Patent Application
20200370382
In the resource recovery industry, flow control devices must contend with fluids of differing densities and subcool status. This is particularly the case in Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) systems. Steam breakthrough in such systems is detrimental to the recovery of target fluids. Hence excluding steam while still allowing subcooled fluids through a flow control device is desirable. The art has attempted to create flow control devices that reach this ideal and some have made progress but none have met the ideal. The art is still in search of better results and hence is always receptive to innovations.
An embodiment of a downhole flow control configuration including a housing, a converging-diverging flow path in the housing, the flow path including a first portion including an inlet, a converging section, and a throat section, the first portion preferentially passing a portion of a fluid having a greater subcool, and the converging-diverging flow path further including a second portion comprising a diverging section that recovers fluid pressure lost in the converging section and the throat section, and an outlet and an elongated helical flow path connected to the outlet of the converging-diverging flow path, the helical flow path producing a pressure drop in a fluid flowing therein during use.
An embodiment of a method for controlling fluid flow in a downhole tool including flowing fluid into a subcool/steam quality part of the tool and preferentially passing fluid that is at a greater subcool; flowing fluid passed through the first portion of the tool into a length based pressure drop part of the tool; and dropping pressure of the fluid in the length based pressure drop part of the tool.
The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way.
A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures.
Referring to
The outlet 26 is connected to an elongated helical flow path 28 that produces a pressure drop in a fluid flowing therein during use. The amount of pressure drop is adjustable by the length of the helical flow path 28. In an embodiment the helical flow path 28 is created on an outside diameter of a cylindrical structure 30 that may be solid or tubular. In such embodiment, an outer housing 32 provides the enclosure to make the flow path 28 complete. Outer housing 32 may be installed by heating and shrinking to a tight fit against the structure 30 and pathway 28. Alternatively the pathway 28 may be formed through an additive manufacturing process. Further details of a pressure drop device employing the helical pathway as described herein may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 10,208,575 the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The converging-diverging flow path 12 may as illustrated in
Referring to
In
Referring to
By incorporating both a converging-diverging flow path that provides a choke responsive to the subcool/steam quality of fluid entering the inlet thereof with the helical flow path, which provides an easily configurable length-based pressure drop that responds to fluid density, a vastly superior flow control device is created that subjects flow having very sub cooled fluid to minimal restriction and yet protects the helical pressure drop portion of the combined device from steam thereby maximizing desired fluid recovery.
Set forth below are some embodiments of the foregoing disclosure:
Embodiment 1: A downhole flow control configuration including a housing, a converging-diverging flow path in the housing, the flow path including a first portion including an inlet, a converging section, and a throat section, the first portion preferentially passing a portion of a fluid having a greater subcool, and the converging-diverging flow path further including a second portion comprising a diverging section that recovers fluid pressure lost in the converging section and the throat section, and an outlet and an elongated helical flow path connected to the outlet of the converging-diverging flow path, the helical flow path producing a pressure drop in a fluid flowing therein during use.
Embodiment 2: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the converging-diverging flow path is constructed as an insert for disposition in a housing having the elongated helical flow path.
Embodiment 3: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the insert is two cooperating inserts producing sides of the converging-diverging flow path.
Embodiment 4: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the insert contains the entire converging-diverging flow path.
Embodiment 5: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the insert is disposed in a recess of the helical flow path.
Embodiment 6: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the insert is formed from erosion resistant material.
Embodiment 7: The configuration as in any prior embodiment wherein the material comprises at least one of ceramic or metallic and combinations include one or more of the foregoing.
Embodiment 8: A method for controlling fluid flow in a downhole tool including flowing fluid into a subcook/steam quality part of the tool and preferentially passing fluid that is at a greater subcool; flowing fluid passed through the first portion of the tool into a length based pressure drop part of the tool; and dropping pressure of the fluid in the length based pressure drop part of the tool.
Embodiment 9: The method as in any prior embodiment wherein the passing further includes flowing fluid through a converging-diverging flow path.
Embodiment 10: The method as in any prior embodiment wherein the dropping pressure includes flowing the fluid through a helical flow path.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Further, it should be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. The modifier “about” used in connection with a quantity is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity).
The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of well operations. These operations may involve using one or more treatment agents to treat a formation, the fluids resident in a formation, a wellbore, and/or equipment in the wellbore, such as production tubing. The treatment agents may be in the form of liquids, gases, solids, semi-solids, and mixtures thereof. Illustrative treatment agents include, but are not limited to, fracturing fluids, acids, steam, water, brine, anti-corrosion agents, cement, permeability modifiers, drilling muds, emulsifiers, demulsifiers, tracers, flow improvers etc. Illustrative well operations include, but are not limited to, hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, tracer injection, cleaning, acidizing, steam injection, water flooding, cementing, etc.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited.
