Actuation assemblies, hydraulically actuated tools for use in subterranean boreholes including actuation assemblies and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9284816-B2
Application number	US-201313784307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2013
Priority date	Mar 4, 2013
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

Actuation assemblies include a valve assembly comprising a valve sleeve configured to rotate to selectively enable fluid flow through at least one aperture in the valve sleeve and into at least one port of an outer sleeve and a ball retention feature configured to selectively retain a ball dropped through a fluid passageway of the valve assembly in order to rotate the valve sleeve. Downhole tools include actuation assemblies. Methods for actuating a downhole tool include receiving a ball in an actuation assembly, rotating a valve sleeve of the actuation assembly to enable fluid to flow through a portion of the actuation assembly, and actuating a portion of the downhole tool with the fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuation assembly for use with a downhole tool in a subterranean borehole, comprising:
a valve assembly comprising:
a fluid passageway extending therethrough along a longitudinal axis of the valve assembly;
an outer sleeve having at least one port formed therein;
a valve sleeve disposed within the outer sleeve, the valve sleeve having at least one aperture formed therein, the valve sleeve configured to rotate relative to the outer sleeve to selectively place the at least one aperture of the valve sleeve in communication with the at least one port of the outer sleeve to enable fluid flow through the at least one aperture in the valve sleeve and into the at least one port of the outer sleeve; and
a ball retention feature configured to selectively retain a ball dropped through the fluid passageway of the valve assembly in order to rotate the valve sleeve; and

a piston assembly coupled to the valve assembly and in fluid communication with the at least one port of the outer sleeve.

2. The actuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ball retention feature comprises a collet formed on an uphole portion of the valve sleeve.

3. The actuation assembly of claim 2 , wherein the valve assembly includes at least one recess formed therein, wherein the at least one recess is sized and configured to enable a portion of the collet to be received in the at least one recess in order to release a ball received in the collet.

4. The actuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein, in a first position, the at least one aperture of the valve sleeve is in communication with the at least one port of the outer sleeve to enable fluid to flow through the at least one aperture in the valve sleeve and into the at least one port of the outer sleeve, and wherein, in a second position, the at least one aperture of the valve sleeve is positioned away from the at least one port of the outer sleeve to inhibit fluid from flowing through the at least one aperture in the valve sleeve into the at least one port of the outer sleeve.

5. The actuation assembly of claim 4 , wherein the valve sleeve is biased into the first position by a spring.

6. The actuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve sleeve is configured to rotate and translate along the longitudinal axis of the valve assembly relative to the outer sleeve to selectively place the at least one aperture of the valve sleeve in communication with the at least one port of the outer sleeve.

7. The actuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the valve sleeve comprises a pin track and the outer sleeve comprises a pin coupled thereto, and wherein the pin is received within the pin track to guide movement of the valve sleeve relative to the outer sleeve.

8. The actuation assembly of claim 7 , wherein the pin track comprises a J-slot configuration.

9. The actuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one port of the outer sleeve extends in a downhole direction.

10. The actuation assembly of claim 1 , wherein the piston assembly comprises a chamber positioned adjacent to a piston within the piston assembly, the piston configured to move in an uphole direction responsive to fluid pressure in the chamber.

11. The actuation assembly of claim 10 , wherein the piston comprises a connection portion for coupling to an actuatable portion of a downhole tool.

12. The actuation assembly of claim 11 , wherein the connection portion of the piston is coupled to at least one expandable blade of an expandable apparatus.

13. The actuation assembly of claim 12 , wherein the expandable apparatus comprises an expandable reamer having at least one blade with cutting elements coupled thereto for reaming a subterranean borehole.

14. An expandable apparatus for use in a subterranean borehole, comprising:
a tubular body having a longitudinal bore and at least one opening in a wall of the tubular body;
at least one member positioned within the at least one opening in the wall of the tubular body, the at least one member configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position;
an actuation feature for moving the at least one member between the retracted position and the extended position; and
an actuation assembly coupled to the tubular body, the actuation assembly comprising:
a valve assembly comprising:
a fluid passageway extending therethrough along a longitudinal axis of the valve assembly;
at least one port formed in the valve assembly in fluid communication with the actuation feature;
an upwardly biased valve sleeve disposed within the valve assembly, the valve sleeve having at least one aperture formed therein, the valve sleeve configured to rotate relative to the valve assembly to selectively place the at least one aperture of the valve sleeve in communication with the at least one port of the valve assembly to enable fluid flow to travel through the at least one aperture in the valve sleeve and the at least one port of the valve assembly to the actuation feature in order to actuate the actuation feature and move the at least one member to the extended position; and
a ball retention feature configured to selectively retain a ball dropped through the fluid passageway of the valve assembly.

15. The expandable apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the actuation feature comprises a piston coupled to an actuation sleeve, wherein translation of the piston and the actuation sleeve moves the at least one member between the retracted position and the extended position.

16. The expandable apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the actuation assembly comprises a first sub and the tubular body comprises a second sub removably coupled to the first sub.

17. A method for actuating a downhole tool, the method comprising:
inhibiting fluid flowing through a bore of the downhole tool from flowing through at least one aperture in an actuation assembly;
receiving a ball in a ball retention feature of the actuation assembly to at least partially restrict the flow of fluid through the bore;
rotating a valve sleeve of the actuation assembly to an open position responsive to a force of fluid in the bore acting on the ball to enable fluid to flow through the at least one aperture in the actuation assembly and into at least one port of the actuation assembly;
flowing fluid through the at least one port to move an actuation member connected to a downhole tool;
actuating a portion of the downhole tool responsive to movement of the actuation member; and
releasing the ball from the ball retention feature of the actuation assembly to restore the flow of fluid through the bore.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving another ball in the ball retention feature of the actuation assembly to at least partially restrict the flow of fluid through the bore; and
rotating the valve sleeve of the actuation assembly to a closed position responsive to a force of fluid in the bore acting on the another ball to inhibit fluid from flowing through the at least one aperture in the actuation assembly into at least one port of the actuation assembly.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising repeatedly rotating the valve sleeve between the open position and the closed position.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Radford Steven R

Classifications

• E21B34/10 Primary

  operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole · CPC title

• E21B2034/007

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B34/14 Primary

  operated by movement of tools, e.g. sleeve valves operated by pistons or wire line tools {(E21B34/066 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E21B10/322 Primary

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

• E21B2200/06

  Sleeve valves · CPC title