Valve assembly for downhole pump of reciprocating pump system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12146386-B2
Application number	US-202117563303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2021
Priority date	Dec 28, 2021
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

A downhole pump used for a reciprocating pump includes a barrel and a plunger. The barrel couples to a tubing string and has a standing valve. The plunger couples to a rod string and has a traveling valve. One or both of the valves can include an assembly comprising a housing and an insert. The insert allowing for flow therethrough has a ball stop and a ball passage. Positioned in the housing, one end of the insert engages a tapered sidewall in the housing. The insert is secured with metallic material metallurgically affixed between the insert and the housing. For example, brazing material can be brazed at the end of the insert to metallurgically affix the insert in the passage. A ball is positioned in the insert, and a seat is positioned adjacent an end of the insert. The assembly is then incorporated into components of the pump.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of assembling a valve assembly of a downhole pump for a reciprocating pump system, the method comprising:
configuring a housing having first and second ends and defining a first flow passage therethrough, the first flow passage defining a longitudinal sidewall transitioned to a tapered sidewall, the longitudinal sidewall disposed between the first and second ends, the tapered sidewall disposed between the longitudinal sidewall and the first end, the tapered sidewall being angled inward from the longitudinal sidewall;
configuring an insert having third and fourth ends and defining a second flow passage allowing for flow therethrough, the second flow passage defining a ball stop toward the third end and defining a ball passage toward the fourth end, an exterior of the insert having a longitudinal surface toward the fourth end transitioned to a tapered surface toward the third end, the tapered surface being angled inward;
inserting the insert in the first flow passage of the housing by exposing a first extent of the longitudinal sidewall to the second flow passage of the insert and engaging a second extent of the tapered surface of the insert against the tapered sidewall of the first flow passage while floating the longitudinal surface of the insert unshouldered adjacent the longitudinal sidewall of the first flow passage, the second extent being greater than the first extent;
securing the insert in the housing to build an assembled arrangement for the valve assembly to retain the insert in the first flow passage by:
(i) applying heat to the assembled arrangement of the housing having the insert inserted therein, and
(ii) brazing a brazing material between a portion of the longitudinal surface of the insert and a portion of the longitudinal sidewall of the first flow passage in response to the applied heat; and

further retaining the insert in the first flow passage by increasing the engagement of the tapered surface of the insert against the tapered sidewall of the first flow passage by using thermal expansion of the assembled arrangement from the applied heat, in combination with subjecting the insert in the housing to an axial force, and followed by thermal compression of the tapered sidewall of the housing against the tapered surface of the insert from subsequent cooling of the assembled arrangement.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the housing comprises forming the housing by machining the first flow passage in the housing to define the longitudinal sidewall and the tapered sidewall between the first and second ends; and machining threads at the first and second ends for threading to other components of the downhole pump.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising building the valve assembly by:
positioning a ball movably disposed in the first flow passage of the housing of the assembled arrangement, engageable with the ball stop of the insert, and passable at least partially through the ball passage of the insert;
positioning a ball seat in the first flow passage adjacent the fourth end of the insert having the ball passage;
affixing an endpiece to the second end of the housing; and
trapping the ball seat in the housing between the fourth end of the insert and a shoulder of the endpiece.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein brazing with the brazing material comprises initially positioning a charge of the brazing material adjacent an annular space between the insert and the first flow passage.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein initially positioning the charge of the brazing material adjacent the annular space between the insert and the first flow passage comprises positioning the charge of the brazing material in a circumferential slot defined around the insert.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the heat comprises using inductive heating with a coil disposed relative to the housing.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein subjecting the insert in the housing to the axial force comprises inverting the assembled arrangement and using gravity as the axial force to assist the engagement of the tapered surface of the insert against the tapered sidewall of the first flow passage.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the housing comprises configuring the housing composed of a first material at least subject to the thermal expansion; and wherein configuring the insert comprises configuring the insert composed of a second material being different from the first material and being different from the brazing material.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the insert comprises configuring the insert having a ring structure toward the fourth end and having rails extending from the ring structure toward the third end, the rails being separated by flutes defined in the insert, the ring structure defining the ball passage, the ball passage and the flutes forming the second flow passage, the rails converging to the ball stop at the third end, the exterior of the ring structure and the rails toward the fourth end having the longitudinal surface transitioned to the tapered surface of each of the rails toward the third end, the tapered surface of each rail being angled inward.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein configuring the insert comprises forming the insert by casting the insert with the ring structure, the rails, the ball stop, and the ball passage.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein exposing the first extent of the longitudinal sidewall to the second flow passage of the insert comprises exposing the first extent of the longitudinal sidewall through the flutes in the insert; and wherein engaging the second extent of the tapered surface of the insert against the tapered sidewall of the first flow passage comprises exposing the second extent of the tapered sidewall through the flutes in the insert.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein configuring the insert comprises configuring the insert to have a total longitudinal extent therethrough from the fourth end to the third end along a longitudinal axis of the insert; and wherein inserting the insert in the first flow passage of the housing comprises exposing a longitudinal extent of the tapered sidewall via the flutes in the insert, the longitudinal extent accounting for at least half of the total longitudinal extent through the insert.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein configuring the insert comprises configuring each of the rails of the insert to be skewed at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the insert.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein configuring the insert comprises configuring the ball passage to define a flare from the ball passage to the flutes.

15. A method of assembling a valve assembly of a downhole pump for a reciprocating pump system, the method comprising:
configuring a housing having first and second ends and defining a first flow passage therethrough, the first flow passage defining a longitudinal sidewall transitioned to a tapered sidewall, the longitudinal sidewall disposed between the first and second ends, the tapered sidewall disposed between the longitudinal sidewall and the first end, the tapered sidewall angled inward from the longitudinal sidewall;
configuring an insert having third and fourth ends and defining a second flow passage allowing for flow therethrough, the second flow passage defining a ball stop toward the third end and defining a ball passage toward the fourth end, an exterior of the insert having a longitudinal surface toward the fourth end transitioned to a tapered surface toward the third end, the tapered surface being angled inward;
inserting the insert in

Assignees

• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Stachowiak Jr John E
• Galle Justin R

Classifications

• F16K27/0245

  with ball-shaped valve members · CPC title

• F16K15/04

  shaped as balls · CPC title

• E21B2200/04

  Ball valves · CPC title

• F04B53/1002

  Ball valves · CPC title

• F04B53/22

  Arrangements for enabling ready assembly or disassembly · CPC title