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US 11,377,928 B2Granted
Downhole isolation valves with pressure relief
AssigneeWeatherford Technology Holdings, LLC
InventorJoe Noske
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure generally relates to a flapper valve including a pressure relief assembly. The pressure relief assembly is operable to activate when a pressure differential across the flapper approaches or exceeds a design pressure of the flapper.
Claims20
A valve assembly, comprising:
- a housing;
- a valve body defining a valve bore and disposed in the housing, wherein a relief port is formed through the valve body;
- a flapper movably attached to the valve body between an open position and a closed position to open and close the valve bore;
- and
- a pressure relief assembly operable to open the relief port when a pressure differential across the flapper reaches an activation pressure differential, wherein the pressure relief assembly is disposed between the valve body and the housing, and the pressure relief assembly comprises:
- a piston movably positioned in a relief volume formed between the housing and the valve body, wherein the piston divides the relief volume into a first relief volume and a second relief volume isolated from the first relief volume, the first relief volume is selectively in fluid communication with the valve bore, and the second relief volume is in fluid communication with a flow path between the housing and the valve body.
3 more elements
A method for performing a wellbore operation, comprising:
- closing a flapper in a valve disposed in a wellbore to isolate an upper section of the wellbore from a lower section of the wellbore, wherein the valve comprises a pressure relief assembly operable to open a relief port through the valve when a pressure differential across the flapper reaches an activation pressure differential, and the activation pressure differential correlates to one of a yield strength, a fracture strength, or an average of yield and fracture strengths of the flapper;
- opening the relief port to allow a fluid flow from the lower section to the upper section by applying the pressure differential across the flapper to a piston and moving the piston to open the relief port;
- and
- evaluating one or more wellbore operating parameters from surface to determine whether the relief port is open.
1 more element
A method for performing a wellbore operation, comprising:
- closing a flapper in a valve disposed in a wellbore to isolate an upper section of the wellbore from a lower section of the wellbore, wherein the valve comprises a pressure relief assembly operable to open a relief port through the valve when a pressure differential across the flapper reaches an activation pressure differential;
- and
- evaluating one or more wellbore operating parameters from surface to determine whether the relief port is open, wherein evaluating one or more wellbore operating parameters comprises monitoring a fluid flow from the upper section of the wellbore.
An isolation valve, comprising:
- a housing;
- a valve body disposed in the housing, wherein the valve body comprises a valve bore extending through the valve body, a relief volume is formed between the valve body and the housing, and a relief port is formed through the valve body to provide fluid communication between the valve bore and the relief volume;
- a flapper coupled to the valve body and movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close the valve bore;
- a piston disposed in the relief volume, wherein the piston is movable to open and close the relief port, the piston divides the relief volume into an upper volume and a lower volume isolated from the upper volume, the upper volume is selectively in fluid communication with the valve bore, and the lower volume is in fluid communication with a flow path between the housing and the valve body;
- and
- a biasing member connected to the piston to bias the piston to close the relief port when a pressure differential across the flapper is less than an activation pressure differential.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.