Mud-saver valve
First Claim
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1. A mud saver valve, comprising:
- a housing adapted to be connected to a kelly;
an elastomeric sleeve within the housing defining a flow passage therethrough, the sleeve being exposed to an exterior pressure and to an interior pressure;
a core located within the flow passage; and
whereinat least one of the sleeve and the core are biased and structured in such a manner as to seal against each other to maintain the flow passage closed for a range of positive differential pressure values, where the interior pressure exceeds the exterior pressure, up to a value of at least approximately 100 psi, and only to unseal to open the flow passage at higher positive differential pressure values.
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Abstract
A mud saver valve adapted to be connected below a kelly including an elastomeric sleeve that opens and closes within a housing, the sleeve defining a flow passage within it and closing against a barrier located within the flow passage, the sleeve closing against the core at low positive differential pressures.
101 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A mud saver valve, comprising:
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a housing adapted to be connected to a kelly; an elastomeric sleeve within the housing defining a flow passage therethrough, the sleeve being exposed to an exterior pressure and to an interior pressure; a core located within the flow passage; and
whereinat least one of the sleeve and the core are biased and structured in such a manner as to seal against each other to maintain the flow passage closed for a range of positive differential pressure values, where the interior pressure exceeds the exterior pressure, up to a value of at least approximately 100 psi, and only to unseal to open the flow passage at higher positive differential pressure values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for saving mud while drilling, comprising:
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attaching a valve between a kelly and a drill string, the valve defining a flow passage between a sleeve and a core the sleeve exposed to an interior pressure and to an exterior pressure; maintaining the flow passage closed at positive differential pressures when the interior pressure exceeds the exterior pressure by at least up to approximately 100 psi due to a biasing structural design between sleeve and the core; opening the flow passage at positive differential pressures, where the interior pressure exceeds the exterior pressure across the sleeve, at an opening value that is greater than a expected hydrostatic head pressure from drilling fluid in the kelly; and closing the valve when differential pressure across the sleeve declines below the opening value while the differential pressure remains positive.
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Specification