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EP-4367361-B1 - A VALVE AND A METHOD OF CONTROLLING FLUID FLOW BETWEEN A FLUID SUPPLYING DEVICE AND A FLUID RECEIVING DEVICE

EP4367361B1EP 4367361 B1EP4367361 B1EP 4367361B1EP-4367361-B1

Inventors

  • RISETH FØRLAND, Roar

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220705

Claims (15)

  1. A valve (20) for controlling fluid flow between a fluid supplying device and a fluid receiving device, the valve (20) having an inlet (11) for connection to the fluid supplying device and for receiving a fluid therefrom, and an outlet (13), wherein the valve (20) comprises a piston arrangement (21) slidable with respect to a valve body (12), wherein the piston arrangement (21) is slidable between a closed, first position preventing fluid from passing the valve (20) upon exposure to a fluid pressure being below a predetermined level, and an open, second position providing fluid communication between the inlet (11) and the outlet (13) upon exposure to a fluid pressure exceeding the predetermined level, and wherein the piston arrangement (21) has a first piston area (22) when the valve (20) is in the closed, first position, and an additional second piston area (24, 24') when the valve (20) is in the open, second position, wherein the valve (20) further comprises a restrictor arrangement (40) for delaying closing of the valve (20) to allow a fluid supply pressure to bleed off, wherin the valve (20) forms part of an extensible tubing (1) having a first tubing portion (10) and a second tubing portion (100), wherein the first tubing portion (10) comprises the valve (20), and wherein the outlet (13) of the valve (20) is configured for controlling fluid flow into an inlet of the second tubing portion (100), and that the second tubing portion (100) comprises: - a housing (102) having a first end portion (104) for receiving fluid from the outlet (13) of the valve (20), and a second end portion (106); - a core (120) arranged inside the housing (102) and secured thereto; - a pipe (110) arranged between the housing (102) and the core (120), the pipe (110) being axially movable between a retracted position wherein a seal (112) prevents fluid from passing between the core (120) and the pipe (110), and an extended position wherein the seal (112) does not prevent fluid from passing between the core (120) and the pipe (110); - a piston (114) forming a part of the pipe (110); and - a second tubing portion biasing means (116) configured for urging the pipe (110) towards its retracted position; - wherein the pipe (110) is movable towards its extended position upon exposure to a fluid flowing from the first tubing portion (10) into the second tubing portion (100) and providing a fluid pressure force exceeding an opposite force from the second tubing portion biasing means (116).
  2. The valve (20) according to claim 1, wherein characteristics of a valve biasing means (30) define said predetermined level of fluid pressure.
  3. The valve (20) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the piston arrangement (21) comprises a hollow piston member (25) provided with at least one aperture (23) in a wall of the hollow piston member (25), and wherein the at least one aperture (23) is provided in a portion of said wall defined between the first piston area (22) and the additional second piston area (24), whereby fluid communication between the inlet (11) and the outlet (13) is provided via the at least one aperture (23).
  4. The valve (20) according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the restrictor arrangement (40) is configured for reducing a closing speed of the valve (20).
  5. The valve (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the restrictor arrangement (40) comprises a closing delay nozzle (42) configured for communicating a fluid between two or more fluid reservoirs in response to movement of the piston arrangement (21).
  6. The valve (20) according to claim 5, wherein the restrictor arrangement (40) is configured for delaying return of the piston arrangement from its open, second position to its closed, first position until a predetermined time has lapsed after reducing the pressure of the fluid upstream of the valve below the predetermined level.
  7. The valve (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the piston comprises a transition zone (114) from a larger, first pipe portion (111) having a first flow area, and a smaller, second pipe portion (111') having a second flow area being smaller than the first flow area.
  8. The valve (20) according to claim 7, wherein a cross sectional area defined by an external surface of the core (120) is smaller than a cross sectional area defined by an internal surface of the smaller, second pipe portion (111'), thereby providing a radial gap for allowing fluid flow between the core (120) and the smaller, second pipe portion (111').
  9. The valve (20) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the smaller, second pipe portion (111') has a free end (113), and wherein the seal (112) is arranged within the smaller, second pipe portion (111') and closer to its free end (113) than to the piston (114).
  10. The valve (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the core (120) has a free end portion (123) pointing away from the first tubing portion (10), and wherein the piston (114) is positioned on the pipe (110) so as to extend beyond the free end portion (123) of the core (120) when the pipe (1) is in its extended position.
  11. The valve (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first tubing portion (10) is a separate tubing portion connected to the second tubing portion (100).
  12. The valve (20) according to claim 11, wherein the first tubing portion (10) is connected to the second tubing portion (100) via a flexible pipe (50).
  13. The valve (20) according to claim 12, wherein the flexible pipe (50) is axially extensible between a retracted position and an extended position.
  14. The valve (20) according to claim 13, wherein the flexible pipe (50) comprises a flexible pipe biasing means (52) configured for urging the flexible pipe (50) towards a retracted position upon exposure to an opposite tension force between the first tubing portion (10) and the second tubing portion (100) being less than a biasing force of the flexible pipe biasing means (52).
  15. A method of controlling fluid flow between a fluid supplying device and a fluid receiving device, characterised in that the method comprises the steps of: - providing an extensible tubing with a valve (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 14; and - connecting an inlet (11) of the valve (20) to the fluid supplying device.

Description

The present disclosure is related to an extensible tubing with a valve. More specifically, the disclosure is related to a valve and a method of controlling fluid flow between a fluid supplying device and a fluid receiving device. The valve has an inlet for connection to the fluid supplying device and for receiving a fluid therefrom, and an outlet. The valve, which is controlled by fluid pressure, is configured for being in a closed, first position preventing fluid from passing the valve upon exposure to a fluid pressure being below a predetermined level, and for being in an open, second position providing fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet upon exposure to a fluid pressure exceeding the predetermined level. The valve disclosed herein is developed primarily in response to a need in the petroleum industry. More particularly, the valve is developed for facilitating fluid transfer between a top drive of a drilling rig and a casing, liner, or drillpipe during a casing-, liner-, or drillpipe running operation. In a casing running operation, a lowermost casing joint of a casing string has been sealed off. A purpose of supplying a fluid during a casing running operation is to fill a casing with a balancing fluid, as will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art. A conventional method of filling a casing is to run several casing joints, typically six to eight, into the well and then stop the running operation to fill a balancing fluid into the casing string. The filling may be performed by lowering the top drive onto the top portion of the casing string, or by means of a hose from a drilling floor. This conventional method is undesired for numbers of reasons. Firstly, the method requires the running operation to be interrupted. An interruption of the running operation represents a risk of the casing string getting stuck in the bore hole. Secondly, the conventional method is relatively time consuming and thus expensive. Filling a casing string by means of a hose on a deck of an installation requires personnel to enter the so-called red zone of the drilling rig. Personnel working in the red zone of a drilling rig is subject to a substantial risk of serious incidents related to remotely operated equipment and dropped objects. Publication US10167701 B2 discloses an injection valve assembly for use in a well, where pressurized gas or fluid from uphole in the well displaces a perforated valve head from a valve seat, allows for fluid flow of the pressurized gas or fluid into the valve head and further downhole in the well toward an electric submersible pump. A compression spring is coiled around a valve stem connected to the valve head, pushing the valve stem and valve head in an uphole direction opposite to the force from pressurized gas or fluid. The compression spring is in a chamber filled with hydraulic fluid, where the hydraulic fluid can pass through a dampening system assembly and a flow restrictor assembly, thereby regulating the speed at which the valve stem and valve head can move relative to the valve seat. Publication US2011168410 A1 discloses a drill string flow control valve that comprises a valve housing, a valve sleeve axially movable within a valve housing from a closed position to an open position, a biasing mechanism biasing the valve sleeve into a closed position, and a plurality of pressure vents for allowing a differential pressure to be exerted on the valve sleeve. US 2013043045 A1 discloses flow slop valve positioned in a downhole tubular, wherein: the flow slop valve is in a closed position when a pressure difference between fluid outside the downhole tubular and inside the downhole tubular at the flow stop valve is below a threshold value, thereby preventing flow through the downhole tubular; and the flow stop valve is in an open position when the pressure difference between fluid outside the downhole tubular and inside the downhole tubular at the flow stop valve is above a threshold value, thereby permitting flow through the downhole tubular. Publication CN102839941 A1 discloses an extensible tubing that is extended in two steps. The extensible tubing comprises a first compression spring and a second compression spring. The extensible tubing operates as an on/off valve and requires a fluid supply pressure to be bled of upstream of the valve to allow closing of the valve. When supplying a fluid to, for example, a casing or drill string extending from a rig in a running operation, the fluid supplying device may typically comprise a Kelly hose being in fluid communication with a source of fluid. In such an application on a rig, the hydrostatic column may be considerable, for example 40 meters. To control fluid communication between the fluid source on the rig and a fluid receiving device, for example a casing, liner, or drillpipe, the supply of fluid (for filling a casing or drill pipe) may be controlled by means of the fluid supplying device itself, typically by means of an