Accumulator over hydraulic pump double-acting cylinder for artificial lift operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9828979-B2
Application number	US-201414646813-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2014
Priority date	Jul 8, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

An artificial lift system for use with a subterranean well can include a cylinder having a piston reciprocably disposed therein, the piston having opposing sides, one side being selectively communicable with a hydraulic pressure source and a hydraulic reservoir, and the other side being selectively communicable with the hydraulic pressure source and at least one accumulator, and the accumulator being selectively communicable with an input side of a pump of the hydraulic pressure source. A method of controlling an artificial lift system can include connecting a cylinder to a hydraulic pressure source including a hydraulic pump, the pump being connected between the cylinder and at least one accumulator, the accumulator being connected to a gas pressure source, and operating a gas compressor of the gas pressure source, thereby increasing hydraulic pressure applied to the pump from the accumulator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An artificial lift system for use with a subterranean well, the system comprising:
a double-acting cylinder having a piston reciprocably disposed therein, the piston having first and second opposing sides, the first side being selectively communicable with a hydraulic pressure source and a hydraulic reservoir, and the second side being selectively communicable with the hydraulic pressure source and an accumulator; and
the accumulator being selectively communicable with an input side of a first pump of the hydraulic pressure source, wherein the artificial lift system does not comprise additional cylinders and additional accumulators.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the accumulator is selectively communicable with a discharge side of a second pump of the hydraulic pressure source.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a gas pressure source connected to the accumulator, the gas pressure source including a gas compressor connected between at least one first gas container and the accumulator.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the gas pressure source further comprises at least one second gas container connected to a discharge side of the gas compressor.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the second gas container is connected to the accumulator.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the accumulator comprises a bladder.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the bladder is exposed on one side to a gas pressure source, and on an opposite side the bladder is selectively communicable with the input side of the first pump.

8. A method of controlling an artificial lift system, the method comprising:
connecting a double-acting cylinder to a hydraulic pressure source including a hydraulic pump, the pump being connected between the cylinder and an accumulator, the accumulator being connected to a gas pressure source, the accumulator being selectively communicable with an input side of the hydraulic pump of the hydraulic pressure source; wherein no additional cylinders and accumulators are communicable with the hydraulic pressure source; and
operating a gas compressor of the gas pressure source, thereby increasing hydraulic pressure applied to the pump from the accumulator.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising connecting at least one gas container to a discharge side of the gas compressor.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising connecting the gas container to the accumulator.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cylinder has a piston reciprocably disposed therein, the piston having first and second opposing sides, the first side being selectively communicable with the hydraulic pressure source and a hydraulic reservoir, and the second side being selectively communicable with the hydraulic pressure source and the accumulator.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the accumulator comprises a bladder.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the bladder is exposed on one side to the gas pressure source, and on an opposite side the bladder is selectively communicable with the pump.

14. A well system, comprising:
a downhole pump actuated by reciprocation of a rod;
a double-acting cylinder that reciprocates the rod in response to pressure applied to the cylinder, the cylinder having a piston reciprocably disposed therein, the piston having opposing first and second sides, the first side being selectively communicable with a hydraulic pressure source and a hydraulic reservoir, and the second side being selectively communicable with the hydraulic pressure source and an accumulator; wherein no additional cylinders and accumulators are communicable with the hydraulic pressure source; and
the accumulator being selectively communicable with an input side of a first pump of the hydraulic pressure source.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the accumulator is selectively communicable with a discharge side of a second pump of the hydraulic pressure source.

16. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a gas pressure source connected to the accumulator, the gas pressure source including a gas compressor connected between at least one first gas container and the accumulator.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the gas pressure source further comprises at least one second gas container connected to a discharge side of the gas compressor.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the second gas container is connected to the accumulator.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the accumulator comprises a bladder.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the bladder is exposed on one side to a gas pressure source, and on an opposite side the bladder is selectively communicable with the input side of the first pump.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Tao Tao
• Mceachern Mathew J
• Chen Huajun
• Li Yanmei

Classifications

• E21B43/126 Primary

  Adaptations of down-hole pump systems powered by drives outside the borehole, e.g. by a rotary or oscillating drive (powered by fluid E21B43/129) · CPC title

• F04B9/123 Primary

  having only one pumping chamber · CPC title

• F04B23/04

  Combinations of two or more pumps · CPC title

• F04B53/14

  Pistons, piston-rods or piston-rod connections · CPC title

• F04B19/22

  of reciprocating-piston type · CPC title