Controlled opening valve

Abstract

A slow pressure triggered valve for a downhole tool may include an outer housing and a sliding sleeve. The sliding sleeve may slide within the outer housing such that apertures formed on the sliding sleeve do not align with fixed apertures of the outer housing until the sliding sleeve moves from a closed position into an open position. The sliding sleeve may be mechanically coupled to a damping piston. The damping piston may be positioned within a damping chamber and may have a flowpath formed therethrough such that as the damping piston moves with the sliding sleeve from the closed position to the open position, fluid within the damping chamber flows through the flowpath. The flowpath may include a low pressure relief valve and a flow restrictor. The sliding sleeve may be held in the closed position by a lock piston temporary retainer until a predetermined pressure is reached within the valve.

1 . A slow pressure triggered valve for a downhole tool comprising:
 an outer housing, the outer housing including a ported housing, the ported housing including a fixed aperture, the fixed aperture fluidly coupling the interior of the ported housing with the exterior of the ported housing;   a sliding sleeve positioned within the outer housing, the sliding sleeve including a closing sleeve having an aperture, the aperture not in alignment with the fixed aperture when the closing sleeve is in a closed position and in alignment with the fixed aperture when the closing sleeve is in an open position; and   a damping piston mechanically coupled to the closing sleeve, the damping piston positioned within a damping chamber, the damping chamber being an annular space formed between the outer housing and the sliding sleeve, the damping chamber having a fluid positioned therein, the damping piston separating the damping chamber into a first and second portion, the damping piston including a flowpath fluidly coupling the first and second portions of the damping chamber, the second portion of the damping chamber fluidly coupled to an interior of the sliding sleeve.   
     
     
         2 . The slow pressure triggered valve of  claim 1 , wherein the flowpath comprises one or more of a low pressure relief valve and a flow restrictor. 
     
     
         3 . The slow pressure triggered valve of  claim 2 , wherein the low pressure relief valve is a ball check valve, diaphragm check valve, swing check valve, clapper valve, or a stop-check valve. 
     
     
         4 . The slow pressure triggered valve of  claim 2 , wherein the flow restrictor is an insert-type flow restrictor, orifice flow restrictor, or other flow restrictor. 
     
     
         5 . The slow pressure triggered valve of  claim 1 , further comprising a spring positioned between the outer housing and the sliding sleeve, the spring biasing the closing sleeve into the open position. 
     
     
         6 . The slow pressure triggered valve of  claim 1 , wherein the sliding sleeve further comprises a shear piston, the shear piston mechanically coupled to the outer housing by one or more opening temporary retainers, the opening temporary retainers maintaining the closing sleeve in the closed position until sheared. 
     
     
         7 . The slow pressure triggered valve of  claim 1 , further comprising;
 a lock piston, the lock piston positioned within the outer housing, the lock piston mechanically coupled to the outer housing and held in a locked position by a lock piston temporary retainer; and   a locking dog, the locking dog engaging the sliding sleeve and retaining the sliding sleeve in the closed position, the locking dog biased into the sliding sleeve by the lock piston.   
     
     
         8 . The slow pressure triggered valve of  claim 7 , wherein the sliding sleeve further comprises a closing sleeve carrier, the closing sleeve mechanically coupled to the closing sleeve carrier, the closing sleeve carrier having a groove formed in the outer surface of the closing sleeve carrier, the locking dogs engaging the groove. 
     
     
         9 . The slow pressure triggered valve of  claim 8 , wherein the closing sleeve is mechanically coupled to the closing sleeve carrier by a backup temporary retainer. 
     
     
         10 . The slow pressure triggered valve of  claim 9 , wherein the closing sleeve further comprises a shifting profile, the shifting profile engageable by a wireline shifting tool to shear the backup temporary retainer and shift the closing sleeve separately from the closing sleeve carrier. 
     
     
         11 . The slow pressure triggered valve of  claim 9 , wherein the closing sleeve further comprises a securing flange extending about the closing sleeve and engaging an upper surface of the closing sleeve carrier. 
     
     
         12 . The slow pressure triggered valve of  claim 1 , wherein the closing sleeve further comprises a low flow aperture, the low flow aperture not in alignment with the fixed aperture when the closing sleeve is in the closed position and in alignment with the fixed aperture when the closing sleeve is in an intermediate position between the closed and open position. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 positioning a slow pressure triggered valve in a wellbore, the slow pressure triggered valve including:
 an outer housing, the outer housing including a ported housing, the ported housing including a fixed aperture, the fixed aperture fluidly coupling the interior of the ported housing with the exterior of the ported housing; 
 a sliding sleeve positioned within the outer housing, the sliding sleeve including a closing sleeve having an aperture, the aperture not in alignment with the fixed aperture when the closing sleeve is in a closed position and in alignment with the fixed aperture when the closing sleeve is in an open position; and 
 a damping piston mechanically coupled to the closing sleeve, the damping piston positioned within a damping chamber, the damping chamber being an annular space formed between the outer housing and the sliding sleeve, the damping chamber having a fluid positioned therein, the damping piston separating the damping chamber into a first and second portion, the damping piston including a flowpath fluidly coupling the first and second portions of the damping chamber, the second portion of the damping chamber in fluid communication with an interior of the closing sleeve; 
   increasing the pressure within the slow pressure triggered valve;   moving the closing sleeve from the closed position to the open position;   flowing a fluid from the first portion of the damping chamber to the second portion of the damping chamber through the flowpath and thereby slowing motion of the closing sleeve; and   flowing a fluid through the aperture of the closing sleeve and the fixed aperture to or from the wellbore.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the flowpath comprises one or more of a low pressure relief valve and a flow restrictor, wherein the fluid flowing through the flowpath flows through the low pressure relief valve and flow restrictor. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the low pressure relief valve is a ball check valve, diaphragm check valve, swing check valve, clapper valve, or a stop-check valve. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the flow restrictor is an insert-type flow restrictor, orifice flow restrictor, or other flow restrictor. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the slow pressure triggered valve further comprises a spring positioned between the outer housing and the sliding sleeve, and the moving operation comprises biasing the closing sleeve into the open position with the spring. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the sliding sleeve further comprises a shear piston, the shear piston mechanically coupled to the outer housing by one or more opening temporary retainers when in the closed position, and the method further comprises shearing the opening temporary retainers before the moving operation. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the slow pressure triggered valve further comprises:
 a lock piston, the lock piston positioned within the outer housing, the lock piston mechanically coupled to the outer housing and held in a locked position by a lock piston temporary retainer; and   a locking dog, the locking dog engaging the sliding sleeve and retaining the sliding sleeve in the closed position, the locking dog biased into the sliding sleeve by the lock piston;   wherein the method further comprises shearing the lock piston temporary retainer;   sliding the lock piston into an unlocked position; and   disengaging the sliding sleeve with the locking dog.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the sliding sleeve further comprises a closing sleeve carrier, the closing sleeve mechanically coupled to the closing sleeve carrier, the closing sleeve carrier having a groove formed in the closing sleeve, the locking dogs engaging the groove. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the closing sleeve is mechanically coupled to the closing sleeve carrier by a backup temporary retainer. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the closing sleeve further comprises a shifting profile, and the method further comprises:
 engaging the shifting profile with a wireline shifting tool;   shearing the backup temporary retainer; and   shifting the closing sleeve separate from the closing sleeve carrier.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the closing sleeve further comprises a low flow aperture, the low flow aperture not in alignment with the fixed aperture when the closing sleeve is in the closed position and in alignment with the fixed aperture when the closing sleeve is in an intermediate position between the closed and open position, and wherein the method further comprises:
 moving the closing sleeve to the intermediate position; and   flowing fluid through the low flow aperture and the fixed aperture.