US2698055A - Gas generator for oil well pump engines - Google Patents

Description

1954 E. R. WILLIAMS GAS GENERATOR FOR OIL WELL PUMP ENGINES 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 2, 1952 INVEN TOR f/mer R M7/L A TTORNE K Dec. 28, 1954 E. R. WILLIAMS 2,598,055

GAS GENERATOR FOR OIL WELL PUMP ENGINES Filed Jan. 2, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 m I 1 ll 68 3 I A l 25 //0 I Z622 & 66 a I J-fl 70 52 im 1 m m w 5 /6 p 60 r 3 7 INVENTOR.

HUM I Dec. 28, 1954 E. R. WILLIAMS 2,698,055

GAS GENERATOR FOR OIL WELL PUMP ENGINES Filed Jan. 2, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

1/ 19. 6. Ewe/R W/W/kms United States Patent GENERATOR'FOR. 01L .WELLL'PUNIPXENGINES Elmer R; Williams,.GreatBend, Kans.,= assignor.to-?Neill Tank Company, Inc., Great Bend, -Knns., --a corpora- .tionof Kansas Application January. 2, 19.52,.SerialNo. 264,611

*3 Claims. (Cl. 166- 75) This invention relates to equipment ffor'use in connection with-oil-wells and particularlyzthose utilizing an internal combustion engine for operating "the oil well pump, the primary object beingto providestructure for making'it possible to utilize gas'forming apart of the petroleum products 'beingpumped asthe fuel supply for such engine.

It is common practice to-operateinternal combustion engines serving as a primemover for .oil well :pumps from free gas discharged from the pumped products,but many wells today do not have asuffic'ient supply of such free gasto continuously supply the engine withits fuel requirements.

It is the most important object'of'the present invention therefore, toprovide .a generator capable of. automatically'separating gasfrom'the petroleum products as the latter is being pumped from the well and directing suchgenerated fuel .to thetpump engine'for' use thereby during continual operation.

Another important object of thepresent invention is to provide a generator-utilizing heat as the means for causingseparation of the gasfromthezpetroleurnproducts, the heatbeing obtained fromthe exhaust-fumes of the-engine itself, thereby requiring no cost of operation whatsoever.

A further object of'the present invention isto-provide a gas generatorhaving a container for receiving a'portion of'the 'oil being pumped and redirecting the same to the casing of thewell, the exhaustfumes of .the engine being brought into heat-exchange relationship with the oil in the container to cause automatic separation of the gas and thereby presenting a continuous-"and constant fuel supplyfor the engine.

A still further object :of this invention-istto provide a gasgenerator operable in conjunction withthe'well itself by utilizing the casing thereof as a storage-means for thegas generated when suchgas is 'notused by'the engine as fast as the sameis produced, 'there being a closed-system interconnecting the well casing "andzthe generator of the present invention.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide "agenerator for use'in connectionwith wells wherein it is not gpossible'to utilize the casing as a gas storage means, such generator still being capable however,-o'f-supplying a constant flow of gas to the pump engine.

Other objects include manyrirnportant .details of .construction, all of wh-ichwillbe made clear as the .followin g specification progresses.

-In the'drawings:

Figure 1 is a-side-elevationalview of one form of gas generator'foroilwell pump engines and including-adiagr-ammatic flowchart, together with 'a section through a well and an elevational view of-thepumping assembly.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, side elevational view of thegeneratorsimilarto Fig. 1, parts beingxbroken away and in section for clearness.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, cross-sectionalviewtaken on line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed cross-sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of a modified form of gas generator for oil well pump engines.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line VI--VI of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed cross-sectional view taken on line VIIVII of Fig. 6.

2,698,055 Patented .Dec. .28, 1.954

mounted within the drum 12 'in'spacecl :relationsliipto the inner -faces of the'walls-ofdrum 12,'-andinsul ation ('not 'shown) within :space 18-o'f drum '12, completely surrounds the tank 16. 'The tank .16'in-turn..contains a cylindricalcontainer 20 that is likewise spaced from the side and bottom' walls of the tank 16.

'Fhecontainer 20 depends from the uppcrrnostwall '22 of=the tank 16 and=receives a smaller cylindrical'receptacle' 24. The'receptacle 24 isremova'ble from-wim in the container 20 through the medium ofan out-turned,

annular flange 26 on the receptacle 24 and restingupon the uppermost surface of wall 22.

-A-series of bolts or other fasteningelements 28,:"releas ably'h'olda hollow 'dome -30, *togetherWith theflarrge 26,-att-ached to the wall 22. Bottom wall32'ofzthe treceptacle 24'is shaped.- as illustrated in.Fig. "3 o'ftthe'drawings, presenting a'plurality of openings '34. Filtering material '36 ispackedwithin the receptacle 24'and-comprises metal shavings or the like.

In Figure 1 of -*the drawings, there Eis illustrated .a pumping assembly broadly designated by the :numeral 38, for -oil wells 40. Assembly 38 includes "a prime mover in the nature "of *an internal "combustion :engine 42,-engine 42'operating a Walking beam 44 thatin'turn reiprocates-string 46 of a pump within-tube "'46 thatis in=turn disposed-within a casing-50'mounte'din the'well 40. T'he petroleum products 52--arepumpedto suitable storagetanks-not-shown, by means of a line 54. In accordancewi'th the presentyinvention, the'line54'is tapped with a-conduit-56 that'isin'turnconnected with the "container "'20 at the lowermost end thereof :after passing through the'drum 12 andthetank l6zin'the'nrannerillustrated-by-Fig 2- of' thedrawings.

A-cap 58closes the uppermost endof'the ca'sing 50 and a second conduit'60 connecting with the :cap58 and, therefore, with the casing 50, joins the container :20 below the receptacle'24 as shown in Fig.2 of the drawings.

-A:heat exchanger 62 is provided "by telescoping .a portion of the-conduit 56 within a portion-of the conduit "60. As shown in Fig. l of the drawings, exhaust fumes emanating from the engine 42 .are directed into .the tank '--16-'eXtcr-iorly of the container 20 'by means of a tube 64 passing through the drum I12 and connecting with the "tank 16 adjacent the lowermost end thereof 'as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the-drawings. Such exhaust fumespass'fromithe tank 16-tothe atmosphere'by means of a short nipple 66 traversing the side vwalls'oftank'16 and drum 12 adjacent the uppermost endrof Ltank :16 :as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Gas emanating 'from the petroleum products 152' withinthe container 20, is'directed to the engine 42 by means of a -second-pipe 68 'thatpasses through the 'drum '"1'2, and connects with the dome 30 'as-shown in'FigsflZand 4. Excess gas over and above that required to operate the engine-421s returnedtoxthc casing'50iby means ofa third pipe "70 joining with the cap .58 and passing through the drum 12, the tank 16, and the container 20 adjacent the receptacle 24.

Avalve 72 in conduit56 controls :the flow of petroleum products '5-2 to the container'20 and a valve74 within the "pipe'70 controls the flow of gasfrom the container 20 "to l the casing 50.

In operation,the"initial starting of engine- 42maylbe accomplished bypriming, in the usual manner. .Assoon as :assembly '38 commences pumping products 5.2 .to .Ithe storage tanksby'wayof linef54, valve 72 may beopened to cause a-portion of such products 52to be pumped into the container 20 by way of conduit 56. These products are initially heated within the heat exchanger 62 and are redirected from the container 20 to the casing 50 by way of conduit 60. Hot exhaust fumes emanating from the engine 42 and passing through the tank 16 by way of tube 64 and nipple 66, operate to heat the products 52 within container 20, causing the loose gas ends to rise therefrom within container 20 and pass into the receptacle 24 by way of openings 34. Filtering of the rising gases by the shavings 36, removes such liquid as may be carried with the gas, the liquid draining back through the openings 34 into the container 20.

By means of a suitable control forming a part of the engine 42, the fuel requirements of the engine 42 are fed thereto constantly and at a predetermined rate. Normally, more gas will be generated within the container 20 than is required to operate the engine 42 and such excess gas is redirected to the casing 50 from the container 20 by way of the pipe 70. In many wells, the

gas pressure that is built up within the casing 50, willnot adversely effect the free flow of products 52 to the pump and therefore, a ready supply of gas fuel is made available for use by the engine 42 at all times. Thus, in the event that the generator fails to produce suflicient gas to supply the engine 42 for a short period of time, the supply of gas within the casing 50 above the products 52, will pass to the engine 42, from casing 50 by way of pipe 70, container 20, receptacle 24, dome 30 and pipe 68.

In many wells however, it is not possible to store the excess gas within the casing 50 for the reason that such pressure acting upon the level of products 52 within the well 40, adversely effects the free flow of the products 52 into the tube 48 containing the pump. In such cases, it is preferable to make use of a generator 100 forming the subject matter of the form of the present invention illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive.

Generator 100 includes an outermost, elongated drum 102 within which is mounted a suitable container 104 surrounded by insulation 106. An upstanding receptacle 108 communicating with the container 104 and passing through the drum 102, may also be provided with a bottom wall such as at 32 in Figs. 3 and 4, for receiving filtering means 36 if desired. A dome 110 on the receptacle 108 has an outlet pipe 112 comparable to pipe 68 for directing the gas to an internal combustion engine. The container 104 is provided with a horizontal partition 114 that spans the distance between the side walls of the container 104 and sets out an upper compartment 116 and a lower compartment 118. An upstanding baflie 120 at one end of the partition 114 spans the distance between the side walls of the container 104 and presents a space 122 for overflow of petroleum products 124 from compartment 116 to compartment 118. Petroleum products 124 are directed from the well to the container 104 and particularly to the compartment 116 of the latter by means of a conduit 126 comparable to conduit 56 in Fig. 1. A second conduit 128 connecting with the casing of the well and with the compartment 118 of container 104, returns the products 124 to the well. A valve 130 within the conduit 128 is controlled by a float 132 in the compartment 118, valve 130 opening as float 132 rises and closing as the float 132 moves toward the lowermost end of its path of travel.

The compartment 116 of container 104, houses an elongated, cylindrical tank 134 having a longitudinally extending, horizontal bafiie 136. A tube 138 for receiving exhaust fumes from an internal combustion engine communicates with the tank 134 above baflle 136 and a short nipple 140 communicating with the tank 134 below the plate 136, directs the exhaust fumes to the atmosphere.

A heat exchanger 142 is provided by telescoping the conduit 126 within the conduit 128. The operation of the generator 100 is in part similar to the operation of generator 10. Petroleum products 124 are directed to the container 104 from the well by means of conduit 126 and are returned to the casing of the well by conduit 128. Exhaust fumes emanating from the engine, pass into the tank 134 by tube 138, such fumes serving to heat the products 124 within the compartment 116 of container 104. The loose gas ends are separated and rise within the receptacle 108 and thence pass to the engine from dome 110 by way of pipe 112. The products 124 pass from the compartment 116, over the uppermost end of the bafile and thence into the compartment 118 by way of space 122. The products 124 return to the casing of the well by way of conduit 128 when the valve is open.

Such operation continues as long as the engine consumes substantially all of the generated gas, but, if more gas is produced than is required by the engine, the increased pressure within the receptacle 108 and therefore, within the container 104, operates to retard and/or stop the flow of products 124 into the container 104 by way of conduit 126. When the pressure is relieved, the flow of products 124, through the container 104, will continue. When the flow of products 124 into the compartment 116 is reduced or stopped, the float 132 gradually closes, thereby maintaining a predetermined level of liquid within the compartment 118 whenever the supply of gas in the container 104 is above that required by the engine.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. For use with a well having a casing closed at its uppermost end, a pump in the casing provided with a line for passage of gas-bearing, liquid petroleum products from the pump to a point of storage, and an internal combustion engine for operating said pump, structure for generating gas from said products to fuel the engine comprising a container; a pair of conduits for conveying a portion of said products from the line into said container and from the container into the casing respectively; a tank having an outlet and disposed in heat exchange relationship to the container; a tube for directing hot exhaust fumes from the engine into the tank; and a pair of pipes for feeding gas rising from said products in the container from the latter to the engine and to the casing respectively.

2. For use with a well having a casing closed at its uppermost end, a pump in the casing provided with a line for passage of gas-bearing, liquid, petroleum products from the pump to a point of storage, and an internal combustion engine for operating said pump, structure for generating gas from said products to fuel the engine comprising a container having a products inlet port, a gas discharge port and a products discharge port; a pair of conduits for conveying a portion of said products from the line into said container through said products inlet port and from the container through said products discharge port into the casing respectively; a tank having an outlet and disposed in heat exchange relationship to the container; a tube for directing hot exhaust fumes from the engine into the tank; and means responsive to the pressure of gas within the container and including a float-valve in said products discharge port for maintaining a predetermined level of said products in the container.

3. Structure for generating gas as set forth in claim 2 wherein is provided a pair of pipes for feeding gas rising from said products in the container from the latter to the engine and to the casing respectively.

Hill Publishing Company, New York, New York.

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