# US 8,464,798 B2 · Plunger for performing artificial lift of well fluids > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,464,798 B2 - Document ID: US8464798B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/909,672 - Filed: 2010-10-21 - Published: 2011-10-20 - Granted: 2013-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2010-04-14 - Assignees: T-RAM Canada, Inc. - Applicants: Rick Nadkrynechny - Inventors: Rick Nadkrynechny - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8464798B2 ## CPC - E21B 43/121: {Lifting well fluids (monitoring of down-hole pump systems E21B47/008)} - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A plunger for removing fluid from a gas producing well has a fluid path through the plunger body, a narrow passageway within the fluid path, and a central orifice at an end of the passageway. The plunger may have a lip within the fluid path spaced above the central orifice. The lip interacts with gas and fluid exiting the central orifice when the plunger is rising within the gas producing well. The plunger may have a bypass valve to allow the plunger to fall while the well is flowing, and may have a central constriction to regulate the rate of falling. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A plunger for performing artificial lift in a gas producing well, the plunger comprising: a plunger body for sealingly engaging a tubing of the well; a fluid path through the plunger body; a narrow passageway within the fluid path; and a central orifice at an end of the narrow passageway, wherein the narrow passageway comprises a removable plug having a bore therethrough. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A plunger as defined in claim 1, further comprising a radially inwardly directed lip within the fluid path spaced above the central orifice. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A plunger as defined in claim 2, wherein the distance between the central orifice and the lip is between 10% and 60% of the total length of a body of the plunger. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A plunger as defined in claim 2, wherein the fluid path comprises a lower chamber below the narrow passageway and an upper chamber above the narrow passageway. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A plunger as defined in claim 4, wherein the radially inwardly directed lip is on an upper edge of the upper chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) A plunger as defined in claim 4, wherein the upper chamber, the lower chamber, the central orifice, and the lip all have a circular cross-section and are all concentric about a longitudinal centerline of the plunger. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A plunger as defined in claim 1, further comprising a one-way valve disposed to permit fluid flow only from the lower chamber to the upper chamber through the narrow passageway. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A plunger as defined in claim 1, wherein the plunger is approximately 25 cm long with a diameter of approximately 5 cm and weighs less than 1.8 kg. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A plunger as defined in claim 8, wherein the plunger weighs approximately 0.9 kg. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A plunger as defined in claim 1, wherein a majority of the material of the plunger by volume is a material having a density of less than 4.54 g/cm3. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A plunger as defined in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the diameter of the central orifice to the ratio of the diameter of the plunger is in the range of 1:25 to 1:2.5. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A plunger as defined in claim 11, wherein the ratio of the diameter of the central orifice to the ratio of the diameter of the plunger is about 1:10. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A kit comprising a plunger as defined in claim 1 and two removable plugs, wherein the bore of each of the two removable plugs has a different diameter. ### Claim 14 A plunger for performing artificial lift in a gas producing well, the plunger comprising: a plunger body for sealingly engaging a tubing of the well; a fluid path through the plunger body; a narrow passageway within the fluid path; and a central orifice at an end of the narrow passageway, wherein the plunger comprises an upper half and a lower half detachably coupled together. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A plunger as defined in claim 14, wherein the upper half comprises a magnetic metallic material and the lower half comprises titanium. ### Claim 16 A plunger for performing artificial lift in a gas producing well, the plunger comprising: a plunger body for sealingly engaging a tubing of the well; a fluid path through the plunger body; a narrow passageway within the fluid path; a central orifice at an end of the narrow passageway; and an instrument for measuring one or more of temperature and pressure, wherein the narrow passageway comprises an internal threaded portion and the instrument is secured to the internal threaded portion. ### Claim 17 A plunger for performing artificial lift in a gas producing well, the plunger comprising: a plunger body for sealingly engaging a tubing of the well; a fluid path through the plunger body; a narrow passageway within the fluid path; a central orifice at an end of the narrow passageway; and a bypass valve, the bypass valve comprising: a cage coupled to the bottom end of the plunger body; and a pin having a head and a shaft, the pin being slideably retained within the cage and movable between an open position wherein the bypass valve allows gas and liquid to flow through the fluid path and a closed position wherein the pin engages a bottom of the plunger body to limit the flow of gas and liquid through the fluid path, wherein the narrow passageway extends through the head of the pin. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A plunger as defined in claim 17, wherein the passageway comprises three symmetrically disposed fluid passageways extending through the head of the pin, the three fluid passageways being in fluid communication with the central orifice. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) A plunger as defined in claim 17, further comprising an internal constriction within the fluid path above the narrow passageway. ### Claim 20 A plunger for performing artificial lift in a gas producing well, the plunger comprising: a plunger body for sealingly engaging a tubing of the well; a fluid path through the plunger body; a narrow passageway within the fluid path; a central orifice at an end of the narrow passageway; and a bypass valve, wherein the bottom end of the plunger comprises a seat for receiving a seal, the seat comprising one or more grooves configured to permit fluid to flow to the narrow passageway when the seal is sealingly engaged with the seat. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A plunger as defined in claim 20, wherein the seal is a ball and the seat is curved to sealingly engage the ball. ### Claim 22 A plunger for performing artificial lift in a gas producing well, the plunger comprising: a plunger body for sealingly engaging a tubing of the well; a fluid path through the plunger body; a narrow passageway within the fluid path; a central orifice at an end of the narrow passageway; a bypass valve; and fluid channels through the body of the plunger for permitting fluid to flow through the narrow passageway when the bypass valve is in a closed position. ### Claim 23 A method of using a plunger to perform artificial lift in a gas-producing well, the method comprising the steps of: allowing a plunger having a plunger body with a fluid path therethrough to fall within a tubing of a well to the bottom of the well the body sealingly engaging the tubing; allowing gas pressure to move the plunger upwardly within the tubing; and while the plunger is moving upwardly: allowing fluid to pass through a narrow passageway within the fluid path, the narrow passageway defined by a removable plug in the plunger body, the plug having a bore therethrough, the narrow passageway further having a central orifice at one end. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) A method as defined in claim 23, further comprising the step of allowing the fluid exiting the central orifice to interact with a radially inwardly directed lip on the plunger. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) A method as defined in claim 23, wherein the plunger has a weight of 2.3 kg or less and is operated to travel in the tubing at maximum speeds of at least 4 m/s. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) A method as defined in claim 25, wherein the steps of allowing the plunger to fall and allowing gas pressure to move the plunger upwardly are repeated at a frequency of up to 6 times per hour. ### Claim 27 A plunger having a bypass valve for performing artificial lift in a gas producing well, the plunger comprising: a plunger body for sealingly engaging a tubing of the well, the plunger body having a fluid path therethrough; a cage coupled to the bottom end of the plunger body; a pin having a head and a shaft, the pin being slideably retained within the cage and movable between an open position wherein the bypass valve allows fluid to flow through the bypass valve and a closed position wherein the pin engages a bottom portion of the plunger body to limit the flow of gas and liquid through the bypass valve; at least one fluid channel through the head of the pin in fluid communication with a central orifice in the pin, the central orifice being in fluid communication with the fluid path; and a radially inwardly directed lip within the fluid path spaced above the central orifice.