Patent Abstract:
A flow control device includes, a body defining at least a portion of a flow passageway, at least one movable member in operable communication with the body, movable between at least a first position that provides a first restriction to flow through the flow passageway and a second position that provides a second restriction to flow through the flow passageway, and a circuit in operable communication with the at least one movable member that is configured to sense conductivity of fluid flowing through the flow passageway and to promote movement of the at least one movable member to move from the first position to the second position in response to a change in conductivity of fluid flowing through the flow passageway.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
     It is sometimes desirable in systems that transport fluids to adjust the flow rate of some fluids transported therethrough while allowing the flow rates of other fluids to remain unchanged. Examples of such fluid transport systems include carbon dioxide sequestration, water wells and hydrocarbon recovery, however, the invention disclosed herein is not limited to just these examples. In any fluid transport system the proportions of different fluids being transported is subject to change over time, such that the proportion of some fluids that are undesirable to transport increases. Typical systems require that the undesirable fluid be separated from the desirable fluids at a later time. Separating the undesired fluids after having transported them is usually less efficient that preventing their transport in the first place. Systems and methods that provide greater control of flow rates of different fluids earlier in the process are well received in fluid transporting industries. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
     Disclosed herein is a flow control device. The device includes, a body defining at least a portion of a flow passageway, at least one movable member in operable communication with the body, movable between at least a first position that provides a first restriction to flow through the flow passageway and a second position that provides a second restriction to flow through the flow passageway, and a circuit in operable communication with the at least one movable member that is configured to sense conductivity of fluid flowing through the flow passageway and to promote movement of the at least one movable member to move from the first position to the second position in response to a change in conductivity of fluid flowing through the flow passageway. 
     Further disclosed herein is a flow control device comprising a variable flow area passageway, the flow control device is configured to alter area of the variable flow area passageway in response to a change in conductivity of fluid flowing therethrough. 
     Further disclosed herein is a method of controlling fluid flow rates. The method includes, maintaining a flow passageway at a fully open position in response to conductivity of fluid flowing through the flow passageway having a first conductivity, and adjusting the flow passageway to be more restrictive than the fully open position in response to changes in conductivity of fluid flowing through the flow passageway. 
     Further disclosed herein is a production adjustment arrangement for a well. The production adjustment arrangement includes, a plurality of flow control devices distributed along the well that are configured to restrict flow therethrough in response to an increase in conductivity of fluid flowing therethrough. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numbered alike: 
         FIG. 1  depicts a partial cross sectional view of a flow control device disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 2  depicts a partial cross sectional view of the flow control device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  depicts a schematic side view of a well that employs a plurality of the flow control devices of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 4  depicts a schematic side view of an alternate well that employs a plurality of the flow control devices of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment of a flow control device disclosed herein is illustrated at  10 . The flow control device  10  includes a body  14  that defines a flow passageway  18  and movable members  22 , shown in this embodiment as fins that move at least between a fully open position as shown in  FIG. 1  and a restricted position as shown in  FIG. 2 . A flow area of the flow passageway being less when in the restricted position. A circuit  26  is in operable communication with the movable members  22  and includes elements  30 , such as an electric motor, for example that are able to move the movable members  22  from the first position to the second position. At least two conductors  34  are also part of the circuit  26  and are positioned such that at least a portion of each conductor  34  is exposed to the flow passageway  18  such that the conductors  34  are exposed and are contacted by fluid  38  flowing through the flow passageway  18 . The conductors  34  enable the circuit  26  to sense electrical conductivity of the fluid  38 . The circuit  26  is further configured to respond to changes in conductivity of the fluid  38  by moving the movable members  22 . In this embodiment the movable members  22  are moved from the less restrictive position to the more restrictive position in response to an increase in conductivity of the fluid  38 . 
     In this embodiment the circuit  26  is configured such that electrical current is flowable from one of the conductors  34  through the fluid  38  to the other of the conductors  34 . As such, the fluid  38  serves directly as part of the circuit  26  and consequently conductivity of the fluid  38  affects the flow of electrical current through the circuit  26 . The flow control device  10  of this embodiment is configured to extend the movable members  22  to a more restrictive position in response to an increase in current flowing through the circuit  26 . This is done by directly supplying the current that flows through the fluid  38  to the motor(s)  30  that when electrically energized move the movable members  22  toward the restrictive position. The device  10  is further configured to be reversible such that as conductivity of the fluid  38  drops, so does the current in the circuit  26  and the movable members  22  are automatically moved back to their less restrictive positions. 
     The control device  10  disclosed in these figures include optional batteries  42  and generators  46  that supply power to the circuit  26 . The generators  46  in this embodiment employ turbines  50  that rotate in response to the fluid  38  flowing thereby. The electrical power generated is supplied to the batteries  42  to maintain charge thereof, thereby negating the need for power to be provided from remote locations. However, alternate embodiments are contemplated, although not shown, that include conductors that provide power to the circuit  26  from a remote location such as surface  48 , for example. Such remotely supplied power can come from the grid or from solar, wind or other power generating systems. For systems with remote power supply, the batteries  42  may or may not be utilized. 
     Other embodiments of the device  10  could employ latching devices, not shown, that hold the movable members  22  in a position once moved, such as in the more restrictive position, without electrical power having to be continuously supplied to the elements  30 . Such an embodiment could intentionally be non-reversible and could find use in applications where it is thought that once a higher conductivity fluid  38  causes the movable members  22  to move such fluid  38  will continue to flow thereby negating the need to allow the movable members  22  to return to a less restrictive position. 
     The flow control device  10  described above can be employed in tubular applications, for example, to automatically adjust flow resistance through the device  10  depending upon the conductivity of the fluid  38 . One application where the disclosed device  10  may be employed is in the hydrocarbon recovery industry. In this industry, undesirable water is commonly recovered along with desirable hydrocarbon fluids. The device  10  when employed in a hydrocarbon recovery well can automatically decrease the production of water in response to increases in the proportion of hydrocarbon being produced. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , wells  54  and  58  respectively, are illustrated each of which employs a plurality of the flow control devices  10  disclosed herein. The well  54  has four groups of the devices  10  distributed along a single wellbore  62  separated by packers  66 . The illustration represents differences in flow rates at each location by the relative size of the arrows, with the arrows representing the flow of water  68  having a different shading darkness than arrows that represent the flow of hydrocarbons  69 . In this example, the flows from the earth formation  70  into the wellbore  54  between each set of adjacent packers  66  are approximately equal whether the flows are of water  68  or hydrocarbons  69 . However flow through each of the groups of the flow control devices  10  distributed along the wellbore  54  differ depending upon whether the flow therethrough is primarily water  68  or primarily hydrocarbon  69 , the hydrocarbon  69  being oil in this case. Since water  68  has greater conductivity than oil and other hydrocarbons  69 , the groups of the flow control devices  10  passing water  68  therethrough automatically adjust to a more restrictive position as detailed above thereby decreasing flow rates therethrough. The groups of the flow control devices  10  are placed outside of the wellbore  62  and connected to the formation  70  to control fluid flowing into the wellbore  62 . Each section of the wellbore  62  is isolated by a pair of the packers  66  and includes a group of the flow control devices  10  (smaller tube size) that are placed outside of the wellbore  62 . The flow direction of the devices  10  are shown in the illustration of  FIG. 3  as being perpendicular to that of the wellbore  62 . 
     The well  58  employs four of the devices  10 . Unlike the well  54 , however, the well  58  has each of the devices  10  positioned inside of the tubulars of separate legs  74 ,  76 ,  78  and  80  of the multilateral well  58 . In this embodiment the device  10  in the leg  78  is more restrictive than the devices  10  in the other legs  74 ,  76  and  80  due to the high concentration of water  68  sensed thereby. Thus the flow of water  68  from the leg  78  is less than the flow of oil  69  through each of the legs  74 ,  76  and  80 . This automatic reduction in the production of water  68  decreases the amount of water  68  that needs to be separated from hydrocarbons  69  later in the process thereby lowering operating costs and improving overall efficiency of the well  58 . 
     While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8