Safety valve with electrical actuators
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsChristian Chouzenoux, Cash Elston, Olivier Loeuillet, Francesco Vaghi, Oguzhan Guven
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A downhole valve assembly includes a safety valve and an actuator that opens and/or closes the valve. The actuator can be an electro-hydraulic actuator (EHA), an electro mechanical actuator (EMA), or an electro hydraulic pump (EHP). The downhole safety valve can also include an electric magnet.
Claims20
A downhole valve assembly, comprising:
- an actuator;
- and
- an electric safety valve comprising:
- a flapper;
- a return spring;
- an internal tubing sleeve, wherein the actuator is configured to extend to move the internal tubing sleeve from a closed position to an open position, thereby compressing the return spring and opening the flapper;
- and
- an electric magnet, wherein the electric magnet is configured to be activated to hold the internal tubing sleeve in the open position, thereby allowing the actuator to be retracted while the internal tubing sleeve is in the open position.
A method of operating an electric downhole safety valve, the electric downhole safety valve comprising a flapper, an internal tubing sleeve, a return spring, an electric magnet, an actuator, and downhole electronics, the method comprising:
- providing a command from the surface to the downhole electronics;
- in response to the command from the surface, extending the actuator, thereby shifting the internal tubing sleeve from a closed position to an open position to open the flapper, wherein the return spring is compressed when the internal tubing sleeve is in the open position;
- activating the electric magnet;
- retracting the actuator while the internal tubing sleeve is held in the open position by the activated electric magnet.
A downhole valve assembly comprising:
- a flapper;
- an internal tubing sleeve including a flange, wherein the internal tubing sleeve is moveable from a closed position to an open position to open the flapper;
- an actuator extendible to move the internal tubing sleeve from the closed position to the open position;
- one of a first magnet or a magnetic component disposed in or on the flange;
- an electric magnet configured to be activated after the internal tubing sleeve is moved to the open position to interact with the at least one of the first magnet or the magnetic component to hold the internal tubing sleeve in the open position, wherein the flange is disposed between the actuator and the electric magnet when the internal tubing sleeve is in the closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.