RU2828941C1 - Submersible pump valve device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: oil industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to oil industry and can be used in borehole pump units to control fluid flow. Submersible pump valve device, including housing, main ball valve with seat, switching device with actuator and shutoff element located below rotary under action of actuator with channels communicating in series through lower bypass channel in housing space below shut-off element with space above main ball valve through upper bypass channel of housing. Rotary shut-off element is made in the form of a drum with an upward projecting axis and at least three longitudinal through channels, in one of which the main valve with a seat is located, the other one is left free, and the rest are equipped with additional valves with corresponding seats. Switching device is used in the form of a stepper motor with a control cable, and the actuating mechanism is in the form of a gearing connecting the axis of the rotor of the motor to the axis of the drum for its rotation under the action of the motor with serial alignment of channels with bypass channels of the housing.

EFFECT: simplification of the design and, as a result, reduction of its metal consumption by reducing the number of parts, increasing the overhaul period due to the use of a fixed valve seat and at least one additional valve, which duplicates the operation of the main one, and expansion of functional capabilities due to possibility of downhole equipment flushing with direct flow of liquid.

2 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the oil producing industry and can be used in borehole pumping units to regulate the flow of liquid.

A submersible pump unit is known (patent SU 1660587, IPC F04D 13/10, published 30.06.1991 Bulletin No. 24), comprising a pump with inlet openings in the housing, a discharge tract, a suction tract with a mesh filter equipped with a rotary valve with a lock, a funnel-shaped sand collector connected to the discharge tract by means of a bypass tube, and an ejector, wherein in order to reduce energy costs and increase reliability in operation, the ejector is installed in the mouth of the funnel-shaped sand collector, wherein its diffuser is connected to a sludge pipe, the nozzle is fixed on the lower end of the bypass tube located in the mouth of the funnel, and an elastic gland valve is installed on the outer surface of the filter in its upper part, wherein the rotary valve is made in the form of a wedge with a hollow prismatic base having a central a rib by means of which the valve is hingedly mounted on the bottom of the filter, and the retainer is installed in the cavity of the prismatic base with the possibility of free movement.

The disadvantages of this pump unit are a narrow scope of application due to the possibility of the valve switching only with liquid containing a large amount of solid mechanical particles, the complexity of manufacturing a wedge-shaped valve and adjusting the valve for switching, since it is necessary to find a combination of the location of the center of gravity, the total mass of the valve and the maximum pressure, ensuring the switching of the valve from one position to another.

The closest in technical essence is the installation for the simultaneous-separate exploitation of formations in a well (patent RU 2550633, IPC E21B 43/14, published 10.05.2015 Bulletin No. 13), containing a column of lifting pipes, a cable, a shank, packers installed outside the shank between the formations and separating the well into sections, an electric submersible pump with a check valve for pumping out the formation products with an input module and an electric motor, a casing covering the electric motor with a cable and an input module and communicated with the shank equipped with several channels, each of which communicates with one of the sections of the well, pressure gauges functionally connected to the control unit of the installation, a switching valve with a housing and a shut-off element located below the casing and providing communication between one of the sections of the well and the cavity of the casing through the corresponding channel, wherein the switching valve is equipped with a piston with a longitudinal a channel communicating the space under the valve with the casing, and the check valve is installed in the longitudinal channel of the piston, wherein the piston is designed with the possibility of limited longitudinal movement together with the check valve downwards under the action of the pressure difference in the column of lift pipes and the channel of the tailpiece, communicating with one of the sections of the well, or upwards under the action of the flow of the pumped out liquid, wherein the piston is made with the possibility of interaction with the actuator, allowing one of the channels of the tailpiece to be opened in turn, closing the others, with each reciprocating movement of the piston.

The disadvantages of the switching valve used in the installation are the complexity of manufacture and high metal consumption associated with a large number of precisely adjusted parts that ensure longitudinal reciprocating movement of the switching valve and rotation of the shut-off element during switching, a short period between repairs due to the rapid failure of the movable seat of only one valve, as well as a narrow scope of application due to the impossibility of flushing the pumping equipment with a reverse flow of liquid from the wellhead.

The technical result is the creation of a design for a submersible pump valve device that allows for a simpler design and, as a consequence, a reduction in its metal consumption due to a reduction in the number of parts, an increase in the period between repairs due to the use of a fixed valve seat and at least one additional valve duplicating the operation of the main one, and an expansion of the functional capabilities due to the possibility of flushing well equipment with a direct flow of liquid.

The technical solution is a submersible pump valve device, including a housing, a main ball valve with a seat, a switching device with an actuator and a shut-off element located below, which rotates under the action of the actuator, with channels that communicate sequentially through a lower bypass channel in the housing, the space below the shut-off element with the space above the main ball valve through an upper bypass channel of the housing.

What is new is that the rotary shut-off element is made in the form of a drum with an upwardly projecting axis and at least three longitudinal through channels, in one of which the main valve with a seat is located, the other is left free, and the rest are equipped with additional valves with corresponding seats, the switching device is used in the form of a stepper electric motor with a control cable, and the actuator is in the form of a gear transmission connecting the axis of the motor rotor with the axis of the drum for its rotation under the action of the motor with sequential alignment of the channels with the bypass channels of the housing.

What is also new is that the main and additional valves are spring-loaded.

Fig. 1 shows a valve device in longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 shows a drum with a gear transmission pinion on an axis.

Fig. 3 shows section A-A of Fig. 1.

The valve device of the submersible pump includes a housing 1 (Fig. 1), a main ball valve 2 with a seat 3, a switching device in the form of a stepper electric motor 4 with a control cable 5 and an actuator in the form of a gear transmission 6 (Fig. 3) and a shut-off element in the form of a drum 7 (Fig. 2) located below, which rotates under the action of the actuator, with at least three longitudinal through channels 8, 9 and 10, communicating sequentially through a lower bypass channel 11 (Fig. 1) in the housing 1 the space below the drum 7 with the space above the main ball valve through an upper bypass channel 12 of the housing 1. The drum 7 is equipped with an upwardly protruding axis 13, in one of the channels 8 of which the main valve 2 with a seat 3 is located, the other 10 (Fig. 2) is left free, and the remaining 9 (Fig. 1) are equipped with additional valves 14 with corresponding seats 15, similar to the main valve 2 and seat 3. Gear transmission 6 connects the axis of the rotor 18 of the engine 4 with the axis 13 of the drum 7 by corresponding gears 16 (Fig. 3) and 17 for its rotation under the action of the engine 4 with sequential alignment of channels 8 (Fig. 2), 9 and 10 with bypass channels 11 and 12 of the body 1. For operation in inclined or horizontal wells (not shown), the main 2 (Fig. 1) and additional 14 valves can be made pressed by corresponding springs (not shown) to the corresponding seats 3 and 15.

Structural elements, process connections, seals and/or the like that do not affect the explanation of the operability of the valve device are not shown in the drawings (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) or are shown conditionally.

The valve device of the submersible pump is assembled and used as follows.

The corresponding seats 3 and 15 are fixed (with a press, sealants, glue, etc.) in channels 8 (Fig. 1) and 9 of drum 7. Channel 10 (Fig. 2) of drum 7 remains free. Drum 7 (Fig. 1) is inserted into the lower part (not shown) of body 1 so that main channel 8 of drum 7 is aligned with lower channel 11 of body 1. When operating the valve device in a well interval (not shown) of 1000 m and below, it is recommended to use upper 19 and lower 20 seals made of dense polyurethane or vulcanized rubber. Channels 8 and 9 are equipped with corresponding valves 2 and 14 with or without springs. After which the upper part (not shown) of the housing 1 is installed so that the upper channel 12 of the housing 1 is aligned with the main channel 8 of the drum 7, and the axis 13 of the drum 7 is hermetically entered into the chamber 21 of the housing 1 under the motor 4. On the axes 13 and 18, respectively, of the drum 7 and the rotor of the motor 4, gears 17 and 16 are installed (by press fit, keyway connection, toothed connection, or the like). The motor 4 is installed in the chamber 21 so that gears 16 (Fig. 3) and 17 are aligned, forming a gear transmission 6. After which the chamber is closed from above (not shown), hermetically leading the cable 5 to the top. The switching device in the form of a stepper electric motor 4 is selected due to the provision of a guaranteed rotation of the drum 7 by a certain angle, which ensures the sequential alignment of the channels 8 (Fig. 2) when control signals are supplied via cable 5. 9 and 10 with channels 11 (Fig. 1) and 12 of the housing 1. Since the engine 4 is located in a closed and sealed chamber 21, it is not exposed to external influences of aggressive environments and does not fail throughout the entire service life of the valve device.

The valve device can be used as a suction (below the submersible pump) and/or discharge (above the submersible pump) valve of a submersible pump (rod pump - SRP, electric submersible centrifugal pump - ESP, gerotor submersible pump - GSPP, etc. - not shown). It is recommended to use the valve device with submersible pumps (ESP, GPD, etc.) equipped with a submersible electric motor (not shown), since cable 5 can be lowered into the well together with and/or as part of the power cable (not shown) for the electric motor.

At least one assembled valve device is connected to a submersible pump (above and/or below) using transition pipes 22 (Fig. 1) and is lowered into the well on a pipe string (not shown) with cable 5 to the installation interval. After which the submersible pump is started up. The well fluid entering from below through channel 11 of body 1, using the pressure difference created by the submersible pump, pushes the main valve 2 away from seat 3, passes through channels 8 of drum 7 and 12 of body 1 and rises to the surface along the pipe string. When the submersible pump stops, the main valve 2 drops (under its own weight or with the help of a spring) onto seat 3, blocking the flow of fluid from top to bottom.

When the valve device fails, which is determined by a pressure drop when the submersible pump is stopped or when testing (creating excess pressure) in the pipe column. The submersible pump is stopped, a control signal is sent via cable 5, engine 4 rotates drum 7 via gear transmission 6 until channel 9 of drum 7 aligns with channels 11 and 12 of body 1. After which the submersible pump is started. Well fluid entering from below through channel 11 of body 1, with the help of the pressure difference created by the submersible pump, pushes additional valve 14 away from seat 15, passes through channels 9 of drum 7 and 12 of body 1 and rises to the surface along the pipe column. When the submersible pump is stopped, additional valve 14 drops (under its own weight or with the help of a spring) onto seat 15, blocking the flow of fluid from top to bottom.

For direct flushing, the submersible pump is stopped, a control signal is sent via cable 5 until channel 10 (Fig. 2) of drum 7 is aligned with channels 11 (Fig. 1) and 12 of the housing using motor 4 and rotation via gear transmission 6 of drum 7 (determined by a sharp drop in pressure in the pipe column). A cleaning liquid (water, water with surface-active substances - surfactants, solvent (diesel fuel, white spirit, etc.), water + surfactants + solvent and/or etc.) is pumped through the pipe column from the wellhead, which passes through channels 11 and 12 of housing 1 and channel 10 (Fig. 2) of drum 7 from top to bottom to flush the submersible pump, filter, or other well equipment. After flushing, control signals are sent via cable 5 (Fig. 1), engine 4 rotates drum 7 via gear transmission 6 until channel 8 or 9 of drum 7, which were installed before flushing, are aligned with channels 11 and 12 of body 1. After which the submersible pump is started in normal operation.

The operation of a small number of moving and structurally simple elements of the valve device (engine 4 and gear transmission 6) only during the rotation of drum 7, the possibility of replacing a faulty valve 2 or 14 with a working valve 14 by rotating drum 7, as well as direct flushing through channel 10 (Fig. 2) of drum 7, allows increasing the inter-repair period of the submersible pumping unit by at least 2.5 times compared to analogues.

The proposed valve device of a submersible pump allows to simplify the design and, as a result, reduce its metal consumption by reducing the number of parts, increase the period between repairs by using a fixed valve seat and at least one additional valve duplicating the operation of the main one, and expand the functionality due to the possibility of flushing the well equipment with a direct flow of liquid.

Claims (2)

1. A submersible pump valve device comprising a housing, a main ball valve with a seat, a switching device with an actuator and a shut-off element located below that can be rotated by the actuator with channels that communicate sequentially through a lower bypass channel in the housing, the space below the shut-off element with the space above the main ball valve through an upper bypass channel of the housing, characterized in that the rotary shut-off element is made in the form of a drum with an upwardly projecting axis and at least three longitudinal through channels, in one of which the main valve with a seat is located, the other is left free, and the rest are equipped with additional valves with corresponding seats, the switching device is used in the form of a stepper electric motor with a control cable, and the actuator is in the form of a gear transmission connecting the axis of the motor rotor with the axis of the drum for its rotation under the action of the motor with sequential alignment of the channels with the bypass channels of the housing. 2. A valve device for a submersible pump according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the main and additional valves are spring-loaded.