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US 11,506,226 B2Granted
Hybrid hydraulic accumulator
OwnerJoseph Reeves, Joseph Welker +1inventors
InventorsJoseph Reeves, Joseph Welker, Charles Don Coppedge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exemplary hybrid accumulator includes a piston slidably disposed in a cylinder and separating a reservoir from a pressure chamber, in use, a hydraulic fluid disposed in the reservoir and a spring disposed in the pressure chamber to act on the piston and pre-charge the hydraulic fluid to a first pressure, and a heating element in communication with the pressure chamber to increase pressure in the pressure chamber when the heating element is initiated.
Claims21
A system comprising:
- a hydraulically operated customer having a hydraulic demand pressure for operation;
- and
- a hybrid accumulator in communication with the customer to supply hydraulic fluid at or above the hydraulic demand pressure to operate the customer, the hybrid accumulator comprising:
- a piston slidably disposed in a cylinder and separating a reservoir from a pressure chamber;
- a hydraulic fluid disposed in the reservoir;
- a port in communication between the reservoir and the customer;
- a spring comprising an inert gas disposed in the pressure chamber to act on the piston, without being heated, and pre-charge the hydraulic fluid to a first pressure that is greater than the hydraulic demand pressure;
- and
- a heating element in communication with the pressure chamber to increase pressure in the pressure chamber when the heating element is initiated, wherein the heating element is a pyrotechnic device.
6 more elements
A method for using a hydraulic accumulator associated with a wellbore, the method comprising:
- using the hydraulic accumulator with a customer connected with the wellbore, the hydraulic accumulator comprising a piston slidably disposed in a cylinder and separating a reservoir from a pressure chamber, a hydraulic fluid disposed in the reservoir, a port in communication between the reservoir and the customer, a spring disposed in the pressure chamber and applying a pre-charged spring pressure that is greater than a hydraulic demand pressure of the customer, and a heating element in communication with the pressure chamber, wherein the heating element is a pyrotechnic device and the pre-charged spring pressure is applied without heating the spring;
- and
- function testing the hydraulic accumulator and/or the customer by discharging a first portion of the hydraulic fluid through the port with only the pre-charged spring pressure.
A method for using a hydraulic accumulator associated with a wellbore, the method comprising:
- using the hydraulic accumulator with a customer connected with the wellbore, wherein the hydraulic accumulator and the wellbore are located subsea, the hydraulic accumulator comprising a piston slidably disposed in a cylinder and separating a reservoir from a pressure chamber, a hydraulic fluid disposed in the reservoir, a port in communication between the reservoir and the customer, a spring disposed in the pressure chamber and applying a pre-charged spring pressure that is greater than a hydraulic demand pressure of the customer, and a heating element in communication with the pressure chamber, wherein the heating element is a gas generator and the pre-charged spring pressure is applied without heating the spring;
- and
- function testing the hydraulic accumulator and/or the customer by discharging a first portion of the hydraulic fluid through the port with only the pre-charged spring pressure.
A system comprising:
- a hydraulically operated customer having a hydraulic demand pressure for operation, wherein the customer is a tool connected to a subsea wellbore;
- and
- a hybrid accumulator in communication with the customer to supply hydraulic fluid at or above the hydraulic demand pressure to operate the customer, the hybrid accumulator comprising:
- a piston slidably disposed in a cylinder and separating a reservoir from a pressure chamber;
- a hydraulic fluid disposed in the reservoir;
- a port in communication between the reservoir and the customer;
- a spring comprising an inert gas disposed in the pressure chamber to act on the piston, without being heated, and pre-charge the hydraulic fluid to a first pressure that is greater than the hydraulic demand pressure;
- and
- a heating element in communication with the pressure chamber to increase pressure in the pressure chamber when the heating element is initiated, wherein the heating element is a gas generator or a pyrotechnic device.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.