Flow control device
AssigneeABB Offshore Systems Limited
InventorsJames Brian Wilson, Christopher Richard King
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flow control device comprises an outer sleeve having an outer sleeve wall and at least one aperture through the outer sleeve wall; a inner sleeve having an inner sleeve wall and at least one aperture through the inner sleeve wall; and means for providing relative sliding movement of the sleeves between “open” positions allowing variable flow of fluid through the apertures of the sleeves and a “closed” position, so that relative movement of the sleeves produces available amount of opening through which fluid can flows. The apertures are arranged so that the change in the coefficient of velocity (CV) of fluid flowing through the apertures caused by a change in the relative displacement of the sleeves is substantially proportional to said change in relative displacement.
Claims10
A flow control device, comprising:
- a) an outer sleeve having an outer sleeve wall and at least one aperture through the outer sleeve wall;
- b) an inner sleeve having an inner sleeve wall and at least one aperture through the inner sleeve wall;
- and
- c) means for providing relative sliding movement of the sleeves between open positions allowing variable flow of fluid through the apertures of the sleeves and a closed position, so that relative movement of the sleeves produces a variable amount of opening through which the fluid can flow;
- wherein
- d) one of the sleeves has a plurality of apertures, and a sum of widths of those apertures at positions along said one of the sleeves increases substantially exponentially in a direction of fluid flow;
- wherein
- e) the apertures are arranged so that a change in a coefficient of velocity (CV) of the fluid flowing through the apertures caused by a change in the relative movement of the sleeves is substantially proportional to the change in relative movement.
Production tubing including a flow control device having:
- a) an outer sleeve having an outer sleeve wall and at least one aperture through the outer sleeve wall;
- b) an inner sleeve having an inner sleeve wall and at least one aperture through the inner sleeve wall;
- and
- c) means for providing relative sliding movement of the sleeves between open positions allowing variable flow of fluid through the apertures of the sleeves and a closed position, so that relative movement of the sleeves produces a variable amount of opening through which the fluid can flow;
- wherein
- d) one of the sleeves has a plurality of apertures, and a sum of widths of those apertures at positions along said one of the sleeves increases substantially exponentially in a direction of fluid flow;
- wherein
- e) the apertures are arranged so that a change in a coefficient of velocity (CV) of the fluid flowing through the apertures caused by a change in the relative movement of the sleeves is substantially proportional to the change in relative movement.
A hydrocarbon well including a flow control device having:
- a) an outer sleeve having an outer sleeve wall and at least one aperture through the outer sleeve wall;
- b) an inner sleeve having an inner sleeve wall and at least one aperture through the inner sleeve wall;
- and
- c) means for providing relative sliding movement of the sleeves between open positions allowing variable flow of fluid through the apertures of the sleeves and a closed position, so that relative movement of the sleeves produces a variable amount of opening through which the fluid can flow;
- wherein
- d) one of the sleeves has a plurality of apertures, and a sum of widths of those apertures at positions along said one of the sleeves increases substantially exponentially in a direction of fluid flow;
- wherein
- e) the apertures are arranged so that a change in a coefficient of velocity (CV) of the fluid flowing through the apertures caused by a change in the relative movement of the sleeves is substantially proportional to the change in relative movement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.