Pressure responsive switch for actuating a device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10217583-B2
Application number	US-201415513659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2014
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A switch responsive to a pressure differential, including a pressure response mechanism for providing a pressure response in response to the pressure differential and a device actuator arranged to interact with the pressure response mechanism and to utilize the pressure response of the pressure response mechanism to actuate a device. The device actuator actuates the device to an operative state when the pressure differential is below a lower pressure differential threshold, and may actuate the device to a non-operative state when the pressure differential is above an upper pressure differential threshold.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In an apparatus exposed to a first pressure and a second pressure, a switch responsive to a pressure differential, wherein the pressure differential is equal to the first pressure minus the second pressure, the switch comprising:
(a) a pressure response mechanism for providing a pressure response in response to the pressure differential, wherein the pressure response mechanism comprises:
(i) a switch cylinder having a first switch cylinder end and a second switch cylinder end;
(ii) a switch piston contained within the switch cylinder such that the switch piston and the switch cylinder are reciprocable relative to each other, wherein the switch piston divides the switch cylinder into a first switch chamber adjacent to the first switch cylinder end and a second switch chamber adjacent to the second switch cylinder end;
(iii) wherein the first switch chamber is in pressure communication with the first pressure; and
(iv) wherein the second switch chamber is in pressure communication with the second pressure;

(b) a device actuator arranged to interact with the pressure response mechanism and to utilize the pressure response of the pressure response mechanism to actuate a device, wherein the device actuator actuates the device to an operative state when the pressure differential is below a lower pressure differential threshold;
(c) a first fluid isolation system for isolating the first switch chamber from a first fluid; and
(d) a second fluid isolation system for isolating the second switch chamber from a second fluid.

2. The switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device actuator actuates the device to a non-operative state when the pressure differential is above an upper pressure differential threshold.

3. The switch as claimed in claim 2 wherein the pressure response mechanism is in a first pressure response position when the pressure differential is below the lower pressure differential threshold, and wherein the pressure response mechanism is in a second pressure response position when the pressure differential is above the upper pressure differential threshold.

4. The switch as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a biasing device for urging the pressure response mechanism toward the first pressure response position.

5. The switch as claimed in claim 4 wherein the first pressure is a pressure in an interior space defined by the apparatus and wherein the second pressure is a pressure at an exterior of the apparatus.

6. The switch as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first fluid isolation system is between the interior space of the apparatus and the first switch chamber and isolates the first switch chamber from an interior space fluid, and wherein the second fluid isolation system is between the exterior of the apparatus and the second switch chamber and isolates the second switch chamber from an exterior fluid.

7. The switch as claimed in claim 6 :
(a) wherein the first fluid isolation system comprises a first flexible fluid barrier between the interior space and the first switch chamber and a first pressure transmission chamber between the first flexible fluid barrier and the first switch chamber; and
(b) wherein the second fluid isolation system comprises a second flexible fluid barrier between the exterior of the apparatus and the second switch chamber and a second pressure transmission chamber between the second flexible fluid barrier and the second switch chamber.

8. The switch as claimed in claim 7 wherein the first fluid isolation system further comprises a first pressure transmission fluid contained within the first pressure transmission chamber and the first switch chamber and wherein the second fluid isolation system further comprises a second pressure transmission fluid contained within the second pressure transmission chamber and the second switch chamber.

9. The switch as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first flexible fluid barrier comprises a diaphragm, and wherein the second flexible fluid barrier comprises a diaphragm.

10. The switch as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising a seal between the switch piston and the switch cylinder, for inhibiting fluids from passing between the first switch chamber and the second switch chamber.

11. The switch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus defines a bore extending through an interior of the apparatus, wherein the first pressure is a pressure in the bore of the apparatus, and wherein the second pressure is a pressure at an exterior of the apparatus.

12. The switch as claimed in claim 11 wherein the apparatus is insertable in a borehole.

13. The switch as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising the device, wherein the device is selected from a group of devices consisting of a geophone device and a sampling device.

14. The switch as claimed in claim 13 wherein the device is a geophone device comprising a geophone sensor, a geophone lock associated with the geophone sensor, and a borehole coupler, and wherein the device actuator comprises a first device actuator for actuating the geophone lock and a second device actuator for actuating the borehole coupler.

15. The switch as claimed in claim 13 wherein the device is a sampling device and wherein the device actuator comprises a mechanical coupling connected with the pressure response mechanism.

16. A method for actuating a device, comprising:
(a) providing a switch comprising:
(i) a pressure response mechanism which provides a pressure response in response to a pressure differential, wherein the pressure differential is equal to a first pressure minus a second pressure, and wherein the pressure response mechanism comprises:
(A) a switch cylinder having a first switch cylinder end and a second switch cylinder end;
(B) a switch piston contained within the switch cylinder such that the switch piston and the switch cylinder are reciprocable relative to each other, wherein the switch piston divides the switch cylinder into a first switch chamber adjacent to the first switch cylinder end and a second switch chamber adjacent to the second switch cylinder end;
(C) wherein the first switch chamber is in pressure communication with the first pressure; and
(D) wherein the second switch chamber is in pressure communication with the second pressure;

(ii) a device actuator which is arranged to interact with the pressure response mechanism to utilize the pressure response of the pressure response mechanism to actuate the device;
(iii) a first fluid isolation system for isolating the first switch chamber from a first fluid; and
(iv) a second fluid isolation system for isolating the second switch chamber from a second fluid; and

(b) providing a first pressure differential, wherein the first pressure differential is below a lower pressure differential threshold, in order to actuate the device to an operative state.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising providing a second pressure differential, wherein the second pressure differential is above an upper pressure differential threshold, in order to actuate the device to a non-operative state.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the device is a component of an apparatus which is configured to be located in a borehole, wherein the apparatus comprises a bore extending through an interior of the apparatus, wherein the first pressure is a pressure in the bore of the apparatus, and wherein the second pressure is a pressure at an exterior of the apparat

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Huang Wei Hsuan
• Bin Muhammad Moizuddin Muhammad Subhan

Classifications

• E21B41/00

  Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 · CPC title

• H01H35/34

  actuated by diaphragm · CPC title

• G01V1/181

  Geophones · CPC title

• E21B49/10

  using side-wall fluid samplers or testers · CPC title

• H01H35/38 Primary

  actuated by piston and cylinder · CPC title