초록 ▼

An accumulator comprises a housing connected to a hydraulic system, an elastomeric bladder separating a gas compartment from a fluid compartment, and an anti-extrusion device. A method for operating an accumulator comprises connecting the accumulator to a hydraulic system, injecting an inert gas int

An accumulator comprises a housing connected to a hydraulic system, an elastomeric bladder separating a gas compartment from a fluid compartment, and an anti-extrusion device. A method for operating an accumulator comprises connecting the accumulator to a hydraulic system, injecting an inert gas into a gas compartment to a precharge pressure, moving an anti-extrusion device to prevent a bladder from extruding into the hydraulic system, running the accumulator and the hydraulic system downhole, moving the anti-extrusion device to allow fluid communication between the hydraulic system and a fluid compartment, generating pressure fluctuations within the hydraulic system, and expanding or contracting the bladder in response to the pressure fluctuations without moving the anti-extrusion device. A method of improving fluid hammer performance comprises connecting the fluid hammer to an accumulator that produces a greater delivered horsepower from the fluid hammer as compared to a baseline horsepower when operating without the accumulator.

대표청구항 ▼

What we claim as our invention is: 1. An accumulator for downhole operations comprising: a housing that connects inline to a hydraulic system; an elastomeric bladder disposed internally of the housing and separating a gas compartment from a fluid compartment; and an anti-extrusion device having a f

What we claim as our invention is: 1. An accumulator for downhole operations comprising: a housing that connects inline to a hydraulic system; an elastomeric bladder disposed internally of the housing and separating a gas compartment from a fluid compartment; and an anti-extrusion device having a first position that prevents extrusion of the elastomeric bladder into the hydraulic system and blocks the fluid compartment from fluid communication with the hydraulic system, and a second position that opens the fluid compartment to fluid communication with the hydraulic system; wherein the anti-extrusion device does not move from the second position in response to pressure fluctuations in the hydraulic system during operation. 2. The accumulator of claim 1 wherein the anti-extrusion device moves from the first position to the second position in response to a downhole pressure. 3. The accumulator of claim 1 wherein the anti-extrusion device moves from the first position to the second position in response to a combination of downhole pressure and operating differential pressure. 4. The accumulator of claim 1 further comprising: a mandrel disposed internally of the housing; wherein the fluid compartment is formed between the bladder and the mandrel. 5. The accumulator of claim 4 wherein the anti-extrusion device comprises a piston that engages the mandrel in the first position to form an extrusion gap sized to prevent the bladder from extruding into the hydraulic system when a precharge pressure is applied to the gas compartment. 6. The accumulator of claim 4 wherein the mandrel comprises an internal flow bore in fluid communication with the hydraulic system. 7. The accumulator of claim 4 wherein the mandrel comprises at least one port in fluid communication with the fluid compartment when the anti-extrusion device is in the second position. 8. The accumulator of claim 7 wherein the mandrel is the anti-extrusion device. 9. The accumulator of claim 7 further comprising springs that bias the anti-extrusion device to the first position. 10. The accumulator of claim 1 further comprising a flow diverter that diverts a well bore fluid towards the fluid compartment. 11. The accumulator of claim 1 wherein the anti-extrusion device is a cylinder; and wherein the fluid compartment is formed between the bladder and the cylinder. 12. The accumulator of claim 11 further comprising springs that bias the anti-extrusion device to the first position. 13. The accumulator of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric bladder comprises a highly saturated nitrile material. 14. The accumulator of claim 1 wherein only the elastomeric bladder responds dynamically to the pressure fluctuations in the hydraulic system during operation.