Flow-affecting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9404339-B2
Application number	US-201113704000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2011
Priority date	Dec 21, 2011
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

Fluid flow influencer devices in chambers subsequent to vortex assemblies are described. A flow-affecting device can move from a first position to a second position based on a flow path of fluid flowing from the vortex assembly to the chamber. The flow path may depend on an amount of rotation of the fluid from the vortex assembly. The flow-affecting device in the first position can substantially allow fluid to flow through a chamber exit opening. The flow-affecting device in the second position can substantially restrict fluid from flowing through the chamber exit opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly capable of being disposed in a wellbore, the assembly comprising:
a chamber that is a non-vortex-assembly chamber adapted to be positioned subsequent to an exit opening of a vortex assembly; and
a flow-affecting device in the chamber, the flow-affecting device being adapted to move between a first position and a second position based on an amount of rotation of fluid entering the chamber from the vortex assembly.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises a chamber exit opening,
wherein the flow-affecting device in the first position is adapted to substantially allow fluid to exit through the chamber exit opening, and
wherein the flow-affecting device in the second position is adapted to substantially restrict fluid from exiting through the chamber exit opening.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the flow-affecting device is adapted to be in the second position in response to the amount of rotation of fluid entering the chamber exceeding a first threshold amount of rotation,
wherein the flow-affecting device is adapted to be in the first position in response to the amount of rotation of fluid entering the chamber being below a second threshold amount of rotation.

4. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the chamber comprises a second chamber exit opening, wherein the flow-affecting device in the first position is adapted to substantially restrict fluid from exiting through the second chamber exit opening, and wherein the flow-affecting device in the second position is adapted to substantially allow fluid to exit through the second chamber exit opening.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the amount of rotation of the fluid is based on a direction of flow of the fluid entering the chamber from the vortex assembly.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , further comprising the vortex assembly.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flow-affecting device is adapted (i) to substantially allow fluid having a first flow path into the chamber from the exit opening to flow through a chamber exit opening and (ii) to substantially restrict fluid having a second flow path into the chamber from the exit opening from flowing through the chamber exit opening.

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flow-affecting device is one of:
a flapper;
a disc;
a spheroid; or
a washer.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the flow-affecting device is the spheroid, the assembly further comprising:
a flow diverter in the chamber; and
a flexible member coupling the spheroid to part of the chamber.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a protrusion coupled to one of the flow-affecting device or a wall of the chamber.

11. An assembly capable of being disposed in a wellbore, the assembly comprising:
a vortex assembly comprising an exit opening; and
a flow-affecting device in a chamber that is in fluid communication with the exit opening, the flow-affecting device being adapted to impede fluid flow to a chamber exit opening by an amount that depends on an amount of rotation of the fluid entering the chamber through the exit opening,
wherein the chamber is a non-vortex-assembly chamber.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the flow-affecting device is adapted to move between a first position and a second position based on the amount of rotation of the fluid,
wherein the flow-affecting device in the first position is adapted to substantially allow fluid to exit through the chamber exit opening, and
wherein the flow-affecting device in the second position is adapted to substantially restrict fluid from exiting through the chamber exit opening.

13. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the flow-affecting device is adapted (i) to substantially allow fluid having a first flow path into the chamber from the exit opening to flow through the chamber exit opening and (ii) to substantially restrict fluid having a second flow path into the chamber from the exit opening from flowing through the chamber exit opening.

14. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the flow-affecting device is one of:
a flapper;
a disc;
a spheroid; or
a washer.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the flow-affecting device is the spheroid, the assembly further comprising:
a flow diverter in the chamber; and
a flexible member coupling the spheroid to part of the chamber.

16. An assembly capable of being disposed in a wellbore, the assembly comprising:
a chamber that is a non-vortex-assembly chamber and is adapted to be positioned subsequent to a flow path of an exit opening of a vortex assembly, the chamber comprising a chamber exit opening; and
a flow-affecting device in the chamber, the flow-affecting device being adapted (i) to substantially allow fluid having a first flow path into the chamber from the exit opening to flow through the chamber exit opening and (ii) to substantially restrict fluid having a second flow path into the chamber from the exit opening from flowing through the chamber exit opening,
wherein fluid flowing in the first flow path or the second flow path is based on an amount of rotation of the fluid, and
wherein the flow-affecting device is adapted to move between a first position and a second position based on the amount of rotation of the fluid.

17. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein the flow-affecting device in the first position is adapted to substantially allow fluid to exit through the chamber exit opening, and
wherein the flow-affecting device in the second position is adapted to substantially restrict fluid from exiting through the chamber exit opening.

18. The assembly of claim 16 , further comprising the vortex assembly,
wherein the fluid flows into the first flow path or the second flow path based on a direction of flow of the fluid entering the chamber from the vortex assembly.

19. The assembly of claim 18 , wherein the flow-affecting device is one of:
a flapper;
a disc;
a spheroid; or
a washer.

20. The assembly of claim 19 , wherein the flow-affecting device is the spheroid, the assembly further comprising:
a flow diverter in the chamber; and
a flexible member coupling the spheroid to part of the chamber.

Assignees

• Dykstra Jason D
• Fripp Michael Linley
• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Dykstra Jason D
• Fripp Michael Linley

Classifications

• E21B34/08 Primary

  responsive to flow or pressure of the fluid obtained (E21B34/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B34/06 Primary

  in wells · CPC title