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US 4,119,146 AGranted
Surface controlled sub-surface safety valve
AssigneeOtis Engineering Corporation
InventorFrank H. Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surface controlled subsurface safety valve having an operator and a pilot valve. The pilot valve controllably communicates pressurized control fluid to affect the operator and pressure balances the operator. This abstract is neither intended to define the scope of the invention, which, of course, is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting in any way.
Claims13
A surface controlled subsurface safety valve comprising:
- valve housing means for defining a flow path;
- valve closure means associated with said valve housing means and adapted for movement between positions opening and closing said flow path;
- means responsive to control pressure, including control pressure chamber means, and adapted to move said valve closure means to a position opening said flow path when said control pressure chamber means is pressurized a minimal amount;
- means for resiliently urging said valve closure means to a position closing said flow path;
- pilot valve means having a first position wherein pressurized control fluid is prevented from communicating to said control pressure chamber means and wherein said means responsive to control pressure is at least substantially pressure balanced and is affected by substantially equal but opposite fluid pressure forces and having a second position wherein pressurized control fluid communicates with said control pressure chamber means, said pilot valve means including:
- valve means for controlling communication of control fluid to said control pressure chamber means,
- means for resiliently biasing said valve means to said first position, and
- pressure responsive means for moving said valve means to said second position when said means is pressurized a sufficient amount.
5 more elements
A surface controlled subsurface safety valve comprising:
- valve housing means for defining a flow path;
- valve closure means associated with said valve housing means and adapted for movement between positions opening and closing said flow path;
- means responsive to control pressure, including control pressure chamber means, and adapted to move said valve closure means to a position opening said flow path when said control pressure chamber means is pressurized a minimal amount and continuously affected by the pressure of fluid from a region not associated with the source of control fluid pressure;
- means for resiliently urging said valve closure means to a position closing said flow path;
- and
- means for controllably pressurizing said control pressure chamber means and including:
- pilot valve housing means,
- port means adapted for communicating with control conduit means extending from the surface and including at least a portion extending through said pilot valve housing means,
- passage means for communicating between said port means and said control pressure chamber means and including at least a portion in said pilot valve housing means,
- valve means within said pilot valve housing means for controlling flow between said port means and said passage means,
- means for resiliently biasing said valve means to a first position preventing flow between said port means and said passage means,
- means for at least substantially pressure balancing said means responsive to control pressure when said valve means is in said first position and including means for communicating between said passage means and said pres sure region;
- and
- pressure responsive means for moving said valve means to a second position permitting flow between said port means and said passage means when said port means is pressurized a sufficient amount.
11 more elements
A surface controlled subsurface safety valve comprising:
- valve housing means for defining a flow path;
- valve closure means associated with said valve housing means and adapted for movement between positions opening and closing said flow path;
- means responsive to control pressure, including control pressure chamber means, and adapted to move said valve closure means to a position opening said flow path when said control pressure chamber means is pressurized and continuously affected by the pressure of fluid from a region not associated with the source of control fluid pressure;
- means for resiliently urging said valve closure means to a position closing said flow path;
- passage means for communicating with said control pressure chamber means;
- passageway means for selectively communicating with said passage means and for continuously communicating with said pressure region to at least substantially pressure balance said means responsive to control pressure when in communication with said passage means;
- port means adapted for communicating with control conduit means extending from the surface and for communicating with said passage means;
- two-way valve means for controlling flow between said passage means and a selected one of said passageway means and said port means;
- means for biasing said two-way valve means to a first position wherein flow between said passage means and said passageway means is permitted and flow between said passage means and said port means is prevented;
- pressure responsive means for moving said two-way valve means to a second position wherein flow between said passage means and said port means is permitted and flow between said passage means and said passageway means is prevented, said pressure responsive means moving said valve means to said second position when acted upon by fluid pressurized a sufficient amount.
7 more elements
A surface controlled subsurface safety valve comprising:
- valve housing means for defining a flow path;
- valve closure means associated with said valve housing means and adapted for movement between positions opening and closing said flow path;
- means responsive to control pressure, including control pressure chamber means, and adapted to move said valve closure means to a position opening said flow path when said control pressure chamber means is pressurized and continuously affected by the pressure of fluid from a region not associated with the source of the control fluid pressure;
- means for resiliently urging said valve closure means to a position closing said flow path;
- pilot valve housing means, associated with said valve housing means and including at least a portion of:
- port means adapted for communicating with a conduit extending from the surface to said port means, and
- passage means for communicating between said port means and said control pressure chamber means;
- means for at least substantially pressure balancing said means responsive to control pressure and including means for communicating with said region;
- pilot valve member means movable with respect to said pilot valve housing means, said pilot valve member means including two valve head means and configured so that when in a first position one of said two valve head means prevents flow between said passage means and said port means while the other of said two valve head means opens said means for at least substantially pressure balancing and so that when in a second position said one valve head means permits flow between said passage means and said port means while said other valve head means closes said means for at least substantially pressure balancing,
- means for resiliently biasing said pilot valve member means to said first position,
- pressure responsive means for moving said pilot valve member means to said second position.
8 more elements
In a subsurface well installation having a tubing string, apparatus for controlling flow in the well at a subsurface location, the apparatus comprising:
- a side pocket mandrel adapted to be positioned in the tubing string and having a bore extending therethrough and also having a side pocket receptacle;
- a subsurface safety valve adapted to be positioned in the tubing string in close proximity to said side pocket mandrel and including:
- valve housing means for defining a flow path,
- valve closure means associated with said valve housing means and adapted for movement between positions opening and closing said flow path,
- means responsive to control pressure, including control pressure chamber means, and adapted to move said valve closure means to a position opening said flow path when said control pressure chamber means is pressurized a minimal amount, and
- means for resiliently urging said valve closure means to a position closing said flow path;
- first port means through said side pocket mandrel opening into said side pocket receptacle and adapted for communicating with control conduit means extending from the surface;
- passage means, opening into said side pocket receptacle, for communicating between said side pocket receptacle and said control pressure chamber means;
- and
- pilot valve means adapted to be disposed in said side pocket receptacle and having a first position wherein pressurized control fluid is prevented from communicating between said first port means and said passage means and wherein said means responsive to control pressure is at least substantially pressure balanced and is affected by substantially equal but opposite fluid pressure forces and having a second position wherein pressurized control fluid communicates between said first port means and said passage means, said pilot valve means including:
- pilot valve housing means adapted to be received within said side pocket receptacle,
- spaced seal means on said pilot valve housing means for sealing between said pilot valve housing means and said side pocket receptacle and for defining two pressure regions around said pilot valve housing means, one pressure region being adjacent to the opening of said first port means into said side pocket receptacle and the other pressure region being adjacent to the opening said passage means into said side pocket receptacle,
- valve means for controlling flow between said two pressure regions,
- means for resiliently biasing said valve means to said first position, and
- pressure responsive means for moving said valve means to said second position when said means is pressurized a sufficient amount.
12 more elements
In a well installation having a subsurface flow path;
- a subsurface safety valve, including means responsive to control pressure, for controlling flow through the subsurface flow path;
- and a control conduit to communicate control fluid for operating the subsurface safety valve, pilot valve means comprising:
- pilot valve housing means adapted to be positioned at a subsurface location in the well installation in close proximity to the subsurface safety valve;
- said pilot valve housing means having at least a portion of:
- port means adapted for communicating with said control conduit, and
- passage means for communicating between said port means and the subsurface safety valve;
- valve means movable with respect to said pilot valve housing means between a first position wherein control fluid is prevented from communicating between said port means and said passage means and wherein the means responsive to control pressure of the subsurface safety valve is at least substantially pressure balanced and is affected by substantially equal but opposite fluid pressure forces and a second position wherein control fluid communicates between said port means and said passage means;
- means for resiliently biasing said valve means to said first position;
- and
- pressure responsive means for moving said valve means to said second position when said port means is pressurized a sufficient amount.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.