Cleanout tools and related methods of operation
OwnerMichael W. Dennis, Gary W. Pankonien +1inventors
InventorsMichael W. Dennis, Gary W. Pankonien, Garry A. Wilson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Cleanout tools and related methods of operation. At least some of the example embodiments are cleanout tools including a tool body that defines an internal annular channel, a joiner coupled to the tool body, a sleeve telescoped within the joiner and tool body, and a ball disposed within the annular channel. The ball is held within the annular channel by the sleeve, and the ball is configured to move along the annular channel under a force of fluid pumped into the cleanout tool. The ball creates a pulsing of fluid streams exiting the tool body. Moreover, in some example systems, the fluid streams created by the tool body intersect the inside diameter of a casing at non-perpendicular angles.
Claims13
A cleanout tool comprising:
- a first tool body comprising an outside surface and an inside surface extending along a central longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end opposite the first end, an annular channel formed solely by opposite sidewalls of the first tool body, the sidewalls extending radially outwardly from the inside surface in converging relation with one another to a bottom, and a plurality of ports extending from the annular channel through the outside surface;
- a first ball disposed in and configured to move within the annular channel along the bottom around the central longitudinal axis, under a force of fluid pumped into the cleanout tool, to cause fluid streams exiting the plurality of ports to pulsate;
- and
- a tubular first sleeve disposed within the first tool body, the first sleeve having an outer surface and an inner surface defining a bore extending between opposite open ends of the tubular first sleeve, the outer surface confronting the first ball to retain the first ball within the annular channel, the bore brought into fluidly coupled relation with the annular channel by a plurality of ducts extending radially outwardly from the bore through the outer surface.
A cleanout tool comprising:
- a first tool body comprising an outside surface and an inside surface extending along a central longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end opposite the first end, an annular channel disposed on the inside surface, and a plurality of ports extending from the annular channel through the outside surface;
- a first ball disposed in and configured to move within the annular channel around the central longitudinal axis, under a force of fluid pumped into the cleanout tool, to cause fluid streams exiting the plurality of ports to pulsate;
- a first sleeve disposed within the first tool body for retaining the first ball within the annular channel, the first sleeve having a tubular wall bounding an internal flow path extending from one open end of the first sleeve to an opposite open end of the first sleeve, the flow path in fluidly coupled relation with the annular channel, the tubular wall having a bore;
- wherein the first sleeve is locked against rotation relative to the first tool body;
- and
- wherein the first tool body has a through bore and further including a pin disposed in the through bore and in the bore of the tubular wall to prevent rotation of the first sleeve relative to the first tool body.
A cleanout tool comprising:
- a first tool body comprising an outside surface and an inside surface extending along a central longitudinal axis from an open first end to an open second end opposite the first end, an annular channel formed solely by the first tool body, the annular channel having sidewalls extending radially outwardly from the inside surface to an arcuate bottom, and a plurality of ports extending from the annular channel through the outside surface;
- a first ball disposed in and configured to move within the annular channel along the arcuate bottom around the central longitudinal axis, under a force of fluid pumped into the cleanout tool, to cause fluid streams exiting the plurality of ports to pulsate;
- a first sleeve for retaining the first ball within the annular channel;
- wherein the first ball blocks the flow of the fluid through each of the plurality of ports sequentially, thereby causing the pulsating fluid streams exiting the plurality of ports to apply a rotational force to the cleanout tool;
- a first joiner coupled to the tool body, the first joiner having a through bore extending along a central axis coaxial with the central longitudinal axis, wherein the first sleeve is disposed within the through bore of the first joiner;
- and
- wherein the first joiner has external pipe threads coupled to internal pipe threads of the first tool body, wherein the rotational force applied to the cleanout tool by the pulsating fluid streams exiting the plurality of ports causes the external pipe threads and the internal pipe threads to tighten relative to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.