# US 12,110,771 B2 · Gas lift valve remanufacturing process and apparatus produced thereby > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,771 B2 - Document ID: US12110771B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/107,603 - Filed: 2023-02-09 - Published: 2023-08-17 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-14 - Assignees: TRC Services, Inc. - Applicants: TRC Services, Inc. - Inventors: Russell L. Ritchie; Stanley Wayne Sweet; Dustin Wayne Lott; Gustavo Pertuz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110771B2 ## CPC - E21B 43/123: {Gas lift valves} - B23P 6/00: Restoring or reconditioning objects (straightening or restoring form of sheet metal, metal rods, metal tubes, metal profiles, or specific articles made therefrom B21D1/00, B21D3/00; repairing defective or damaged objects by casting techniques B22D19/10) - Y10T 137/2934: Gas lift valves for wells - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Used gas lift valves having a used bellows assembly are remanufactured. Separable components are disassembled, and the used bellows assembly is removed from a dome housing by de-brazing the used bellows at a brazed joint from a mating surface of the dome housing. A replacement bellows is then affixed (e.g., arc welded) to the dome housing's mating surface, and a bellows adapter is affixed (e.g., arc welded) to the replacement bellows. The separable components of the used valve are then reassembled to produce a remanufactured gas lift valve. The remanufactured valve has a replacement bellows composed of a nickel-chromium alloy as opposed to a nickel-copper alloy, has the replacement bellows arc-welded to the dome housing as opposed to being brazed thereto, and has the adapter arc-welded to the bellows as opposed to being brazed thereto. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of remanufacturing a used gas lift valve having a used bellows assembly, the used bellows assembly having a used bellows brazed to a used dome housing of the used gas lift valve and having a used bellows adapter brazed to the used bellows, the method comprising: disassembling separable components of the used gas lift valve; removing the used bellow assembly from the used dome housing by de-brazing the used bellows at a brazed joint from a mating surface of the used dome housing; affixing a replacement bellows to a given mating surface of a given dome housing in a first affixing process; affixing the replacement bellows to a given mating surface of a given bellows adapter in a second affixing process; and reassembling the separable components of the used gas lift valve. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing in the first affixing process comprises: arc welding the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing in an arc welding process for the first affixing process. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein arc welding the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing comprises replacing the used bellows composed of a nickel-copper alloy by selecting the replacement bellows composed of a nickel-chromium alloy. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein arc welding the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing comprises performing a gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) or a tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding process circumferentially around an end of the replacement bellows and the given mating surface of the given dome housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein removing the used bellow assembly from the used dome housing by de-brazing the used bellows at the brazed joint from the mating surface of the used dome housing comprises heating the brazed joint using induction heating centered thereabout. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing comprises: refacing a de-brazed mating surface of the used dome housing; and affixing the replacement bellows to the refaced mating surface of the used dome housing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing comprises: replacing the used dome housing with a replacement dome housing having an integrated coupling with an integrated mating surface; and affixing the replacement bellows to the integrated mating surface of the replacement dome housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing comprises: replacing the used dome housing with a replacement dome housing having an internal thread on an end thereof; and affixing the replacement bellows to a mating surface of a housing adapter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing comprises: truncating an end from the used dome housing; forming internal thread in the truncated end of the used dome housing; and affixing the replacement bellows to a mating surface of a housing adapter configured to thread to the internal thread formed in the used dome housing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first affixing process is the same as or different from the second affixing process. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given bellows adapter comprises: refacing a de-brazed mating surface of the used bellows adapter, and affixing the replacement bellows to the refaced mating surface of the used bellows adapter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given bellows adapter in the second affixing process comprises: arc welding the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given bellows adapter in an arc welding process for the second affixing process. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein reassembling the separable components of the used gas lift valve comprises one or more of: replacing elastomeric seals for connections of the separable components; installing a replacement pressure valve in the given dome housing; installing a replacement stem on the given bellows adapter; replacing a used seat in the gas lift valve with a replacement seat; and pressure testing the reassembled gas lift valve to a pressure test level. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein disassembling the separable components of the used gas lift valve comprises: inspecting the disassembled separable components for disqualifying damage and replacing accordingly; and/or determining that the used gas lift valve is suited for remanufacture or refurbishment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing in the first affixing process comprises brazing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing in a brazing process for the first affixing process. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing in the first affixing process comprises fusion welding the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing in a fusion welding process for the first affixing process. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing in the first affixing process comprises laser welding the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given dome housing in a laser welding process for the first affixing process. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given bellows adapter comprises replacing the used bellows adapter with a replacement bellows adapter, and affixing the replacement bellows to a mating surface of the replacement bellows adapter. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given bellows adapter in the second affixing process comprises brazing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given bellows adapter in a brazing process for the second affixing process. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given bellows adapter in the second affixing process comprises fusion welding the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given bellows adapter in a fusion welding process for the second affixing process. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein affixing the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given bellows adapter in the second affixing process comprises laser welding the replacement bellows to the given mating surface of the given bellows adapter in a laser welding process for the second affixing process.