US1614765A - Air-lift pump - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 18, 1927. 1,614,765

R. H.- TUCKER AIR LIFT PUMP Filed April 1. 1925 Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES RALPH H. TUCKER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AIR-LIFT PUMP.

Application filed April 1, 1925.

This invention relates to improvements in air lift pumps, and is especially an improvement over the pumps disclosed in my co-pending applications Serial No. 718,794

filed June 9, 1924, and Serial No. 741,242

filed October 2, 1924.

The primary object of this invention is to provide. an improved air lift pump which has means for discharging the exhaust air into the oil string above the pump and to provide means for establishingcommunication between the exhaust passages and the interior of the well hole which is above the.

7 view which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, refer-I ence is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the pump, the plunger or piston being shown at the top of its stroke;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 22of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 1,- the piston shown at the bottom of its stroke;

F i 4 is ahorizontal section taken sub stantially on the line 4-4' of Fig 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the oil string which is suspended within a well hole is designated at 10, and the air pipe for supplying compressed air to the pump is indicated at 11. IUpon the lower end of the oil string 10 there is threaded an exhaust shoe 12', which adjacent its upper end is pro vided with a'tapered seat 13 for seating a closure or head 14. Within the exhaust shoe 12 there isdisposed a sleeve 15 which is held in spaced relation a an outer sleeve 16 of the shoe so as to form air passages 17.

Serial No. 19,847.

Adjacent the bottom of the exhaust shoe 12 it is reduced to permit securing a pipe 18, which may 'COIlStltlltG an anchor or gas trap or the like. A lateral projection 19 is formed upon the exhaust shoe adjacentsits bottom and a tube 20 is threaded thereon, which tube extends ulpwardly within the well to a point above t e fluid level. A cavity 22 is formed in the projection 19 and communicates with the tube 20 and with an annular chamber 23which is formed within the shoe below the inner sleeve 15. The ex haust shoe has portions 24 between the inner and outer sleeves 15 and 16 blocked OH, and aperture 25 are formedltherein forming inlet passages for the oil to the pump. The head or closure 14 has bores 26 and 27 which communicate with each other, with the bores 26 disposed opposite the apertures 25. The lower end of the head 14 is of a reduced diameter and is threaded as at 28. A nipple 29 is threaded onto the lower end of the head 14 and has a chamber 30 formed therein, within which is disposed a coil spring 31. A buffer member 32 has portions disposed within the chamber 30 against the coil spring 31 and is held therein as by a gland 3.3. 7

The barrel 34 for the pump, which 'is dis posed about the nipple 29, is threaded onto the lower end of the head 14. The lower end of the barrel is closed as by a plug 35 having a depression 36 in which is disposed -a coil spring 37. A buffer 38 has portions disposed within the depression 36 against the coil spring and is maintained therein by a gland 39. Within the barrel 34 there are arranged two piston heads 40 and 41 which are connected by a hollow stem 42 which is slidable about the nipple 29. The upper piston head 41 is threaded onto the stem 42 whereas the lowerend of the stem 42 is threaded onto the nipple 43 formed upon the lower piston head. The lower piston head has an aperture 44 extending longitudinally therethrough, which is enlarged adjacent its bottom, as indicated at 45.

A valve member 46 is enlarged adjacent its upper end, as at 47, and has apertures 48 formed therein. The lower end of the valve member 46 carries a head 49 adapted to seat upon the lower piston head 40. It will be understood that the'valve member 46 is capable of reciprocating back and forth within the lower piston head 40 upon engagement with the buffers 32 and 38. Apertures 51 are formed in the lower piston head 40 and communicate with the enlarged chamber 45. Apertures '52 are formed in the barrel 34 opposite the apertures 51 and communicate with the chamber 23.

An annular plate 53 is disposed about the reduced lower end of the head 14 and is slidable thereon. This plate is urged upwardly as by a coil spring 54 to serve as a check valve, permitting liquid to 'enter the barrel of the pump through the bores 27 and prevent discharge therethrough. Passages 55 are formed in the head 14 and communicate with the air passages 17 in the exhaust shoe. These passages are controlled as by ball check valves 56. Bores 57 are formed in the head 14 at opposite sides thereof between the bores 27. These bores constitute discharge passages from the barrel upwardly through the head. The plate 53 has apertures formed therein which register with the bores 57. Upon the top of the head 14 there is disposed a plate 58 which has apertures formed therein registering with the discharge bores 57. The plate 58 also has apertures, permitting the plate to pass down over the ball check valve cages which house the ball check valves 56. This plate is urged downwardly as by a coil spring 59 which is disposed about a coupling 60 connecting the air pipe 11 to the head. A bore 61, which is formed in the head, establishes communication between the air pipe 11 and the nipple 29.

The operation, of the pump is as follows: Compressed air or gas is forced downwardly through the air pipe 11. It passes down wardly through. the coupling 60 and through thebore 61 in the head 14, and enters the chamber 30 in the nipple 29. The compressed air can pass through the buffer 32 into the interior of the hollow stem 42. At the beginning ofthe down stroke of the plunger, the valve member 46"is in closed position so that the upper closed end of the valve member 46 closes the aperture 44 formed in the lower piston head 40. The air' pressure, which is developed within the hollow stem 42, therefore forces the piston downwardly, it being understood that both the upper and lower piston heads 41 and 40 and the hollow stem 42 move downwardly together. When the lower end of the valve member 46 engages the buffer 38, the valve member 46 will be caused to be lifted, so that the head 49 will close the enlarged chamber 45, and the apertures 48 will establish communication between the interior of the hollow stem 42 and the interior of the barrel 34, which is disposed below the lower piston head 40. Air from the air pipe 11 is then caused to be admitted through the lower piston head 40 to its under side, so as to force the piston upon its upward stroke. It will be understood that upon the downward movement of the piston, the well fluid or oil will be caused to enter the barrel through the apertures 35 and the entrance bores 26 and 27 past the plate 53 which serves as a check valve. When'the air from the air pipe 11 is caused to be admitted to the under side of the piston, so as to force the piston upwardly, the plate 53 closes. The oil or well fluid, which is disposed within the barrel 34 above the upper piston head41, is forced upwardl through the discharge passages 57 past the plate 58 serving as a check valve. During the upward movement of the piston, the valve member 46 is frictionally held in its uppermost position, namely, that in which the apertures 48 permit air to pass through the valve member 46. When the valve member 46 engages the upper bufier 32, causing it to be forced downwardly, the aperture 44 is again closed. At the same time the head 49 is removed from the lower piston head 40, permitting the air which is within the barrel 34 below the lower piston head 40 to exhaust through the enlarged bore or aperture 45 through the apertures 51 and-through the apertures 52 into the annular chamber 23. From the annular chamber.23 the exhaust air has two possible routes or passages, one of these is to pass upwardly through the apertures 17 through the passages 55 past the ball check'valves 56 and into the oil string 10. The other possible route is to enter the cavity 22 and pass upwardly through the tube 20. The passage, which the exhaust air takes, depends entirely upon the pressures developed,

If the formation is such that but a small quantity of gas is developed in the well above the fluid level, a very small gas pressure will be developed in the well above the fluid, and consequently the exhaust air will pass upwardly through the tube 20 into the interior of the well above the fluid, thus gaining the efficiency of a lower exhaust pressure, which was the purpose of the construction disclosed in my vco-pending application Serial No. 741,242. This exhaust air is caused to take such a path because of the weight of the fluid within the oil string 10 bearing upon the ball check valves 56. The exhaust of the exhaust air into the well above the fluid builds up a pressure aboxe the well fluid so that eventually this p'ressure, which is developed, is greater than the pressure developed upon the ball check valves 56 at the bottom of the oil string 10; and when such a condition of affairs is established, the exhaust air will be forced upwardly past the ball check valves 56 and into the oil string. WVhere the formation is such that a considerable amount of gas pressure is developed above the well fluid or oil, this pressure frequently is sufficiently great to lift the column of liquid in the oil string 10. Consequently, the gas because of its pressure can be forced downwardly through the tube into the chamber 23 and can pass upwardly through the air passages 17 beneath the ball check valves 56 and escape into the oil string 10, so that the gas, which flows, in this manner serves as an air lift for lifting the oil in the oil string. In such cases the exhaust air from the pump also passes upwardly through the air passages 17 and cooperates with the gas in lifting the oil in the oil string. The direction orroute which the exhaust air takes upon being discharged from the pump will therefore depend entirely upon the condition of pressures developed at the various locations in the well.

From an inspection of Figs. 1 and 3, it will be readily understood that the apertures or exhaust ports 52 in the barrel-are never covered by the piston heads 40 and 41.

The exhaust air passes from'below the lower piston head 40 into the annular chamber defined between the barrel 34 and the hollow stem 42, and it may discharge through the exhaust apertures 52 continually regardless of the positions of the piston or plunger of the pump. I

From the above it will be appreciated that an improved pump is provided which is of the reciprocating piston type and which is mounted upon the lower end of an oil string, which has conducting means for conducting the exhaust air from the pump into the oil string, and that a tube is provided which communicates with the conducting means, which tube also communicates with theinterior of the well above the liquid level therein. In the improved form of pump construction, it will be noted that the present type of pump employs a construction similar to that disclosed in my co-pending applications, but that the hollow stem 42, which heretofore was slidable within an air cylinder, is now slidable upon a nipple 'or conducting device, so that the interior of the hollow stem constitutes the air cylinder for forcing the piston downwardly.

It will be understood that various changes in the detail of construction may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of'the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: y

1. An air lift pump comprising a compressed air operated pumping mechanism secured to an oil string, exhaust conducting means for conducting the exhaust air from the pump to the oil string, and means connectlng the exhaust conducting means with the interior of the well above the fiuid level as and for the urpose described.

2. An air lift pump comprising an oil string, an air pipe disposed within the 'oil string, a barrel connected with the oil string, a piston having an opening therethrough and being reciprocable in said barrel, conducting means providing a connection between the air pipe and the piston, means for alternately opening and closing said conducting means whereby the piston may be forced downwardly by the air when the conducting means is.closed and may then be forced upwardly by the air when the conducting means is open, means includin check valves for admitting oil to the barrei means including check valves for discharging. the oil from the barrel into the oil string, exhaust conducting means for conducting the exhaust air from below the piston to the oil string, and means establishing communication between the exhaust conducting means and the interior of the well above the liquid level.

3. An air lift pump comprising an oil string, a barrel mounted upon the oil string, a head closing the upper end of the barrel, an air pipe disposed within the oil string, means including a nipple for establishing communication between the air pipe and the interior of the barrel, a stem disposed about said nipple and slidable thereon, a piston head mounted upon said stem having an aperture communicating with the interior of said stem, means for opening and closing said aperture causing reciprocation of said piston, a second piston head mounted upon the upper end of said stem, means including check valves for admitting fluid to said barrel above the second pistonhead, means including check valves permitting the fluid to be forced through said head from the. barrel into the oil string, and exhaust conducting means for conducting exhaust air from said barrel.v

4:. An air lift pump comprising an oil string, a barrel mounted upon the 011 string,

a head closing the upper end of the barrel, an air pipe disposed within the oil string, means including a nipple. for establishing communication between the air pipe and the interior of the barrel, a stem. disposed about said nipple and slidable thereon, a piston head mounted upon said stem having an aperture communicating with the interior of said stem, means for opening and closing said aperture causing reciprocationof said piston, a second piston head mounted upon the'upper end of said stem, means including check valves for admitting fluid to said barrel above the second piston head, means including check valves permitting the fluid to be forced through said head from the barrel into the oil string, and exhaust conducting means for conducting exhaust air from said barrel into the oil string.

5. An air lift'pump comprising an oil string,-a barrel mounted upon the oil string,

a head closing the upper end of the barrel,

piston, a second piston head mounted upon the upper end of said stem, means including check valves for admitting fluid to said barrel above the second piston head, means including check "alves permitting the fluid to bev forced through said head from the barrel into the oil string, and exhaust conducting means for conducting exhaust air from said barrel into the open Well above the Well fluid.

(ifAn air lift pump comprising an oil string, a barrel mounted upon the oil string, a head closing the upper end of the barrel, an air pipe disposed within the oil string, means including a nipple for establishing communication between the air pipe and the interior of the barrel, a stem disposed about said nipple and slidable thereon, a piston head mounted upon said stem having an aperture communicating with the interior of said stem, means for opening and closing said aperture causing reciprocation of said piston, asecond piston head mounted upon the upper end of said stem, means including check valves for admitting fluid to said barrel above the second piston head, means including check valves permitting the fluid an air pipe disposed within the oilstring, 1

means including a nipple for establishing communication between the air pipe and the interior of the barrel, a stem disposed about said nipple and slidable thereon, a piston head mounted upon said stem having an aperture communicating with the interior of said stem, means for opening and closing said aperture causing reciprocation of said piston, a second piston head mounted upon the upper end of said stem, means including check valves for admitting fluid to said barrel above the second piston head, means including check valves permitting the fluid to be forced'through said head from the barrel into the oil string, an exhaust shoe disposed about said barrel, means including check valves for' conducting exhaust air from the barrel through the exhaust shoe and discharging it into the oil string, and a tube extending upwardly within the well above'the well fluid and communicating withv said exhaust shoe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

RALPH H. TUCKER.

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