Hybrid hydraulic accumulator
AssigneeBastion Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJoseph Reeves, Joseph Welker, Charles Don Coppedge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exemplary hybrid accumulator includes a piston slidably disposed in a cylinder and separating a reservoir from a pressure chamber, in use, a hydraulic fluid disposed in the reservoir and a spring disposed in the pressure chamber to act on the piston and pre-charge the hydraulic fluid to a first pressure, and a heating element in communication with the pressure chamber to increase pressure in the pressure chamber when the heating element is initiated.
Claims20
A hybrid accumulator, comprising:
- a piston slidably disposed in a cylinder and separating a reservoir from a pressure chamber;
- in use, a hydraulic fluid disposed in the reservoir;
- in use, a spring disposed in the pressure chamber to act on the piston and pre-charge the hydraulic fluid to a first pressure;
- and
- a heating element in communication with the pressure chamber to increase pressure in the pressure chamber when the heating element is initiated.
A system comprising:
- a hydraulically operated customer having a hydraulic demand pressure for operation;
- and
- a hybrid accumulator in communication with the customer to supply hydraulic fluid at or above the hydraulic demand pressure to operate the customer, the hybrid accumulator comprising:
- a piston slidably disposed in a cylinder and separating a reservoir from a pressure chamber;
- a hydraulic fluid disposed in the reservoir;
- a port in communication between the reservoir and the customer;
- a spring disposed in the pressure chamber to act on the piston and pre-charge the hydraulic fluid to a first pressure;
- and
- a heating element in communication with the pressure chamber to increase pressure in the pressure chamber when the heating element is initiated.
A method for using a hydraulic accumulator associated with a wellbore, the method comprising:
- connecting a hybrid accumulator with a customer connected with the wellbore, the hybrid accumulator comprising a piston slidably disposed in a cylinder and separating a reservoir from a pressure chamber, a hydraulic fluid disposed in the reservoir, a port in communication between the reservoir and the customer, a spring disposed in the pressure chamber at a pre-charged spring pressure that is greater than a hydraulic demand pressure of the customer, and a heating element in communication with the pressure chamber;
- discharging a portion the hydraulic fluid through the port with the pre-charged spring pressure;
- initiating the heating element and increasing the spring pressure in the pressure chamber in response to the pre-charged spring pressure decreasing to a pressure less than the hydraulic demand pressure;
- and
- discharging an additional portion of the hydraulic fluid through the port with the increased spring pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.