# US 2016/0258243 A1 · Automatic Dump Valve

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- Number: US 2016/0258243 A1
- Document ID: US20160258243A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/031,556
- Filed: 2014-10-23
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2013-10-23
- Assignees: Inflatable Packers International Pty Ltd
- Applicants: Inflatable Packers International Pty Ltd
- Inventors: Clement ROWE; David KNELL
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160258243A1

## CPC

- E21B 33/127: with inflatable sleeve (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence)
- E21B 34/10: operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole
- E21B 34/14: operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools {(E21B34/066 takes precedence)}
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

A hydraulic dump valve (10) for use with an inflatable packer (38) in a downhole (32) installation. The hydraulic dump valve (10) includes disc springs (102, 118) to adjust the pressure of operation of the valve (10) to allow use of liquid operated packers (38) in boreholes (32) with low static water levels by isolating the hydrostatic pressure in an inflation line (51) from the packers (38) and at the same time provide communication from the inflatable packer (38) to the well annulus (30) to allow downhole deflation of the packer (38).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hydraulic dump valve for use with an inflatable packer in a downhole installation, the hydraulic dump valve including:
an inlet disposed for receiving inflation fluid;
an outlet for communication of said inflation fluid to the inflatable packer for inflation thereof;
a piston assembly disposed for controlling flow of said inflation fluid between the inlet and the outlet;
a spring means bearing against the piston assembly, the spring means allowing movement of the piston assembly by the force of said inflation fluid above a preset pressure differential for permitting flow of inflation fluid past the piston assembly;
a venting port disposed downstream of the piston assembly, the venting port being closed off by the piston assembly for pressure differentials exceeding said preset pressure and being opened by the piston assembly for lower pressures; and
whereby, the inflatable packer is filled with inflation fluid for pressures exceeding the preset pressure and whereby the inflatable packer deflates via the venting port for pressures below said preset pressure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The hydraulic dump valve according to claim 1, in which the spring means is a bank of disc springs, the number and resilience of which can be varied to vary the preset pressure differentials of the movement of the piston assembly.

### Claim 3

An inflatable packer assembly for use in a downhole installation, the inflatable packer assembly including:
a mandrel with a coupling end having an inflation port;
an inflatable packer bladder mounted upon the mandrel and inflatable via the port;
a hydraulic dump valve mounted in the coupling end, the hydraulic dump valve including:
an inlet disposed for receiving inflation fluid;
an outlet for communication of said inflation fluid to the inflatable packer for inflation thereof;
a piston assembly disposed for controlling flow of said inflation fluid between the inlet and the outlet;
a spring means bearing against the piston assembly, the spring means allowing movement of the piston assembly by the force of said inflation fluid above a preset pressure differential for permitting flow of inflation fluid past the piston assembly;
a venting port disposed downstream of the piston assembly, the venting port being closed off by the piston assembly for pressure differentials exceeding said preset pressure and being opened by the piston assembly for lower pressures; and
whereby, the inflatable packer bladder is filled with inflation fluid for pressures exceeding the preset pressure and whereby the inflatable packer bladder deflates via the venting port for pressures below said preset pressure.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The inflatable packer assembly according to claim 3, in which the spring means is a bank of disc springs, the number and resilience of which can be varied to vary the preset pressure differentials of the movement of the piston assembly.

### Claim 5

A method of operating an inflatable packer in a well, the method including the steps of:
injecting inflation fluid into the inflatable packer via a hydraulic dump valve including:
an inlet disposed for receiving inflation fluid;
an outlet for communication of said inflation fluid to the inflatable packer for inflation thereof;
a piston assembly disposed for controlling flow of said inflation fluid between the inlet and the outlet;
a spring means bearing against the piston assembly, the spring means allowing movement of the piston assembly by the force of said inflation fluid above a preset pressure differential for permitting flow of inflation fluid past the piston assembly;
a venting port disposed downstream of the piston assembly, the venting port being closed off by the piston assembly for pressure differentials exceeding said preset pressure and being opened by the piston assembly for lower pressures;
blocking inflation fluid from entering the inflatable packer with the piston assembly for inflation fluid pressures below the preset pressure;
permitting inflow of inflation fluid into the inflatable packer via the piston assembly for inflation fluid pressures exceeding the preset pressure; and,
permitting flow of said inflation fluid out of the inflatable packer via the venting port when pressure of the inflation fluid upstream of the hydraulic dump valve falls below the preset pressure.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of operating an inflatable packer according to claim 5, in which the spring means is a bank of disc springs, and wherein the method includes the step of varying the preset pressure differentials of the movement of the piston assembly by varying the number and resilience of the disc springs in the bank of disc springs.