Check valve for well stimulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9745824-B2
Application number	US-201313888946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2013
Priority date	Jul 3, 2012
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed are check valve assemblies operable to inject treatment fluids during stimulation operations. One check valve assembly includes a valve body defining an inlet, one or more discharge ports, and a cylindrical passageway that fluidly communicates the inlet with the one or more discharge ports, the valve body further providing a cylindrical section in which the one or more discharge ports are defined, a valve cap disposed about an exterior of the cylindrical section and defining an opening that fluidly communicates with the cylindrical passageway, and a spherical piston disposed within the passageway and movable between a closed configuration, where the spherical piston prevents fluid communication between the inlet and the one or more discharge ports, and an open configuration, where fluid communication is allowed between the inlet and the one or more discharge ports.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A check valve assembly, comprising:
a valve body providing a cylindrical section that defines one or more valve body discharge ports, the valve body defining an inlet and a cylindrical passageway that fluidly communicates the inlet with the one or more valve body discharge ports, wherein the inlet comprises a plurality of conduits that extend through the valve body at an angle between perpendicular and parallel to a central axis of the cylindrical passageway;
a valve cap coupled to the valve body and extending about an outer circumference of the cylindrical section, wherein the valve cap covers an end of the cylindrical section and defines an opening that fluidly communicates with the cylindrical passageway;
one or more valve cap discharge ports extending radially through the valve cap and alignable with the one or more valve body discharge ports about the outer circumference of the cylindrical section, wherein the valve cap is movable with respect to the valve body to selectively align and misalign the one or more valve cap discharge ports with the one or more valve body discharge ports;
one or more additional valve cap discharge ports extending radially through the valve cap and angularly offset from the one or more valve cap discharge ports, the one or more additional valve cap discharge ports being alignable with the one or more valve body discharge ports; and
a spherical piston disposed within the cylindrical passageway and movable between a closed configuration, where the spherical piston prevents fluid communication between the inlet and the one or more valve body discharge ports, and an open configuration, where the spherical piston is seated within the opening and fluid communication is thereby allowed between the inlet and the one or more valve body discharge ports.

2. The check valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve cap is threaded to the end of the cylindrical section.

3. The check valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve cap is press fitted onto the end of the cylindrical section.

4. The check valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more valve body discharge ports extend radially from the cylindrical passageway.

5. The check valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein aligning the one or more valve cap discharge ports with the one or more valve body discharge ports results in a first resistance to flow and aligning the one or more additional valve cap discharge ports with the one or more valve body discharge ports results in a second resistance to flow different than the first resistance to flow.

6. The check valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein, when the one or more valve cap discharge ports are aligned with the one or more valve body discharge ports, fluid communication is facilitated between the cylindrical passageway and an exterior of the check valve assembly.

7. The check valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve body further defines a valve body seat within the cylindrical passageway and wherein, when in the closed configuration, the spherical piston engages the valve body seat.

8. A check valve assembly comprising:
a valve body providing a cylindrical section that defines one or more valve body discharge ports, the valve body defining an inlet and a cylindrical passageway that fluidly communicates the inlet with the one or more valve body discharge ports, wherein the inlet comprises a plurality of conduits that extend through the valve body at an angle between perpendicular and parallel to a central axis of the cylindrical passageway;
a valve cap coupled to the valve body and extending about an outer circumference of the cylindrical section, wherein the valve cap covers an end of the cylindrical section and defines an opening that fluidly communicates with the cylindrical passageway;
one or more valve cap discharge ports extending radially through the valve cap and alignable with the one or more valve body discharge ports about the outer circumference of the cylindrical section, wherein the valve cap is movable with respect to the valve body to selectively align and misalign the one or more valve cap discharge ports with the one or more valve body discharge ports;
one or more additional valve cap discharge ports extending radially through the valve cap and angularly offset from the one or more valve cap discharge ports, the one or more additional valve cap discharge ports being alignable with the one or more valve body discharge ports;
a piston disposed within the cylindrical passageway and movable between a closed configuration, where the piston prevents fluid communication between the inlet and the one or more valve body discharge ports, and an open configuration, where fluid communication is allowed between the inlet and the one or more valve body discharge ports; and
a magnet arranged within the valve body and configured to magnetically attract the piston toward the closed configuration.

9. The check valve assembly of claim 8 , wherein the inlet provides fluid communication between the cylindrical passageway and an interior of a base pipe.

10. The check valve assembly of claim 8 , wherein the magnet is arranged within a recess defined in the valve body adjacent the inlet.

11. The check valve assembly of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of conduits is arranged circumferentially about a radial periphery of the recess.

12. The check valve assembly of claim 8 , wherein aligning the one or more valve cap discharge ports with the one or more valve body discharge ports results in a first resistance to flow and aligning the one or more additional valve cap discharge ports with the one or more valve body discharge ports results in a second resistance to flow different than the first resistance to flow.

13. The check valve assembly of claim 8 , wherein, when the one or more valve cap discharge ports are aligned with the one or more valve body discharge ports, fluid communication is facilitated between the cylindrical passageway and an exterior of the check valve assembly.

14. The check valve assembly of claim 8 , wherein the valve body further defines a valve body seat within the cylindrical passageway and the piston engages the valve body seat in the closed configuration.

15. The check valve assembly of claim 14 , wherein the magnet comprises the valve body seat.

16. An injection assembly, comprising:
a base pipe defining a pipe opening and being arranged within a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation; and
a check valve assembly positioned within the pipe opening and including:
a valve body providing a cylindrical section that defines one or more valve body discharge ports, the valve body defining an inlet and a cylindrical passageway that fluidly communicates the inlet with the one or more valve body discharge ports, wherein the inlet comprises a plurality of conduits that extend through the valve body at an angle between perpendicular and parallel to a central axis of the cylindrical passageway;
a valve cap secured to the valve body and extending about an outer circumference of the cylindrical section, wherein the valve cap covers an end of the cylindrical section and defines a central opening that fluidly communicates with the cylindrical passageway;
one or more valve cap discharge ports extending radially through the valve cap and alignable with the one or more valve body discharge ports about the outer circumference of the cylindrical section, wherein the valve cap is movable with respect to the valve body to selectively align and misalign the one or more valve cap discharge ports with the one or more valve body discharge po

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Veit Jan
• Lopez Jean-Marc

Classifications

• E21B21/103

  Down-hole by-pass valve arrangements, i.e. between the inside of the drill string and the annulus (valves specifically for maintaining circulation of drilling fluid while connecting or disconnecting tubular joints E21B21/019) · CPC title

• Y10T137/7904

  Reciprocating valves · CPC title

• Y10T137/7859

  Single head, plural ports in parallel · CPC title

• E21B43/16

  Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons · CPC title

• E21B34/08

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