Remotely controllable variable flow control configuration and method

• US 8,267,180 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Tirado, Ricardo A., Ranjan, Priyesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephenson, Daniel P
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALKER, RICHARD K
• Application Number:
  US12/497,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20110000680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 166/66.6, 166/66.7, 166/227, 166/386, 166/373, 137/625.3
• US Class Current: 166/373
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/06 in wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/066 electrically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/12 Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86734 With metering feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87249 Multiple inlet with multiple outlet

Abstract

A remotely controllable flow control configuration including a body; one or more flow restrictors disposed in the body; and a selector fluidly connected with the body and capable of supplying or denying fluid to one or more of the one or more flow restrictors and method.

Claims

1. A remotely controllable flow control configuration comprising:

a body;

a plurality of flow restrictors disposed in series in the body; and

a selector fluidly connected with a plurality of channels each extending from the selector, the plurality of channels intersecting the plurality of flow restrictors at different locations in the body for selectively supplying or denying fluid to selected ones or selected portions of the flow restrictors.

2. A remotely controllable flow control configuration as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels is arranged in a plurality of channel sets in the body, each channel set intersecting the plurality of flow restrictors at the different locations.

3. A remotely controllable flow control configuration as claimed in claim 2 wherein each channel set includes three channels extending from one end of the body to three different outlet locations in the body.

4. A remotely controllable flow control configuration as claimed in claim 3 wherein the outlet locations are between respective ones of the plurality of restrictors.

5. A remotely controllable flow control configuration as claimed in claim 2 wherein the selector includes a number of ports corresponding to a number of the channel sets in the body.

6. A remotely controllable flow control configuration as claimed in claim 5 wherein the number of ports is four.

7. A remotely controllable flow control configuration as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of flow restrictors each has the same pressure drop thereacross.

8. A remotely controllable flow control configuration as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of flow restrictors each has a unique pressure drop thereacross.

9. A remotely controllable flow control configuration as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of flow restrictors each has one of the same pressure drop as the other of the plurality of flow restrictors or a different pressure drop than the others of the plurality of flow restrictors thereacross.

10. A remotely controllable flow control configuration as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selector is rotationally moveable relative to the body.

11. A remotely controllable flow control configuration as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selector is motor driven.

12. A remotely controllable flow control configuration as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locations are between respective ones of the one or more flow restrictors.

13. A method for remotely controlling flow downhole comprising:

initiating a signal at a remote location to actuate a flow control configuration as claimed in claim 1; and

modifying a flow profile in response to adjusting the configuration.

14. A remotely controllable flow control configuration comprising:

a body;

a plurality of flow restrictors disposed in the body;

a plurality of channels fluidly connected to the plurality of flow restrictors, each channel associated with a different one of the flow restrictors; and

a selector having one or more openings, the selector actuatable to align the one or more openings with selected ones of the channels for selectively supplying or denying fluid to the selected ones of the channels, each channel extending between its associated different one of the flow restrictors and the selector for selectively supplying or denying the fluid to associated ones or portions of the flow restrictors by intersecting the plurality of flow restrictors at different locations.