Continuous magnetic positive displacement pump
A downhole magnetic pump system includes a tube positioned within a wellbore at least partially filled with a fluid. A conductive wire coil is helically wrapped around the tube and is configured to generate a magnetic field in response to an electrical current passing through the coil. A standing valve assembly including a one-way valve and a travelling valve assembly also including a one-way valve are both positioned in the tube, with the travelling valve assembly positioned uphole of the standing valve assembly. The traveling valve is configured to repetitively cycle between a first position uphole of the standing valve assembly and a second position uphole of the first position in response to the electrical current repetitively switching between a first state to a second state. In this way, a portion of the fluid is displaced in an uphole direction.
1. A downhole magnetic pump system, comprising:
a tube positioned within a wellbore, the wellbore at least partially filled with a fluid;
a conductive wire coil helically wrapped around an outer surface of the tube and configured to generate, in response to an electrical current passing through the conductive wire coil, a magnetic field;
a standing valve assembly positioned within the tube and comprising a first one-way valve, the standing valve assembly comprising a first portion configured to remain stationary within the tube and a second portion configured to axially move towards and away from the first portion;
a travelling valve assembly comprising a second one-way valve and positioned in the tube uphole of the standing valve assembly, the travelling valve assembly axially movable within the tube and configured to travel in an uphole direction in response to the magnetic field and to repetitively cycle between a first position uphole of the standing valve assembly and a second position uphole of the first position in response to the electrical current repetitively switching between a first state and a second state, thereby displacing a portion of the fluid in the uphole direction from a location within the wellbore or the tube downhole of the standing valve assembly to a location within the tube uphole of the travelling valve assembly.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises a coiled tubing.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein switching the electrical current from the first state to the second state comprises switching the electrical current between off and on.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein switching the electrical current from the first state to the second state comprises reversing the electrical current.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the standing valve assembly comprises a gripping assembly and wherein an actuation of the gripping assembly prevents an axial movement of the first portion of the standing valve assembly within the tube.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are configured such that an axial movement of the first portion and the second portion towards each other causes the gripping assembly to grip an inner surface of the tube.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first portion of the standing valve assembly comprises a magnet.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the travelling valve assembly comprises a magnet.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conductive wire coil is a lower conductive wire coil and the standing valve assembly and the travelling valve assembly comprise a lower valve pair, the system further comprising:
an upper conductive wire coil helically wrapped around the outer surface of the tube uphole of the lower conductive wire coil and conductively connected to the lower conductive wire coil;
an upper valve pair positioned in the tube uphole of the lower valve pair, the upper valve pair comprising an upper standing valve assembly and an upper travelling valve assembly, the upper travelling valve assembly configured to travel in an uphole direction in response to the magnetic field and to repetitively cycle between a first upper travelling valve assembly position uphole of the upper standing valve assembly and a second upper travelling valve assembly position uphole of the first upper travelling valve assembly position in response to the electrical current repetitively switching between the first state and the second state, thereby displacing the portion of the fluid in the uphole direction from a location within the tube downhole of the upper standing valve assembly to a location within the tube uphole of the upper travelling valve assembly.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the standing valve assembly is a male portion and the second portion of the standing valve assembly is a female portion.
11. A downhole pump comprising:
a tube configured to be positioned within a wellbore and having a downhole end and an uphole end;
a conductive wire coil helically wrapped around an outer surface of the tube and configured to generate, in response to an electrical current passing through the conductive wire coil, a magnetic field;
a standing valve assembly positioned within the tube and comprising a first one-way valve, the standing valve assembly comprising a first portion configured to remain stationary within the tube and a second portion configured to axially move towards and away from the first portion;
a travelling valve assembly positioned in the tube between the standing valve assembly and the uphole end and comprising a second one-way valve, the travelling valve assembly axially movable within the tube and configured to travel towards the uphole end in response to the magnetic field and to repetitively cycle between a first position proximate the standing valve assembly and a second position closer to the uphole end than the first position in response to the electrical current repetitively switching between a first state and a second state, thereby displacing a fluid through the tube from the downhole end to the uphole end.
12. The downhole pump of claim 11 , wherein the travelling valve assembly comprises a magnet.
13. A method comprising:
positioning a tube within a wellbore, the wellbore at least partially filled with a fluid, wherein a conductive wire coil is helically wrapped around an outer surface of the tube and the coil is configured to generate, in response to an electrical current passing through the conductive wire coil, a magnetic field;
positioning in the tube a standing valve assembly comprising a first one-way valve, the standing valve assembly comprising a first portion configured to remain stationary within the tube and a second portion configured to axially move towards and away from the first portion;
positioning a travelling valve assembly in the tube, the travelling valve assembly comprising a second one-way valve and configured to travel axially relative to the standing valve assembly in response to the magnetic field; and
repetitively switching the electrical current between a first state and a second state, thereby repetitively cycling the travelling valve assembly between a first position uphole of the standing valve assembly and a second position uphole of the first position, thereby displacing a portion of the fluid in an uphole direction from a location within the wellbore or the tube downhole of the standing valve assembly to a location within the tube uphole of the travelling valve assembly.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tube comprises a coiled tubing.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein switching the electrical current from the first state to the second state comprises switching the electrical current off and on.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein switching the electrical current from the first state to the second state comprises reversing the electrical current.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein positioning the standing valve assembly in the tube is after positioning the tube within the wellbore.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein positioning the standing valve assembly in the tube is before positioning the tube within the wellbore.
19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising actuating a gripping assembly of the standing valve assembly to prevent axial movement of the first portion of the standing valve assembly within the tube.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the actuating of the gripping assembly comprises displacing the second portion of the standing valve assembly axially towards the first portion of the standing valve assembly in response to the magnetic field.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the second portion of the standing valve assembly comprises a magnet.
22. The method of claim 19 , wherein, in response to actuating, the gripping assembly is pushed radially in an outward direction.
23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the travelling valve assembly comprises a magnet.
24. The method of claim 13 , wherein the conductive wire coil is a lower conductive wire coil and the standing valve assembly and the travelling valve assembly comprise a lower valve pair, and wherein:
an upper conductive wire coil conductively connected to the lower conductive wire coil is helically wrapped around the outer surface of the tube uphole of the lower conductive wire coil; and
an upper valve pair is positioned in the tube uphole of the lower valve pair, the upper valve pair comprising an upper standing valve assembly and an uphole travelling valve assembly, the upper travelling valve assembly configured to travel in an uphole direction in response to the magnetic field;
and wherein the method further comprises repetitively cycling the upper travelling valve assembly between a first upper travelling valve assembly position uphole of the upper standing valve assembly and a second upper travelling valve assembly position uphole of the first upper travelling valve assembly position in response to the electrical current repetitively switching between the first state and the second state, thereby displacing the portion of the fluid in the uphole direction from a location within the tube downhole of the upper standing valve assembly to a location within the tube uphole of the upper travelling valve assembly.