Hydraulic control apparatus and method for a downhole tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12435585-B1
Application number	US-202418803182-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 13, 2024
Priority date	Aug 13, 2024
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

The present invention is a hydraulic control apparatus that activates and deactivates a downhole tool, such as a reamer, at a desired downhole location in a borehole. The apparatus includes a piston, a housing, a coil spring, and a guide pin. The piston has a cam portion with a continuous slotted groove. There is a slide member and a force member within the slotted groove so that the piston moves longitudinally and rotationally within the housing according to the guide pin within the slotted groove. At the desired downhole location, drilling fluid pressure passes a pressure threshold to move a front outlet of the piston to an opened position past an end of the housing, while rotating the piston according to the slide member and force member in the slotted groove. The apparatus alternately extends and retracts the reamer by opening and closing the front outlet by hydraulic control.

First claim

We claim:

1. A hydraulic control apparatus for activating and deactivating a downhole tool at a downhole location in a borehole, comprising:
a piston being comprised of a front piston portion, a back piston portion opposite said front piston end, and a cam portion between said front piston portion and said back piston portion,
wherein said front piston portion has a front distal end with a front outlet with an opened position and a closed position, and
wherein said back piston portion has a back distal end;
a housing having a first housing end, a second housing end opposite said first housing end, and an interior chamber between said first housing end and said second housing end,
wherein said cam portion, said back piston portion, and at least a portion of said front piston portion are contained within said interior chamber,
wherein said interior chamber has a front chamber portion, a back chamber portion opposite said front chamber portion, and a cam chamber portion between said front chamber portion and said back chamber portion, said front piston portion being moveable within said front chamber portion and said cam chamber portion, said cam portion being moveable within said cam chamber portion, said back piston portion being moveable within said back chamber portion and said cam chamber portion
a coil spring around said back piston portion and in contact with said cam portion so as to exert pressure back and forth against cam portion,
wherein said cam portion is comprised of an outer cam surface, a continuous slotted groove along said outer cam surface so as to circumscribe said cam portion, a slide member within the slotted groove, and a force member in contact with said slide member so as to exert back and forth between said force member and said slide member, and
wherein said slide member has a forward contact surface and a blocking surface adjacent said forward contact surface; and
a guide pin mounted to said housing and extended into the slotted groove,
wherein the slotted groove has a first point,
wherein said guide pin at said first point corresponds to said front outlet in said closed position,
wherein the slotted groove has a first pathway from said first point to said forward contact surface of said slide member,
wherein said guide pin in said first pathway corresponds to said front outlet switching from said closed position to said opened position,
wherein the slotted groove has a second pathway from said blocking surface of said slide member to a second point,
wherein said guide pin in said second pathway and at said second point corresponds to said front outlet in said opened position,
wherein the slotted groove has a third pathway from said second point to a third point,
wherein said guide pin in said third pathway corresponds to said front outlet switching from said opened position to said closed position, and
wherein said guide pin at said third point is analogous to said first point so as to correspond to said front outlet in said closed position.

2. The hydraulic control apparatus, as in claim 1 , wherein said cam portion is further comprised of a peripheral cavity, said force member being housed within said peripheral cavity so as to contact said slide member.

3. The hydraulic control apparatus, as in claim 1 , wherein said force member is comprised of a spring.

4. The hydraulic control apparatus, as in claim 1 , wherein said front outlet is comprised of an elongated slot, a slide rod removably extended into said elongated slot in said opened position, and a die spring connected to said slide rod so as to determine an activation pressure range of said front outlet.

5. The hydraulic control apparatus, as in claim 1 , wherein said housing is comprised of a plurality of ventilation channels around said cam chamber portion so as to allow fluid flow between said piston and said housing.

6. The hydraulic control apparatus, as in claim 1 , wherein the slotted groove has a dovetail groove shape so as to prevent said guide pin and said slide member from misalignment within the slotted groove.

7. The hydraulic control apparatus, as in claim 1 , further comprising:
a locking key having a locking protrusion engaged to said slide member so as to direct said guide pin from said front contact surface to said blocking surface of said second pathway by said slide member.

8. The hydraulic control apparatus, as in claim 7 , wherein said cam portion is further comprised of a side cavity, said locking key being housed within said side cavity.

9. The hydraulic control apparatus, as in claim 1 , further comprising:
another guide pin mounted to said housing and extended into the slotted groove, said another guide pin being around said cam chamber portion,
wherein said guide pin at said first point corresponds to said another guide pin at a respective first point within the slotted groove,
wherein said guide pin in said first pathway corresponds to said another guide pin in a respective first pathway within the slotted groove,
wherein said guide pin at said second point corresponds to said another guide pin at a respective second point within the slotted groove,
wherein said guide pin in said second pathway corresponds to said another guide pin in a respective second pathway within the slotted groove, and
wherein said guide pin at said third point corresponds to said another guide pin at a respective third point within the slotted groove.

10. The hydraulic control apparatus, as in claim 9 , wherein said another guide pin and said guide pin are circumferentially dispersed around the cam chamber portion.

11. The hydraulic control apparatus, as in claim 1 , further comprising:
a locking ring within said second housing end having a deployed configuration and an active configuration; and
a plurality of locking ring shear pins connecting said locking ring to said second housing end in said deployed configuration.

12. The hydraulic control apparatus, as in claim 11 , wherein said locking ring is removably engaged to said back distal end so as to shear said locking ring shear pins in said active configuration.

13. The hydraulic control apparatus, as in claim 1 , further comprising:
a filter in fluid connection with said piston so as to prevent blockage of flow through said piston.

14. A method for activating and deactivating a downhole tool at a downhole location in a borehole, comprising the step of:
deploying the apparatus of claim 1 with said front outlet in said closed position and said guide pin at said first point in the slotted groove to the downhole location in the borehole;
applying drilling fluid pressure on said cam portion so as to move said guide pin from said first point through said first pathway to said forward contact surface of said slide member;
applying drilling fluid pressure over a pressure threshold so as to slide said guide pin from said front contact surface to said blocking surface of said slide member and into said second pathway and switch said front outlet from said closed position to said opened position;
moving said guide pin through said second pathway to said second point with said front outlet in said opened position; and
moving said guide pin from said second point through said third pathway to said third point so as to switch said front outlet from said opened position to said closed position.

15. The method for activating and deactivating, according to claim 14 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a locking ring within said second housing end having a deployed configuration and an active configuration, and
wherein said locking ring is in sa

Assignees

• Cnpc Usa Corp
• Beijing Huamei Inc
• China Nat Petroleum Corp

Inventors

• Wang Jinjun
• Cheng Chris
• Yu Jiaqing
• Mada Hems
• Waddell Kevin
• Yang Xiongwen
• Zhao Xu
• Yi Ming
• Zhang Xin
• Zhang Yanping
• Luo Yong
• Hou Fuxiang
• Zabala Tito

Classifications

• E21B10/322

  cutter shifted by fluid pressure (E21B10/345 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B23/006 Primary

  "J-slot" systems, i.e. lug and slot indexing mechanisms · CPC title