Safety valve
AssigneeOtis Engineering Corporation
InventorThomas M. Deaton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A subsurface safety valve. During normal well flowing conditions, the valve is spring biased to its open position. If the difference in fluid pressure flowing through the valve as compared to fluid pressure exterior to the valve exceeds a preselected value, a pressure sensitive bellows will be actuated to close the valve. A latch mechanism is provided to prevent undesired closure of the safety valve by acceptable pressure transients resulting from normal changes in well operating conditions. An alternative embodiment of the valve responds to an electromagnetic signal from the well surface.
Claims28
A safety valve for installation within a well flow conductor comprising:
- a. a housing means with a longitudinal flow passageway extending therethrough;
- b. a valve closure means having a first position allowing fluid flow through the longitudinal flow passageway and a second position blocking fluid flow through the longitudinal flow passageway;
- c. means for biasing the valve closure means to its first position;
- d. bellows means partially defining a variable volume chamber means within the housing means;
- e. means for communicating fluid pressure between the variable volume chamber means and fluid pressure flowing through the longitudinal flow passageway;
- f. means for latching the valve closure means in its first position;
- g. the bellows means including means for releasing the latching means;
- and
- h. means for shifting the valve closure means from its first position to its second position after the latching means has been released.
A safety valve for installation within a well flow conductor comprising:
- a. a housing means;
- b. a longitudinal flow passageway extending through the housing means;
- c. a valve closure means having a first position allowing fluid flow through the longitudinal flow passageway and a second position blocking fluid flow through the longitudinal flow passageway;
- d. the valve closure means having a poppet element slidably disposed within the housing means;
- e. means for biasing the poppet element to shift the valve closure means to its first position;
- f. an annular seal formed between the exterior of the poppet element and the interior of the housing means;
- g. bellows means disposed within the poppet element and flexibly attached thereto;
- h. valve seat means carried by the housing means and engagable with the poppet element;
- i. variable volume chamber means formed within the housing means and partially defined by the bellows means and the annular seal which divide the chamber means into a first pressure zone and a second pressure zone;
- j. means for latching the valve closure means in its first position;
- k. means for communicating fluid pressure between the longitudinal flow passageway and the first pressure zone;
- and
- 1. means for equalizing fluid pressure between the exterior of the housing means and the second pressure zone.
A safety valve for installation within a well flow conductor comprising:
- a. a housing means with a longitudinal flow passageway extending therethrough;
- b. a valve closure means having a first position allowing fluid flow through the longitudinal flow passageway and a second position blocking fluid flow through the longitudinal flow passageway;
- c. means for biasing the valve closure means to its first position;
- d. a plurality of latch fingers carried by the valve closure means;
- e. means for releasably engaging the latch fingers with the housing means whereby the latch fingers hold the valve closure means in its first position;
- f. means for releasing the latch fingers to allow the valve closure means to shift to its second position;
- g. means for applying the difference between the pressure of fluid flowing within the longitudinal flow passageway and fluid exterior to the housing means to the valve closure means whereby the difference in pressure can shift the valve closure means to its second position;
- h. the valve closure means having a poppet element slidably disposed within the housing means;
- and
- i. the releasable engaging means comprising a slidable ring, having a first position which projects the latch fingers radially outward and a second position which allows the latch fingers to retract inwardly, and means for biasing the slidable ring to its first position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.