Claims
- 1. A hydraulic control system for controlling operation of multiple well tool assemblies interconnected thereto, the system comprising:
a control module interconnected between at least one first flowpath extending to a remote location and second flowpaths extending to the well tool assemblies for operation thereof, the control module including a member having a fluid passage, the member being selectively displaceable to predetermined positions, in each of the predetermined positions the fluid passage permitting fluid communication between the first flowpath and at least one of the second flowpaths.
- 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid passage is at least partially internally formed in the member.
- 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control module is interconnected in a tubular string in which the well tools are also interconnected.
- 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein a longitudinal flow passage of the tubular string extends through the control module.
- 5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the flow passage extends internally through the member.
- 6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control module further includes a ratchet device, the ratchet device responding to pressure in at least one third flowpath connected to the control module.
- 7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the ratchet device displaces the member to the predetermined positions in response to a series of pressure applications to the third flowpath.
- 8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the ratchet device is a J-slot mechanism operative to displace the member relative to the second flowpaths.
- 9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the member further has a position thereof in which the first flowpath is isolated from fluid communication with any of the second flowpaths.
- 10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the member is displaced in response to a pressure differential between at least first and second ones of third flowpaths connected to the control module.
- 11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a selector module interconnected between the third flowpaths and a fourth flowpath, the selector module permitting fluid communication between the fourth flowpath and the first one of the third flowpaths when pressure in the fourth flowpath is less than a predetermined pressure, and the selector module permitting fluid communication between the fourth flowpath and the second one of the third flowpaths when pressure in the fourth flowpath is greater than the predetermined pressure.
- 12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first flowpath is placed in fluid communication with at least one of the second flowpaths when the member is displaced to one of the predetermined positions against a force exerted by a biasing device.
- 13. The system according to claim 12, wherein fluid pressure in a third flowpath connected to the control module displaces the member against the biasing device force.
- 14. The system according to claim 13, wherein a first predetermined fluid pressure in the third flowpath displaces the member to a corresponding first selected one of the predetermined positions and a second predetermined fluid pressure in the third flowpath displaces the member to a corresponding second selected one of the predetermined positions.
- 15. A method of controlling operation of multiple well tool assemblies positioned in a well, the method comprising the steps of:
interconnecting a control module to each of the well tool assemblies, the control module including a member displaceable to multiple predetermined positions, each of the predetermined positions corresponding to one of the well tool assemblies for operation thereof, and displacing the control module member to a selected first one of the predetermined positions utilizing pressure in a first flowpath connected to the control module, thereby selecting a first one of the well tool assemblies for operation thereof.
- 16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of providing fluid communication between a second flowpath connected to the control module and an actuator of the first selected well tool assembly in response to the displacing step.
- 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the fluid communication providing step further comprises providing the fluid communication through a fluid passage of the control module member.
- 18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of displacing the control module member to a second selected one of the predetermined positions, thereby providing fluid communication through the fluid passage between the second flowpath and an actuator of a second one of the well tool assemblies for operation thereof.
- 19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the displacing step further comprises displacing the control module member against a force exerted by a biasing device, the force increasing in response to displacement of the control module member.
- 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the displacing step further comprises utilizing a first predetermined pressure in the first flowpath to displace the control module member a first predetermined distance to the first predetermined position against a first predetermined force exerted by the biasing device.
- 21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of displacing the control module member against a second predetermined force exerted by the biasing device to a second one of the predetermined positions utilizing a second predetermined pressure in the first flowpath, thereby selecting a second one of the well tool assemblies for operation thereof.
- 22. The method according to claim 15, wherein the displacing step further comprises utilizing a ratchet mechanism to control displacement of the control module member in response to pressure in the first flowpath.
- 23. The method according to claim 15, wherein the displacing step further comprises displacing the control module member in response to a differential between pressure in the first flowpath and pressure in a second flowpath connected to the control module.
- 24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the steps of:
interconnecting a selector module between a third flowpath and the first and second flowpaths; generating a first pressure in the third flowpath less than a predetermined pressure, thereby causing the selector module to permit fluid communication between the third flowpath and one of the first and second flowpaths; and generating a second pressure in the third flowpath greater than the predetermined pressure, thereby causing the selector module to permit fluid communication between the third flowpath and the other of the first and second flowpaths.
- 25. A method of sensing a temperature in a well, the method comprising the steps of:
positioning a piston between a first flowpath and a fluid chamber, such that the piston is displaceable to vary a volume of the chamber by pressure in the first flowpath; disposing a fluid within the chamber, the fluid responding rheologically to the temperature; and varying pressure in the first flowpath to thereby displace the piston from a first position in which fluid communication between the first flowpath and a second flowpath is prevented to a second position in which fluid communication between the first and second flowpaths is permitted.
- 26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the pressure varying step further comprises displacing the piston to the second position in which the chamber has a predetermined volume.
- 27. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of recording a pressure in the first flowpath at which the piston reaches the second position, the recorded first flowpath pressure corresponding to the temperature of the fluid in the chamber.
- 28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the pressure varying step further comprises displacing the piston against a biasing force exerted by the fluid in the chamber.
- 29. The method according to claim 28, wherein in the displacing step, the biasing force varies in response to the temperature and in response to the displacement of the piston.
- 30. A method of sensing pressure in a well, the method comprising the steps of:
positioning a piston between first and second flowpaths, such that the piston is displaceable by a difference in pressure between the first and second flowpaths; connecting the second flowpath to a source of pressure to be measured; and varying pressure in the first flowpath, thereby displacing the piston from a first position in which the first flowpath is not vented to a second position in which the first flowpath is vented.
- 31. The method according to claim 30, wherein in the pressure varying step, the first flowpath is vented to the second flowpath when the piston displaces to the second position.
- 32. The method according to claim 30, wherein in the pressure varying step, a force is exerted on the piston by a biasing device.
- 33. The method according to claim 32, wherein in the pressure varying step, the biasing device exerts the force on the piston in a direction opposing displacement of the piston from the first to the second position.
- 34. The method according to claim 30, further comprising the step of recording a pressure in the first flowpath at which the piston reaches the second position, the recorded first flowpath pressure corresponding to pressure in the second flowpath.
- 35. A well tool assembly, comprising:
a housing assembly having a series of openings formed through a sidewall thereof; a closure member displaceable relative to the housing assembly to block fluid flow through the openings; and an actuator responsive to a series of pressure applications to a first port thereof, the actuator incrementally displacing the closure member in a first direction relative to the housing assembly in response to each application of pressure to the first port.
- 36. The well tool assembly according to claim 35, wherein the closure member blocks fluid flow through successive ones of the openings in response to the incremental displacement of the closure member by the actuator.
- 37. The well tool assembly according to claim 35, wherein the housing assembly further has a series of seal surfaces formed thereon, one of the seal surfaces being positioned between each adjacent pair of the openings.
- 38. The well tool assembly according to claim 37, wherein the closure member sealingly engages successive ones of the seal surfaces in response to the incremental displacement of the closure member by the actuator.
- 39. The well tool assembly according to claim 35, wherein the actuator is further responsive to pressure applied to a second port thereof, the actuator displacing the closure member in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to the housing assembly in response to the application of pressure to the second port.
- 40. The well tool assembly according to claim 39, wherein the closure member blocks fluid flow through successive ones of the openings when the actuator incrementally displaces the closure member in the first direction, and wherein the closure member permits fluid flow through all of the openings when the actuator displaces the closure member in the second direction.
- 41. A method of regulating fluid flow through a sidewall of a well tool assembly positioned in a well, the method comprising the steps of:
incrementally displacing a closure member of the well tool assembly in response to a series of pressure applications to a first port of the well tool assembly; and blocking fluid flow through successive ones of openings formed through the well tool assembly sidewall in response to the incremental displacement of the closure member.
- 42. The method according to claim 41, further comprising the step of displacing the closure member, thereby permitting fluid flow through all of the openings, in response to a pressure application to a second port of the well tool assembly.
- 43. The method according to claim 41, wherein the incrementally displacing step further comprises sealingly engaging the closure member successively with a series of seal surfaces, one of the seal surfaces being positioned between each adjacent pair of the openings.
- 44. The method according to claim 41, wherein the incrementally displacing step further comprises displacing a piston of the well tool assembly against a biasing force exerted by a biasing device, thereby gripping the closure member with a slip member and causing the closure member to displace with the piston.
- 45. The method according to claim 44, wherein in the incrementally displacing step, the closure member is displaced in a first direction, and the method further comprising the step of applying pressure to a second port of the well tool assembly while the slip member does not grip the closure member, thereby displacing the closure member in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US00/24551 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims the benefit under 35 USC §119 of the filing date of international application PCT/US00/24551, filed Sep. 7, 2000, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference.