Erosion control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876376-B2
Application number	US-201816173732-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2018
Priority date	Oct 29, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A hydrocarbon extraction system that includes an erosion control system. The erosion control system includes a housing defining a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet. The housing receives and directs a flow of a particulate laden fluid between the first inlet and the outlet. A conduit rests within the housing. The conduit changes a direction of the particulate laden fluid and reduces erosion of the housing. The conduit is inserted into the housing through the second inlet. The conduit defines a plurality of apertures between an exterior surface and an interior surface of the conduit. The apertures direct the fluid into a conduit cavity. The conduit guides the fluid entering the conduit cavity to the outlet. The erosion control system excludes a plug and/or a sleeve around or in the conduit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hydrocarbon extraction system, comprising:
an erosion control system, the erosion control system comprises:
a housing defining a first inlet, a second inlet, an outlet, and
a counterbore downstream from the first inlet, wherein the housing is configured to receive and direct a flow of a particulate laden fluid between the first inlet and the outlet;
a conduit defining a first end and a second end, the conduit is configured to rest within the housing with the second end resting in the counterbore, the conduit is configured to change a direction of the particulate laden fluid and reduce erosion of the housing, the conduit is configured to be inserted into the housing through the second inlet, the conduit defines a plurality of apertures between the first end and the second end, the plurality of apertures extend between an exterior surface and an interior surface of the conduit, wherein the apertures direct the particulate laden fluid into a conduit cavity, the conduit guides the particulate laden fluid entering the conduit cavity to the outlet;
a seal configured to circumferentially surround an outer circumference of the second end of the conduit and sealingly engages the housing within the counterbore; and
wherein the erosion control system excludes a plug and/or a sleeve in the conduit to adjust the flow of the particle laden fluid through the plurality of apertures.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each aperture of the plurality of apertures is aligned with a corresponding aperture that is offset one-hundred eighty degrees.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conduit comprises an inner layer and an outer layer, wherein the inner layer extends circumferentially around a central axis of the conduit, and the outer layer extends circumferentially around the inner layer.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the outer layer comprises a first material and the inner layer comprises a second material, wherein the first material of the outer layer is softer and/or more ductile than the second material of the inner layer.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the second material of the inner layer is more abrasion resistant than the first material of the outer layer.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the outer layer is configured to withstand impacts from material within the particulate laden fluid, and the inner layer is configured to resist wear as the particulate laden fluid enters the plurality of apertures and flows through the conduit.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the erosion control system excludes the plug and/or the sleeve around the conduit.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a cavity surrounding a portion of the conduit, and a volumetric ratio of a first volume of the cavity relative to a second volume of the portion of the conduit is greater than 1.5.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures have different sizes.

10. The system of claim 1 , comprising a second seal, wherein the second seal seals between the conduit and the housing at the first end of the conduit.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conduit comprises an insert within at least one aperture of the plurality of apertures.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the insert comprises at least one polycrystalline diamond, tungsten carbide, or nitrided alloy steels.

13. The system of claim 1 , comprising a wellhead, and wherein the erosion control system couples to the wellhead.

14. An erosion control system, comprising:
a housing defining a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet, wherein the housing is configured to receive and direct a first flow of a first fluid and a second flow of a second fluid to the outlet;
a first conduit defining a first end and a second end, wherein the first conduit is configured to rest within the housing, the first conduit is configured to change a first direction of the first fluid entering the housing through the first inlet, the first conduit defines a first plurality of apertures between the first end and the second end, and the first plurality of apertures direct the first fluid into the first conduit; and
a second conduit defining a third end and a fourth end, wherein the second conduit is configured to rest within the housing downstream from the first conduit, the second conduit is configured to change a second direction of the second fluid entering the housing through the second inlet, the second conduit defines a second plurality of apertures between the third end and the fourth end, the second plurality of apertures direct the second fluid into the second conduit, and the first conduit and the second conduit are one-piece;
a seal configured to circumferentially surround an outer circumference of the first conduit or the second conduit to block the first fluid and the second fluid from flowing over an outer surface of the first conduit and the second conduit between the first plurality of apertures and the second plurality of apertures; and
wherein the erosion control system excludes a plug and/or a sleeve around or in the first conduit and/or the second conduit.

15. The erosion control system of claim 14 , wherein each aperture of the first plurality of apertures and/or the second plurality of apertures is aligned with a corresponding aperture that is offset one-hundred eighty degrees on the corresponding first conduit or second conduit.

16. A hydrocarbon extraction system, comprising:
a wellhead;
an erosion control system coupled to the wellhead, the erosion control system comprises:
a housing defining a first inlet, a second inlet, an outlet, and a counterbore downstream from the first inlet, wherein the housing is configured to receive and direct a flow of a particulate laden fluid between the first inlet and the outlet;
a conduit defining a first end and a second end configured to rest within the housing with the second end resting in the counterbore, wherein the conduit is configured to change a direction of the particulate laden fluid and reduce erosion of the housing, the conduit is configured to be inserted into the housing through the second inlet, the conduit defines a plurality of apertures between the first end and the second end, the plurality of apertures extend between an exterior surface and an interior surface of the conduit, the plurality of apertures direct the particulate laden fluid into a conduit cavity, and the conduit guides the particulate laden fluid entering the conduit cavity to the outlet;
a seal configured to circumferentially surround an outer circumference of the second end of the conduit and sealingly engages the housing within the counterbore; and
wherein the erosion control system excludes a plug and/or a sleeve in the conduit to adjust the flow of the particle laden fluid through the plurality of apertures.

17. The system of claim 16 , comprising a third inlet in fluid communication with the outlet.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the housing is a frac head.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the erosion control system is configured to direct the flow of the particle laden fluid directly against the exterior surface of the conduit, through the plurality of apertures, and directly along the interior surface of the conduit until the particle laden fluid exits through an axial end opening of the conduit.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the erosion control system excludes the plug and/or the sleeve around the conduit.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Robinson Stuart
• Martino Jerry
• Krejci Michael
• Gnanavelu Abinesh

Classifications

• E21B33/068 Primary

  having provision for introducing objects or fluids into, or removing objects from, wells (cementing-heads E21B33/05) · CPC title

• E21B43/2607

  Surface equipment specially adapted for fracturing operations · CPC title

• E21B17/1007

  for the internal surface of a pipe, e.g. wear bushings for underwater well-heads · CPC title

• E21B41/00 Primary

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

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title