Plunger for performing artificial lift of well fluids
AssigneeT-RAM Canada, Inc.
InventorRick Nadkrynechny
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plunger for removing fluid from a gas producing well has a fluid path through the plunger body, a narrow passageway within the fluid path, and a central orifice at an end of the passageway. The plunger may have a lip within the fluid path spaced above the central orifice. The lip interacts with gas and fluid exiting the central orifice when the plunger is rising within the gas producing well. The plunger may have a bypass valve to allow the plunger to fall while the well is flowing, and may have a central constriction to regulate the rate of falling.
Claims28
A plunger for performing artificial lift in a gas producing well, the plunger comprising:
- a plunger body for sealingly engaging a tubing of the well;
- a fluid path through the plunger body;
- a narrow passageway within the fluid path;
- and
- a central orifice at an end of the narrow passageway.
A method of using a plunger to perform artificial lift in a gas-producing well, the method comprising the steps of:
- allowing a plunger having a fluid path therethrough to fall within a tubing of a well to the bottom of the well;
- allowing gas pressure to move the plunger upwardly within the tubing;
- while the plunger is moving upwardly;
- and
- allowing fluid to pass through a narrow passageway within the fluid path, the narrow passageway having a central orifice at one end.
A plunger having a bypass valve for performing artificial lift in a gas producing well, the plunger comprising:
- a plunger body for sealingly engaging a tubing of the well, the plunger body having a fluid path therethrough;
- a cage coupled to the bottom end of the plunger body;
- a pin having a head and a shaft, the pin being slideably retained within the cage and movable between an open position wherein the bypass valve allows fluid to flow through the bypass valve and a closed position wherein the pin engages a bottom portion of the plunger body to limit the flow of gas and liquid through the bypass valve;
- at least one fluid channel through the head of the pin in fluid communication with a central orifice in the pin, the central orifice being in fluid communication with the fluid path;
- and
- a radially inwardly directed lip within the fluid path spaced above the central orifice.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.