US 2019/0195048 A1Published application

Self Calibrating Toe Valve

AssigneeTco AS

InventorJan Tore Tveranger

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Abstract

A toe valve that includes a housing having an interior and exterior; a sliding sleeve; a counter mechanism that includes a cylinder, a ratchet piston with first and second ends, and a ratchet shaft connected to the second end; a trigger assembly that includes a trigger housing, and a release piston. The trigger assembly is arranged between the counter mechanism and the sliding sleeve, and the release piston is configured to activate the sliding sleeve, and the ratchet shaft is configured to activate the release piston. The toe valve further includes a closed chamber enclosing the ratchet shaft and defined at least partly by the cylinder that includes a chamber fluid with a chamber pressure; an inlet pressure port configured to be in communication with a wellbore fluid with a wellbore pressure, and the first end of the ratchet piston is in fluid communication with the inlet pressure port.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A toe valve comprising;

a housing having an interior and exterior;
a sliding sleeve;
a counter mechanism comprising:
a cylinder,
a ratchet piston with first and second ends, and
a ratchet shaft connected to the second end,
a trigger assembly comprising:
a trigger housing, and
a release piston, wherein
the trigger assembly is arranged between the counter mechanism and the sliding sleeve, and wherein
the release piston is configured to activate the sliding sleeve, and
the ratchet shaft is configured to activate the release piston, wherein the toe valve further comprises:
a closed chamber enclosing the ratchet shaft and defined at least partly by the cylinder comprising a chamber fluid with a chamber pressure;
an inlet pressure port configured to be in communication with a wellbore fluid with a wellbore pressure, and wherein the first end of the ratchet piston is in fluid communication with the inlet pressure port, wherein the ratchet piston is configured to move towards the trigger assembly to a new position and compress the chamber fluid when the wellbore pressure is larger than the chamber pressure;
a retaining mechanism configured to retain the ratchet shaft in the new position;
and
a valve mechanism interconnecting the first and second ends of the ratchet piston and configured for equalizing the pressure across the ratchet piston.

14 more elements

A method of opening a toe valve comprising;

a housing having an interior and exterior,
a sliding sleeve,
a counter mechanism comprising:
a cylinder,
a ratchet piston with first and second ends, and
a ratchet shaft connected to the second end,
a trigger assembly comprising:
a trigger housing, and
a release piston, wherein
the trigger assembly is arranged between the counter mechanism and the sliding sleeve, and wherein the toe valve further comprises:
a closed chamber enclosing the ratchet shaft and defined at least partly by the cylinder comprising a chamber fluid with a chamber pressure,
an inlet pressure port configured to be in communication with a wellbore fluid with a wellbore pressure, and wherein the first end of the ratchet piston is in fluid communication with the inlet pressure port,
a retaining mechanism, and
a valve mechanism interconnecting the first and second ends of the ratchet piston, the method comprising the steps of;
activating the counter mechanism, wherein the activation of the counter mechanism comprising the steps of;
a) increasing wellbore pressure at the inlet pressure port to push the ratchet piston towards the trigger assembly whereby the ratchet piston compresses the fluid in the closed chamber, and to move the ratchet shaft is to a new position,
b) retaining the ratchet shaft in the new position by the retaining mechanism;
c) continue increasing wellbore pressure;
d) decreasing the wellbore pressure lower than chamber pressure;
e) open the valve mechanism to equalize pressure across the ratchet piston by releasing fluid from the closed chamber;
f) repeating steps a) to e) until the ratchet shaft engages with the activation pin and forces the activation pin from its position towards the release piston;
activating the trigger assembly, wherein the activation of the trigger assembly comprising the steps of;
pushing the release piston with the activation pin towards the first atmospheric chamber, thereby increasing the pressure in the atmospheric chamber;
and
pushing the sliding sleeve away from the at least one frack port towards the second atmospheric chamber with the release piston.

22 more elements

A method of opening a toe valve comprising;

a housing having an interior and exterior,
a sliding sleeve,
a counter mechanism comprising:
a cylinder,
a ratchet piston with first and second ends, and
a ratchet shaft connected to the second end,
a trigger assembly comprising:
a trigger housing, and
a release piston, wherein
the trigger assembly is arranged between the counter mechanism and the sliding sleeve, and wherein the toe valve further comprises:
a closed chamber enclosing the ratchet shaft and defined at least partly by the cylinder comprising a chamber fluid with a chamber pressure,
an inlet pressure port configured to be in communication with a wellbore fluid with a wellbore pressure, and wherein the first end of the ratchet piston is in fluid communication with the inlet pressure port,
a retaining mechanism, and
a valve mechanism interconnecting the first and second ends of the ratchet piston, the method comprising the steps of;
activating the counter mechanism, wherein the activation of the counter mechanism comprising the steps of;
a) increasing wellbore pressure at the inlet pressure port to push the ratchet piston towards the trigger assembly whereby the ratchet piston compresses the fluid in the closed chamber, and to move the ratchet shaft is to a new position,
b) retaining the ratchet shaft in the new position by the retaining mechanism;
c) continue increasing wellbore pressure a predetermined pressure difference greater than chamber pressure;
d) open a first valve of the valve mechanism to equalize pressure across the ratchet piston by allowing fluid into the closed chamber;
e) decreasing the wellbore pressure a predetermined pressure difference lower than chamber pressure;
f) open a second valve of the valve mechanism to equalize pressure across the ratchet piston by releasing fluid from the closed chamber;
g) repeating steps a) to f) until the ratchet shaft engages with the activation pin and forces the activation pin from its position towards the release piston;
activating the trigger assembly, wherein the activation of the trigger assembly comprising the steps of;
pushing the release piston with the activation pin towards the first atmospheric chamber, thereby increasing the pressure in the atmospheric chamber;
and
pushing the sliding sleeve away from the at least one frack port towards the second atmospheric chamber with the release piston.

23 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/301,362Filed 23 May 2017
Priority: NO 2016089225 May 2016
Published: 27 Jun 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

E21B 34/10
In wells: operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole
E21B 23/0412
Operated by fluid means, e.g. actuated by explosion: characterised by pressure chambers, e.g. vacuum chambers
E21B 34/142
Operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools: unsupported or free-falling elements, e.g. balls, plugs,…
E21B 34/063
In wells: valve or closure with destructible element, e.g. frangible disc