Multiple piston pressure intensifier for a safety valve
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorBruce Edward Scott
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are subsurface safety valves having multiple pistons used to increase the opening force. One safety valve includes a housing having a piston bore defined therein and configured to receive hydraulic fluid pressure, the piston bore providing an upper bore having a first diameter and a lower bore having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, a piston assembly movably arranged within the piston bore and comprising an upper piston arranged in and configured to sealingly engage the upper bore and a lower piston arranged in and configured to sealingly engage the lower bore, and a connecting rod coupling the upper and lower pistons, wherein a cavity is defined between the upper and lower pistons within the piston bore and the piston rod extends within the cavity.
Claims20
A safety valve, comprising:
- a housing having a piston bore defined therein and configured to receive hydraulic fluid pressure from a control line, the piston bore providing an upper bore having a first diameter and a lower bore having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter;
- a piston assembly movably arranged within the piston bore and comprising an upper piston arranged in and configured to sealingly engage the upper bore and a lower piston arranged in and configured to sealingly engage the lower bore;
- a connecting rod coupling the upper and lower pistons such that simultaneous movement of each piston is achieved when the piston assembly moves within the piston bore, wherein a cavity is defined between the upper and lower pistons and the connecting rod extends within the cavity;
- and
- a conduit defined in the housing that fluidly communicates the cavity with a region surrounding the housing, wherein the cavity contains a fluid.
(canceled)
(canceled)
A method of actuating a safety valve, comprising:
- conveying hydraulic fluid pressure to a piston bore that provides an upper bore having a first diameter and a lower bore having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, wherein a piston assembly is movably arranged within the piston bore and comprises an upper piston arranged in and sealingly engaging the upper bore and a lower piston arranged in and sealingly engaging the lower bore;
- axially displacing the piston assembly within the piston bore as the hydraulic fluid pressure acts on the upper piston, wherein a connecting rod couples the upper and lower pistons such that simultaneous movement of each piston is achieved when the piston assembly moves within the piston bore, and wherein a cavity is defined between the upper and lower pistons within the piston bore and the connecting rod extends within the cavity;
- and
- fluidly communicating the cavity and an annulus region with a conduit defined in a housing that houses the piston assembly, wherein the cavity contains a fluid.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.