Fluidic valve and pulsing device
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorAllen B. Holmes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high capacity fluidic valve is disclosed which is useful for creating psure pulses in a drill string for communicating diagnostic information from the bottom of a well bore to the surface during drilling. The device of the present invention comprises essentially a vortex chamber having an element therein which is capable of rapidly changing the flow through the chamber from radial to vortical. Flow throttling action in the valve is produced by the vortical flow in the chamber, thereby producing pressure pulses in the fluid stream flowing through the valve.
Claims13
Means for controlling the flow of a fluid comprising essentially,
- a vortex chamber having a radial inlet thereto for said flow, and a centrally located outlet from said chamber, whereby flow into said chamber flows radially to said outlet, and
- a movable barrier within said vortex chamber for selectively altering said flow from radial to vortical within said chamber;
- wherein said movable barrier comprises a tab within said vortex chamber, said vortex chamber comprising a recess in a peripheral wall thereof, and said tab is movable between a first position located within said recess and a second position in said chamber exterior of said recess.
Means for producing pulses in a flowing fluid, comprising
- a vortex chamber having a radially disposed inlet thereto for receiving at least a portion of said flowing fluid, a centrally disposed outlet whereby flow into said chamber flows radially to said outlet, and a recess in a peripheral wall of the vortex chamber;
- and
- a movable barrier within said vortex chamber for selectively altering the flow within said chamber from radial to vortical flow, whereby flow to said outlet is impeded and a consequential change in flow rate generates a pressure pulse in said fluid, said barrier being movable between a first position located within said recess and a second position in said chamber exterior of said recess.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.