Flow control system having a rate limiting device for well systems
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsStephen Michael Greci, Ryan W. McChesney, Finn Gamble McCarthy
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Abstract
Systems, methods, and apparatus for fluid flow control in a flow control device of a well system. The flow control device may include a fluid sensor that may be configured to sense a fluid extracted from a subsurface formation and modify a fluid flow through the flow control device based on one or more fluid properties of the sensed fluid. The flow control device may include a rate limiting device that may be configured to limit a flow rate of the fluid through the fluid sensor to a flow rate threshold. The rate limiting device may be coupled between an inlet of the flow control device and the fluid sensor to limit the fluid flow rate through the fluid sensor.
Claims21
A flow control device for a well system, the flow control device comprising:
- a fluid sensor configured to sense a fluid extracted from a subsurface formation and modify a fluid flow through the flow control device based on one or more fluid properties of the sensed fluid;
- and
- a rate limiting device coupled with the fluid sensor, the rate limiting device configured to operate in an initial state to allow a flow rate of the fluid through the fluid sensor to increase when the flow rate is less than a flow rate threshold, and the rate limiting device configured to transition to a flow-limiting state to limit the flow rate of the fluid through the fluid sensor to the flow rate threshold when a differential pressure across the flow control device increases and the flow rate of the fluid reaches the flow rate threshold, wherein the increase in the differential pressure across the flow control device includes an excess differential pressure across the rate limiting device.
A well system, comprising:
- a well tube;
- and
- a flow control device coupled with the well tube, the flow control device including:
- a fluid sensor configured to sense a fluid extracted from a subsurface formation and modify a fluid flow through the flow control device based on one or more fluid properties of the sensed fluid;
- and
- a rate limiting device coupled with the fluid sensor, the rate limiting device configured to operate in an initial state to allow a flow rate of the fluid through the fluid sensor to increase when the flow rate is less than a flow rate threshold, and the rate limiting device configured to transition to a flow-limiting state to limit the flow rate of the fluid through the fluid sensor to the flow rate threshold when a differential pressure across the flow control device increases and the flow rate of the fluid reaches the flow rate threshold, wherein the increase in the differential pressure across the flow control device includes an excess differential pressure across the rate limiting device.
A method for fluid flow control in a flow control device of a well system, comprising:
- sensing, by a fluid sensor of the flow control device, a fluid extracted from a subsurface formation;
- modifying a fluid flow through the flow control device based on one or more fluid properties of the sensed fluid;
- allowing, by a rate limiting device of the flow control device while operating in an initial state, a flow rate of the fluid through the fluid sensor to increase when the flow rate is less than a flow rate threshold, and
- limiting, by the rate limiting device of the flow control device after transitioning to a flow-limiting state, the flow rate of the fluid through the fluid sensor to the flow rate threshold when a differential pressure across the flow control device increases and the flow rate of the fluid reaches the flow rate threshold, wherein the increase in the differential pressure across the flow control device includes an excess differential pressure across the rate limiting device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.