Thermally-actuated gas lift safety valve
AssigneesMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
InventorsEric Wright Gilbertson, Franz Hover, Eduardo Colina, Donald Bryan Freeman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, a valve comprising a valve body; an orifice disposed within the valve body; a fluid flow restraining member located at a first location of the orifice, the fluid flow restraining member pivotable between a closed position and an open position; an extending member connected to, and moveable in pivotable synchronization with, the fluid flow restraining member; and a shape memory alloy element attached to the extending member and the valve body, the shape memory alloy element causing a pivotal movement of the extending member between positions corresponding to the open and closed positions responsive to a change in temperature of the shape memory alloy element.
Claims15
A valve, comprising:
- a valve body;
- an orifice disposed within the valve body;
- a fluid flow restraining member located at a first location of the orifice, the fluid flow restraining member pivotable between a closed position and an open position;
- a bellows valve located between an inlet of the valve body and the fluid flow restraining member;
- an extending member connected to, and moveable in pivotable synchronization with, the fluid flow restraining member;
- and
- a shape memory alloy element attached to the extending member and a portion of the valve body, the shape memory alloy element causing a pivotal movement of the extending member between positions corresponding to the open and closed positions responsive to a change in temperature of the shape memory alloy element.
A valve, comprising:
- a valve body;
- an orifice disposed within the valve body;
- a fluid flow restraining member located at a first location of the orifice, the fluid flow restraining member pivotable between a closed position and an open position;
- plural extending members connected to opposing sides of the fluid flow restraining member, the extending members moveable in pivotable synchronization with the fluid flow restraining member;
- a first shape memory alloy element attached to a first of the plural extending members and the valve body;
- and
- a second shape memory allow element attached to a second of the plural extending members and the valve body, the first and second shape memory alloy elements causing a pivotal movement of the first and second extending members between positions corresponding to the open and closed positions responsive to a change in temperature of the first and second shape memory alloy elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.