Wireline-powered inflatable-packer system for deep wells
First Claim
1. An inflatable borehole packer system comprising:
- a wall conforming inflatable packer;
means for pumping liquid at ambient pressure into and out of said inflatable packer for inflating and deflating said inflatable packer in its entirety; and
an inflation/deflation valve chamber, disposed between said pumping means and said inflatable packer for controlling fluid flow into and out of said inflatable packer, said valve chamber including valve means for preventing fluid from flowing out of said inflatable packer when said pumping means is stopped, and a differential pressure sensitive valve release means for opening said valve means when said pumping means reduces pressure in the valve chamber to below said ambient pressure, allowing said pumping means to withdraw liquid from the inflated packer, thus deflating the packer.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A borehole probe containing one or more inflatable packers, usually, although not necessarily, in connection with geophysical sensors, is hung from a geophysical logging cable. The packers are inflated or deflated with liquid at ambient borehole pressure, advantageously, the liquid resident in the borehole, using a submersible, reversible electric pump which is part of the borehole packer assembly. The electric pump is powered and controlled from the surface through the interconnecting logging cable. A differential pressure actuated valve located between the pump and packer controls the flow of pumped fluid into and out of the packers. The packers may be used to control the movement of borehole fluid at any desired depth within a borehole, constrained only by the length of the interconnecting logging cable.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An inflatable borehole packer system comprising:
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a wall conforming inflatable packer; means for pumping liquid at ambient pressure into and out of said inflatable packer for inflating and deflating said inflatable packer in its entirety; and an inflation/deflation valve chamber, disposed between said pumping means and said inflatable packer for controlling fluid flow into and out of said inflatable packer, said valve chamber including valve means for preventing fluid from flowing out of said inflatable packer when said pumping means is stopped, and a differential pressure sensitive valve release means for opening said valve means when said pumping means reduces pressure in the valve chamber to below said ambient pressure, allowing said pumping means to withdraw liquid from the inflated packer, thus deflating the packer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification