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US 8,910,715 B2Granted
Oil well control system
AssigneeRowan University
InventorsCharles Earl Linderman, Karl Bachman Dyer, Ryan Alexander Bandura, Eric William Constans, Kandalam Venkata Ramanujachary
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system including a combined plug and valve device that may be precisely delivered to and inserted into an uncontrolled undersea oil well. Once positioned in the well, the device is operated in graduated fashion to anchor the plug to the well and gradually stanch the flow of oil from the well.
Claims15
A well control device comprising:
- a tube;
- helical means provided on said tube;
- a plurality of leading plates, each of said leading plates having at least one fluid passageway and helical means cooperable with said helical means of said tube to facilitate rotational movement of said leading plate about and axial movement of said leading plate along said tube;
- consumable material disposed between said leading plates;
- at least one backing plate carried by said tube and having at least one fluid passageway;
- and
- at least one yieldable anchor member having at least one fluid passageway, said anchor member being disposed between said at least one backing plate and one of said leading plates and operable to contact a well upon axial movement of said one of said leading plates along said tube in the direction of said backing plate,
- wherein, upon consumption of said consumable material, said leading plates are rotatably movable about said tube between positions in which the fluid passageways of said leading plates are substantially aligned with the fluid passageways of said backing plate and said yieldable anchor to establish at least one flow channel and positions in which the fluid passageways of said leading plates are misaligned with the fluid passageways of said backing plate and said yieldable anchor to limit fluid flow through said flow channel.
5 more elements
A well control system comprising:
- (a) a well control device comprising:
- a tube;
- helical means provided on said tube;
- a plurality of leading plates, each of said leading plates having at least one fluid passageway and helical means cooperable with said helical means of said tube to facilitate rotational movement of said leading plate about and axial movement of said leading plate along said tube;
- consumable material disposed between said leading plates;
- at least one backing plate carried by said tube and having at least one fluid passageway;
- and
- at least one yieldable anchor member having at least one fluid passageway, said anchor member being disposed between said at least one backing plate and one of said leading plates and operable to contact a well upon axial movement of said one of said leading plates along said tube in the direction of said backing plate,
- wherein, upon consumption of said consumable material, said leading plates are rotatably movable about said tube between positions in which the fluid passageways of said leading plates are substantially aligned with the fluid passageways of said backing plate and said yieldable anchor to establish at least one flow channel and positions in which the fluid passageways of said leading plates are misaligned with the fluid passageways of said backing plate and said yieldable anchor to limit fluid flow through said flow channel;
- and
- (b) a housing surrounding said well control device.
8 more elements
A method for controlling a well comprising the steps of:
- inserting a well control device having fluid passageways into a well;
- wherein the well control device includes helical means and at least two plates carried by the helical means, wherein each plate has at least one fluid passageway and is separated from the other plate by consumable material, and
- selectively misaligning the fluid passageways to limit flow of well fluid therethrough
- wherein said selectively misaligning step comprises consuming said consumable material to permit relative rotation between the plates along said helical means under the influence of well fluid pressure.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.