Valve assemblies for high-temperature wells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12473798-B2
Application number	US-202218722797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2022
Priority date	Dec 30, 2021
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A valve assembly suitable for use in a high temperature well, such as a geothermal well. The valve assembly comprises a tubular housing having ports to allow fluid communication between a fluid passageway in the valve assembly and the outside of the valve assembly, an outer sleeve longitudinally slidable in the tubular housing, and an inner sleeve longitudinally slidable in the outer sleeve. The outer and inner sleeves are slidable to various positions to prevent, allow or restrict flow through the ports. The valve assembly may include sealing assemblies that can withstand high temperatures, frangible plugs in the ports that can be sheared to open the ports, and/or a coupling member for coupling the inner and outer sleeve while the ports are being opened. The valve assembly may have ports configured in a manner that allows for sequential opening of the ports.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A valve assembly for downhole use in a high temperature well comprising:
a tubular housing having:
a housing wall having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a fluid passageway defined within the tubular housing; and
at least one port in the housing wall for allowing fluid communication between the fluid passageway and outside the tubular housing;
a first sleeve disposed in the tubular housing and longitudinally slidable with respect to the tubular housing; and at least one sealing assembly for restricting fluid flow between the fluid passageway and the at least one port, comprising:
at least one ring-shaped member in a radial groove that creates a tortuous flow path through the at least one ring-shaped member from a first side of the radial groove to a second side of the radial groove to restrict fluid flow through the at least one sealing assembly.

2 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve assembly can withstand temperatures of at least 300° C.

3 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sealing assembly consists of non-polymeric material.

4 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the high temperature well is a geothermal well.

5 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ring-shaped member comprises a plurality of rings.

6 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ring-shaped member comprises a coiled member having a plurality of rings.

7 . The valve assembly of claim 5 , wherein the rings are arranged side by side in the radial groove, and each ring has a body with a first side face and a second side face.

8 . The valve assembly of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the rings has a gap in its body for allowing fluid flow through the body between the first and second side faces.

9 . The valve assembly of claim 8 , wherein the gap comprises a slit through the body of the ring at an angle with respect to the radial axis of the ring.

10 . The valve assembly of claim 8 , wherein multiple rings comprise gaps through their bodies, and the gaps of adjacent rings are not aligned.

11 . The valve assembly of claim 5 , wherein there is an inter-ring gap between adjacent rings for allowing fluid flow between adjacent rings.

12 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the radial groove is defined by a first side wall, a second side wall, a top surface and a bottom surface; and wherein the first side wall and the second side wall are at obtuse angles with respect to the bottom surface.

13 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein increasing longitudinal fluid pressure on the at least one sealing assembly increases flow resistance in the at least one sealing assembly.

14 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ring-shaped member is metal.

15 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plug disposed in the at least one port and shearable from a closed position, in which the plug maintains a fluid seal in the at least one port, to an open position, in which fluid can flow through the at least one port.

16 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plug is a closed-end hollow frangible plug that consists of non-polymeric materials.

17 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second sleeve disposed in the first sleeve and longitudinally slidable with respect to the first sleeve between an open position, wherein the second sleeve does not substantially restrict fluid flow through the at least one port, and a closed position, wherein the second sleeve restricts fluid flow through the at least one port; and a coupling member comprising an annular member having an inner surface that engages with an outer surface of the first sleeve and the second sleeve to couple the first and second sleeves together in the first position, and releases the second sleeve from the first sleeve in the second position; wherein the first sleeve having a wall and further comprises at least one opening in the wall, and the first sleeve is longitudinally slidable with respect to the tubular housing between a first position, wherein fluid flow between the at least one opening and the at least one port is restricted, and a second position, wherein there is a substantially open flow path between the at least one opening and the at least one port; wherein the inner surface of the annular member comprises radial grooves that engage with corresponding radial grooves in the outer surface of the first sleeve and/or the second sleeve to couple the first and second sleeves together; wherein the coupling member expands into a coupling recess in the tubular housing when the first and second sleeve move from the first position to the second position to release the second sleeve from the first sleeve.

18 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a flow restriction member in the fluid passageway to restrict flow through the ports when the first sleeve is in the second position, wherein the flow restriction member increases the length and tortuosity of the fluid flow path to restrict flow.

19 . The valve assembly of claim 18 , wherein the flow restriction member comprises a sleeve having an outer wall and a plurality of slits in the wall through which the flow path goes.

20 . The valve assembly of claim 18 , wherein the flow restriction member comprises a sleeve having an outer wall and a tortuous groove in the outer wall through which the flow path goes.

Assignees

• Ncs Multistage Inc
• Ncs Multistage Llc

Inventors

• Werries Michael
• Powell Jesse Parker
• King James Gambrell

Classifications

• F16K3/265

  with a sleeve sliding in the direction of the flow line · CPC title

• F16K47/08

  for decreasing pressure {or noise level} and having a throttling member separate from the closure member {, e.g. screens, slots, labyrinths} · CPC title

• F16K3/243 Primary

  Packings (F16K3/246 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B2200/06

  Sleeve valves · CPC title

• F24T10/20

  using underground water as working fluid; using working fluid injected directly into the ground, e.g. using injection wells and recovery wells · CPC title