Automatic Flow Control Valve for Water Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hydrocarbon production, existing sleeve valves require additional tools and sensors to determine water inflow locations and are time-consuming to operate, especially when conditions change, necessitating periodic testing to manage water contamination in horizontal wells.
Innovation Solution
An automatic flow control valve system with a sliding sleeve and a pressure drop mechanism that adjusts based on fluid viscosity, automatically opening or closing to manage fluid flow without the need for additional tools or sensors, using a spiral passage and flow restrictor to differentiate between water and hydrocarbon flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If additional tools and sensors are used to determine water inflow location, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve system performs self-diagnosis and self-control by automatically detecting fluid properties (water vs. hydrocarbon) and adjusting its own position without requiring external tools or sensors. The valve body itself contains the detection and control mechanisms, eliminating the need for separate diagnostic equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve body integrates multiple functions into a single device: it serves as both the flow control mechanism and the fluid property detection system. The same structural components that control flow also detect fluid type, combining what would traditionally require separate tools and sensors into one multi-functional unit.
2Reliability
If manual testing and tool operations are performed to manage water contamination, then reliability is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve automatically monitors fluid properties and adjusts its position in real-time without requiring periodic manual testing or intervention. The system continuously self-regulates to maintain reliable water contamination control, eliminating the time loss associated with scheduled maintenance and manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve incorporates a feedback mechanism where the detected fluid properties (water vs. hydrocarbon) automatically trigger appropriate valve positioning. This closed-loop control ensures reliable contamination management without manual intervention, as the system continuously adjusts based on real-time fluid condition monitoring.
3Adaptability or versatility
If valve positions are manually adjusted and tested, then adaptability is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve automatically adapts to changing fluid conditions by detecting water vs. hydrocarbon presence and self-adjusting its position accordingly. This eliminates the need for manual testing and adjustment operations, maintaining high adaptability while maximizing productivity through continuous automated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve transitions from static manual adjustment to dynamic automated control, where the valve position continuously adapts to changing fluid conditions in real-time. This dynamic system responds immediately to water inflow events without the delays inherent in manual testing and adjustment procedures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system reduces water contamination by automatically controlling valve positions based on fluid viscosity, eliminating the need for additional testing and tools, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and reducing time consumption in managing hydrocarbon well production.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure drop of the fluid through the elongate narrow passage is adapted to move the sliding sleeve between a closed and an open position
Implementation Method 2
a flow restrictor between the chamber and the interior passage of the tubular body wherein the flow restrictor has a pressure drop dependent only upon a flow rate of the fluid therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for controlling the flow of a fluid from a subterranean well zone to a pipe located within a bore in the well zone. The apparatus comprises an elongate tubular body having an interior passage and a valve passage extending between an exterior of the tubular body and the interior passage with a sliding sleeve adapted to selectably cover and uncover the valve passage. A chamber is formed on one end of the sliding sleeve with an elongate narrow passage extending thereto from the exterior of the tubular body, wherein a pressure drop of the fluid through the elongate narrow passage is adapted to move the sliding sleeve between a closed and an open position. A flow restrictor between the chamber and the interior passage of the tubular body has a pressure drop dependent only upon a flow rate of the fluid therethrough.