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EP-4587676-B1 - SAFETY VALVE WITH ELECTRICAL ACTUATOR

EP4587676B1EP 4587676 B1EP4587676 B1EP 4587676B1EP-4587676-B1

Inventors

  • KLINKE DA SILVEIRA, Helvecio Carlos
  • ELSTON, Cassius Alexander
  • BAULI GRAZIANO, Felipe
  • ROMANO, Vinicius
  • VIEIRA, Carlos Alexandre
  • PERRUCCI, LUCAS ANTONIO
  • SCUSSIATO, Eduardo

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20230915

Claims (15)

  1. An electro-mechanical coupling, comprising: an actuator (26) comprising an extendable and retractable piston (96); a base member (240); an electric magnet (80); a magnet (88), wherein one of the electric magnet (80) and the magnet (88) is operably coupled to the piston (96), and the other of the electric magnet (80) and the magnet (88) is selectively operably couplable to the base member (240); and a mechanical advantage mechanism (200) configured to enhance a holding force of the electric magnet (80) with the magnet (88) when the electric magnet (80) is activated, wherein activation of the electric magnet (80) is configured to operably couple the electric magnet (80) and the magnet (88) such that axial movement of the piston (96) causes axial movement of the base member (240), and wherein subsequent deactivation of the electric magnet (80) is configured to operably de-couple the electric magnet (80) and the magnet (88) to allow movement of the base member (240) relative to the actuator (26).
  2. The electro-mechanical coupling of claim 1, wherein the actuator (26) is an electro-mechanical actuator.
  3. The electro-mechanical coupling of claim 1 or 2, the mechanical advantage mechanism (200) comprising a latch mechanism.
  4. The electro-mechanical coupling of claim 3, the latch mechanism comprising: an outer collet (220); an inner collet (210) disposed at least partially within the outer collet (220); and a spring (230), wherein when the electric magnet (80) is activated the outer collet (220) is locked relative to the inner collet (210) against force of the spring (230), and wherein when the electric magnet (80) is deactivated the spring (230) unlocks the outer and inner collets (220, 210).
  5. The electro-mechanical coupling of any preceding claim, the mechanical advantage mechanism (200) comprising a double latch mechanism.
  6. The electro-mechanical coupling of claim 5, the double latch mechanism comprising: an outer collet (220); an inner collet (210) disposed at least partially within the outer collet (220); an inner rod (250) disposed at least partially within the inner collet (210); an outer spring disposed about the inner collet (210); at least one inner spring disposed about the inner rod (250); and at least one ball (260) disposed on an outer diameter of the inner rod (250), wherein when the electric magnet (80) is activated the outer collet (220) is locked relative to the inner collet (210) against force of the spring, and wherein when the electric magnet (80) is deactivated the double latch mechanism unlocks in a two stage release.
  7. The electro-mechanical coupling of claim 6, wherein the at least one inner spring and the at least one ball (260) act as a first stage of the two stage release, and the outer spring acts as a second stage of the two stage release.
  8. An electric safety valve assembly comprising the electro-mechanical coupling of any preceding claim, optionally wherein the electric safety valve assembly is fully electric.
  9. The electric safety valve assembly of claim 8, wherein the base member (240) is operably coupled to a flow tube (74) of the safety valve.
  10. The electric safety valve assembly of claim 8 or 9, comprising: a flapper (62); a return spring (72); an internal tubing sleeve (74); and an actuator (26) comprising an extendable and retractable piston (96); wherein the electro-mechanical coupling is configured to selectively operably connect the piston (96) and the internal tubing sleeve (74).
  11. The electric safety valve assembly of claim 10, the electro-mechanical coupling comprising: an electric magnet (80) operably coupled to the piston (96); a magnet (88) selectively operably couplable to the internal tubing sleeve (74); and a latch mechanism (200) configured to provide a mechanical advantage to enhance a holding force of the electric magnet (80) with the magnet (88) when the electric magnet (80) is activated.
  12. The electric safety valve assembly of claim 11, the latch mechanism (200) comprising an inner collet (210), an outer collet (220), and a latch spring.
  13. The electric safety valve of claim 12, wherein the electric magnet (80) is configured to have enough holding force to compress the latch spring, but insufficient holding force to compress the return spring (72) without the mechanical advantage of the latch mechanism (200).
  14. A method of operating an electric downhole safety valve, the electric downhole safety valve comprising a flapper (62), an internal tubing sleeve (74), a return spring (72), an actuator (26) comprising a piston (96), an electric magnet (80), a magnet (88), and an electro-mechanical coupling according to any of claims 1 to 7 configured to configured to selectively operably connect the piston (96) and the internal tubing sleeve (74), wherein one of the electric magnet (80) and the magnet (88) is operably coupled to the piston (96), and the other of the electric magnet (80) and the magnet (88) is selectively operably coupled to the internal tubing sleeve (74), the method comprising: extending the piston (96) so the electric magnet (80) contacts the magnet (88); activating the electric magnet (80); locking the electro-mechanical coupling; retracting the piston (96), thereby shifting the internal tubing sleeve (74) from a closed position to an open position; compressing the return spring (72); and opening the flapper (62).
  15. The method of claim 14, further comprising deactivating the electric magnet (80) and unlocking the electro-mechanical coupling, allowing the return spring (72) to expand, thereby shifting the internal tubing sleeve (74) to the closed position, and allowing the flapper (62) to close.

Description

BACKGROUND Field The present disclosure generally relates to safety valves, and more particularly to safety valves having electrical actuators and fully electric safety valves. Description of the Related Art Valves typically are used in a well for such purposes as fluid flow control, formation isolation, and safety functions. A common downhole valve is a hydraulically-operated valve, which is known for its reliable performance. However, hydraulically-operated valves have limitations. For example, the use of a hydraulically-operated valve is depth-limited due to the high hydrostatic pressure acting against the valve at large depths, which may diminish the effective hydraulic pressure that is available to operate the valve. Furthermore, for deep applications, the viscous control fluid in a long hydraulic line may cause unacceptably long operating times for certain applications. In addition, a long hydraulic line and the associated connections provide little or no mechanism to determine, at the surface of the well, what is the true state of the valve. For example, if the valve is a safety valve, there may be no way to determine the on-off position of the valve, the pressure across the valve and the true operating pressure at the valve's operator at the installed depth. WO 2021/173684 A1 discloses a downhole valve assembly including a safety valve and an actuator that opens and/or closes the valve. The actuator can be an electro-hydraulic actuator, an electro-mechanical actuator, or an electro-hydraulic pump. The downhole safety valve can also include an electric magnet. Other techniques are disclosed in US 2019/203564 A1, US 6,619,388 B2 and US 2020/370394 A1. SUMMARY The invention is defined by the independent claims. Advantageous features are defined by the dependent claims. Any embodiments, aspects and/or examples disclosed herein falling outside the scope of the claims are intended to be understood as examples useful for understanding the invention. According to various aspects, an electro-mechanical coupling according to claim 1, an electric safety valve assembly accoridng to claim 8, and a method according to claim 14 are provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Certain embodiments, features, aspects, and advantages of the disclosure will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements. It should be understood that the accompanying figures illustrate the various implementations described herein and are not meant to limit the scope of various technologies described herein. Figure 1A illustrates an example conventional downhole safety valve in an open position.Figure 1B illustrates the safety valve of Figure 1A in a closed position.Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of a completion string having a subsurface safety valve in a wellbore.Figure 3 is a cross-sectional illustration of an example of a flapper valve which may be utilized in a downhole system.Figure 4 schematically shows a longitudinal cross-section of an example downhole safety valve including a downhole electro-mechanical actuator and electro-magnet.Figure 5 schematically illustrates the principle of a linear electro-mechanical actuator that can be included in valves such as the valve of Figure 4.Figure 6 schematically illustrates the principle of an electrical magnet that can be included in valves such as the valve of Figure 4.Figure 7 schematically illustrates a portion of the safety valve of Figure 4.Figures 8A-8H schematically illustrate operation of the safety valve of Figure 4.Figure 9 schematically shows a partial longitudinal cross-section of another example downhole safety valve including a downhole electro-mechanical actuator and electro-magnet.Figure 10 schematically illustrates a portion of the safety valve of Figure 9.Figures 11A-11H schematically illustrate operation of the safety valve of Figure 9.Figure 12 schematically shows a partial longitudinal cross-section of another example downhole safety valve including a downhole electro-mechanical actuator and electro-magnet.Figures 13A-13H schematically illustrate operation of the safety valve of Figure 12.Figure 14 shows a partial perspective view of another example downhole safety valve including a downhole electro-mechanical actuator and electro-magnet.Figure 15A illustrates a portion of the safety valve of Figure 14 including an electro-magnetic disconnect system.Figure 15B illustrates example guide rails that can be included in the electro-magnetic disconnect system of Figure 15A.Figure 15C illustrates the electro-magnetic disconnect system of the safety valve of Figure 14.Figures 16A-16G illustrate operation of the safety valve of Figure 14.Figures 17A-17C illustrate operation of a portion of the safety valve of Figure 14.Figure 18 illustrates an example electro-mechanical coupling.Figure 19A-19G illustrate operation of the electro-mechanical coupling of Figure 18.Figure 20 illustrates another example ele