Insert Safety Valve With Selective Pressure Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Safety valves in the resource recovery and fluid sequestration industries often have insufficient service lives, necessitating the use of insert safety valves, which reduce the available inside diameter and are less expensive but lack enhanced functionality.
Innovation Solution
An insert safety valve design with a housing, flow tube, flapper, atmospheric chamber, and selectively openable valve, operated by a control line, featuring a valve member, biaser, and unseat member to maintain functionality while allowing pressure communication, and includes an offset bore for the flow tube to accommodate radial space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If insert safety valves are employed to substitute for previous safety valves, then cost is reduced and service life is extended, but available inside diameter is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The insert safety valve is nested within the existing safety valve housing, utilizing the available space inside the original valve body. This nesting approach allows the replacement valve to be installed without removing the outer housing, thereby extending service life while minimizing the reduction in inside diameter through efficient space utilization.
2Ease of manufacture
If insert safety valves are used, then cost is reduced compared to complete workovers, but functionality is not enhanced
Solution Approach 1:
The insert safety valve is designed with multi-functionality to perform various safety control functions within the existing valve housing. The valve incorporates a flow tube, flapper, atmospheric chamber, and selectively openable valve mechanism that can handle multiple operational requirements, thereby enhancing functionality while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
3Reliability
If a selectively openable valve is added to control pressure communication with the atmospheric chamber, then fluid isolation is maintained during operation, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The selectively openable valve mechanism is merged with the existing valve structure, combining the pressure control function with the safety valve's inherent components. The valve member, valve seat, biaser, and unseat member are integrated into the existing housing and flow tube assembly, allowing fluid isolation to be maintained during operation without proportionally increasing device complexity.
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
Enhances the functionality of insert safety valves by maintaining fluid isolation during operation and providing a fail-safe condition, ensuring reliable wellbore control with reduced diameter impact.
Implementation Method 1
a biaser configured to urge the member against the seat
Implementation Method 2
an unseat member responsive to an external input to move the valve member off the valve seat
Implementation Method 3
a flow tube movably disposed within the housing, a flapper articulated to the housing and responsive to positions of the flow tube relative to the housing
Data Source
AI summary
An insert safety valve, including a housing, a flow tube in the housing, a flapper to positions of the flow tube, an atmospheric chamber in the housing, a selectively openable valve to prevent or allow pressure communication between the chamber and an environment, the valve including a valve member, a valve seat, and an unseat member to move the valve member off the valve seat. A borehole system, including a preexisting safety valve having a control line, an insert safety valve, in the preexisting safety valve, the insert safety valve operable with the control line. A method for controlling a wellbore, including running an insert safety valve while preventing fluid communication with an atmospheric chamber of the safety valve, moving the unseat member, and enabling fluid communication with the atmospheric chamber.