Apparatus and methods for manual override of hydraulic choke or valve actuators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017191346-A1
Application number	US-201515129058-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 25, 2014
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hydraulic actuator comprises a chamber, a first line, a second line, and an auxiliary line. The chamber allows fluid to move therethrough and comprises a movable element therein. The first line is in fluid communication with the chamber. The second line is in fluid communication with the chamber. The auxiliary line connects the first line and the second line and comprises a valve to selectively allow fluid communication between the first line and the second line as the movable element is moved in the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
automatically filling an interior space of a chamber with a fluid using a flow control device in an automatic mode, the fluid configured to enter the chamber through an inlet line and configured to exit the chamber through an outlet line, the chamber containing a movable element in contact with the fluid, the inlet line connected to the outlet line and to a reservoir through an auxiliary line; providing fluid communication between the inlet line, the outlet line, and the reservoir through the auxiliary line; and if the automatic mode malfunctions, moving the movable element to generate fluid flow though the auxiliary line to balance a volumetric change in a first chamber portion relative to a second chamber portion.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving a first valve to an open position to provide fluid communication between the inlet line and the outlet line and moving a second valve to an open position to provide fluid communication between the auxiliary line and the reservoir.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein moving the moveable element is performed manually.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein moving a three-way valve simultaneously provides fluid communication between the inlet line, the outlet line, and the reservoir.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a reservoir line provides fluid communication between the auxiliary line and the reservoir.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein fluid communication between the auxiliary line and the reservoir comprises moving a valve to an intermediate position, the intermediate position providing fluid communication between two of the inlet line, the outlet line, and the reservoir.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising connecting the inlet line to a second reservoir through the auxiliary line, where fluid communication between the inlet line and the second reservoir is provided through the auxiliary line.

8 . A hydraulic actuator comprising:
a chamber comprising an interior space in which fluid and a movable element are located, movement of one of the movable element and the fluid generates movement of the other of the movable element and the fluid; an inlet line in fluid communication with the interior space; an outlet line in fluid communication with the interior space; and an auxiliary line connecting the inlet line and the outlet line and comprising a valve; wherein movement of the movable element by manual control moves the valve to an open position to provide fluid communication between the inlet line and the outlet line.

9 . The hydraulic actuator of claim 8 , wherein the valve has a closed position, the closed position substantially preventing fluid communication between the inlet line and the outlet line.

10 . The hydraulic actuator of claim 8 , wherein the movable element is operatively connected to a hydraulic choke.

11 . The hydraulic actuator of claim 8 , wherein the chamber further comprises a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion, and wherein the auxiliary line is in fluid communication with a reservoir, the reservoir configured to balance volumetric differences in the first chamber portion and the second chamber portion as the movable element moves relative to the chamber.

12 . The hydraulic actuator of claim 11 , wherein the reservoir is at least partially full of fluid to allow the reservoir to balance volumetric differences due to fluid moving through the auxiliary line toward either the first chamber portion or the second chamber portion.

13 . The hydraulic actuator of claim 8 , wherein the auxiliary line comprises a first valve, a reservoir, and a second valve that are serially connected along the auxiliary line, the first valve providing fluid communication between the inlet line and the reservoir when the first valve is in an open position and the second valve providing fluid communication between the outlet line and the reservoir when the second valve is in an open position.

14 . The hydraulic actuator of claim 8 , further comprising a first reservoir connected to the auxiliary line by a first reservoir line and a second reservoir connected to the auxiliary line by a second reservoir line.

15 . The hydraulic actuator of claim 8 , wherein the valve is a three-way valve having an open position and a closed position, the open position providing fluid communication between the inlet line, outlet line, and a reservoir and the closed position preventing fluid communication between the inlet line, outlet line, and a reservoir.

16 . The hydraulic actuator of claim 15 , wherein the three-way valve further comprises an intermediate position, the intermediate position providing fluid communication between two of the inlet line, the outlet line, and the reservoir.

17 . A method comprising:
filling an interior space of a chamber with a fluid, the fluid configured to enter the chamber through an inlet line and configured to exit the chamber through an outlet line, the chamber containing a movable element in contact with the fluid, the inlet line and the outlet line connected through an auxiliary line; providing fluid communication between the inlet line and the outlet line through the auxiliary line; and moving the movable element to generate fluid flow though the auxiliary line.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising disabling fluid communication between the inlet line and the outlet line through the auxiliary line, and moving fluid through the interior space of a chamber thereby generating movement of the movable element.

19 . The method of claim 17 , the chamber having a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion, the first chamber portion and second chamber portion having a different rate of volumetric change upon moving the movable element.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein providing fluid communication between the inlet line and the outlet line further comprises providing fluid communication between a reservoir in fluid communication with the auxiliary line and wherein moving the movable element to generate fluid flow through the auxiliary line further comprises flowing fluid into or out of the reservoir.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Nicholson Christopher D

Classifications

• F15B15/202

  Externally-operated valves mounted in or on the actuator · CPC title

• F15B2211/324

  manually, e.g. by using a lever or pedal · CPC title

• F15B2211/8752

  Emergency operation mode, e.g. fail-safe operation mode · CPC title

• F15B2211/3058

  having additional valves for interconnecting the fluid chambers of a double-acting actuator, e.g. for regeneration mode or for floating mode · CPC title

• F15B2211/785

  Compensation of the difference in flow rate in closed fluid circuits using differential actuators · CPC title