Pilot fluid line actuation gas lift valve and related systems and methods
AssigneeChampionX LLC
InventorsRamamurthy Narasimhan, Andrew Poerschke, Dustin Sandidge, Stephen Burrows, Paul Roberts
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Gas lift valves, assemblies, systems, and methods include valves having a valve element for selectively placing a fluid inlet in communication with a fluid outlet, a biasing feature to bias the valve element in one of the open position or the closed position, and a fluid control line actuator for supplying a force to the valve element to overcome the biasing force of the biasing feature and to move the valve element to the other one of the open position or the closed position.
Claims20
A gas lift valve, comprising:
- a valve element for selectively directing fluid from a well fluid source into a production fluid;
- a biasing feature comprising at least one of a stacked disc spring washers or stacked wave springs in a sealed location to bias the valve element to an open position or a closed position;
- and
- a control pilot fluid chamber for supplying a selectively variable force to the valve element to selectively move the valve between the open position and the closed position.
A gas lift valve, comprising:
- a valve element for selectively placing a fluid inlet in communication with a fluid outlet to direct a fluid into a production tubing of a wellbore;
- a biasing feature to bias the valve element to an open position or a closed position;
- and
- a control pilot fluid chamber for selectively supplying a first pressure to a face of a piston of the valve element that provides a force that is greater than a biasing force of the biasing feature and a second pressure to the face of the piston of the valve element that provides a force that is less than the biasing force of the biasing feature to selectively move the valve between the open position and the closed position.
A method of operating a gas lift valve assembly, the method comprising:
- biasing a valve element to an open position or a closed position with a biasing feature;
- and
- supplying a control pilot fluid to a control pilot fluid chamber at a first pressure to a face of a piston of the valve element to provide a first force that is greater than a biasing force of the biasing feature to selectively move the valve to the other of the open position or the closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.