Autonomous fluid control system having a fluid diode
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorLiang Zhao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for autonomously controlling fluid flow in a subterranean well are presented, and in particular for providing a fluid diode to create a relatively high resistance to fluid flow in one direction and a relatively low resistance to fluid flowing in the opposite direction. The diode is positioned in a fluid passageway and has opposing high resistance and low resistance entries. In one embodiment, the high resistance entry has a concave, annular surface surrounding an orifice and the low resistance entry has a substantially conical surface. The concave, annular surface of the high resistance entry preferably extends longitudinally beyond the plane of the orifice. In a preferred embodiment, the fluid will flow in eddies adjacent the concave, annular surface.
Claims20
An apparatus for autonomously controlling fluid flow in a subterranean well, the apparatus comprising:
- a fluid passageway having a fluid diode positioned therein;
- the fluid diode having opposing high resistance and low resistance entries;
- the low resistance entry providing a relatively low resistance to fluid flowing into the diode through the low resistance entry;
- and
- the high resistance entry providing a relatively high resistance to fluid flowing into the diode through the high resistance entry, and wherein the high resistance entry has a concave, annular surface surrounding an orifice.
A method of servicing a wellbore extending through a hydrocarbon-bearing subterranean formation, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a fluid diode in fluid communication with the wellbore;
- flowing fluid through a low resistance entry of the diode;
- and
- flowing fluid through a high resistance entry of the diode, thereby restricting fluid flow through the diode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.