Smart Back Pressure Valve With Integrated Pressure Testing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional back pressure valves in oil and gas wells cannot be pressure-tested after installation due to the lack of pump inlets in the tubing-casing annulus, leading to uncertainty in their proper installation and operation.
Innovation Solution
A smart back pressure valve with an integrated pressure testing system, including a piston and motor, allows for post-installation pressure testing by compressing a compressible fluid within the valve body to confirm proper sealing and operation, using a pressure gauge for stability verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional back pressure valves are installed in tubing hanger, then they can prevent upward fluid flow from wellbore, but they cannot be pressure tested after installation due to lack of pump inlets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pressure testing system directly into the back pressure valve body by integrating a piston, motor, and compressible fluid chamber. This combination allows the valve to perform both its sealing function and self-pressure testing without requiring external equipment or additional pump inlets, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining sealing reliability and enabling post-installation pressure testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The back pressure valve is designed to perform its own pressure testing through an integrated motor-driven piston system that compresses a fluid within the valve body. This self-service capability eliminates the need for external testing equipment or additional infrastructure, allowing the valve to verify its own sealing integrity after installation without compromising its primary sealing function.
2Ease of operation
If back pressure valve is designed with integrated pressure testing system, then post-installation pressure testing is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The back pressure valve is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a sealing device and a pressure testing system. The integrated piston, motor, and compressible fluid chamber allow the same device to perform its primary function of preventing upward fluid flow while also enabling post-installation pressure testing, thereby adding testing capability without requiring separate dedicated equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure testing components (piston, motor, compressible fluid) are nested within the existing valve body structure. The piston moves within the valve housing, and the motor is integrated into the assembly, allowing the pressure testing system to be contained within the valve itself without requiring external infrastructure or significantly increasing overall 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
Enables remote and reliable pressure testing of the back pressure valve while installed, ensuring proper sealing and operation without additional equipment or modifications, thereby preventing potential blowouts and equipment damage.
Implementation Method 1
the compressible fluid is compressed and increases the pressure within the interior
Implementation Method 2
a piston head that forms a seal against an inner wall of the pressure housing
Data Source
AI summary
A smart back pressure valve includes a valve body having opposing upper and lower ends, and a pressure testing system extending from the lower end of the valve body and including a pressure housing defining an interior at least partially filled with a compressible fluid, a piston axially translatable within the interior and including a piston head, and a piston rod extending distally from the piston head, a motor operatively coupled to the piston rod and operable to drive the piston toward and away from the valve body, and a pressure gauge assembly that monitors a pressure within the interior. As the motor advances within the interior, the compressible fluid is compressed and increases the pressure within the interior. When the pressure gauge assembly reports that the pressure remains stable after a predetermined time interval, that is a positive indication that the valve body properly holds pressure.