Multiple ball launch assemblies and methods of launching multiple balls into a wellbore
First Claim
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1. A multiple ball launch assembly for a wellbore, the multiple ball launch assembly comprising:
- a housing having an upper end, a lower end, and a housing bore disposed between the upper end and the lower end, the housing bore being adapted to be placed in fluid communication with a wellbore;
a plurality of ball launch pods disposed around an outer wall surface of the housing and in fluid communication with the housing bore, each of the ball launch pods comprising a ball housing for maintaining a ball prior to being launched into the wellbore;
a rotatable sleeve disposed in the housing bore, the sleeve having a sleeve bore in fluid communication with the wellbore and a plurality of ball openings, the plurality of ball openings corresponding to the plurality of ball launch pods such that each of the ball housings is sequentially placed in fluid communication with the sleeve bore by rotation of the sleeve;
an actuator assembly operatively associated with the sleeve for rotating the sleeve to align the plurality of ball openings with the corresponding plurality of ball launch pods.
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Abstract
Multiple ball launch assemblies comprise a plurality of ball launch pods disposed around an outer wall surface of a housing. The ball launch pods are operatively associated with a flow tube disposed within the housing. An actuator assembly rotates the flow tube to align a first opening in the flow tube with a first ball launch pod so that a first ball is launched into the wellbore. Further rotation of the flow tube aligns subsequent openings in the flow tube with subsequent corresponding ball launch pods so that subsequent balls are launched into the wellbore.
84 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A multiple ball launch assembly for a wellbore, the multiple ball launch assembly comprising:
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a housing having an upper end, a lower end, and a housing bore disposed between the upper end and the lower end, the housing bore being adapted to be placed in fluid communication with a wellbore; a plurality of ball launch pods disposed around an outer wall surface of the housing and in fluid communication with the housing bore, each of the ball launch pods comprising a ball housing for maintaining a ball prior to being launched into the wellbore; a rotatable sleeve disposed in the housing bore, the sleeve having a sleeve bore in fluid communication with the wellbore and a plurality of ball openings, the plurality of ball openings corresponding to the plurality of ball launch pods such that each of the ball housings is sequentially placed in fluid communication with the sleeve bore by rotation of the sleeve; an actuator assembly operatively associated with the sleeve for rotating the sleeve to align the plurality of ball openings with the corresponding plurality of ball launch pods. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A multiple ball launch assembly for a wellbore, the multiple ball launch assembly comprising:
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a housing having an upper end, a lower end, and a housing bore disposed between the upper end and the lower end, the housing bore being adapted to be placed in fluid communication with a wellbore; a plurality of ball launch pods disposed around an outer wall surface of the housing and in fluid communication with the housing bore, each of the ball launch pods comprising a ball housing for maintaining a ball prior to being launched into the wellbore; a rotatable sleeve disposed in the housing bore, the sleeve having a sleeve bore in fluid communication with the wellbore and a plurality of ball openings, the plurality of ball openings corresponding to the plurality of ball launch pods such that a ball from each of the ball launch pods can be launched from each of the plurality of ball launch pods, through a corresponding ball opening, and into the sleeve bore when the plurality of ball launch pods is aligned with a corresponding ball opening; and an actuator assembly comprising a drive assembly, the drive assembly being operatively associated with the sleeve such that an initial rotation of the sleeve aligns one of the plurality of ball openings with one of the plurality of ball launch pods so that a ball can be launched and subsequent rotations of the sleeve sequentially align the remainder of the plurality of ball openings with the remainder of the corresponding ball launch pods so that the reminder of balls can be launched into the sleeve bore. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of launching multiple balls into a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) disposing a multiple ball launch assembly in fluid communication with a wellbore, the multiple ball launch assembly comprising a housing, first and second ball launch pods disposed around an outer wall surface of the housing and in fluid communication with the housing bore, the first and second ball launch pods each comprising a ball housing for maintaining a ball prior to being launched into the wellbore; a rotatable sleeve disposed in the housing bore, the sleeve having a sleeve bore in fluid communication with the wellbore, a first ball opening, and a second ball opening, the first ball opening corresponding to the first ball launch pod so that alignment of the first ball opening with the first ball launch pod causes a first ball to be launched from the first ball launch pod, through the first ball opening, and into the sleeve bore, and the second ball opening corresponding to the second ball launch pod so that alignment of the second ball opening with the second ball launch pod causes a second ball to be launched from the second ball launch pod, through the second ball opening, and into the sleeve bore; and an actuator assembly operatively associated with the sleeve for rotation of the sleeve; (b) actuating the actuator assembly to rotate the sleeve to align the first ball opening with the first ball launch pod; (c) launching the first ball from the first ball launch pod through the first ball opening in the sleeve into the sleeve bore and, thus, into the wellbore; (d) actuating the actuator assembly to rotate the sleeve to align the second ball opening with the second ball launch pod; and (e) launching the second ball from the second ball launch pod through the second ball opening in the sleeve into the sleeve bore and, thus, into the wellbore. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification