System and methodology for controlling actuation of devices downhole

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11536112-B2
Application number	US-202016781772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2020
Priority date	Feb 5, 2019
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A technique facilitates actuation of a downhole device, e.g. a flow control valve. The downhole device is shifted between positions by an actuator piston, which is movable in a first direction via hydraulic actuating fluid supplied by a first control line and in a second direction via hydraulic actuating fluid supplied by a second control line. A hydraulic circuit is coupled between the first control line and the second control line to enable a complete stroke of the actuator piston in one direction, e.g. the second direction, while limiting movement of the actuator piston to incremental movements in the other direction, e.g. the first direction. The hydraulic circuit employs a hydraulic enabled regulator having a plurality of pistons arranged to control the supply of hydraulic actuating fluid to achieve the desired incremental movements of the actuator piston.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for actuating a device, comprising:
an actuator piston disposed in a hydraulic chamber, the actuator piston being movable in a first direction via hydraulic actuating fluid supplied by a first control line and in a second direction via hydraulic actuating fluid supplied by a second control line; and
a hydraulic circuit coupled between the first control line and the second control line, the hydraulic circuit enabling a complete stroke of the actuator piston within the hydraulic chamber in the second direction by supplying the hydraulic actuating fluid through the second control line, the hydraulic circuit further comprising a hydraulic enabled regulator to control incremental movement of the actuator piston within the hydraulic chamber in the first direction, the hydraulic enabled regulator having a plurality of pistons arranged to supply a plurality of volumes of hydraulic actuating fluid so the actuator piston is moved along the hydraulic chamber in increments of different lengths, wherein the plurality of pistons comprises a larger piston movable in a cylinder, the larger piston having an internal cavity in fluid communication with an interior of the cylinder via a port; and a smaller piston movable within the internal cavity of the larger piston.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the actuator piston is a flow control valve actuator piston.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the first control line is an open line through which hydraulic actuating fluid is supplied to move the flow control valve actuator piston toward an open position.

4. The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the second control line is a close line through which hydraulic actuating fluid is supplied to move the flow control valve actuator piston toward a closed position.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein supplying hydraulic actuating fluid under pressure through the first control line causes an initial shifting of both the larger piston and the smaller piston to supply an initial volume of hydraulic actuating fluid which shifts the actuator piston an initial increment.

6. The system as recited in claim 5 , wherein when pressure in the first control line is reduced, hydraulic actuating fluid supplied by the second control line enters the internal cavity and the smaller piston moves back to an initial position within the internal cavity.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the smaller piston is moved back to the initial position via a spring.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein when pressure is again applied in the first control line the smaller piston is shifted without moving the larger piston to thus supply a relatively smaller volume of hydraulic actuating fluid for shifting the actuator piston a subsequent increment of shorter length than the initial increment.

9. A system, comprising:
a well string having a plurality of flow control valves shiftable between open and closed positions via movement of a flow control valve actuator piston, each flow control valve being coupled with an open hydraulic line and a close hydraulic line via a hydraulic circuit, the open hydraulic line and the close hydraulic line being configured to deliver hydraulic actuating fluid under suitable pressure to move the flow control valve actuating piston;
the hydraulic circuit being coupled between the open hydraulic line and the close hydraulic line, the hydraulic circuit enabling a complete stroke of the flow control valve actuator piston within an actuator piston cylinder in a close direction by supplying the hydraulic actuating fluid through the close hydraulic line, the hydraulic circuit further comprising a hydraulic enabled regulator to control incremental movement of the flow control valve actuator piston within the actuator piston cylinder in an open direction, the hydraulic enabled regulator having a plurality of pistons arranged to supply a plurality of volumes of hydraulic actuating fluid so the flow control valve actuator piston is moved along the actuator piston cylinder in increments of different lengths, wherein the plurality of pistons comprises a larger piston movable in a cylinder, the larger piston having an internal cavity in fluid communication with an interior of the cylinder via a port; and a smaller piston movable within the internal cavity of the larger piston.

10. The system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the hydraulic circuit further comprises a flow restrictor positioned along the close hydraulic line.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the hydraulic circuit further comprises a plurality of check valves arranged to control communication of hydraulic actuating fluid between the hydraulic enabled regulator and the flow control valve actuator piston.

12. The system as recited in claim 9 , wherein supplying hydraulic actuating fluid under pressure through the open hydraulic line causes an initial shifting of both the larger piston and the smaller piston to supply an initial volume of hydraulic actuating fluid for shifting the flow control valve actuator piston an initial increment.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein when pressure in the open hydraulic line is reduced, hydraulic actuating fluid supplied by the close hydraulic line enters the internal cavity and the smaller piston moves back to an initial position within the internal cavity under the influence of a spring bias.

14. A method, comprising:
positioning a flow control valve along a well string;
coupling the flow control valve with a hydraulic circuit which operates to control delivery of actuating fluid to a flow control valve actuating piston when the flow control valve is shifted to different operational positions; and
using the hydraulic circuit to limit movement of the flow control valve actuating piston to desired incremental movements when the flow control valve is shifted toward an open position by delivering different volumes of actuating fluid to the flow control valve actuating piston by employing a hydraulic enabled regulator having a dual piston arrangement, the dual piston arrangement comprising a smaller piston slidably mounted within an interior cavity of a larger piston.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein using further comprises using a plurality of check valves arranged to control communication of hydraulic actuating fluid between the dual piston arrangement and the flow control valve actuator piston.

16. The method as recited in claim 14 , further comprising using the hydraulic circuit to enable movement of the flow control valve actuator piston to a closed position in a single stroke.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Clayton David
• Prost Jerome
• Jasper Michael
• Swenson Brad

Classifications

• E21B34/10 Primary

  operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole · CPC title

• E21B43/14

  Obtaining from a multiple-zone well · CPC title

• F16K31/1221

  one side of the piston being spring-loaded · CPC title

• F16K31/1225

  with a plurality of pistons · CPC title