Downhole ram pump

• US 7,785,080 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welldynamics, Inc. (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Welldynamics, Inc. (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Tips, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay; Charles G
• Application Number:
  US11/442,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20060266513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 417/328, 417/334, 417/375, 912/35, 913/25, 166/105
• US Class Current: 417/334
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/00 Apparatus for displacing, setting, locking, releasing or removing tools, packers or the like in boreholes or wells setting of casings, screens or liners E21B43/10
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/1275 inflated by down-hole pumping means operated by a down-hole drive
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/00 Valve arrangements for boreholes or wells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

A downhole ram pump. A downhole pump system includes a flow restricting device which variably restricts fluid flow through an opening, the restricting device vibrating in response to the fluid flow, thereby alternately increasing and decreasing the fluid flow through the opening; and a pump device which generates a pressure differential in response to vibration of the restricting device. Another downhole pump system includes a flow restricting device which vibrates in response to fluid flow through an opening, thereby alternately increasing and decreasing the fluid flow through the opening, a pressure differential across the restricting device variably biasing the restricting device to increasingly restrict the fluid flow through the opening, and the pressure differential alternately increasing and decreasing in response to respective alternate increasing and decreasing flow through the opening; and a pump device which generates differential pressure in response to vibration of the restricting device.

Claims

1. A downhole pump system, comprising:

a primary fluid flow;

a flow restricting device, exposed to a secondary fluid flow branched from the primary fluid flow, which variably restricts the secondary fluid flow through an opening, the opening returning the secondary fluid flow to the primary fluid flow, the restricting device vibrating in response to the secondary fluid flow, and the restricting device thereby alternately increasing and decreasing the secondary fluid flow through the opening; and

a pump device which operates in response to vibration of the restricting device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump device includes at least one pump chamber having a volume which changes in response to vibration of the restricting device.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an accumulator device for storing pressure generated by the pump device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the accumulator device includes a first chamber connected to an output line of the pump device, and a second chamber connected to an input line of the pump device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the accumulator device further includes a third chamber, and first and second pistons, the first piston separating the first and third chambers, the second piston separating the second and third chambers, and a compressible fluid being contained within the third chamber.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the accumulator device further includes a biasing device which exerts a biasing force on the second piston, thereby maintaining a pressure differential across the second piston.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a housing which includes an internal flow passage with a flow restriction therein upstream of the opening, the flow restriction creating a pressure differential in the internal flow passage which induces a portion of the primary fluid flow through the internal flow passage to flow into a secondary fluid flow path which comprises an annular chamber surrounding the internal flow passage, and to flow from the annular chamber through the opening to return to the internal flow passage.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the restricting device variably restricts the secondary fluid flow from the annular chamber through the opening to the internal flow passage.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the restricting device includes a projection which creates a pressure differential in the annular chamber in response to the secondary fluid flow through the annular chamber, the pressure differential in the annular chamber biasing the restricting device to increasingly restrict the secondary fluid flow through the opening.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a biasing device which applies a biasing force to the restricting device in a direction to decreasingly restrict the secondary fluid flow through the opening.

11. A downhole pump system, comprising:

a primary fluid flow;

a flow restricting device exposed to a secondary fluid flow branched from the primary fluid flow, the flow restricting device vibrating in response to the secondary fluid flow through an opening, the opening returning the secondary fluid flow to the primary fluid flow, the restricting device thereby alternately increasing and decreasing the secondary fluid flow through the opening, a pressure differential across the restricting device variably biasing the restricting device to increasingly restrict the secondary fluid flow through the opening, and the pressure differential alternately increasing and decreasing in response to respective alternate increasing and decreasing secondary fluid flow through the opening; and

a pump device which operates in response to vibration of the restricting device.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a housing which includes an internal flow passage with a flow restriction therein upstream of the opening, the flow restriction creating a differential pressure in the internal flow passage which induces a portion of the primary fluid flow through the internal flow passage to flow into a secondary fluid flow path which comprises an annular chamber surrounding the internal flow passage, and to flow from the annular chamber through the opening to return to the internal flow passage.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the restricting device variably restricts the secondary fluid flow from the annular chamber through the opening to the internal flow passage.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the restricting device includes a projection which creates the pressure differential across the restricting device in the annular chamber in response to the secondary fluid flow through the annular chamber.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a biasing device which applies a biasing force to the restricting device in a direction to decreasingly restrict the secondary fluid flow through the opening.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the pump device includes at least one pump chamber having a volume which changes in response to vibration of the restricting device.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising an accumulator device for storing pressure generated by the pump device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the accumulator device includes a first chamber connected to an output line of the pump device, and a second chamber connected to an input line of the pump device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the accumulator device further includes a third chamber, and first and second pistons, the first piston separating the first and third chambers, the second piston separating the second and third chambers, and a compressible fluid being contained within the third chamber.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the accumulator device further includes a biasing device which exerts a biasing force on the second piston, thereby maintaining a pressure differential across the second piston.