Flow controller device
A flow controller device for controlling a fluid flow between a petroleum reservoir and a pipe body is described. The fluid flow is carried through a flow restriction. A pressure-controlled actuator is connected to a valve body that cooperates with a valve opening. The valve opening is connected in series subsequent to the flow restriction. A closing side of the actuator communicates with fluid located upstream of the flow restriction. An opening side of the actuator communicates with a fluid located downstream of the flow restriction and upstream of the valve opening.
1. A device configured to control a fluid flow between a petroleum reservoir ( 6 ) and a pipe body ( 2 ),
wherein an inflow chamber ( 10 ) is provided externally of the pipe body ( 2 ) and attached to or integral with the pipe body ( 2 ), the inflow chamber being interactive with a flow controller ( 50 ),
wherein the flow controller ( 50 ) is inserted into the inflow chamber ( 10 ) from a region thereof closest to the petroleum reservoir ( 6 ) and thereby closing the chamber ( 10 ) thereat,
wherein a wall of the inflow chamber ( 10 ) has a fluid flow restriction ( 18 ) in communication with a borehole ( 4 ) annulus ( 14 ) between the reservoir ( 6 ) and the pipe body ( 2 ), the flow restriction ( 18 ) being interactive with the flow controller ( 50 ),
wherein the inflow chamber ( 10 ) communicates with an interior of the pipe body ( 2 ) via a valve seat ( 22 ) inserted in the pipe body ( 2 ), the valve seat ( 22 ) having a through-going valve opening ( 20 ),
wherein the flow controller ( 50 ) has a cylinder ( 32 ) and a piston ( 26 ) movable inside the cylinder, the piston ( 26 ) having a first or closing side ( 34 ) facing in a direction of the reservoir ( 6 ) and a second or opening side ( 40 ) facing in a direction of the pipe body ( 2 ),
wherein the piston ( 26 ) is spring-loaded by a spring ( 42 ) extending between a bottom region of the cylinder ( 10 ) and said second side ( 40 ) of the piston, the bottom region having an opening,
wherein the second side ( 40 ) of the piston ( 26 ) has a piston rod surrounded by the spring ( 42 ),
wherein a valve body ( 24 ) is attached to the piston rod, the valve body ( 24 ) being configured to interact with said valve seat ( 22 ) to control flow rate through the valve opening ( 20 ), said valve body ( 24 ) and said valve seat ( 22 ) being interactive with the flow controller ( 50 ),
wherein a first end of the cylinder ( 32 ) closest to the reservoir ( 6 ) is sealed off by a first diaphragm ( 44 ), and the cylinder bottom region opening being sealed off by a second diaphragm ( 46 ), the valve body ( 24 ) extending through the second diaphragm ( 46 ) in a sealed manner,
wherein a face of the first diaphragm ( 44 ) which faces away from an interior of the cylinder ( 32 ) is in communication with the annulus ( 14 ), and
wherein alterations of any pressure difference (ΔP) between a pressure (Pr) from the reservoir ( 6 ) and a pressure (Pt) in the pipe body ( 2 ) and in the inflow chamber ( 10 ) act on said first and second diaphragms ( 44 , 46 ) to control movement of the piston ( 26 ) within the cylinder ( 32 ) and thereby a location of the valve body ( 24 ) relative to the valve seat ( 22 ) to yield a specific fluid flow rate through the valve opening ( 20 ).
2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein an available cylinder space between the first and second diaphragms ( 44 , 46 ) is filled with oil.
3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the spring ( 42 ) is compressed when a pressure acting on the first diaphragm ( 44 ) is greater than a pressure acting on the second diaphragm.
4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow restriction ( 18 ) is spaced apart from the flow controller ( 50 ).
5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow restriction ( 18 ) is adjustable.
6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a sand screen ( 8 ) is provided externally of the inflow chamber ( 10 ), the sand screen ( 8 ) facing the annulus ( 14 ) and leaving a space between the sand screen ( 8 ) and the pipe body ( 2 ), fluid from the reservoir ( 6 ) thereby passing through the sand screen ( 8 ), said space, and through the flow restriction ( 18 ) into the inflow chamber ( 10 ).
7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein a fluid pressure which acts on the first diaphragm ( 44 ) is communicated from the annulus via the sand screen ( 8 ), the space, and a conduit ( 38 ) to the first diaphragm ( 44 ).
8. The device according to claim 6 , wherein a packer ( 12 ) is located in the annulus ( 14 ) between the reservoir ( 6 ) and a body part of the inflow chamber ( 10 ) which faces the reservoir ( 6 ), thereby yielding that the sand screen ( 8 ) and flow control device ( 50 ) with the flow restriction ( 18 ), inflow chamber ( 10 ), valve body ( 24 ), and valve seat ( 22 ) form a section ( 16 ) of a well ( 1 ) when the well ( 1 ) is subdivided into a plurality of such sections ( 16 ) by respective packers ( 12 ).
9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a calibration screw ( 48 ) extends from the flow controller ( 50 ) to a position outside the inflow chamber ( 10 ) adjacent the annulus ( 14 ) through the first diaphragm ( 44 ) to engage the first side ( 34 ) of the piston ( 26 ) to set a pre-tensioning of the spring ( 42 ).
10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the valve seat ( 22 ) that interacts with a conical end of the valve body ( 24 ) has a recess of truncated cone configuration.
11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein alterations of any pressure difference (ΔP) between the pressure (Pr) from the reservoir ( 6 ) and the pressure (Pt) in the pipe body ( 2 ) and in the inflow chamber ( 10 ) act on said first and second diaphragms ( 44 , 46 ) to control movement of the piston ( 26 ) within the cylinder ( 32 ) and thereby a location of the valve body ( 24 ) relative to the valve seat ( 22 ) to yield a constant fluid flow rate through the valve opening ( 20 ).
12. A device configured to control a fluid flow between a petroleum reservoir ( 6 ) and a pipe body ( 2 ),
wherein an inflow chamber ( 10 ) is provided externally of the pipe body ( 2 ) and attached to or integral with the pipe body ( 2 ), the inflow chamber being interactive with a flow controller ( 50 ),
wherein the flow controller ( 50 ) is inserted into the inflow chamber ( 10 ) from a region thereof closest to the petroleum reservoir ( 6 ) and thereby closing the chamber ( 10 ) thereat,
wherein a wall of the inflow chamber ( 10 ) has a fluid flow restriction aperture ( 18 ) in communication with a borehole ( 4 ) annulus ( 14 ) between the reservoir ( 6 ) and the pipe body ( 2 ), the flow restriction ( 18 ) being interactive with the flow controller ( 50 ),
wherein the inflow chamber ( 10 ) communicates with an interior of the pipe body ( 2 ) via a valve seat ( 22 ) inserted in the pipe body ( 2 ), the valve seat ( 22 ) having a through-going valve opening ( 20 ),
wherein the flow controller ( 50 ) has a cylinder ( 32 ) closed off at an end closest to the pipe body ( 2 ) by means of a diaphragm ( 28 ), the diaphragm ( 28 ) having a first side facing in a direction of the reservoir ( 6 ) and a second side facing in a direction of the pipe body ( 2 ),
wherein a valve body ( 24 ) is attached to the diaphragm ( 28 ), the valve body ( 24 ) being configured to interact with said valve seat ( 22 ) to control flow rate through the valve opening ( 20 ), said valve body ( 24 ) and said valve seat ( 22 ) thus being interactive with the flow controller ( 50 ),
wherein the first face of the diaphragm ( 28 ) which faces in a direction towards the reservoir is in communication with the annulus ( 14 ) and thus fluid from the reservoir ( 6 ), and
wherein alterations of any pressure difference (ΔP) between a pressure (Pr) from the reservoir ( 6 ) and a pressure (Pt) in the pipe body ( 2 ) and in the inflow chamber ( 10 ) act on said first and second sides of the diaphragm ( 28 ), respectively, to control movement of the diaphragm ( 28 ) and thereby a location of the valve body ( 24 ) relative to the valve seat ( 22 ) to yield a specific fluid flow rate through the valve opening ( 20 ).
13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the diaphragm has limited elasticity.
14. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the flow restriction ( 18 ) is spaced apart from the flow controller ( 50 ).
15. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the flow restriction ( 18 ) is adjustable.
16. The device according to claim 12 , wherein a sand screen ( 8 ) is provided externally of the inflow chamber ( 10 ), the sand screen ( 8 ) facing the annulus ( 14 ) and leaving a space between the sand screen ( 8 ) and the pipe body ( 2 ), fluid from the reservoir ( 6 ) thereby passing through the sand screen ( 8 ), said space, and through the flow restriction ( 18 ) into the inflow chamber ( 10 ).
17. The device according to claim 16 , wherein a packer ( 12 ) is located in the annulus ( 14 ) between the reservoir ( 6 ) and a body part of the inflow chamber ( 10 ) which faces the reservoir ( 6 ), thereby yielding that the sand screen ( 8 ) and flow control device ( 50 ) with the flow restriction ( 18 ), inflow chamber ( 10 ), valve body ( 24 ), and valve seat ( 22 ) form a section ( 16 ) of a well ( 1 ) when the well ( 1 ) is subdivided into a plurality of such sections ( 16 ) by respective packers ( 12 ).
18. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the valve seat ( 22 ) that interacts with a conical end of the valve body ( 24 ) has a recess of truncated cone configuration.
19. The device according to claim 12 , wherein alterations of any pressure difference (ΔP) between the pressure (Pr) from the reservoir ( 6 ) and the pressure (Pt) in the pipe body ( 2 ) and in the inflow chamber ( 10 ) act on said first and second side of the diaphragm ( 28 ) respectively, to control movement of the diaphragm ( 28 ) and thereby a location of the valve body ( 24 ) relative to the valve seat ( 22 ) to yield a constant fluid flow rate through the valve opening ( 20 ).