Pilot Inside Ball Valve for Wellbore Drilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional check valves in the oil and gas industry face reliability issues due to wear and corrosion from abrasive fluid flow, particularly in high vibration environments, leading to valve failure and potential well control problems.
Innovation Solution
A ball valve system with a pilot inside, featuring a pusher rod and seals designed to rotate and align with the ball's bore, allowing one-way fluid flow while preventing direct fluid contact with the seat and seals, thus reducing wear and corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional check valves are used in abrasive fluid flow environments, then fluid flow control is achieved, but wear and corrosion on the seat and seals increase leading to valve failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a ball component as an intermediary between the abrasive fluid flow and the seat/seals. The ball rotates to control flow direction, allowing the fluid to pass through the ball's bore rather than directly contacting the seat and seals. This mediator protects the critical sealing surfaces from abrasive wear and corrosion, thereby improving valve reliability in harsh environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve is segmented into distinct functional components: the ball with its own bore for fluid passage, the seat, and the seals. This segmentation allows the ball to handle the abrasive fluid flow independently while the seat and seals are protected from direct exposure. The separation of functions reduces wear on critical components and extends valve life.
2Ease of operation
If the ball rotates to align with the pusher rod bore for fluid flow, then one-way flow control is achieved, but misalignment due to vibration can cause leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The ball is designed to rotate dynamically in response to fluid flow direction and pusher rod position. During normal operation, the ball rotates to align its bore with the pusher rod bore for open flow. Under high vibration conditions, the ball can shift or rotate to maintain contact with the seat, ensuring reliable sealing. This dynamic adaptation allows the valve to maintain both operational flexibility and sealing reliability in vibrating environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve design anticipates vibration-induced misalignment by incorporating a seat geometry that maintains sealing contact even when the ball position shifts slightly. The seat is shaped to accommodate normal operational variations and vibration movements, preventing leakage before it can occur. This preliminary design consideration ensures reliable sealing without requiring complex vibration compensation mechanisms.
3Productivity
If the seat and seals are exposed to direct fluid flow, then flow control function is performed, but corrosion increases reducing valve lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The ball serves as a protective intermediary that directs fluid flow through its own bore, preventing direct exposure of the seat and seals to corrosive fluids. The ball material is selected to be resistant to corrosion, allowing it to handle the corrosive environment while protecting the more vulnerable seat and seal components. This extends the overall valve lifespan while maintaining full flow control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different components are designed with appropriate material properties for their specific functions: the ball is made from corrosion-resistant material to handle direct fluid exposure, while the seat and seals use materials optimized for sealing performance. This localized optimization allows the valve to maintain productivity while extending the duration of action of the stationary components by protecting them from corrosion.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, system, and method of use that enables control of fluid flow in a wellbore drill string with a pilot. The apparatus comprises a pusher rod with a bore for fluid flow contacting a rotatable ball with an internal bore comprising at least one pilot, wherein the seat between the pusher rod and the interior of the tubular prevents fluid flow. Pressure changes on the pusher rod rotate the bore of the ball in and out of contact with the bore of the pusher rod, to enable or prevent fluid flow, respectively. A method of use opens the ball by exerting pressure and/or force on the pusher rod to enable fluid through the ball by aligning the internal bores. Fluid flow is stopped by pressure exerted on the bottom of the ball causing the ball to rotate whereby the internal bore of the pusher rod is connected to the exterior surface of the ball. An accumulator can control the operations of the valve by selectively exerting pressure and/or fluid flow on the pusher rod.