Remote actuator for ball injector

• US 20050184083A1
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPM Flow Control Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SPM Flow Control Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Diaz, Juan M., Underwood, F. Rand
• Granted Patent: US 7,364,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/75
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/138 Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation

Abstract

An electrical motor rotatably drives a motor shaft, and a helical rib radially extends from the shaft. The helical rib supports a number of balls, and forms a channel to accommodate the balls. The balls are dropped from the helical rib when the balls reach the bottom of the helical rib. Several targets are affixed to the shaft. A sensor is located adjacent to and apart from the shaft, and is positioned in close proximity to the targets. The sensor senses each target as each target rotates past the sensor. The number of targets sensed per revolution of the shaft is equal to the number of balls dropped from the helical rib per revolution of the helical rib. A counter in data communication with the sensor displays the number of targets sensed, and thus displays the number or balls dropped from the helical rib.

Claims

1. An apparatus for counting a plurality of balls, comprising:

a shaft rotatably driven by an electrical motor;

a helical rib radially extending from the shaft adapted to support the balls, wherein the balls are dropped from the helical rib when the balls reach the bottom of the helical rib;

a plurality of targets affixed to the shaft;

a sensor adjacent to and apart from the shaft, and positioned in close proximity to the targets, wherein the sensor senses each target as each target rotates past the sensor, and wherein the number of targets sensed per revolution of the shaft is equal to the number of balls dropped from the helical rib per revolution of the helical rib; and

a counter in data communication with the sensor, wherein the counter counts the number of targets sensed.

2. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the targets protrude from the shaft.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the targets comprise members of ferrous metal, and wherein the sensor is a magnetic field sensor.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the targets on the shaft radially extend from an axis of the shaft.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the targets comprise heads formed on bolts that resealably secure within threaded holes in the shaft.

6. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the number of threaded holes in the shaft is greater than or equal to the number of targets secured to the shaft.

7. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a replaceable bottom plate having holes and positioned at the bottom of the helical rib to receive and drop the balls.

8. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the number of holes in the bottom plate equals the number of targets affixed to the shaft.

9. An actuator for driving a ball injector of a flowline, comprising:

a shaft driven by an electrical motor;

a plurality of threaded holes on the shaft, the threaded holes being on radial lines of an axis of the shaft;

a plurality of threaded rods that releasably secure in at least some of the holes, each of the rods having a ferrous metal target on an end;

a magnetic sensor on a side of and apart from the shaft for sensing each target as each target passes the sensor;

a coupling on an end of the shaft adapted to connect to a ball injector shaft for rotating the ball injector; and

a counter in data communication with the sensor for counting and displaying the number of targets sensed.

10. A method for dispensing balls into a flowline, comprising:

(a) mounting a power actuator onto a ball injector, and mounting the ball injector on a flowline;

(b) mounting a plurality of targets to a shaft of the power actuator, and mounting a sensor adjacent the shaft;

(c) rotating the shaft and the targets about the axis of the shaft, the rotation of the shaft causing the ball injector to dispense a selected number of balls into the flowline per revolution of the shaft;

(d) sensing each of the targets each time a target rotates past the sensor; and

(e) counting and displaying the total number of targets sensed by the sensor, the total number corresponding to the number of balls dispensed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein step (b) comprises screwing the targets into a plurality of holes on the shaft, wherein the targets are bolts and the holes are threaded to receive the bolts.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising changing the number of targets on the shaft, and changing the number of balls dispensed per revolution of the shaft, wherein the number of targets on the shaft equals the number of balls dispensed per revolution of the shaft.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising replacing a first dispensing plate at the bottom of the ball injector with a second dispensing plate, wherein the first dispensing plate has a first number of holes for dispensing a first number of balls per revolution of the shaft, and wherein the second dispensing plate has a second number of holes for dispensing a second number of balls per revolution of the shaft.