Swing Chamber Pump Self-Orienting Mechanism for Horizontal Wells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current downhole pumps for steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) wells face limitations in high-temperature, high-flow rate operations, particularly in horizontal wells, due to mechanical stress fatigue and orientation issues, leading to reduced productivity and steam chamber growth.
Innovation Solution
A swing chamber pump system with self-orienting mechanisms, featuring two fluidly separate chambers and a switch that alternately directs power gas to ensure proper fluid communication and orientation, minimizing downhole pressure fluctuations and maintaining effective fluid lifting rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional downhole pumps are used in horizontal wells for SAGD production, then pump run life and cost are improved, but mechanical stress fatigue and orientation issues reduce productivity and steam chamber growth
Solution Approach 1:
The pump chamber is designed to swing or rotate freely to self-orient with gravity, transitioning from a static fixed-orientation design to a dynamic self-adjusting orientation system. This allows the pump to adapt to horizontal well conditions and maintain proper fluid communication while eliminating mechanical stress from misalignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump chamber uses its own weight and gravity to automatically orient itself in the correct position without external control mechanisms. The self-orienting feature allows the pump to service its own orientation requirement, eliminating the need for complex orientation control systems and reducing mechanical stress.
2Device complexity
If pump orientation is not controlled in horizontal wells, then device complexity is reduced, but incorrect orientation renders the pump inoperable
Solution Approach 1:
The pump chamber automatically orients itself using gravity and its own weight, eliminating the need for external orientation control systems. This self-service approach maintains simplicity while ensuring reliable operation, as the pump will always find its correct orientation regardless of wellbore twists or rotations.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump chamber is designed with freedom to swing or rotate, transforming from a rigid fixed-orientation structure to a dynamic self-adjusting system. This dynamic capability allows the pump to adapt to any wellbore orientation while maintaining proper internal fluid communication pathways.
3Productivity
If high flow rates are required for SAGD production, then productivity is improved, but mechanical stress fatigue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The self-orienting pump chamber eliminates mechanical stress from misalignment by allowing free rotation to the correct orientation. This dynamic adaptation enables the pump to handle high flow rates without the mechanical stress fatigue that plagues fixed-orientation pumps in horizontal wells.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts or removes the source of mechanical stress fatigue by eliminating the constraint of fixed orientation. By taking out the orientation constraint, the pump can operate at high flow rates without experiencing the mechanical stress that would otherwise lead to fatigue and failure.
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 swing chamber pump system achieves high lifting rates at high temperatures with low intake pressures, preventing pump internal flashing and ensuring reliable operation in horizontal wells by maintaining constant fluid communication and orientation, thus enhancing productivity and extending pump life.
Implementation Method 1
a swing chamber pump for use advantageously in horizontal wells. The pump alternately fills one of two chambers with fluids from the wellbore while simultaneously conveying wellbore fluids in the other of the two chambers to a bore of a production string
Implementation Method 2
each of the two chambers is fluidly connected to the production string by a self-orienting fluid outlet
Data Source
AI summary
A swing chamber pump can be situated within a horizontal wellbore for pumping wellbore fluids to surface using a power gas. The pump has two fluidly independent and separate pump chambers, each having a self-orienting gas valve and a self-orienting fluid outlet. A switch alternately directs the power gas into a chamber for conveying stored fluid therein to a production string, while the other chamber passively fills with wellbore fluids. A latency device converts a continuous motion into a sudden snap actuation of the switch and controls a period of delay between the actuation of the switch.