Diversion plunger for reciprocating rod pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10731446-B2
Application number	US-201615044856-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2016
Priority date	Feb 16, 2015
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

A diversion connector is used for a downhole pump having a plunger and a barrel in a well. The diversion connector is useful in a sandy well having particulates. The plunger has an interior and is reciprocated by a rod relative to the barrel. The connector includes one or more bodies, such as a mandrel, attaching the rod to the plunger. The mandrel has a first exterior surface and defines a fluid passage communicating with the interior of the plunger. A sleeve is disposed on the first exterior surface and has an interior surface floating relative to the first exterior surface. The floating sleeve at least partially prevents particulate uphole of the plunger from passing in a gap between the plunger and the barrel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A downhole apparatus comprising a diversion connector for a downhole pump, the downhole pump having a plunger reciprocated by a rod in a barrel, the plunger having an interior, the connector comprising:
one or more bodies having a rod end attaching to the rod and having a plunger end attaching to the plunger of the downhole pump, the one or more bodies having a first exterior surface and defining a fluid passage, the fluid passage having an inlet port toward the plunger end and having at least one first outlet port toward the rod end, the inlet port communicating the fluid passage with the interior of the plunger, the at least one first outlet port communicating the fluid passage outside the first exterior surface; and
a sleeve disposed on the first exterior surface between the at least one first outlet port and the plunger end of the one or more bodies and being radially movable on the first exterior surface relative to the barrel, the sleeve having an interior surface floating relative to the first exterior surface between the at least one first outlet port and the plunger end.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is composed of a different material than the one or more bodies.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the sleeve is composed of a ceramic material, and wherein the one or more bodies are composed of a metal material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve defines a first shoulder at an uphole end of the sleeve facing toward the rod.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the sleeve further defines one or more external grooves defined about a second exterior surface thereof between the uphole end and a downhole end of the sleeve.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more bodies comprise a mandrel having the rod and plunger ends and having the first exterior surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the one or more bodies comprise at least one fixture attaching the mandrel to the plunger and permitting fluid communication between the fluid passage of the mandrel and the interior of the plunger.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one fixture comprises a first ring disposed on the plunger end of the mandrel and engaged against a first shoulder on the mandrel adjacent a downhole end of the sleeve.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one fixture further comprises a second ring disposed on the plunger end and holding the first ring against the first shoulder on the mandrel.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first and second rings thread onto the plunger end of the mandrel; and wherein the second ring threads onto the plunger.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the sleeve has an uphole end disposed adjacent a second shoulder on the mandrel.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has a second exterior surface with an outer dimension configured to match that of the plunger.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more biasing elements disposed between the interior surface of the sleeve and the first exterior surface of the one or more bodies.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the one or more biasing elements comprises one or more O-rings disposed between the interior surface of the sleeve and the first exterior surface of the one or more bodies.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the one or more O-rings are disposed in grooves in the first exterior surface or in the interior surface of the sleeve.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one more bodies comprise a perforated body having a screen, the perforated body connected to the plunger.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has an uphole end adjacent the at least one fluid outlet port of the one or more bodies, the uphole end defining a conical surface angled inward.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more bodies define at least one second outlet port disposed between the at least one first outlet port and the plunger end, the at least one second outlet port communicating the fluid passage outside the first exterior surface; and wherein the one or more bodies comprise at least one sealing element disposed about the first exterior surface between the at least one second outlet port and the plunger end.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one sealing element comprises at least one wiper seal.

20. A downhole apparatus operated by a rod, the apparatus comprising:
a barrel having a first one-way valve permitting fluid communication into the barrel and restricting fluid communication out of the barrel;
a plunger reciprocally disposed in the barrel and having a second one-way valve, the second one-way valve permitting fluid communication into an interior of the plunger from a variable volume defined between the first and second one-way valves, the second one-way valve restricting fluid communication out of the interior to the variable volume;
a connector having a rod end attaching the rod and having a plunger end attaching to the plunger, the connector having a first exterior surface and defining a fluid passage, the fluid passage having an inlet port toward the plunger end and having at least one outlet port toward the rod end, the inlet port communicating the fluid passage with the interior of the plunger, the at least one outlet port communicating the fluid passage outside the first exterior surface; and
a sleeve disposed on the connector between the at least one outlet port and the plunger end of the connector and being radially movable on the first exterior surface relative to the barrel, the sleeve having an interior surface floating relative to the first exterior surface of the connector between the at least one outlet port and the plunger end.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the first one-way valve comprises a check valve having a ball movable relative to a seat; and wherein the second one-way valve comprises a check valve having a ball movable relative to a seat.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein in a first stroke moving the barrel and the plunger relative to one another in a first direction, the variable volume decreases, the first one-way valve closes, and the second one-way valve opens; and wherein in a second stroke moving the barrel and the plunger relative to one another in a second direction, the variable volume increases, the first one-way valve opens, and the second one-way valve closes.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the connector comprises a mandrel having the rod and plunger ends and having the first exterior surface; and wherein the sleeve is disposed on the mandrel.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the plunger end of the connector attaches directly to an upper end of the plunger.

25. The apparatus of claim 20 , comprising an intermediate member attaching the plunger end of the connector to an upper end of the plunger.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the intermediate member comprises a perforated body having a screen, the perforated body connected between the plunger end of the connector and the upper end of the plunger.

27. The apparatus of claim 20 , comprising a surface drive reciprocating the rod.

28. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the sleeve has an outer dimension configured to match that of the plunger.

29. The apparatus of claim 20 , fur

Assignees

• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Stachowiak John E
• Bailey Jason W
• Hebert Doug

Classifications

• E21B43/127 Primary

  Adaptations of walking-beam pump systems · CPC title

• F04B47/022

  driving of the walking beam · CPC title

• F04B53/14

  Pistons, piston-rods or piston-rod connections · CPC title

• F04B47/005

  Sand trap arrangements · CPC title

• F04B53/10

  Valves; Arrangement of valves · CPC title