Cement flow control tool
AssigneeDownhole Products Limited
InventorsIan Alastair Kirk, William Barron, Alistair Bertram Clark
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for controlling the flow of fluid into a borehole through a conduit has a decelerating means adapted to be positioned within the conduit. The fluid could typically comprise drilling mud and/or cement, and in some embodiments, some of the cement can exit through apertures in a shroud of the apparatus to cement the decelerating means inside the conduit.
Claims32
A flow control insert for a downhole string including a shoe, the flow control insert being formed separately from the downhole string and being adapted to be inserted within the downhole string above the shoe;
- wherein the flow control insert is adapted to decelerate the flow of fluid through the downhole string;
- wherein the flow control insert comprises a passage which includes at least one spiral portion which spirals in a first spiral direction and at least one further portion which spirals in a second spiral direction opposite to the first spiral direction;
- and
- wherein a cavity is provided between the two spiral portions.
A control assembly, including:
- control apparatus for controlling the flow of fluid into a borehole through a downhole string, wherein the control apparatus is adapted to decelerate the flow of fluid through the downhole string, the control apparatus having a passage therethrough, the passage including at least one spiral portion which spirals in a first spiral direction and at least one further portion which spirals in a second spiral direction opposite to the first spiral direction and wherein a cavity is provided between the two spiral portions;
- a downhole string in which the control apparatus is located, the downhole string having a shoe, wherein the control apparatus is formed separately from the downhole string and is located in the downhole string above the shoe;
- a valve located in the downhole string above the control apparatus;
- wherein the cross-sectional area of the passage in the control apparatus is greater than the cross-sectional area of the valve.
A method of controlling the passage of fluid through a downhole string located in a borehole, the downhole string including a shoe, the downhole string having a longitudinal axis;
- wherein the method includes:
- inserting a separately-formed flow control insert within the downhole string, above the shoe, wherein the flow control insert comprises a passage which includes at least one spiral portion which directs fluid passing through it in a first spiral direction and at least one further portion which directs fluid passing through it in a second spiral direction opposite to the first spiral direction and wherein fluid passing between the first and second spiral portions is directed through a cavity provided between the two spiral portions;
- and
- decelerating the fluid through the flow control insert;
- wherein the flow control insert causes the fluid to change direction from an axial direction to the first spiral direction as it flows into the first spiral portion, and from the first spiral direction to the second spiral direction as the fluid flows through the cavity and into the second spiral portion.
A flow control assembly comprising:
- a downhole string, including a shoe at a lower end thereof;
- and
- a flow control insert located within the downhole string above the shoe, the flow control insert being adapted to decelerate the flow of fluid through the downhole string, wherein the flow control insert is formed separately from the downhole string and has a passage therethrough which includes at least one spiral portion which spirals in a first spiral direction and at least one further spiral portion which spirals in a second spiral direction, wherein the second spiral direction is opposite to the first spiral direction, and wherein a cavity is provided between the two spiral portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.