Streamlined valve assembly for downhole pump of reciprocating pump system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11091980-B2
Application number	US-201816026400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2018
Priority date	Jul 3, 2018
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A downhole pump used for a reciprocating pump system includes a barrel coupling to a tubing string and having a standing valve and includes a plunger coupling to a rod string and having a traveling valve. One or both of the valves can include an assembly comprising a housing, an insert, a ball, and a seat. The insert allowing for flow therethrough defines a ball stop at one end has a ball passage at the other end. The insert positions in flow passage of the housing, and one of the ends engages a shoulder in the passage. The insert includes sidewalls and a conical body to reduce turbulence, flow velocity, gas breakout, ball chatter, and the like.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve assembly used with a floating check ball for a downhole pump, the floating check ball having a first diameter, the assembly comprising:
a housing disposed on the pump and defining a bore therethrough;
an insert disposed in the bore of the housing, the insert having first and second ends and defining a flow passage therethrough, the flow passage defining a plurality of flutes in a sidewall of the insert; and
a conical body of the insert disposed in the flow passage and affixed at at least one point to the sidewall, the conical body comprising:
a base facing the first end for engaging the floating check ball,
a tip extending away from the base toward the second end of the insert, and
a conical side tapering from the base to the tip,

the sidewall of the insert converging in a first conical passage from a wider dimension adjacent the base of the conical body to a narrower dimension adjacent the tip,
the sidewall diverging at a transition from the first conical passage away from the tip of the conical body in a second conical passage, the second conical passage being inverted from the first conical passage and opening at the second end of the insert.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base of the conical body defines a semi-spherical surface.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the conical side of the conical body tapering from the base to the tip is oriented to be tangential to a spherical surface of the floating check ball engaged against the semi-spherical surface of the base.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the insert comprises a plurality of rails disposed between the flutes in the sidewall of the insert.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first conical passage of the sidewall diverges outward relative to the conical side of the conical body from the base toward the tip.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first conical passage diverges non-linearly outward.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the insert comprises a ring defining a ball opening for passage of the floating check ball.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the ring defines a second diameter at least as great as the first diameter of the floating check ball.

9. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the ring flares outward at the flutes in the sidewall of the insert.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flow passage at the second end defines a second diameter at least as great as a third diameter of the base of the conical body.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the second and third diameters are less than the first diameter of the floating check ball.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base defines a first port communicating with one or more second ports in the conical body.

13. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein one end of the housing defines first threads for threading to a first component of the downhole pump; and wherein another end of the housing defines second threads for threading to a second component of the downhole pump.

14. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a ball seat disposed in the bore of the housing adjacent the first end of the insert,
wherein the floating check ball is movably disposed in the bore of the housing, engagable with the base of the conical body, passable at least partially through the ball passage of the insert, and seatable in the ball seat.

15. A downhole pump for a reciprocating pump system having a rod string disposed in a tubing string, the pump comprising:
a barrel disposed in the tubing string and having a standing valve; and
a plunger coupled to the rod string and movably disposed in the barrel, the plunger having a traveling valve,
wherein at least one of the standing and traveling valves uses a floating check ball and a ball seat and comprises a valve assembly according to claim 1 .

16. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a tubular having a cylindrical passage; and wherein the insert comprises a cylindrical body separate from the tubular and disposed in the cylindrical passage.

17. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein the flutes in the sidewall of the insert open the flow passage external to the insert through openings defined in the outer wall of the cylindrical body.

18. The assembly of claim 16 , further comprising a ball seat disposed in the cylindrical passage of the tubular, wherein the ball seat abuts against the first end of the cylindrical body of the insert or abuts against an opposite side of a shoulder against which the first end of the cylindrical body of the insert abuts.

19. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the insert is integral to the housing.

20. A valve assembly used with a floating check ball for a downhole pump, the assembly comprising:
a housing disposed on the pump, the housing having first and second ends and defining a bore therethrough;
a plurality of flutes disposed toward the first end of the housing and defined in a sidewall of the bore of the housing; and
a conical body disposed in the bore toward the second end and affixed at at least one point to the sidewall of the housing, the conical body comprising:
a base facing the first end for engaging the floating check ball,
a tip extending away from the base toward the second end of the insert, and
a conical side tapering from the base to the tip,

the sidewall of the housing converging in a first conical passage from a wider dimension adjacent the base of the conical body to a narrower dimension adjacent the tip,
the sidewall diverging at a transition from the first conical passage away from the tip of the conical body in a second conical passage, the second conical passage being inverted from the first conical passage and opening at the second end of the housing.

21. The valve assembly of claim 20 , further comprising:
a barrel disposed in a tubing string for a reciprocating pump system, the barrel having a standing valve; and
a plunger coupled to a rod string for the reciprocating pump system and movably disposed in the barrel, the plunger having a traveling valve,
wherein at least one of the standing and traveling valves comprises the valve assembly according to claim 20 .

22. The assembly of claim 20 , wherein the housing comprises:
a tubular; and
an insert disposed in the tubular and defining a flow passage therethrough,
wherein the conical body as part of the insert is disposed in the flow passage.

23. The assembly of claim 22 , wherein the housing comprises the tubular and the insert as separate components.

24. The assembly of claim 23 , wherein the flutes comprise side openings defined in an outer wall of the insert, the side openings exposing the second flow passage of the insert to an inner wall of the tubular.

25. The assembly of claim 22 , wherein the housing comprises the tubular and the insert as integral components.

Assignees

• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Stachowiak Jr John E

Classifications

• E21B43/127

  Adaptations of walking-beam pump systems · CPC title

• E21B34/142 Primary

  unsupported or free-falling elements, e.g. balls, plugs, darts or pistons · CPC title

• E21B34/08 Primary

  responsive to flow or pressure of the fluid obtained (E21B34/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K15/04

  shaped as balls · CPC title

• F04B53/1007

  having means for guiding the closure member · CPC title