US-20260125967-A1 - FLOW CONTROL VALVE EMPLOYING AN ELECTRIC ACTUATOR AND A RESISTIVITY BASED POSITION SENSOR

US20260125967A1US 20260125967 A1US20260125967 A1US 20260125967A1US-20260125967-A1

Abstract

A flow control valve, a method and a well system. The flow control valve, in one aspect, includes a sliding sleeve disposed in a central bore of a housing, the sliding sleeve configured to move between a first state covering one or more flow trim ports and engaging a housing seal and second state disengaging from the housing and exposing at least a portion of the one or more flow trim ports. In accordance with one aspect, the flow control valve further includes a position sensor coupled with the sliding sleeve, the position sensor configured to determine a change in a resistance value as the sliding sleeve moves between the first state and the second state, the change in resistance value indicative of a position of the sliding sleeve in relation to the first state and the second state.

Inventors

Jonathon N. Joubran
Sanjay Kanwarlal
Samuel Amora Alves Neto
Jefferson Koloda dos Santos

Assignees

HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251104

Claims (20)

1 . A flow control valve, comprising: a housing including a central bore extending axially there through, the central bore configured to convey subsurface fluids there through; an opening located in a sidewall of the housing; a flow trim coupled with the housing and covering the opening, the flow trim including one or more flow trim ports configured to allow the subsurface fluids to pass between the housing and a subterranean formation surrounding the housing; a sliding sleeve disposed in the central bore of the housing, the sliding sleeve configured to move between a first state covering the one or more flow trim ports and engaging a housing seal and second state disengaging from the housing seal and exposing at least a portion of the one or more flow trim ports; and a position sensor coupled with the sliding sleeve, the position sensor configured to determine a change in a resistance value as the sliding sleeve moves between the first state and the second state, the change in resistance value indicative of a position of the sliding sleeve in relation to the first state and the second state.
2 . The flow control valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the position sensor includes a sliding resistance structure, the sliding resistance structure positioned within a track and configured to slide in relation to the sliding sleeve.
3 . The flow control valve as recited in claim 2 , wherein the sliding resistance structure includes one or more sliding resistance structure ferromagnetic features and the sliding sleeve includes one or more sliding sleeve ferromagnetic features, and further wherein the one or more sliding resistance structure ferromagnetic features and one or more sliding sleeve ferromagnetic features magnetically couple together to slidingly fix the sliding sleeve and the sliding resistance structure.
4 . The flow control valve as recited in claim 2 , wherein the position sensor is configured to dynamically determine the change in the resistance value as the sliding sleeve moves between the first state and the second state, the change in resistance value indicative of a dynamic position of the sliding sleeve in relation to the first state and the second state.
5 . The flow control valve as recited in claim 1 , further including an electric actuator coupled with the sliding sleeve, the electric actuator configured to move the sliding sleeve between the first state and the second state.
6 . The flow control valve as recited in claim 5 , further including actuator electronics coupled with the actuator, the actuator electronics including a noise filter module configured to filter electronic noise created by an operation of the flow control valve that would otherwise disrupt an accuracy of the position sensor.
7 . The flow control valve as recited in claim 6 , wherein the actuator electronics further includes a network interface unit module, a power supply module, and a motor control module.
8 . The flow control valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein a size or position of the one or more flow trim ports are configured to prevent the housing seal from eroding while providing at least a 1.5 KSI pressure differential between an outside of the housing and the central bore as the sliding sleeve moves past a nearest most flow trim port to the housing seal.
9 . The flow control valve a recited in claim 8 , wherein the size or position of the one or more flow trim ports are configured to improve turbulence properties created as the subsurface fluids pass through the nearest most flow trim port to prevent the housing seal from eroding while providing at least the 1.5 KSI pressure differential.
10 . The flow control valve as recited in claim 1 , wherein the housing seal is a metal-to-metal seal.
11 . A method, comprising: positioning a downhole tool within a wellbore extending through one or more subterranean formations, the downhole tool having a flow control valve, including: a housing including a central bore extending axially there through, the central bore configured to convey subsurface fluids there through; an opening located in a sidewall of the housing; a flow trim coupled with the housing and covering the opening, the flow trim including one or more flow trim ports configured to allow the subsurface fluids to pass between the housing and a subterranean formation surrounding the housing; a sliding sleeve disposed in the central bore of the housing, the sliding sleeve configured to move between a first state covering the one or more flow trim ports and engaging a housing seal and second state disengaging from the housing seal and exposing at least a portion of the one or more flow trim ports; and a position sensor coupled with the sliding sleeve, the position sensor configured to determine a change in a resistance value as the sliding sleeve moves between the first state and the second state, the change in resistance value indicative of a position of the sliding sleeve in relation to the first state and the second state; and actuating the sliding sleeve between the first state and the second state.
12 . The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the position sensor includes a sliding resistance structure, the sliding resistance structure positioned within a track and configured to slide in relation to the sliding sleeve.
13 . The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the sliding resistance structure includes one or more sliding resistance structure ferromagnetic features and the sliding sleeve includes one or more sliding sleeve ferromagnetic features, and further wherein the one or more sliding resistance structure ferromagnetic features and one or more sliding sleeve ferromagnetic features magnetically couple together to slidingly fix the sliding sleeve and the sliding resistance structure.
14 . The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the position sensor is configured to dynamically determine the change in the resistance value as the sliding sleeve moves between the first state and the second state, the change in resistance value indicative of a dynamic position of the sliding sleeve in relation to the first state and the second state.
15 . The method as recited in claim 11 , further including an electric actuator coupled with the sliding sleeve, the electric actuator configured to move the sliding sleeve between the first state and the second state.
16 . The method as recited in claim 15 , further including actuator electronics coupled with the actuator, the actuator electronics including a noise filter module configured to filter electronic noise created by an operation of the flow control valve that would otherwise disrupt an accuracy of the position sensor.
17 . The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein the actuator electronics further includes a network interface unit module, a power supply module, and a motor control module.
18 . The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein a size or position of the one or more flow trim ports are configured to prevent the housing seal from eroding while providing at least a 1.5 KSI pressure differential between an outside of the housing and the central bore as the sliding sleeve moves past a nearest most flow trim port to the housing seal.
19 . The method a recited in claim 18 , wherein the size or position of the one or more flow trim ports are configured to improve turbulence properties created as the subsurface fluids pass through the nearest most flow trim port to prevent the housing seal from eroding while providing at least the 1.5 KSI pressure differential.
20 . The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the housing seal is a metal-to-metal seal.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/716,557, filed on Nov. 5, 2024, entitled “ELECTRIC INTERVAL CONTROL VALVE WITH METAL TO METAL SEALING,” commonly assigned with this application and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND The oil and gas services industry uses various types of downhole well devices or tools in well systems. For example, well systems typically include one or more downhole flow control valves, such as one or more interval control valves (ICVs). The one or more downhole flow control valves may be used to control the fluid flow to and from one or more wellbore zones of the well system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION Reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a well system designed, manufactured, and/or operated according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure; FIGS. 2A through 2G illustrate various different views of a flow control valve designed, manufactured, and/or operated according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure; FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective, partial cutaway view of one embodiment of a bi-directional over-running clutch, according to some embodiments; FIGS. 4A through 4C illustrate front views of one embodiment of a bi-directional over-running clutch shown in three positions, according to some embodiments; FIG. 5A through 5E illustrate perspective views of components of a bi-directional over-running clutch, according to some embodiments; FIG. 6 illustrates a side section view of an electrical downhole backdrivable (EDB) actuator, according to some embodiments; FIG. 7 illustrates a side section view of another embodiment of an EDB actuator; FIGS. 8A through 8B illustrate system diagrams illustrating different systems employing an EDB actuator and a clutch, according to some embodiments; and FIG. 9 illustrates a system diagram illustrating another system employing an EDB actuator and a clutch, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the drawings and descriptions that follow, like parts are typically marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals, respectively. The drawn figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features of the disclosure may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of certain elements may not be shown in the interest of clarity and conciseness. The present disclosure may be implemented in embodiments of different forms. Specific embodiments are described in detail and are shown in the drawings, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure, and is not intended to limit the disclosure to that illustrated and described herein. It is to be fully recognized that the different teachings of the embodiments discussed herein may be employed separately or in any suitable combination to produce desired results. Unless otherwise specified, use of the terms “connect,” “engage,” “couple,” “attach,” or any other like term describing an interaction between elements is not meant to limit the interaction to direct interaction between the elements and may also include indirect interaction between the elements described. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, use of the terms “up,” “upper,” “upward,” “uphole,” “upstream,” or other like terms shall be construed as generally toward the surface of the subterranean formation; likewise, use of the terms “down,” “lower,” “downward,” “downhole,” “downstream,” or other like terms shall be construed as generally toward the bottom, terminal end of a well, regardless of the wellbore orientation. Use of any one or more of the foregoing terms shall not be construed as denoting positions along a perfectly vertical axis. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, use of the term “subterranean formation” shall be construed as encompassing both areas below exposed earth and areas below earth covered by water such as ocean or fresh water. Various values and/or ranges are explicitly disclosed in certain embodiments herein. However, values/ranges from any lower limit may be combined with any upper limit to recite a range not explicitly recited. Similarly, values/ranges from any lower limit may be combined with any other lower limit to recite a range not explicitly recited. In the same way, values/ranges from any upper limit may be combined with any other upper limit to recite a range not explicitly recited. Additionally, whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed, any number and any included range falling within the range are specifically disclosed. In particular, every range of values (of the form, “from about a to about b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a to b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a-b”) disclosed herein is to be understood to set forth e