Method and apparatus for use with submersible electrical equipment
US6138754A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 18, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 31, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 18, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF16K31/04
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A system for use in a subterranean well includes a production tubing and a valve. The production tubing has a port to receive well fluid from a formation. The valve is mounted to the production tubing and includes a sealed housing, a motor, a valve cover, an actuator drive and a sensor. The motor is located inside the housing, and the actuator drive is actuated by the motor to move the valve cover over the port to selectively control the communication of the well fluid between the formation and the passageway of the tubing. The sealed housing may permit the well fluid to accumulate inside the housing over time. The sensor is located inside the housing and provides an indication of the amount of well fluid that has accumulated inside the housing. This information may be useful for such exemplary purposes as predicting when the valve will fail and for evaluating the condition of the valve.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.