Diverter valve for progressing cavity pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10450838-B2
Application number	US-201715612518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2017
Priority date	Jul 14, 2016
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A diverter valve housing is secured to an upper end of a pump. A shuttle in the diverter valve housing moves between an upper closed position and a lower open position. A floating ring has an exterior band that abuts an upper end of the shuttle to move the shuttle downward. The floating ring moves upward when the pump operates. A bushing abuts an upward facing shoulder in the floating ring and is adhered within the bushing by a layer of adhesive. The shuttle has upper and lower seals separated by upper and lower spacer rings. A stop ring between the spacer rings limits downward movement of the upper spacer ring and also limits upward movement of the lower spacer ring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A well pumping apparatus, comprising:
a pump having a rotatable drive member;
a diverter valve housing secured to an upper end of the pump, the diverter valve housing having a sidewall containing at least one outlet port;
a shuttle reciprocally carried in the diverter valve housing, the shuttle having an upper closed position blocking flow through the outlet port and a lower open position allowing flow through the outlet port;
a spring in the diverter valve housing that urges the shuttle to the upper position;
a flow tube secured to and extending upward from the diverter valve housing, the flow tube having a longitudinal axis and an upper end adapted to be secured to a string of production tubing;
a connector rod secured to and extending upward from the drive member through the spring and the shuttle, the connector rod having an upper end with a rod coupling for connecting to a string of drive rods to rotate the drive member;
a floating ring having a bore that receives the connector rod, the floating ring having an exterior band that abuts an upper end of the shuttle to move the shuttle downward toward the open position while the pump is shut off, the floating ring being upwardly movable in the flow tube relative to the shuttle in response to well fluid flowing upward from the pump while the pump is operating, causing the spring to move the shuttle to the closed position;
an upward facing shoulder at a lower end of the bore;
a thermoplastic bushing abutting the upward facing shoulder; and
a layer of adhesive between the bushing and the bore that bonds the bushing to the floating ring.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a retainer ring secured in the bore in engagement with an upper end of the bushing.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an annular groove in the bore at an upper end of the bushing; and
a snap ring in engagement with the groove and overlying the upper end of the bushing.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the upward facing shoulder has an inner diameter that is larger than an inner diameter of the bushing.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bushing has a radial wall thickness that is at least 25% of a radius of the connector rod.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bushing has a radial wall thickness that is at least 35% of a radius of the connector rod.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the shuttle comprises:
a tubular member having an exterior upper cylindrical portion and an exterior lower cylindrical portion of smaller outer diameter than the upper cylindrical portion and separated from the upper cylindrical portion by a downward facing shoulder;
annular upper and lower seals surrounding the lower cylindrical portion;
at least one rigid spacer ring surrounding the lower cylindrical portion and axially separating the upper and lower seals from each other; and
spacer ring retainer means for releasably retaining the spacer ring with the shuttle such that an upward force imposed on the lower seal will not transmit through the spacer ring to the upper seal.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the shuttle comprises:
a tubular member having an exterior upper cylindrical portion and an exterior lower cylindrical portion of smaller outer diameter than the upper cylindrical portion and separated from the upper cylindrical portion by a downward facing shoulder;
annular upper and lower seals surrounding the lower cylindrical portion;
rigid upper and lower spacer rings surrounding the lower cylindrical portion and axially separating the upper and lower seals from each other;
an annular groove on the lower cylindrical portion at a lower end of the upper spacer ring and an upper end of the lower spacer ring;
a stop ring that fits in the groove in abutment with the lower end of the upper spacer ring and the upper end of the lower spacer ring, preventing an upward force imposed on the lower spacer ring from transferring to the upper spacer ring.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a threaded ring secured by threads to an exterior threaded section on the shuttle below the lower cylindrical portion and the lower seal to retain the lower seal and the lower spacer ring on the lower cylindrical portion; and wherein
the exterior threaded section has an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the lower cylindrical portion.

10. A well pumping apparatus, comprising:
a pump having a rotatable drive member;
a diverter valve housing secured to an upper end of the pump, the diverter valve housing having a sidewall containing at least one outlet port;
a shuttle reciprocally carried in the diverter valve housing, the shuttle having an upper closed position blocking flow through the outlet port and a lower open position allowing flow through the outlet port;
a spring in the diverter valve housing that urges the shuttle to the upper position;
a flow tube secured to and extending upward from the diverter valve housing, the flow tube having a longitudinal axis and an upper end adapted to be secured to a string of production tubing;
a connector rod secured to and extending upward from the drive member through the spring and the shuttle, the connector rod having an upper end with a rod coupling for connecting to a string of drive rods to rotate the drive member;
a floating ring having a bore that receives the connector rod, the floating ring having an exterior band that abuts an upper end of the shuttle to move the shuttle downward toward the open position while the pump is shut off, the floating ring being upwardly movable in the flow tube relative to the shuttle in response to well fluid flowing upward from the pump while the pump is operating, causing the spring to move the shuttle to the closed position;
an upward facing shoulder at a lower end of the bore;
a thermoplastic bushing abutting the upward facing shoulder and adhered within the bore by a layer of adhesive; wherein
the floating ring has a cylindrical portion extending upward from the band; and
the bushing has a wall thickness that is greater than one-half a wall thickness of the cylindrical portion.

11. A well pumping apparatus, comprising:
a pump having a rotatable drive member;
a diverter valve housing secured to an upper end of the pump, the diverter valve housing having a sidewall containing at least one outlet port;
a shuttle reciprocally carried in the diverter valve housing, the shuttle having an upper closed position blocking flow through the outlet port and a lower open position allowing flow through the outlet port;
a spring in the diverter valve housing that urges the shuttle to the closed position;
a flow tube secured to and extending upward from the diverter valve housing, the flow tube having a longitudinal axis and an upper end adapted to be secured to a string of production tubing;
a connector rod secured to and extending upward from the drive member through the spring and the shuttle, the connector rod having an upper end with a rod coupling for connection to a string of drive rods to rotate the drive member;
a floating ring having a bore that receives the connector rod, the floating ring having an exterior band with a lower side that abuts an upper end of the shuttle to move the shuttle downward toward the open position while the pump is shut off, the floating ring being upwardly movable in the flow tube relative to the shuttle in response to well fluid flowing upward from the pump while the pump is operating, causing the spring to move the shuttle to the closed position; wherein the shuttle comprises:

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Berry Douglas

Classifications

• F04C13/008

  Pumps for submersible use, i.e. down-hole pumping · CPC title

• F05C2225/12

  Polyetheretherketones, e.g. PEEK · CPC title

• F04C15/064

  with inlet and outlet valves specially adapted for rotary or oscillating piston machines or pumps · CPC title

• F04C2/1071

  the inner and outer member having a different number of threads and one of the two being made of elastic materials, e.g. Moineau type · CPC title

• F04C14/06

  specially adapted for stopping, starting, idling or no-load operation · CPC title