Metering Fluid to Fluid Actuators
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsJames Zapico, Joe Rodney Berry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for metering fluid to a fluid actuator. An example apparatus may include a hydraulic actuator, a fluid chamber, and a hydraulic directional control valve. The fluid chamber may include a piston slidably movable between first and second ends of the fluid chamber and dividing the chamber into first and second chamber portions. The hydraulic directional control valve may direct a fluid from a fluid source into the first chamber portion to cause a volume of fluid to be discharged out of the second chamber portion into the hydraulic actuator to actuate the hydraulic actuator by a distance corresponding to the volume of fluid received by the hydraulic actuator.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a hydraulic actuator;
- a fluid chamber comprising a piston slidably movable between first and second ends of the fluid chamber and dividing the chamber into first and second chamber portions;
- and
- a hydraulic directional control valve operable to direct a fluid from a fluid source into the first chamber portion to cause a volume of fluid to be discharged out of the second chamber portion into the hydraulic actuator to actuate the hydraulic actuator by a distance corresponding to the volume of fluid received by the hydraulic actuator.
An apparatus comprising:
- a hydraulic actuator;
- a fluid chamber comprising:
- a piston slidably movable between first and second ends of the fluid chamber;
- a first port extending into the fluid chamber on one side of the piston;
- and
- a second port extending into the fluid chamber on an opposing side of the piston, wherein the second port of the fluid chamber is fluidly connected with the hydraulic actuator;
- and
- a hydraulic directional control valve comprising:
- a first port fluidly connected with a fluid source;
- a second port fluidly connected with a tank;
- a third port fluidly connected with the first port of the fluid chamber;
- and
- a fourth port fluidly connected with the second port of the fluid chamber;
- wherein the hydraulic directional control valve is operable to direct fluid from the fluid source into the first port of the fluid chamber to cause the piston to move from the first end to the second end and discharge a volume of fluid out of the second port of the fluid chamber into the hydraulic actuator to move the hydraulic actuator by an incremental distance corresponding to the volume of fluid received by the hydraulic actuator.
A method comprising:
- directing a fluid from a fluid source into a first portion of a chamber until a piston moves from a first end of the chamber to a second end of the chamber to:
- introduce a volume of fluid into the first portion of the chamber;
- and
- discharge the fluid from the second portion of the chamber;
- and
- directing the fluid from the fluid source into the second portion of the chamber until the piston moves from the second end of the chamber to the first end of the chamber to:
- introduce the fluid into the second portion of the chamber;
- and
- discharge the volume of fluid out of the first portion of the chamber into a hydraulic actuator to actuate the hydraulic actuator by an incremental distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.