Plunger with flow passage and improved stopper
AssigneeWilliam R. Gray
InventorsWilliam R. Gray, James H. Holt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plunger for use in downhole tubulars in wells which produce fluids and/or gases under variable pressure, which has an internal passage to facilitate more rapid descent of the plunger to the well bottom or well stop. The plunger has a stopper housed inside a chamber that is actuated when the plunger and stopper stem reach bottom or a well stop and which is held in a closed position by the build up of pressure below the plunger. The plunger may also have a jacket mounted about a core which has sealing, holding, and lifting capabilities. The plunger may also have fingers which project inwardly from the underside of the jacket toward the inner core which may also be grooved and which provides an inner turbulent or labyrinth-type seal.
Claims38
A plunger for use in a gas/fluid lift system in downhole tubulars in wells having a bottom well stop means and producing fluids and/or gases under variable pressures, comprising:
- a body slidingly engageable within the tubulars and capable of movement up and down said tubulars;
- said body having a top end, a bottom end, and an inner passage in said body for receiving fluids and/or gases and enabling more rapid descent to said bottom well stop means;
- an inner core within the body for internal sealing;
- a flexible jacket having plurality of segments mounted about said core, each of said segments having a convex outer surface and an inner surface, first and second sides, and top and bottom ends;
- said jacket having an inner surface providing an internal seal, and an outer surface being radially expandable to provide an external seal against the interior of said tubulars;
- a flow path for fluids and/or gases between said core and the inner surface of said jacket;
- wherein each of said internal and external seals retards the upward flow of fluids and/or gases which thereby increases pressure below the plunger to thereby move the plunger and accumulated well fluids upwardly to the surface when the pressure inside the tubulars above the plunger is reduced.
A plunger for use in a gas/fluid lift system in down hole tubulars in wells having a bottom well stop means and producing fluids and/or gases under variable pressures, comprising:
- a body slidingly engageable within the tubulars and capable of movement up and down said tubulars;
- said body having a top end, a bottom end, and an inner passage in said body for receiving fluids and/or gases and enabling more rapid descent to said bottom well stop means;
- an inner core within the body for internal sealing;
- a chamber near the bottom end, said chamber having a roof at the upper end with an opening which communicates with said inner passage above said roof and a floor at the lower end with an opening which communicates with the bore below said floor, the bore extending downward through the bottom end and having an external opening at said bottom end;
- a closure means disposed inside said chamber, said closure means being moveable between an open and a closed position, said closure means resting on the floor in the open position and abutting the opening in said roof in the closed position, thereby obstructing the upward flow of fluids and/or gases into inner passage, said closure means being held against the roof by the build up of pressure below said closure means;
- an external sealing means mounted about said core radially expandable to seal against the interior of said tubulars;
- a flow path for fluids and/or gases between said core and the underside of said external sealing means;
- an internal sealing means disposed between or on the core and/or the underside of said external sealing means;
- said internal and external sealing means retarding the upward flow of fluids and/or gases which thereby increases pressure below the plunger to thereby move the plunger and accumulated well fluids upwardly to the surface when the pressure inside the tubulars above the plunger is reduced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.