Decelerator device for ball activated downhole tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016177656-A1
Application number	US-201314907758-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2013
Priority date	Dec 18, 2013
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A decelerator device ( 210 ), or shock absorber, for slowing the speed of a moving ball ( 106 ) approaching a ball seat ( 104 ) anchored in a tool ( 102 ) in a pipe string ( 200 ) of a subterranean well ( 220 ). The decelerator device ( 210 ) has a ball passage ( 208 ), an entrance port ( 204 ) which directs the moving ball ( 106 ) from an open mouth ( 202 ) of the entrance port ( 204 ) to a drag-inducing throat ( 207 ) of the ball passage ( 208 ), and directs the moving ball ( 106 ) towards a ball seat ( 104 ). The body ( 214 ) of the decelerator device ( 210 ) is made of a deformable, solid-state yielding material that displaces away from a centerline ( 103 ) of the ball passage ( 208 ) as the moving ball ( 106 ) with a diameter ( 105 ) larger than the throat ( 207 ) passes through the decelerator device ( 210 ).

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A decelerator device for slowing the speed of a moving sealing ball approaching a ball seat anchored in a pipe string of a subterranean well, the decelerator device comprising:
a ball decelerating body having a ball passage therethrough; the ball passage comprising a ball entrance port located at a top end of the body that directs a moving ball from an open mouth of the entrance port into a drag-inducing throat of the ball passage; and at least a portion of the body comprising a deformable, solid-state yielding material that displaces away from a centerline of the ball passage as a ball larger than the throat of the ball passage passes therethrough.

22 . The decelerator device of claim 21 , wherein the throat of the ball passage is cylindrical shaped.

23 . The decelerator device of claim 21 , wherein the ball entrance port is frustoconical shaped.

24 . The decelerator device of claim 21 , wherein the ball passage is funnel shaped.

25 . The decelerator device of claim 21 , wherein the deformable, solid-state yielding material is plastically deformable under subterranean well conditions.

26 . The decelerator device of claim 25 , wherein the body is annulus shaped about the throat of the ball passage.

27 . The decelerator device of claim 26 , wherein the deformable, solid-state yielding material continuously extends across the annulus shaped portion of the body about the throat of the ball passage.

28 . The decelerator device of claim 26 , wherein the deformable, solid-state yielding material contains voids therein, in the annulus shaped portion of the body about the throat of the ball passage.

29 . The decelerator device of claim 25 , wherein the body further comprises a ball seat engagement portion configured for fixation to a ball seat anchored in a tool of a pipe string of a subterranean well.

30 . The decelerator device of claim 21 , wherein the ball decelerating body has a height that is configured to reduce impact forces imparted on the ball.

31 . The decelerator device of claim 30 , wherein the height is less than a predetermined height and the ball decelerating body reduces the shock on the ball.

32 . The decelerator device of claim 30 , wherein the height is greater than a predetermined height and the ball decelerating body decelerates the ball prior to contacting the ball seat.

33 . The decelerator device of claim 1 , wherein the deformable, solid-state yielding material is elastically deformable under subterranean well conditions.

34 . The decelerator device of claim 33 , wherein the body is annulus shaped about the throat of the ball passage.

35 . The decelerator device of claim 34 , wherein the deformable, solid-state yielding material continuously extends across the annulus shaped portion of the body about the throat of the ball passage.

36 . The decelerator device of claim 34 , wherein the deformable, solid-state yielding material contains voids therein, in the annulus shaped portion of the body about the throat of the ball passage.

37 . The decelerator device of claim 33 , wherein the body further comprises a ball seat engagement portion configured for fixation to a ball seat anchored in a tool of a pipe string of a subterranean well.

38 . A ball-actuated downhole tool configured to interconnect into a pipe string of a subterranean well, the ball-actuated downhole tool comprising:
a tool housing within which a ball seat is located, the ball seat having a ball engaging, sealing surface forming an entrance to a fluid flow channel through the ball seat; the fluid flow channel through the ball seat being cylindrical shaped and having a flow channel diameter; a decelerator device located adjacent the ball seat for slowing the speed of a moving sealing ball approaching the ball seat, the decelerator device comprising:
a ball decelerating body having a ball passage therethrough;
the ball passage comprising a ball entrance port located at a top end of the body that directs the moving ball from an open mouth of the entrance port into a drag-inducing throat of the ball passage, the throat being cylindrical shaped and having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the cylindrical flow channel through the ball seat; and
at least a portion of the body forming an annulus about the throat of the ball passage and comprising a deformable, solid-state yielding material that displaces away from a centerline of the ball passage as a sealing ball having a greater diameter than the throat of the ball passage passes through the annulus.

39 . The ball-actuated downhole tool of claim 38 , wherein the ball entrance port is frustoconical shaped.

40 . The ball-actuated downhole tool of claim 38 , wherein the ball passage is funnel shaped.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Streich Steven G
• Pacey Kendall Lee

Classifications

• E21B33/12 Primary

  Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) · CPC title

• E21B23/0413 Primary

  using means for blocking fluid flow, e.g. drop balls or darts (using balls or the like for actuating downhole valves E21B34/142) · CPC title