Torpedo plunger
AssigneePcs Ferguson, Inc.
InventorPaul Treavor Roberts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plunger having a generally hollow interior between an open upper end of the plunger and a closed bottom end of the plunger. One or more orifices extend through a sidewall of the plunger near the closed bottom surface. The orifices fluidly connect the hollow interior of the plunger with the tubing below the plunger when the plunger is in use. The orifices allow for a transfer of gas from the well bottom into the liquid load above the plunger during plunger ascent. The orifices also allow liquids to pass through the plunger during plunger descent.
Claims21
A plunger for use in a hydrocarbon well, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical body having a fluid flow path extending axially through the cylindrical body along a centerline axis of the cylindrical body from an opening in a top surface to an opening in a bottom surface, the cylindrical body having an outside diameter configured for receipt within production tubing, wherein the fluid flow path exits through an upper end of the cylindrical body;
- a cone attached to a lower end of the cylindrical body containing the bottom surface, the cone extending from the lower end of the cylindrical body to a bottom end, the bottom end having a second cross-dimension that is smaller than the outside diameter of the cylindrical body;
- and
- at least a first orifice passing through the cone, wherein the first orifice fluidly connects the fluid flow path to an outside surface of the cone;
- and
- wherein a centerline axis of the first orifice is non-aligned with the centerline axis of the cylindrical body.
A plunger for use in a hydrocarbon well, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical body having a fluid flow path extending axially through a portion of the cylindrical body from an opening through the top surface of the cylindrical body to a closed bottom end of the cylindrical body;
- and at least a first orifice passing through a sidewall surface of the cylindrical body proximate to the closed bottom end,
- wherein the first orifice fluidly connects the fluid flow path extending through the top surface of the cylindrical body to a lower outside surface of the cylindrical body,
- wherein the sidewall surface of the cylindrical body is free of orifices proximate to the top surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.