Patent Abstract:
A flow control valve including, a tubular housing having a valve port, a piston disposed in the tubular housing having an orifice, the piston being slidable in the tubular housing to align the orifice with the valve port, a combustion portion at least partially defined by the tubular housing and the piston, and a propellant disposed in the combustion portion and method.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Flow control valves are well known in downhole industries and especially so in the hydrocarbon recovery industry. Commonly, valves including, but not limited to sliding sleeves are used in a downhole portion of a borehole to regulate the flow of fluids. Flow control valves include at least one port located on a tubular member that may be opened, choked and/or closed as desired. Although flow control valve configurations are many and are ubiquitous in their use within the art, the operation of some traditional flow control valve configurations is time consuming and expensive while the operation of others may not meet desired performance criteria. Reduction in costs while improving the function of flow control valves will be welcomed by the art. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    A flow control valve including, a tubular housing having a valve port, a piston disposed in the tubular housing having an orifice, the piston being slidable in the tubular housing to align the orifice with the valve port, a combustion portion partially defined by the tubular housing and the piston, and a propellant disposed in the combustion portion. 
         [0003]    A flow control valve including, a port operative to transmit a fluid, a stopper portion operative to restrict the transmission of the fluid through the port, a combustion portion, a propellant disposed in the combustion portion, and a piston linked to the stopper portion and operative to be moved by a combustion of the propellant. 
         [0004]    A method for operating a valve including triggering an actuator portion of the valve, and igniting a propellant with the actuator, the ignition of the propellant causing the movement of a piston linked to a stopper portion operative to restrict the flow of a fluid through the valve. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several figures: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a partial cross sectional view of an embodiment of a delay activated valve in a closed position; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a close up view of the delay activated valve of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0008]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of a valve assembly  10  is illustrated. The valve assembly  10  includes a top sub portion  12  having an inner cavity  14 . An actuator  16  is disposed in the inner cavity  14 . The actuator  16  may include for example, a slow-set power charge, a time delay mechanism, or other type of device capable of actuating the combustion of a combustible material. This system may use a BP-3S or BP-4S igniter that is activatable pursuant to a sufficient electrical charge being passed through it, or may be activated hydraulically using a RD Firing head adapter that is activatable by sufficient hydraulic pressure applied to a rupture disc in the assembly, or may be activated using a battery powered electronic timer and trigger which is activated using coded pressure pulses, etc. Each of these actuating concepts is known and commercially available from Baker Oil Tools, Houston Tex. The top sub portion  12  is sealably engageable with a piston housing  18 . The illustrated embodiment includes O-rings  20  at the seal of the top sub portion  12  and the piston housing  18 , however other embodiments may include other types of sealing arrangements to affect the seal of the top sub portion  12  and the piston housing  18 . The interior of the piston housing  18  includes a combustion chamber portion  22 . A communication piston  24  is disposed in the piston housing  18 , and partially defines the combustion chamber portion  22 . The communication piston  24  includes a stopper portion  33  and orifice(s)  34  (illustrated in  FIG. 2  described below). One or more release members  26  such as for example shear members, for example secure the communication piston  24  in the interior of the piston housing  18 . An outer housing  30  includes ports  32 . The piston housing  18  is sealably engageable with a bottom sub portion  28 . 
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a close up view of a portion of the valve assembly  10  that illustrates the operation of the valve assembly  10 . In operation, an initiator portion  3  triggers the actuator  16 . In the illustrated embodiment, the initiator portion  3  includes an assembly that receives hydraulic pressure that affects the trigger of the actuator  16 . Other embodiments may include an initiator portion  3  that receives, for example, an electric, optical, electromagnetic signal, or pneumatic pressure to affect the trigger of the actuator  16 . The actuator  16  is operative to ignite a combustible material  5  that is disposed in the combustion chamber  22 . Examples of combustible material  5  include propellants such as black powder, a solid explosive, and a combustible liquid, gas, or gel. The deflagration of the combustible material  5  increases the pressure in the combustion chamber  22  and generates a force indicated by the arrow  7 . The force is sufficient to release the release member(s)  26  (of  FIG. 1 ). Once the member(s)  26  are released, the communication piston  24  moves along the longitudinal axis of the piston housing  18 . The orifice(s)  34  aligns with the ports  32  (of  FIG. 1 ) when the communication piston  24  travels to a stopping point in the piston housing  18 . The alignment of the orifice  34  with the ports  32  opens the valve assembly  10  and allows the flow of fluid through the orifice  34  and ports  32 . 
         [0010]    In operation, a plurality of valve assemblies  10  may be used. It is desirable for the initiator portion  3  to trigger the actuator  16  of each of the plurality of valve assemblies prior to the combustion of the combustible material  5 . The actuator  16  may include for example, a mechanical, electrical, or chemical time delay portion. Thus, the actuator  16  may delay the ignition of the combustible material  5  for a defined time period following the trigger of the actuator  16  by the initiator portion  3 . The defined time period is sufficient for the initiator portion  3  to trigger the actuator  16  of each of the plurality of the valve assemblies  10  prior to the opening of the valve assemblies  10 . 
         [0011]    Though the illustrated embodiment shows a closed valve assembly  10  that is opened by the operation described above, alternate embodiments may include a valve assembly having the orifice  34  initially aligned with the ports  32  (an open valve assembly). A similar operation described above is used to move the communication piston  24  along the longitudinal axis of the piston housing such that the orifice  34  moves out of alignment with the ports  32 , closing the valve. 
         [0012]    While one or more embodiments have been shown and described, modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4