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US 2019/0100965 A1Published application
Down-Hole Vibrational Oscillator
AssigneeAOI (Advanced Oilfield Innovations, Inc.)
InventorsAndre Orban, Daniel Maurice Lerner, Ranjit K Singh
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Abstract
The invention discloses a set of valves that impart hydraulic pressure pulses at specific frequencies that provide oscillatory movement of a shuttle valve within a of a downhole tool operations. These vibrations can lead to pulses for vertical seismic profiling of formations drilled, to check the location of the bit, or to detect the presence of abnormal pore pressure ahead of the bit. The pressure pulses can also be used to enhance drilling and production of wells.
Claims49
A vibrational oscillator comprising;
- a shuttle valve assembly disposed along a length of a and within a casing wherein said shuttle valve assembly comprises at least a plunger, a receiving assembly, a cavity, and a valve, within said shuttle valve assembly within which fluid can flow into and out of said shuttle valve assembly and a conduit with an inlet port and an outlet port through which fluid can flow into an upstream section of said oscillator toward and out of a downstream section of said oscillator with at least one fluid passage configured to selectively couple in fluid communication with said inlet port and said outlet port through which fluid passes;
- such that said plunger is capable of receiving fluid and fits into said receiving assembly and said shuttle valve assembly is sealed so as to always allow at least some volume of said fluid to enter or escape said cavity;
- and said oscillator includes said plunger that can be at least partially positioned within said receiving assembly to at least partially interrupt fluid flow through said conduit which is in contact with and allows for movement of a fully assembled oscillator component of said oscillator and provides compressive forces that compress at least one spring or set of springs from said receiving assembly and eventually releases said compressive forces when said plunger is removed from said receiving assembly thereby providing for expansion of said springs so that oscillations within said springs located along and/or within said casing are created.
A method for using an oscillating vibrator device comprising;
- (i) allowing fluid to enter an upstream section of at least one fluid cavity within said device through an upstream mechanical stop and flow diverter section attached to an outer casing with an upstream shuttle valve spacer used to provide spacing between an upper section of a shuttle valve and an upstream mechanical stop assembly, wherein said shuttle valve includes a plunger positioned to be activated by forces exerted from an entrance of fluid into said vibrator,
- wherein
- (ii) said fluid forces said shuttle valve to move in a downstream direction until said shuttle valve plunger engages with a shuttle valve receiving assembly causing an upstream spring located above said shuttle valve assembly to lengthen;
- and wherein
- (iii) using a downstream spacer for said shuttle valve assembly for spacing at a bottom of said upstream spring is provided so that pressure is building within said shuttle valve receiving assembly, causing downstream directional motion of said shuttle valve receiving assembly and a fully assembled oscillator component portion of said vibrator during compression of a first downhole oscillator spring that allows said shuttle valve plunger to disengage from said shuttle valve receiving assembly, causing said upstream spring for said shuttle valve assembly to return elastically to its initial or starting position;
- and wherein;
- (iv) a downstream surface of said shuttle valve receiving assembly is connected to at least one downhole spring receiving shaft which runs axially and is aligned with downstream components housing at least said first downhole oscillator spring positioned on either side of a casing mechanical stop and attached to at least a portion of a fully assembled oscillator component portion such that said downhole spring receiving shaft is allowing for movement in a linear fashion based on loading of said at least one downhole oscillator spring and positioning of said shuttle valve plunger in a partially and/or fully engaged or disengaged position with said shuttle valve receiving assembly causing oscillations of said at least one downhole oscillator spring and along a length of said oscillator thereby allowing for agitation due to vibration along a drillstring.
4 more elements
A method for generating pressure pulses within a conduit using a vibrational oscillator comprising at least partially interrupting flow of a pressurized fluid flowing through a casing of said oscillator comprising the steps of:
- (i) introducing a pressure activated flow interruption shuttle valve into said casing said valve being configured to periodically at least partially interrupt a flow of pressurized fluid within said casing;
- (ii) allowing flow of said pressurized fluid through said casing;
- and
- (c) directing said pressurized fluid through said valve to actuate said valve, actuation of said valve being implemented by:
- (iii) using said pressurized fluid to cause at least a first spring section to compress such that when said valve is in a closed position said at least said first spring section fully compresses thereby also at least partially interrupting a flow of the pressurized fluid in said casing ;
- and
- (iv) using energy stored in said at least first spring when released, is causing oscillatory cycling of pulses within said pressurized fluid.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.