RU2772392C1 - Ejector for improving flow supply conditions in boreholes and during transportation of crude oil from surface storage tanks - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: pumps.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to jet pumps. Ground-based ejector or jet pump comprises a connector of the delivery nozzle (1) for supplying the working fluid, the ejector body (2), an outer ejector tube (3), through the holes whereof the pumped fluid is supplied, an ejector sealing body (4). Also comprises a Venturi nozzle with the diameter adjustable in the range from 1,087×10^-03 to 1,778×10^-02 m (5), a nozzle holder (6), a Venturi mixing chamber (7), a mixing chamber body (8), a diffuser (9), an ejector sleeve (10), an ejector filter (11), five annular seals (12, 13, 14, 15, 16), 50.8 mm quick-release connection (17) connected to the pressure pipe (C).

EFFECT: improved environmental conditions.

11 cl, 1 tbl, 5 dwg

Description

The field of technology to which the invention belongs

The invention relates to a modified jet-type pump and, in particular, to an ejector that is installed on the surface and is involved in the oil production process, increasing the production of oil and associated liquids by influencing the wellhead; the invention is also intended for pumping oil from one storage location to another through a pipeline.

More specifically, the invention relates to a jet pump driven by a working fluid available on site, such as water extracted from wells and separated from oil to be re-injected, as the main working element of the jet pump, which improves environmental conditions, because its operation does not require other sources of energy such as electricity or fuel, and moreover, which is very economical because its operation and maintenance costs are very low.

This jet pump, modified for the purpose claimed here, is called an ejector and has some design and layout changes that make it new and meet the inventive step criterion.

It also has the advantage that, due to its weight and size, it can be easily transported from one place to another.

State of the art

Currently, positive displacement pumps driven by electric motors or internal combustion engines are used to pump liquids such as oil, especially at the surface; this increases the cost of operation, which requires energy sources to drive the above pumps, and entails an increase in costs due to the need for a complex infrastructure, corresponding to each specific case.

In addition, these pumps require constant periodic maintenance as well as monitoring by the operators. It should also be noted that, as is well known, these pumps are harmful to the environment, both during installation and during operation and maintenance.

At present, ejectors or jet pumps have been developed, the principle of which is based on the Venturi effect; they use a high-pressure working fluid to supply energy to a low-pressure suction fluid, and their outlet mixture has a predetermined pressure, taking into account the requirements of the place of operation. Such ejectors or jet pumps are used in oil production and are specially designed for such conditions; There are other specially designed pumps that are used to re-inject into certain wells liquids that were produced along with oil, have a high concentration of pollutants and must be re-injected to great depths. Examples include the following patents.

The oil industry also uses equipment that uses the Venturi effect to extract oil, an example of which is the Jet Claw pump. This equipment has been suitably modified for this application. Another example is the jet pump known from US Pat. No. 4,718,486 A, which shows that jet pumps have been developed that can be transported by truck to oil wells, where they are installed on existing cable lines in the wells. Other referenced documents may be JP 2004293509 A, WO 2016084035 A1 or the decision of WO 2003036011 A2, of which the latter have already been issued US patents, and all of them refer to jet pumps modified for a specific application, and their characteristics differ from the present inventions.

Technologies and research on these issues have already been developed in the field of oil and gas technologies, especially in scientific publications of the technical journal of the Society of Petroleum Engineers [2-5] CALTECH, in which several case studies are published, as well as conclusions drawn regarding the performance and economics of such kind of systems.

The present invention has been developed on the basis of this knowledge and is applied to the development of an ejector that solves the existing problem, which is to pump produced oil and oil products at minimal cost from oil and oil products storage tanks to pumping substations or other appropriate storage or distribution systems.

In the prior art, several patents are known for systems and methods for pumping liquids, including pressure pumps. However, an ejector similar to that developed in this invention is not known from the prior art for the claimed process specified in the purpose of the invention.

Disclosure of invention

The inventive ejector is designed to increase the productivity of oil wells when the pressure at the mouth of the production well decreases, regardless of whether the produced oil is pumped by Jet Claw jet pumps or electric submersible pumps, improving well operating conditions and, as a result, increasing productivity by increasing the injected flow.

Another important task of the developed ejector is a significant increase in the flow rate of oil products and their derivatives on the surface, which are in tanks and are to be pumped to facilities such as oil substations or other distribution facilities. Currently, oil, which still contains some corrosive and toxic components, is stored in tanks, where it accumulates and sometimes spills, causing a harmful effect on the environment, until it is transported in tank trucks or pumped using electric pumps, the cost of which is high and which require a long time to pump out, since the flow pumped by pumps of this type is less than the flow obtained with a jet pump according to the present invention.

The development of an ejector for this application is highly advantageous as it is operated at a much lower cost and with less environmental impact, since it uses water separated from the produced oil and available at the site in order to move the produced oil and oil products to the appropriate processing centers. re-injection systems into wells, with virtually zero costs. This solution has two important competitive advantages: 1. the use of environmentally friendly equipment that does not require other sources of energy or fuel for its operation, since the working fluid is water accumulated during oil production from wells, and which is available to the operator in the return lines downloads; 2. The resulting head is significantly higher than motor or combustion engine driven pumps, greatly reducing storage time in tanks and avoiding contamination from spills, as well as saving time emptying tanks that need to be transported to substations or distribution centers. systems as needed.

Currently, such transportation is carried out using positive displacement pumps or tank trucks, which are expensive to operate and pollute the environment due to the use of electricity or fuel; moreover, in most cases the process needs to be interrupted to avoid these costs or to carry out maintenance.

The developed ejector, which provides a solution to these problems, is the result of modifications to the jet pump, which is currently used for the reinjection of fluids into wells; and these modifications, in particular, are associated with internal changes due to changes depending on the distances between the throat and the nozzle, the proportions between the length of the pump for the outlet stream and the space to dampen the turbulence resulting from the greater effect of the liquid compared to other known liquid flows, and also with the calculation of flows and working pressures, which were determined in the operating ranges, adjusted in accordance with the mathematical application model used in its design, and which correspond to the variable characteristics of existing prototypes, as shown in the following table:

Ejection ratio = intake fluid flow / working fluid flow

The new device, developed on the basis of the results obtained by applying variable characteristics in mathematical models, is made in the form of an ejector, which, when installed on the surface, serves to support other equipment for extracting oil from the bottom of the well, while increasing its productivity. The developed ejector can perform various functions, the main ones being the reduction of backpressure at the wellhead, support during well restart by cleaning fluid with additives or well killing fluid, pumping fluids between process stations, using compressors in stages, etc.

Distinctive features of the ejector claimed in accordance with the invention:

• Takes advantage of the availability of operating fluid at the installation site.

• Fluid pressure is used, allowing suction fluid to be pumped with a low performance device (this technical aspect is not used or not known in the prior art), which results in cost savings due to the fact that there is no need for additional ground pumps, time spent on their installation and operation, fuel and maintenance.

• The ejector uses the Venturi principle due to the special design of the ejector for pumping liquids.

• The design features of the ejector make it easy to adjust, and the special design of its internal parts allows you to create a venturi effect with adjustable flow according to user needs.

• Thanks to the design features of the device, as well as operational and technical characteristics, installation, operation and maintenance costs are significantly reduced.

• Due to its size, the ejector weighs less than 67 kg, and due to its ease of installation, it can be used as a mobile device that can be connected anywhere to perform the tasks outlined in this description.

In particular, the invention relates to the development of new models of ejectors by improving their design, which provides for changing the ratios between the main elements in accordance with the needs of use and application, as well as the quality of fluids, in particular oil produced from wells along with its production components.

Mathematical modeling was carried out taking into account the type of transported oil and other liquids in accordance with the required density, volume and pressure, in order to supply the required amount of suction liquid using the working medium, and on this basis, "field" studies were carried out, during which a new a design that meets the requirements of a unidirectional pump, in which the nozzle and mixing chamber are adjusted according to pressure and flow requirements in such a way as to ensure that the characteristics of the ejector match the needs of a particular pumping station. The following are the variables obtained during the tests, which correspond to the invention, while the values are not limiting, since the proportional ratio settings can be changed accordingly.

Thus, with a sufficient pressure that ensures the optimal cost of pumping and minimal environmental pollution, after a series of tests and analysis of the results, based on mathematical models for optimizing pumping processes depending on the volume, pressure and density of the transported liquids, a new ejector model was developed and designed , responding to the parameters of these processes that affect the modification of its constituent parts, for example, the ratio between the diameters of the nozzle and the mixing chamber, and always using the working fluid and the Venturi effect for suction; it has been demonstrated that the parameters are adjustable within the ranges indicated in the above table.

Thus, the present invention solves the above, as well as other problems, in which the ejector can operate in the presence of a working fluid, thereby significantly reducing the cost of operation, maintenance and installation, since the use of the working fluid under appropriate conditions is optimized practically with zero costs, as it happens with reservoir fluids or gases, where one of the production products is reservoir water, which is produced together with oil, which affects the reduction in operating and maintenance costs of the fluid pumping system using the inventive ejector.

At the same time, it should be taken into account that this type of pumping, which does not require fuel, but uses only the driving force of the specified liquid, does not pollute the environment, since it does not require resources such as electricity or oil products.

The cost of maintenance of the proposed device is practically zero due to the absence of moving working parts in its design, ease of transportation and installation at any site, which makes it universal for pumping liquids anywhere it is required, and also - as mentioned above - to support work for the extraction of oil from wells.

The ejector can be easily adapted to be connected to tank systems with level and pressure sensors, which allows the ejector to be used in automatic mode when pumping is required, for example, in interconnected tank systems where they can be emptied in turn, using their automation using level sensors in tanks, as well as opening and closing valves using level-related commands. All these operations are performed automatically and in self-tuning mode, without the need for supervision. In the course of the tests, it was found that the volume of oil and its derivatives moved through this ejector meets the needs of storage tanks, since the output flow of the ejector at its operating pressures optimally satisfies existing needs.

In its operation, the inventive ejector, unlike pumps known from the prior art, uses the Venturi effect to suck the liquid stored in the tanks and supply it through the mixing chamber (item 7 in Fig. 1) to the diffuser (item 9 in Fig. 1), where it mixes with the working fluid that drives the ejector; the mixture of two liquids is fed into the injection pipelines, through which it is transported to the places of permanent storage.

Since the ejector is a ground device, it is easily installed by conventional means on site without the need for additional complex external power supplies. All that is required is to connect the hydraulic fluid supply line, suction and discharge lines through appropriate conventional valves and fittings.

The technical advantages of the proposed ejector in relation to the technical solutions known from the prior art, without being limited to its possible application, are as follows:

a. When used as surface equipment at the exit of the well, the ejector provides a decrease in pressure at the wellhead, which, in turn, leads to an increase in the resulting flow rate.

b. The use of the device as equipment for pumping liquid from one tank to another avoids the installation of additional large-sized pumps on the surface, which saves money and improves environmental conditions, since the device does not pollute the environment.

c. It is possible to use an ejector with compressors to facilitate well cleaning.

d. Additional costs for operation, maintenance, power supply or fuel for engines driving the above mentioned additional ground pumps are excluded.

e. With no moving parts, wear is reduced for a long service life.

f. Maintenance of the device does not require specialized personnel due to the simplicity of design, ease of disassembly, inspection and repair, resulting in reduced downtime.

The properties of the material used in the manufacture of the ejector meet the technical requirements for use in contact with petroleum products, which allows the use of the ejector with heavily polluted water with impurities such as acids, corrosive gases, manganese, silica, so the device can be used not only in oil production and related with her activities, but also in other industries, such as, for example, the removal of wastewater or the pumping of sea water on ships.

Brief description of the drawings

The following figures provide a detailed description of the invention, with their help, you can better understand the changes made in relation to other jet pumps known from the prior art, as a result of which the claimed new design was obtained, in which some internal parts of the known jet pump were changed. In addition, it is possible to evaluate the technical changes to the existing sizes and distances between the pump elements, as well as the design of the new ejector as such, which make it effective as a new development depending on the changes required, in its new application to solve existing problems, as well as its dimensions. , to be transported to a new site, while maintaining the material properties necessary for the highly polluting liquids with which the device must work.

On FIG. 1. An ejector or ground jet pump is shown.

Corresponds to the general description of the ejector:

On FIG. 1 shows an ejector or ground jet pump, which consists of the following elements: injection nozzle connector (1 in Fig. 1), ejector body (2 in Fig. 1), ejector outer tube (3 in Fig. 1), ejector seal housing ( 4 in Fig. 1), Venturi Claw (5 in Fig. 1), nozzle holder (6 in Fig. 1), Venturi Claw (7 in Fig. 1), mixing chamber body ( 8 in Fig. 1), diffuser (9 in Fig. 1), ejector sleeve (10 in Fig. 1), ejector filter (11 in Fig. 1), O-rings (12, 13, 14, 15, 16 in Fig. 1 1), 50.8 mm quick coupling (17 in Fig. 1).

The body of the ejector (2 in Fig. 1) or ground jet pump has 3 nozzles (A, B and C) for connection to the pipelines of the serviced system. The hydraulic or motive fluid supply line is connected to port A (Fig. 1) with a 50.8 mm quick coupling (17 in Fig. 1) and a bushing (10 in Fig. 1) at the end of the discharge nozzle connector (1 in Fig. 1 ). The pumped liquid line is connected to the branch pipe B (Fig. 1) using a 50.8 mm quick coupling (17 in Fig. 1) and a bushing (10 in Fig. 1). Finally, nozzle C (Fig. 1), or outlet, is connected to the transport pipeline with a 50.8 mm quick coupling (17 in Fig. 1) and a sleeve (10 in Fig. 1). The ejector in question, specially designed for the above application, does not require additional connections.

The principle of its operation is also simple and is as follows: after establishing normal operating conditions at the installation site, after turning on the supply of the working or injected fluid, it enters the branch pipe A of the ejector body (Fig. 1), passes through the nozzle (5 in Fig. 1) and is thrown into the mixing chamber (7 in Fig. 1), located inside the outer pipe (3 in Fig. 1), equipped with holes located in a certain order, through which the sucked or transported liquid is sucked through the suction pipe (B in Fig. 3). The mixture of these liquids is displaced through the diffuser (9 in Fig. 1) towards the outlet of the ejector (C in Fig. 1).

Figure 2 shows the outer shell or housing of the ejector or ground jet pump (2 in Fig. 1), in longitudinal section, and which shows its main characteristics that ensure the performance of the functions of the ejector or ground jet pump in certain ranges of performance values indicated above . This element, the body of the ejector, being under the constant influence of the environment, provides the necessary strength and resistance of the ejector or ground jet pump to the effects of atmospheric factors and the environment.

On FIG. 3 shows the use of the ejector or ground jet pump of FIG. 1 for pumping liquids.

In one application, an ejector or ground jet pump (FIG. 1) is used in accordance with the process flow diagram (FIG. 3) to pump liquids.

According to the diagram (Fig. 3), the operation of an ejector or a ground jet pump is as follows: the working fluid supply line is connected through a valve (18 in Fig. 3) and an automatic valve (19 in Fig. 3) installed in series with an inlet pipe (A on Fig. 3) ejector (27 in Fig. 3). The opening and closing of the automatic valve (19 in Fig. 3) is carried out by signals from the sensors of the maximum (22 in Fig. 3) and minimum levels (23 in Fig. 3) received via an electric cable (21 in Fig. 3). The liquid transfer line leaving the tank (30 in Fig. 3) is connected through a valve (18 in Fig. 3) and a check valve (20 in Fig. 3) installed in series from the side of the suction pipe (B in Fig. 3) of the ejector ( 27 in Fig. 3). The outlet line of the mixture is connected to the outlet pipe (C in Fig. 3) of the ejector (27 in Fig. 3) and then communicates with the main transport pipeline (25 in Fig. 3) through a check valve (20 in Fig. 3) connected in series and a valve (18 in Fig. 3).

At the moment of filling the tank (26 in Fig. 3) to the maximum level, the sensor (22 in Fig. 3) sends a signal to open the automatic valve (19 in Fig. 3), thereby ensuring the supply of working fluid to the ejector (27 in Fig. 3 ) through the appropriate valve (18 in Fig. 3) and inlet (A in Fig. 3); in this case, the Venturi effect occurs, as a result of which the liquid stored in the tank (26 in Fig. 3) is sucked through the suction pipe (B in Fig. 3) into the ejector (27 in Fig. 3), in which it mixes with the working fluid and then is ejected through the outlet (C in Fig. 3) into the main transport pipeline (25 in Fig. 3).

Thus, as follows from the above, this application of an ejector or ground jet pump (Fig. 1) is very advantageous in the transport of liquids, since its operation does not require complex electrical installations or polluting fuel installations, as is the case when this purposes, electrically driven pumps or fuel pumps are used.

On FIG. 4. The use of an ejector or ground jet pump to reduce pressure at the mouth of an oil well is shown.

In one application, an ejector or ground jet pump (FIG. 1) is used in accordance with the flow diagram of FIG. 4 to reduce pressure at the mouth of an oil well, thereby improving the operating conditions and performance of the downhole oil pump.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ejector or ground jet pump functions as follows: the line for supplying the working fluid through the valve (18 in Fig. 4) is connected to the inlet (A in Fig. 4) of the ejector (27 in Fig. 4). The flow line from the wellhead (30 in Fig. 4) through two successively installed valves (18 in Fig. 4) is connected to the suction pipe (B in Fig. 4) of the ejector (27 in Fig. 4). The outlet line of the mixture is connected from the side of the ejector outlet (27 in Fig. 3) to the storage tanks through a valve (18 in Fig. 4).

At the moment the working fluid enters the ejector (27 in Fig. 4) through the corresponding valve (18 in Fig. 4) and the inlet pipe (A in Fig. 4), the Venturi effect occurs, as a result of which the liquid leaving the mouth (30 in Fig. 4) 4) is sucked through the suction pipe (B in Fig. 4) into the ejector (27 in Fig. 4), where it mixes with the working fluid, and through the outlet pipe (C in Fig. 4) enters the storage tanks.

Thus, as follows from the above, this use of an ejector or land jet pump (FIG. 1) is very advantageous in the operation of oil wells, since the reduction of wellhead pressure improves the operating conditions and performance of the respective well pump.

On FIG. 5. shows the ejector in section.

On FIG. 5 shows the internal elements of an ejector or ground jet pump in exploded section. This figure shows that each element has appropriate dimensions that fit the exact design to ensure the effective operation of the claimed device. These elements are already indicated in the description of FIG. 1 in this document.

Claims (11)

1. Ground ejector or jet pump, characterized in that it contains a connector injection nozzle (1), through which the working fluid enters; ejector housing (2); the outer pipe of the ejector (3), through the holes in which the suction fluid enters; ejector seal housing (4); a Venturi nozzle, the diameter of which is adjustable in the range from 1.087×10 ^-03 to 1.778×10 ^-02 m (5); nozzle holder (6); Venturi mixing chamber (7); mixing chamber body (8); diffuser (9); ejector sleeve (10); ejector filter (11); five O-rings (12, 13, 14, 15, 16); 50.8 mm quick coupling (17) attached to the pressure pipe (C). 2. The ejector according to claim 1, characterized in that the diameter of the mixing chamber varies from 1.778×10 ^-3 to 3.81×10 ^-2 m. 3. The ejector according to paragraphs. 1 and 2, characterized in that the flow rate is from 0.1 to 8. 4. The ejector according to paragraphs. 1-3, configured to transport a liquid with a density of 600 to 1250 kg/m ³ . 5. The ejector according to paragraphs. 1-4, characterized in that the working fluid has a density of 870 to 1250 kg/m ³ . 6. The ejector according to paragraphs. 1-5, characterized in that the pressure of the working fluid is set in the range from 5171.1 to 63948.9 kPa. 7. The ejector according to paragraphs. 1-6, characterized in that the pressure of the suction fluid is set in the range from 101.4 to 31974.4 kPa. 8. The ejector according to paragraphs. 1-7, characterized in that the pressure of the mixture of media is set in the range from 182.4 to 41566.8 kPa. 9. The ejector according to paragraphs. 1-8, characterized in that its weight is 67 kg. 10. The ejector according to paragraphs. 1-9, characterized in that it requires only a pulse of the working fluid available at the place of operation. 11. The ejector according to paragraphs. 1-9 which has no moving parts and has conventional gates and fittings for connection to storage tanks or wellheads.

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