fluid pressure, the second end having a second area different from the first area and acted on the by a second fluid pressure, the body having a central area acted on by a third fluid pressure, said first end having a different diameter from said second end;
- and
- the piloted main valve being shiftable via a pilot valve controlling pressure differentials acting on the piloted main valve, the pressure differentials being established between an interior of the tool and another pressure region.
2 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a steering tool having a plurality of actuators oriented for actuation in a radial direction against a borehole wall so as to steer a drill bit;
- and
- a valve system comprising a plurality of piloted main valves shiftable between positions allowing and restricting flow of drilling mud to selected actuators of the plurality of actuators, at least one piloted main valve of the plurality of piloted main valves including a springless shuttle shiftable between a default position and at least one operational position, the springless shuttle having ends acted on by pressure differentials, the ends having dissimilar areas and dissimilar diameters relative to each other, the dissimilar areas thus being acted on by the pressure differentials established between the interior of the steering tool and the borehole annulus, the shuttle being shiftable via at least one corresponding pilot valve which controls pressure differentials acting on the piloted main valves, the pressure differentials being established between an interior of the steering tool and a borehole annulus surrounding the steering tool.
A method, comprising:
- providing a well tool having an actuator which may be actuated rapidly between positions during a downhole operation using a springless shuttle shiftable between a default position and at least one operational position;
- applying a first fluid pressure to a first end of a springless shuttle of a main valve;
- applying a second fluid pressure to a second end of the shuttle of the main valve, the first end of the shuttle having a different diameter from the second end of the shuttle;
- controlling flow of an actuating fluid to the actuator via the main valve, the main valve having an open flow position and a closed flow position, the main valve being controlled via a pressure differential established by a flow of the actuating fluid;
- and
- selectively actuating the main valve via a pilot valve which controls the first fluid pressure on the main valve, the quantity of the flow of actuating fluid which is controlled by the pilot valve being less than the flow of fluid through the main valve to the actuator.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.