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US 4,392,792 AGranted
Lineal multi-cylinder hydraulic pumping unit for wells
OwnerGeorge L. Rogersinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a hydraulic pumping unit, which is capable of pumping oil and other fluids from the downhole of a well. The pumping unit includes a frame and multi-cylinder system which is attached to the frame in such a manner that it is gravity centered. The bottom of the multi-cylinder system can be attached to the rod system of a well, and when the multi-cylinder system is expanded and contracted, the rod system and moving portion of the downhole pump of the well will be reciprocated back and forth, to bring (pump) oil or other fluid to the surface of the earth. Many other features and facets of the pumping unit are also disclosed.
Claims41
A pumping unit for reciprocating the rod of a downhole pump for pumping fluid from a well, comprising:
- a frame;
- a plurality of pressure responsive expansion members coupled together in sequence, each of said expansion members being capable of expanding and contracting to produce a linear reciprocating movement,
- gravity centering means connected to said frame and to a first one of said sequence of expansion members for suspending said sequence of expansion members to provide gravity centered alignment thereof over the well;
- and
- control means coupled to at least one of said expansion members for selectively providing pressurized fluid thereto in order to selectively expand or contract said expansion member;
- a last one of said sequence of expansion members being connected to the rod of the downhole pump, whereby the total amount of reciprocating movement imparted to the pump rod is equal to the sum of the individual reciprocating linear movements of each of said reciprocating members being selectively expanded or contracted.
3 more elements
A hydraulic pumping unit, capable of driving a downhole pump in a well, such that well-fluid will be brought to the surface of the well, comprising:
- (a) a frame having a connection point located at the top of the frame;
- (b) a multi-unit assembly including,
- (1) a plurality of expansion members capable of expanding to an elongated position and contracting to a contracted position, with each expansion member having a connection point at both of its ends,
- (2) intermediate connection means for connecting each expansion member to the next expansion member immediately above, each connection means being connected to the upper connection point of one expansion member and the lower connection point of the expansion member immediately above it;
- (c) suspension means for gravity centering said multi-unit assembly, said suspension means being connected to said connection point located at the top of the frame, said suspension means also being connected to the upper connection point of the topmost expansion member of the multi-unit assembly;
- (d) lower connecting means connected to the lower connection point at the bottommost expansion member of the multi-unit assembly, and also being connected to a rod located below the lowest expansion member, such that the rod can be reciprocated upwardly and downwardly by expansion and contraction of said multi-unit assembly;
- and
- (e) at least one port means located in each expansion member, capable of passing hydraulic fluid therethrough to result in the expansion and contraction of the multi-unit assembly.
5 more elements
A cylinder assembly comprising:
- (a) a hydraulic cylinder housing;
- (b) at least one pneumatic cylinder housing;
- (c) a hydraulic cylinder piston slidably mounted for reciprocal motion within the hydraulic cylinder housing, with a piston rod being fixed to one face of said hydraulic cylinder piston and protruding from said hydraulic cylinder housing;
- (d) a pneumatic cylinder piston for said pneumatic cylinder housing, said pneumatic cylinder piston being slidably mounted within each pneumatic cylinder housing, with a piston rod being fixed to one face of each pneumatic cylinder piston;
- (e) means for securing said pneumatic cylinder to said hydraulic cylinder, such that said pneumatic cylinder is secured to said hydraulic cylinder in a side-to-side relationship;
- (f) means for connecting the pneumatic and hydraulic cylinder piston rods together, such that the pneumatic and the hydraulic cylinder piston rods move together;
- (g) port means located in said hydraulic cylinder housing, said port means capable of permitting the entrance and exit of hydraulic fluid to cavities in said hydraulic cylinder, to force the hydraulic cylinder piston to slide within the hydraulic cylinder housing;
- and
- (h) means defining a plurality of cavities in said pneumatic cylinder housing, wherein one cavity of said pneumatic cylinder is capable of retaining a compressable fluid such that it is compressed upon movement of the piston rods in one direction, the other cavity of said pneumatic cylinder is capable of retaining a partial vacuum in the cavity, such that the degree of vacuum is increased upon movement of the piston rods in said one direction.
6 more elements
A pumping unit for reciprocating the rod of the downhole pump for pumping fluid from a well, comprising:
- a frame;
- a plurality of pressure responsive reciprocating units coupled together in sequence, each of said units having a support member and a reciprocating member being displaceable with respect to said support member, said reciprocating member further being mechanically connected to move the next succeeding one of said units;
- gravity centering means connected to said frame and to said support member of a first one of said sequence of units for suspending said sequence of units to provide gravity centered alignment thereof over the well;
- and
- control means coupled to at least one of said units for selectively providing a pressurized fluid thereto in order to selectively displace said reciprocating member of said unit with respect to said support member of said unit;
- said support member of a last one of said sequence of units being connected to the rod of the downhole pump, whereby the total amount of reciprocating motion imparted to the pump rod is equal to the sum of the individual displacements of each of said reciprocating members being selectively displaced.
3 more elements
A method of pumping fluid from a well having a downhole wherein said well has a downhole pump attached to a rod system, extending from the pump to the surface of the well, said method comprising:
- (a) positioning a frame over the annulus of the well;
- (b) connecting a multi-cylinder system to a frame connection point at the top of said frame, such that the multi-cylinder system is gravity centered and suspended from said frame;
- wherein said multi-cylinder system comprises:
- (A) a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder comprising
- (1) a cylinder housing,
- (2) a piston slidably mounted within said cylinder housing, and being capable of moving up and down within said cylinder housing, wherein said piston has an upper and lower face,
- (3) a piston rod fixed at one end to one of the faces of said piston, with the other end of the piston rod protruding from one of the ends of said cylinder housing, and
- (4) port means capable of permitting the flow of fluid into and out of the cylinder housing, and
- (B) one or more intermediate connection means for connecting the piston rod or the cylinder housing end of each cylinder housing to the piston rod or cylinder housing end of the next cylinder in the multi-cylinder system,
- said intermediate connection means being connected between said plurality of cylinders;
- (c) connecting the piston rod of the lowest cylinder of the multi-cylinder system to the upper end of the rod system;
- (d) feeding hydraulic fluid to the cylinders of said multi-cylinder system, such that the rod system and the moving part of the downhole pump are reciprocated upwardly and downwardly.
9 more elements
A hydraulic pumping unit, capable of driving a downhole pump in a well, such that well-fluid will be brought to the surface of the well, comprising:
- (a) a frame;
- (b) a plurality of hydraulic cylinders, each cylinder comprising,
- (1) a cylinder housing,
- (2) a piston slidably mounted within said cylinder housing, and being capable of moving up and down within said cylinder housing, wherein said piston has an upper and lower face,
- (3) a piston rod fixed at one end to one of the faces of said piston, with the other end of the piston rod protruding from one of the ends of said cylinder housing,
- (4) port means capable of permitting the flow of fluid into and out of the cylinder housing;
- (c) intermediate connection means for connecting the piston rod of one cylinder to the end of another cylinder located immediately adjacent said one cylinder,
- said intermediate connection means being positioned between said plurality of cylinders such that all of the cylinders are linearly connected and a multi-cylinder system is provided;
- (d) upper connecting means for suspending and gravity centering said multi-cylinder system, said upper connecting means being connected to a point at the top of said frame and being connected to either the piston rod or the cylinder housing of the top hydraulic cylinder of the multi-cylinder system;
- (e) lower connecting means connected at one end to the end of the lowest cylinder of said multi-cylinder system, and the other end of the lower connecting means being connectable to a rod located below the lowest cylinder, such that the rod can be reciprocated up and down by expansion and contraction of said multi-cylinder system;
- the upper portion of each cylinder housing together with the upper face of each piston located within each cylinder housing defining an upper cavity for the flow of fluid, such that each piston is urged downwardly relative to the cylinder housing in which it is located when fluid is fed into the upper cavity;
- and the lower portion of each cylinder housing together with the lower face of each piston located within each cylinder housing defining a lower cavity, such that each piston is urged upwardly relative to the cylinder housing in which it is located when fluid is fed into the lower cavity.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.