System for controlling fluid flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10145205-B2
Application number	US-201414519015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2014
Priority date	Oct 20, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A system includes a choke valve having a fluid inlet configured to receive a fluid at a first pressure and a fluid outlet configured to output the fluid at a second pressure. The choke valve also includes a fixed component and a movable component defining a throttling orifice between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. Additionally, the movable component is configured to automatically move relative to the fixed component in response to a change in the first pressure to maintain a consistent percent pressure drop between the first pressure at the fluid inlet and the second pressure at the fluid outlet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a choke valve coupled to a production tree positioned vertically above a well of a mineral extraction system to facilitate flow of fluid between surface equipment and the well, the choke valve comprising:
a fluid inlet comprising a central axis and configured to receive a fluid at a first pressure;
a fluid outlet configured to output the fluid at a second pressure;
a fixed component and a movable component defining a throttling orifice between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, wherein the movable component is configured to automatically move relative to the fixed component along a longitudinal axis that is transverse to the central axis in response to a change in the first pressure to provide a percent pressure drop between the first pressure at the fluid inlet and the second pressure at the fluid outlet, the movable component comprises an upstream end portion proximate the fluid inlet and comprising a first cross-sectional area, the moveable component comprises a downstream end portion proximate the fluid outlet and comprising a second cross-sectional area that is greater than the first cross-sectional area, the fixed component comprises a needle, the movable component comprises a seat that is configured to receive the needle and an intensifier piston positioned circumferentially about the seat, and a radially-outer surface of the seat contacts a radially-innermost surface of the intensifier piston.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the movable component is configured to automatically move without interaction with an operator, a motor, or an electronic controller.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seat extends from a first end proximate to the inlet and a second end proximate to the outlet, and the first end supports a carbide tip.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seat is threadably coupled to the intensifier piston.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the percent pressure drop provided by the choke valve is based on a ratio of the first cross-sectional area to the second cross-sectional area.

6. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a pump configured to be selectively fluidly coupled to an annular volume disposed between a portion of a radially-outer surface of the movable component and a portion of a radially-inner surface of the valve body; and
a controller configured to control a valve to fluidly couple the pump to the annular volume to enable the pump to increase a respective pressure within the annular volume, thereby driving the movable component away from the fixed component.

7. The system of claim 1 , comprising a port extending from an accumulator to an annular volume disposed between a portion of a radially-outer surface of the movable component and a portion of a radially-inner surface of the valve body while the choke valve is in an open configuration, wherein the port is configured to transfer a stored fluid between the accumulator and the annular volume as the movable component moves relative to the fixed component.

8. The system of claim 7 , comprising a pump coupled to the port, wherein the pump enables adjustment of a pressure within the annular volume to drive the movable component away from the fixed component.

9. A system, comprising:
a choke valve, comprising:
a valve body;
a fixed component and an annular movable component, wherein the fixed component and the annular movable component are positioned within the valve body and define a throttling orifice configured to receive a fluid at a first pressure and to output the fluid at a second pressure, lower than the first pressure;
wherein the annular movable component comprises a first cross-sectional area configured to be in contact with the fluid at the first pressure and a second cross-sectional area, greater than the first cross-sectional area, and configured to be in contact with the fluid at the second pressure, and wherein the annular moveable component is configured to automatically move relative to the fixed component to output the fluid at the second pressure;

a port extending from an accumulator to an annular volume defined between a radially-outer surface of the annular movable component and a radially-inner surface of the valve body while the choke valve is in an open configuration, wherein the port is configured to transfer a stored fluid between the accumulator and the annular volume as the annular movable component moves relative to the fixed component;
a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of debris within the choke valve; and
a controller configured to receive the signal and to control a valve to fluidly couple a pump to the annular volume to increase a respective pressure within the annular volume based on the signal, thereby driving the annular movable component to facilitate removal of the debris from the choke valve.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the fixed component comprises a needle and the annular movable component comprises a seat that is configured to receive the needle.

11. A system, comprising:
a first choke valve, comprising:
a valve body;
a fixed component coupled to the valve body;
a movable component slidingly disposed within the valve body, wherein the movable component comprises a seat and an intensifier piston, the intensifier piston is positioned circumferentially about the seat, the seat is removably coupled to the intensifier piston, the movable component comprises an upstream end comprising a first cross-sectional area and a downstream end comprising a second cross-sectional area, the upstream end is upstream of the downstream end relative to a direction of fluid flow through the first choke valve, and the second cross-sectional area is greater than the first cross-sectional area; and
a throttling orifice defined by the fixed component and the movable component and configured to receive a fluid at a first pressure and to output the fluid at a second pressure, lower than the first pressure;
wherein the movable component is configured to automatically slide within the valve body in response to a change in the first pressure until a first force exerted by the fluid at the first pressure on the movable component is substantially equal to a second force exerted by the fluid at the second pressure on the movable component;
wherein the choke valve is coupled to a production tree positioned vertically above a well of a mineral extraction system to facilitate flow of the fluid between surface equipment and the well.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first choke valve is configured to provide a consistent percent change in pressure between the first pressure and the second pressure as the first pressure changes.

13. The system of claim 11 , comprising a second choke valve upstream from the first choke valve, wherein the second choke valve is configured to throttle a flow of fluid and to output the fluid at the first pressure.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the seat is threadably coupled to the intensifier piston.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the seat extends from a first end proximate to the upstream end of the intensifier piston and a second end proximate to the downstream end of the intensifier piston, and the first end supports a carbide tip.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the valve body comprises a fluid inlet comprising a central axis and a fluid outlet, the throttling orifice is positioned between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and the movable component is configured to automatically slide within the valve body along a longitudinal axis that is transverse to th

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Martino Jerry A
• Elliott Declan
• Amberg James

Classifications

• F16K3/265

  with a sleeve sliding in the direction of the flow line · CPC title

• F16K1/123

  with stationary valve member and moving sleeve · CPC title

• E21B34/02 Primary

  in well heads · CPC title

• E21B34/025 Primary

  Chokes or valves in wellheads and sub-sea wellheads for variably regulating fluid flow · CPC title