Flow control device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9644461-B2
Application number	US-201514596488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2015
Priority date	Jan 14, 2015
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A flow control device having a longitudinal axis includes an outer housing having at least one fluid inlet, a multi-channel flow member positioned radially within the outer housing, a plurality of flow channels formed between the outer housing and the flow member, at least two of the plurality of flow channels having a different flow resistance rating from each other, and a radial window formed in an outlet region of each of the plurality of flow channels. The flow control device further includes a sliding sleeve positioned radially within the multi-channel flow member, the sliding sleeve including a first section of radial slots. The first section of radial slots is configured to align with a selected radial window via longitudinal movement of the sliding sleeve with respect to the multi-channel flow member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow control device having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
an outer housing having at least one fluid inlet;
a multi-channel flow member positioned radially within the outer housing, a plurality of flow channels formed between the outer housing and the flow member, at least two of the plurality of flow channels having a different flow resistance rating from each other, and a radial window formed in an outlet region of each of the plurality of flow channels; and,
a sliding sleeve positioned radially within the multi-channel flow member, the sliding sleeve including a first section of radial slots;
wherein the first section of radial slots is configured to align with a selected radial window via longitudinal movement of the sliding sleeve with respect to the multi-channel flow member.

2. The flow control device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid inlet in the outer housing is screened.

3. The flow control device of claim 1 , wherein, when the first section of radial slots is misaligned from each radial window, fluid communication between the fluid inlet and an interior of the sliding sleeve is prevented.

4. The flow control device of claim 1 , wherein the multi-channel flow member further comprises a by-pass port substantially aligned with the fluid inlet, the sliding sleeve longitudinally movable to fluidically communicate the by-pass port with an interior of the sliding sleeve.

5. The flow control device of claim 4 , wherein the sliding sleeve includes a second section of radial ports longitudinally spaced from the first section of radial ports, and the second section of radial ports is configured to align with the by-pass port when the first section of radial ports is misaligned from each radial window.

6. The flow control device of claim 1 , wherein the outer housing and the multi-channel flow member are longitudinally fixed relative to each other.

7. The flow control device of claim 1 , wherein each radial window in the at least two of the plurality of flow channels is longitudinally spaced from each other.

8. The flow control device of claim 1 , wherein the at least two of the plurality of flow channels includes four flow channels having first, second, third, and fourth radial windows longitudinally spaced from each other.

9. The flow control device of claim 8 , wherein each of the four flow channels has a different flow resistance rating from each other.

10. The flow control device of claim 1 , wherein the first section of radial slots is framed by a pair of seal assemblies.

11. The flow control device of claim 10 , wherein each seal assembly includes a seal stack.

12. The flow control device of claim 1 , wherein each flow channel is fluidically isolated from other flow channels in the plurality of flow channels.

13. The flow control device of claim 1 , wherein each flow channel has a flow path in an axial direction with unique flow properties relative to other flow channels and wherein only one of the plurality of flow channels is fluidically communicable with an interior of the sliding sleeve at a time.

14. The flow control device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced indicators configured to provide an indication when the first section of radial slots aligns with each radial window.

15. The flow control device of claim 14 , further comprising at least one supporting tubular, the at least one supporting tubular including the plurality of indicators.

16. A method of controlling flow between an annulus of a borehole and an interior of a tubing using the flow control device of claim 1 , the method comprising:
selecting a desired flow resistance rating amongst the plurality of flow channels; and,
moving the sliding sleeve longitudinally within the multi-channel flow member until the first section of slots aligns with the radial window of a flow channel having the desired flow resistance rating.

17. The method of controlling flow of claim 16 , further comprising engaging the sliding sleeve with an indicator when the first section of slots is aligned with each radial window.

18. The method of controlling flow of claim 16 , further comprising moving the sliding sleeve to misalign the first section of slots with each of the radial windows to prevent fluid communication between the interior of the sliding sleeve and the fluid inlet.

19. The method of controlling flow of claim 16 , further comprising by-passing the flow channels by aligning a second section of slots with a by-pass port in the multi-channel flow member.

20. The method of controlling flow of claim 19 , further comprising treating the annulus through the second section of slots, by-pass port, and fluid inlet, wherein treating includes at least one of hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, and cementing.

21. The method of controlling flow of claim 16 , further comprising drilling the bore hole using the flow control device as a drilling hook-up assembly.

Assignees

• Castillo Jose Rafael Gonzalez
• Macklin Nadine
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Castillo Jose Rafael Gonzalez
• Macklin Nadine

Classifications

• E21B43/12 Primary

  Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells (E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00) · CPC title

• E21B2200/06

  Sleeve valves · CPC title

• E21B34/14

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

• E21B2034/007

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B2200/02

  Down-hole chokes or valves for variably regulating fluid flow · CPC title