An automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to changes in moisture content

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to changes in water content, comprising: a shell, the shell is connected to a production oil pipe, the shell comprises a lower shell and an upper shell that is buckled with the lower shell, a containing chamber is formed between the two, the upper shell is provided with a liquid inlet hole, and the lower shell is provided with a liquid outlet hole; a driving device, installed on the upper shell; a closing device, arranged in the containing chamber, comprising a shut-off valve and a shut-off valve seat, the shut-off valve seat is connected to the driving device, the shut-off valve is installed on the shut-off valve seat, and the shut-off valve closes the liquid outlet hole under the drive of the driving device. The basic principle of the automatic shut-off valve is to utilize that when the fluid passes through the liquid inlet hole, the increase in water content will cause the density, viscosity and other factors of the fluid to change, thereby causing a change in the flow state, and the change in the force generated by the material in contact with it to start the relevant original parts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an automatic shut-off valve which is automatically closed according to the change of water content, and belongs to the technical field of underground water control of oil and gas wells. Background Art

[0002] In the production process of offshore oil and gas fields, the increase in water content in the later stage is an important issue affecting economic benefits. This will not only affect the oil production of oil wells, but also increase production costs and operational difficulties. In order to solve this problem, oilfield companies usually take a series of water control measures.

[0003] At present, the commonly used water control methods include pre-setting packers for segmentation, and then inserting a central string with fluid control devices such as ICD or AICD to control water in segments. However, although these methods can control the water production to a certain extent, they cannot completely shut off the water-producing layer. When the water content of a certain layer is too high, it is necessary to completely shut off the water production of this layer to improve the oil well recovery rate. The switch sleeve on the central string may effectively shut off a water-producing layer, but the sleeve solution is limited by steel wire or continuous tubing operations, is not intelligent, and has limited application. The intelligent pipeline control solution has extremely high costs and operational risks. Therefore, it has become an urgent need to develop an automatic shut-off valve that can automatically close according to changes in water content. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above technical problems, the present invention provides an automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content. The basic principle of the automatic shut-off valve is to use the fact that when the fluid passes through the liquid inlet hole, the increase of water content will cause the density, viscosity and other factors of the fluid to change, thereby causing the change of the flow state, and the change of the force generated by the contact material to start the relevant original parts. When the fluid with low water content passes through the liquid inlet hole, the shut-off valve does not sense and the driving original part does not act. When the fluid with high water content passes through the liquid inlet hole, the shut-off valve senses, the driving original part starts to act, and the closing channel of the shut-off valve is pushed out to achieve permanent closure.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: An automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to changes in water content, comprising: A shell, the shell is connected to the production oil pipe, the shell comprises a lower shell and an upper shell buckled with the lower shell, a receiving cavity is formed between the two, the upper shell is provided with a liquid inlet hole, and the lower shell is provided with a liquid outlet hole; A driving device, mounted on the upper housing; The closing device is arranged in the accommodating chamber, and comprises a shut-off valve and a shut-off valve seat. The shut-off valve seat is connected to the driving device, and the shut-off valve is installed on the shut-off valve seat. The shut-off valve closes the liquid outlet when driven by the driving device.

[0006] The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to changes in moisture content, preferably, the driving device includes a driving screw and a driving wheel, the upper shell is provided with a through hole for accommodating the driving screw, and the driving wheel is sleeved on the traveling end of the driving screw.

[0007] The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to changes in moisture content is preferably configured such that a cavity for accommodating the shut-off valve seat is provided at the traveling end of the driving screw and the shut-off valve seat is connected to the driving wheel, and the shut-off valve is movably connected to the shut-off valve seat via a limit member.

[0008] The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change in water content is preferably provided with an elastic member on the shut-off valve, and the elastic member is located between the shut-off valve and the shut-off valve seat.

[0009] The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change in water content, preferably, has an anti-wear sleeve provided in the liquid inlet hole to prevent fluid erosion damage.

[0010] The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to changes in water content, preferably, a sealing member is provided between the upper shell and the lower shell.

[0011] The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change in water content is preferably provided with a valve body protection device on the outside of the automatic shut-off valve.

[0012] The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change in water content is preferably also equipped with a sand prevention filter device.

[0013] For the automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to changes in water content, preferably, the elastic member is a spring.

[0014] The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change in moisture content is characterized in that the sealing member is a sealing ring.

[0015] The present invention adopts the above technical solution, which has the following advantages: 1. The present invention realizes that the automatic shut-off valve can be automatically closed after the water content of the well fluid changes to a specified value range through mechanical structure parameter design, without the need for subsequent manual intervention and intelligent control.

[0016] 2. When the water content reaches the preset range, the water control valve can be completely closed to prevent the output of the water-producing layer and protect the normal production and economic benefits of the oil well.

[0017] 3. The shut-off valve of the present invention has a simple structure, is easy to install and operate, and can meet the special requirements of offshore oil and gas field production.

[0018] 4. The shut-off valve of the present invention can be customized according to the characteristics of different oil reservoirs, has strong adaptability, and can be widely used in the production of various offshore oil and gas fields. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an automatic shut-off valve provided in a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a driving wheel in an automatic shut-off valve provided in this embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the automatic shut-off valve provided in this embodiment of the present invention in a production state; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the automatic shut-off valve provided in this embodiment of the present invention in a closed state; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an automatic shut-off valve with a valve body protection device provided in this embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another state of the automatic shut-off valve with a valve body protection device provided in this embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an automatic shut-off valve configured with a sand-proof filtering device provided in this embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a sand control / water control outer pipe string provided for this embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a production center pipe string provided in this embodiment of the present invention; Fig.10 A schematic diagram of a normal production state in which the outer sand control / water control string provided in this embodiment of the present invention is lowered into the well together with the production center string; Fig.11 for Fig.10 The production status diagram after the automatic shut-off valve is closed; Fig.12 A schematic diagram of a sand control / water control string provided for the second embodiment; Fig.13 for Fig.12 Schematic diagram of the middle sand control / water control string in normal production status; Fig.14 for Fig.12 The production status after the automatic shut-off valve is closed; The reference numerals in the figures are as follows: 1-valve seat; 2-upper shell; 3-lower shell; 4-driving screw; 5-driving wheel; 6-limiting nut; 7-shut-off valve; 8-spring; 9-shut-off valve seat; 10-anti-wear sleeve; 11-sealing ring; 12-production tubing; 13-top packer; 14-wellbore; 15-segmented packer; 16-screen / water control screen; 17-guide shoe assembly; 18-positioning seal; 19-tubing; 20-isolation seal; 21-automatic shut-off valve nipple; 22-blind plug; 23-automatic shut-off valve nipple / screen; 24-valve body protection device; 25-sand filter device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention is described clearly and completely below. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary persons in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the present invention shall have the usual meanings understood by persons with ordinary skills in the field to which the present invention belongs. The words "first", "second", "third", "fourth" and similar terms used in the present invention do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Words such as "include" or "comprise" and the like mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Words such as "connect" or "connected" and the like are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect.

[0022] For ease of description, spatially relative terms may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figures, such as "inside", "outside", "inner side", "outer side", "below", "above", etc. Such spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.

[0023] At present, the commonly used water control methods include pre-setting packers for segmentation, and then inserting a central pipe string with fluid control devices such as ICD or AICD to control water in segments. However, although these methods can control the water production to a certain extent, they cannot completely shut off the water-producing layer. When the water content of a certain layer is too high, it is necessary to completely shut off the water production of this layer to improve the oil well recovery rate. The switch sleeve on the central pipe string may effectively shut off a water-producing layer, but the sleeve solution is limited by steel wire or continuous tubing operations, is not intelligent, and has limited application. The intelligent pipeline control solution has extremely high costs and operational risks. Therefore, it has become an urgent need to develop an automatic shut-off valve that can automatically close according to changes in water content.

[0024] Based on the above technical problems, the present invention provides an automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content. The basic principle of the automatic shut-off valve is to use the fact that when the fluid passes through the liquid inlet, the increase of water content will cause the density, viscosity and other factors of the fluid to change, thereby causing the change of the flow state, and the change of the force generated by the contact material to start the relevant original parts. When the fluid with low water content passes through the liquid inlet, the shut-off valve does not sense and the driving original part does not work. When the fluid with high water content passes through the liquid inlet, the shut-off valve senses, the driving original part starts to work, and the closing channel of the shut-off valve is pushed out to achieve permanent closure.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, the automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content involved in the present invention is mainly composed of a valve seat 1, a shell, a driving device and a closing device.

[0026] The valve seat 1 is used to connect the production oil pipe 12. The valve can be fixed to the production oil pipe 12 by welding or threading. Of course, the valve seat 1 can also be removed and the shell can be directly installed on the production oil pipe 12; the shell includes an upper shell 2 and a lower shell 3. The upper shell 2 is provided with a liquid inlet hole, and an anti-wear sleeve 10 is provided in the liquid inlet hole to prevent fluid erosion damage. The upper shell 2 is also used to fix the driving device and the closing device. The lower shell 3 is provided with a liquid outlet hole, through which the fluid flows out. After the shut-off valve 7 blocks the liquid outlet hole, the valve is in a closed state, and the fluid cannot flow in or out. The driving device mainly drives the wheel 5 to rotate along the driving screw 4 under the force of the fluid in a specific state. Affected by the connecting thread of the two, the axial movement is generated at the same time during the rotation, thereby pushing the shut-off valve seat 9 to move. The closing device is composed of a limit nut 6, a shut-off valve 7, a spring 8, and a shut-off valve seat 9, which can be connected to the driving wheel 5 by welding or other forms. Under the action of the driving wheel 5, the shut-off valve seat 9 is pushed to move, thereby compressing the spring 8, and the spring pushes the shut-off valve 7 to close the liquid outlet hole. Since the pressure of the liquid inlet hole is generally greater than the liquid outlet hole during production, once the valve is closed, it will be resisted by the driving wheel 5 and will not open again.

[0027] like Figure 3-4As shown, the working principle of the automatic shut-off valve of the present invention is as follows: In oil fields, crude oil viscosities vary due to different regions or formations. The automatic shut-off valve of the present invention is suitable for oil field production with higher viscosity, especially medium and high viscosity crude oil. The specific viscosity range is designed according to different product parameters, and the applicable viscosity range is slightly different. In practical applications, as production continues, the water content in the oil flow increases. When high-viscosity oil is mixed with low-viscosity water, the viscosity decreases, and the low-viscosity fluid can drive the automatic shut-off valve to automatically close. The valve can adjust the parameters of the automatic shut-off valve according to different viscosities, different production systems, and different water content closing indicators.

[0028] High viscosity case (pure oil or oil-water mixture with low water content): When the fluid viscosity μ is large, the momentum diffusion caused by the internal friction of the fluid (i.e., viscosity) has a significant effect. When the fluid flows through the driving wheel 5, due to the high viscosity, the momentum dissipation caused by the velocity gradient (i.e., shear deformation) inside the fluid is also large. Momentum dissipation causes the effective momentum transferred by the fluid to the driving wheel 5 to decrease, because part of the momentum is converted into heat energy by the viscous force during the flow process, and the rotational force on the driving wheel 5 is reduced, and the driving wheel 5 does not generate rotational motion.

[0029] Low viscosity: When the fluid viscosity μ is small, the momentum diffusion effect caused by the internal friction (i.e., viscosity) of the fluid is weakened. When the fluid flows through the drive wheel 5, the momentum dissipation is relatively small due to the low viscosity. The momentum of the fluid can be effectively transmitted to the drive wheel 5, so that the rotational force on the drive wheel 5 increases, the drive wheel 5 generates a rotational motion, and thus generates an axial movement, closing the automatic shut-off valve.

[0030] The driving screw rod 4 and the driving wheel 5 are connected by threads. The thread type and parameters can be designed and adjusted according to application requirements. The driving wheel 5 has a spiral structure around it, such as Figure 2 As shown, a rotational force can be generated under fluid drive. The driving wheel 5 can rotate around the driving screw 4 under the action of the rotational torque.

[0031] The fluid enters the valve through the liquid inlet hole. Due to the difference in parameters such as viscosity and density of fluids with different water contents, the flow state is different, resulting in different force states on the driving wheel 5. Therefore, the blades of the driving wheel 5 and the thread parameter structure design of the driving screw 4 can be adjusted to adjust the influence of the change of fluids with different water contents, so that the driving wheel 5 can be driven when the predetermined water content value is reached. When the shut-off valve 7 is in the closed state, there is no reverse force condition, so it is in a permanent closed state.

[0032] like Figure 5 , 6As shown, in actual application, the shut-off valve of the present invention may also be designed with a valve body protection device 24 during the lowering process to prevent the automatic shut-off valve from being damaged during the lowering process.

[0033] like Figure 7 As shown, in actual application, the valve can also be equipped with a sand prevention filter device 25 to prevent sand from entering the automatic shut-off valve during the production process.

[0034] The shut-off valve of the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with actual field applications.

[0035] Field Application 1 like Figure 8 As shown, the sand control / water control outer string is composed of a top packer 13, a screen / water control screen 16, a segmented packer 15, a guide shoe assembly 17, etc. The top packer 13 is used to suspend and isolate the outer string. The screen / water control screen 16 allows fluid / filtered fluid to enter the inner part of the outer string through the screen. The segmented packer 15 can be segmented according to the formation properties and the characteristics of the produced fluid.

[0036] like Fig. 9 As shown, the production center string consists of a positioning seal 18, a tubing 19, an isolation seal 20, an automatic shut-off valve nipple 21, and a blind plug 22. The positioning seal 18 is matched with the top packer 13 to realize insertion positioning sealing. The isolation seal 20 is inserted into the segmented packer 15 of the sand control / water control outer string for isolation sealing to form segments in the string. The automatic shut-off valve nipple 21 is used to shut off the valve after reaching the specified water content target.

[0037] like Fig.10 , 11 As shown in the figure, in the early stage of production, the sand control / water control outer string can be lowered into the well together with the production center string for production, and the automatic shut-off valve can be automatically adjusted to open and close according to the water content of each section in the later stage. It is also possible to use the sand control / water control outer string for production in the early stage of production, and when the water content is high in the later stage, the production center string is lowered to the predetermined position, and the automatic shut-off valve can be automatically closed according to the water content index of each section.

[0038] Field Application 2 like Figure 12-14 As shown, the water control string is composed of a top packer 13, an automatic shut-off valve nipple / screen 23, a segmented packer 15, a guide shoe assembly 17, etc. The top packer 13 is used to suspend and isolate the outer string. The automatic shut-off valve nipple / screen allows fluid / filtered fluid to enter the outer string for production. The segmented packer can be segmented according to the formation properties and the characteristics of the produced fluid.

[0039] The shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content of the present invention has the advantages of intelligent control, complete shut-off, simple operation and strong applicability. By automatically adjusting the state of the valve in response to the change of water content, the problem of increased water content in the production process of offshore oil and gas fields can be effectively solved. The invention can increase the oil production of oil wells, reduce production costs and operating difficulties, and has broad application prospects and economic benefits.

[0040] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to changes in moisture content, characterized in that: include: A shell, the shell being connected to a production oil pipe (12), the shell comprising a lower shell (3) and an upper shell (2) buckled together with the lower shell (3), a receiving cavity being formed between the two, the upper shell (2) being provided with a liquid inlet hole, and the lower shell (3) being provided with a liquid outlet hole; A driving device, mounted on the upper housing (2); A closing device is arranged in the accommodating chamber, comprising a shutoff valve (7) and a shutoff valve seat (9), wherein the shutoff valve seat (9) is connected to the driving device, the shutoff valve (7) is mounted on the shutoff valve seat (9), and the shutoff valve (7) closes the liquid outlet when driven by the driving device.

2. The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving device comprises a driving screw (4) and a driving wheel (5); a through hole for accommodating the driving screw (4) is provided on the upper shell (2); and the driving wheel (5) is sleeved on the travel end of the driving screw (4).

3. The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content according to claim 2, characterized in that: A cavity for accommodating the shutoff valve seat (9) is provided at the travel end of the driving screw rod (4), and the shutoff valve seat (9) is connected to the driving wheel (5), and the shutoff valve (7) is movably connected to the shutoff valve seat (9) via a limiter.

4. The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content according to claim 3, characterized in that: An elastic member is sleeved on the shut-off valve (7), and the elastic member is located between the shut-off valve (7) and the shut-off valve seat (9).

5. The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content according to claim 1, characterized in that: An anti-wear sleeve (10) is arranged in the liquid inlet hole to prevent damage by fluid erosion.

6. The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing member is provided between the upper shell (2) and the lower shell (3).

7. The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content according to claim 1, characterized in that: A valve body protection device (24) is also provided outside the automatic shut-off valve.

8. The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automatic shut-off valve is also equipped with a sand prevention filtering device (25).

9. The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content according to claim 4, characterized in that: The elastic member is a spring (8).

10. The automatic shut-off valve that automatically closes according to the change of water content according to claim 6, characterized in that: The sealing element is a sealing ring (11).

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