1. IPO GLV Throttling Mechanism with Inherent Reverse Flow Checking
Mercedes Valve 3.0
IPO GLV Throttling Mechanism
with
Inherent Reverse Flow Checking
Bellaire Research
Mercedes Valve 3.0

2. Valve Overview (prior developments)
Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPO Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)
Valve Overview (prior developments)
Injection Pressure Operated (IPO) Gas Lift Valve utilizing Bellaire Research’s Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism.
Designed for continuous injection (operating valve), but may also be utilized as unloading valve.
Theoretical and tested Production Pressure Effect Factor (PPEF) of ZERO (inherent through a pressure balanced throttling mechanism).
Variable port aperture provides infinite flow turndown.
Fluid flow path provides excellent erosion resistance and stable throttling (no chattering down to and including fully closed).
Bellaire Research
Mercedes Valve 3.0

3. Inherent Reverse Flow Checking
Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPO Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)
Inherent Reverse Flow Checking
“Drop-In” flow control mechanism available for 1” wireline retrievable IPO GLVs.
Reverse Flow Checking functionality inherent in the throttling mechanism (eliminating the need for a check valve/dart).
Check dart can remain in the valve as a redundant check, or can be removed from the valve assembly.
With the check dart removed, the valve has unique erosion resistance characteristics.
injection fluid flows radially inward and impinges upon itself
then exists axially, unobstructed by any valve components
Bellaire Research
Mercedes Valve 3.0

4. Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPO Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)

5. Fluid impinges on itself
Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPO Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)
Fluid impinges on itself
Spring positioned in boundary layer of fluid flow path
Spring-in-hole for stability (no twisting)
Mercedes Valve 3.0
Bellaire Research

6. Sealing surfaces protected from erosion
Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPO Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)
Sealing surfaces protected from erosion
Mercedes Valve 3.0
Bellaire Research

7. Thank You! Bellaire Research Mercedes Valve 3.0

8. Back-up Slides Bellaire Research Mercedes Valve 3.0

9. Mercedes Valve 3.0
Bellaire Research

10. Mercedes Valve 3.0
Bellaire Research

11. Mercedes Valve 3.0
Bellaire Research

12. Mercedes Valve 3.0
Bellaire Research

13. Mercedes Valve 3.0
Bellaire Research

14. Flow Stabilization for Continuous Injection IPO Gas Lift Valves
By going from fully open to throttling as the flow increases the flow profile “bends” from the Orifice profile towards the Venturi profile, and gas injection stability is greatly enhanced.
In order to understand how a minor restriction in the inlet ports cause a significant change in flow profile, we will look at the Mercedes valve design.
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
Babette Well Unloading GLV

15. ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPS Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)
When fully open, the valve flow capacity follows that of any fixed aperture device (Orifice or Venturi), where max (choked) capacity is proportional to the absolute inlet pressure. However, when the pressure is reduced and the bellows begin to throttle the valve, very little pressure change is required to change flow.
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
Babette Well Unloading GLV

16. ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPS Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)
For a Design upstream pressure and flow, a fixed aperture device (Orifice or Venturi) can be sized to provide the same capacity as a Mercedes Valve. In this case 4 mmscfd at about 1000 psig.
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
Babette Well Unloading GLV

17. ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPS Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)
The Mercedes Valve only requires a 10 psi increase in inlet pressure to increase the flow to 5 mmscfd (a 25% increase).
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
Babette Well Unloading GLV

18. ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPS Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)
An Orifice or Venturi valve would require a 250 psi increase in inlet pressure to supply the same flow increase.
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
Babette Well Unloading GLV

19. ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPS Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)
The Mercedes Valve only requires a 30 psi reduction in inlet pressure to reduce the flow to 2 mmscfd (a 50% reduction).
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
Babette Well Unloading GLV

20. ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPS Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)
An Orifice or Venturi valve would require a 500 psi decrease in inlet pressure to produce the same flow decrease.
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
Babette Well Unloading GLV

21. Flow Stabilization for Continuous Injection IPO Gas Lift Valves
Now let’s investigate how the pressure sensitivity of the Mercedes Valve produces this flow profile.
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
Babette Well Unloading GLV

22. Flow Stabilization for Continuous Injection IPO Gas Lift Valves
At zero/low flow, there is no/little pressure loss across the inlet ports and the bellow see the inlet pressure. The Mercedes Valve is full open, with a flow profile similar to an orifice with about 5.5 mmscfd of capacity.
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
Babette Well Unloading GLV

23. Flow Stabilization for Continuous Injection IPO Gas Lift Valves
As flow increases, the pressure loss across the inlet ports cause the pressure on the bellows to decrease. With about inlet port 10 psi loss, the valve closes to a position where the flow capacity is about 4.5 mmscfd.
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
Babette Well Unloading GLV

24. Flow Stabilization for Continuous Injection IPO Gas Lift Valves
As flow increases further, the pressure loss across the inlet ports cause the pressure on the bellows to decrease further. With about 20 psi inlet port loss, the valve closes to a position where the flow capacity is about 3.5 mmscfd.
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
Babette Well Unloading GLV

25. Flow Stabilization for Continuous Injection IPO Gas Lift Valves
As flow increases still further, the pressure loss across the inlet ports cause the pressure on the bellows to decrease still further. With about 30 psi inlet port loss, the valve closes to a position where the flow capacity is 2.75 mmscfd.
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
Babette Well Unloading GLV

26. Flow Stabilization for Continuous Injection IPO Gas Lift Valves
Bellaire Research
Mercedes IPO GLV
ALRDC 2016 Inventor’s Seminar
Variable Aperture Flow Control Mechanism for Gas Lift Valves
Babette Well Unloading GLV

27. Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPO Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)

28. Mercedes Valve Variable Aperture IPO Gas Lift Valve (Bellaire Research, Patent Pending)

29. Mercedes Valve 3.0
Bellaire Research