EP0466472A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Annulus pressure responsive downhole testing tool
Assignee: Halliburton Co
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Filing: 1991-07-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-07-10
Abstract
Abstract An annulus pressure responsive downhole tool (50) includes a selectively actuable deactivating system (66) to render the tool unresponsive to annulus pressure changes. The tool includes a power piston (54), one side (56) of which is exposed to annulus pressure and the other side (58) of which is communicated with a reference pressure which, when it is different from the annulus pressure, results in a pressure differential across the power piston to cause it to move. Connected into the reference pressure side (58) is the deactivating system (66) which upon actuation ensures that the reference pressure is equal to the annulus pressure, thus preventing any pressure differential across the power piston (54). <IMAGE>
Inventors
- 👤 Neal G. Skinner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 05:24
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B41/00; E21B34/00; E21B34/06; E21B34/066; E21B34/10; E21B34/108; E21B2200/00; E21B2200/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
271 words
A downhole tool which tool comprises: a tool housing (52); a power piston (54) slidably disposed in said tool housing, said piston having a first side (56) and a second side (58), and being movable between a first position and a second position relative to the tool housing in response to changes in well annulus pressure; a first pressure conducting passage means (60), defined in said tool housing, for communicating said well annulus with said first side of said power piston; reference pressure means (62), disposed in said tool housing, for providing a reference pressure communicated with said second side of said power piston; a selective operable bypass means (66) for temporarily bypassing changes in well annulus pressure around said reference pressure means, said bypass means including: a bypass passage means (72), defined in said tool housing, for communicating said well annulus with said second side of said power piston; bypass valve means (74), disposed in said bypass passage means, for selectively opening and closing said bypass passage means as said bypass valve means is moved between an open position and a closed position; and control means (82) for moving said bypass valve means between its open and closed positions, wherein said control means is responsive to changes in well annulus pressure; said bypass valve means is an electric motor operated bypass valve means (74); and said control means includes a pressure sensor means (84), for detecting changes in well annulus pressure, and microprocessor means (86) for controlling said electric motor operated bypass valve means in response to a predetermined change in well annulus pressure detected by said pressure sensor means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
62 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electric motor operated bypass means (74) is arranged to require electric power only to selectively move said electric motor operated bypass valve means between its said open and closed position, so that said electric motor operated bypass valve means will remain in either its open or closed position without continued application of electric power thereto.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said control means further comprises an electric battery power supply (88); and said microprocessor means (86) is arranged to keep said bypass valve means in a predetermined one of its said open and closed positions upon sensing of a low power state of said power supply.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
268 words
A downhole tool responsive to changes in pressure in a well annulus comprising a tool housing (52); a power piston (54) slidably disposed in said tool housing, said power piston having a first side (56) and a second side (58); a first pressure conducting passage means (60) defined in said tool housing, for communicating said well annulus pressure with said first side of said power piston; a second pressure conducting passage means (68), defined in said housing, for communicating said well annulus with said second side of said power piston; a second pressure conductivity passage means, defined in said tool housing, for communicating said well annulus with said second side with said power piston; reference pressure means (62), disposed in said tool housing, for providing a reference pressure communicated with said second side of said power piston, so that a change in well annulus pressure creates a pressure differential across said power piston to move said power piston between a first position and a second position relative to said tool housing, wherein said reference pressure means includes a retarding means (70), disposed in said second pressure conducting passage means, for delaying communication of a sufficient portion of a change in well annulus pressure to said second side of said power piston for a sufficient time to allow a pressure differential across said power piston to move said power piston between a first position and a second position relative to said housing; and selectively operable deactivating means (66) for temporarily deactivating said power piston so that said power piston is no longer responsive to changes in well annulus pressure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, which further includes bypass means (72) having an open position wherein changes in well annulus pressure are substantially immediately communicated with said second side of said power piston, and a closed position wherein communication of changes in well annulus pressure through said second pressure conducting passage means to said second side of said power piston are delayed by said retarding means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
88 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said bypass means (72) comprises second pressure conducting passage means (60) having a bypass passage in hydraulic parallel with said retarding means (70); bypass valve means (74), disposed in said bypass passage, for selectively opening and closing said bypass passage as said bypass valve means is moved between an open and a closed position corresponding to said open and closed positions of said bypass means; and control means (82) for moving said bypass valve means between its said open and closed positions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 4,5 or 6, wherein said retarding means (70) includes a restricted orifice disposed in said second pressure conducting passage means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
194 words
A downhole tool responsive to changes in pressure in a well annulus comprising a tool housing (52); a power piston (54) slidably disposed in said tool housing, said piston having a first side (56) and a second side (58); a first pressure conducting passage means (60), defined in said tool housing, for communicating said well annulus with said first side of said power piston; reference pressure means (62), disposed in said tool housing, for providing a reference pressure communicated with said second side of said power piston, so that a change in well annulus pressure creates a pressure differential across said power piston to move said power piston between a first position and a second position relative to said tool housing; and selectively operable deactivating means (66) for temporarily deactivating said power piston so that said power piston is no longer responsive to changes in well annulus pressure and wherein said deactivating means is further characterized as requiring electrical power to selectively move said deactivating means between an activated and deactivated position thereof, so that said deactivating means will remain in either its activated or deactivated position without continued application of electrical power thereto.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
116 words
A downhole tool comprising an operating means (54) for operating said apparatus in response to changes in well annulus pressure; and deactivating means (66) for repeatedly selectively deactivating said operating means so that said operating means is no longer responsive to changes in well annulus pressure and for subsequently reactivating said operating means so that said operating means is again responsive to changes in well annulus pressure, wherein said deactivation means further includes: an electrical battery power supply (88); and control means (82) for causing said deactivation means to move to or remain in a predetermined one of a deactivated position and a reactivated position upon sensing of a lower power state of said power supply.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
144 words
A method of controlling the operation of a downhole tool of the type having an operating mechanism normally operated in response to changes in well annulus pressure, said operating mechanism being of the type having a power piston (54) with a first side (56) openly communicated with well annulus pressure and a second side (58) communicated with well annulus pressure through a passage having a metering orifice (70) disposed therein, said method comprising the steps of: (a) transmitting a command signal; (b) detecting said command signal at said tool; and (c) temporarily deactivating said operating mechanism of said tool in response to detection of said command signal so that said operating mechanism is no longer responsive to changes in well annulus pressure by bypassing said metering orifice and placing said second side of said power piston in an open communication with well annulus pressure.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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