Tapered Fluidic Diode For Use As An Autonomous Inflow Control Device AICD

Abstract

A system for providing autonomous flow control of a fluid from a wellbore to an interior of a tubing string by using a variable flow resistance system. The system can include a body, with a chamber that can be configured to induce rotational flow in a fluid that flows through the chamber. The chamber can include an inlet for fluid entering the chamber and an outlet for fluid exiting the chamber. A cross-sectional area of the chamber can be reduced along a central axis of the chamber toward the outlet, with the cross-sectional area being perpendicular to a central axis. A well screen assembly may utilize one or more of the variable flow resistance systems to provide a determined flow resistance and/or flow rate of the fluid through the screen assembly.

1 . A variable flow resistance system providing autonomous flow control of a fluid, the system comprising:
 a body;   a chamber in the body, with the chamber configured to induce rotational flow in a fluid that flows through the chamber;   an inlet through which the fluid enters the chamber;   an outlet from which the fluid exits the chamber;   the chamber having a cross-sectional area that decreases along a central axis of the chamber toward the outlet, wherein the cross-sectional area is perpendicular to a central axis; and   a resistance to fluid flow through the chamber varies based on a physical property of the fluid.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the inlet is angled away from the central axis of the chamber and the angle induces the rotational flow in the fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the physical property is at least one of viscosity, velocity, and density. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the resistance to the fluid flow through the chamber is increased when an undesired fluid flows through the chamber and is decreased when a desired fluid flows through the chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the desired fluid is hydrocarbon liquid and the undesired fluid is gas and/or water. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the desired fluid is gas and the undesired fluid is hydrocarbon liquid and/or water. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the chamber is one of an oval, a circle, a square, a rectangle, a polygon, and an irregular shape. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the chamber is tapered from the inlet to the outlet. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein an inner surface of the chamber is at least one of smooth, grooved, splined, channeled, circumferentially spaced apart recesses, circumferentially spaced apart protrusions, and coated with an abrasive material. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein a top surface of the chamber includes at least one of a protrusion positioned at the central axis, one or more channels positioned circumferentially about the central axis, and one or more recesses positioned circumferentially about the central axis. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the chamber includes a protrusion positioned at the central axis, and wherein the protrusion is one of a hemi-spherical, a pyramid, a conical, a frusto-conical, a cylindrical, a polygonal, and a tapered polygonal shape. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the central axis of the chamber is angled relative to a central axis of the body. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein fluid flowing through the outlet exits the body through a bottom surface of the body. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein fluid flowing through the outlet exits the body through a side surface of the body. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a central axis of the outlet is angled relative to the central axis of the chamber. 
     
     
         16 . A well screen assembly comprising:
 a base pipe;   a filter layer;   a drainage layer;   first and second ends, with the first and second ends secured to the base pipe at opposite ends of the filter layer;   an annular space within the first end;   multiple openings formed in a region on the base pipe defined by the annular space; and   a variable flow resistance system installed in at least one of the openings, the variable flow resistance system comprising:
 a body; 
 a chamber in the body, with the chamber configured to induce rotational flow in a fluid that flows through the chamber; 
 an inlet through which the fluid enters the chamber; 
 an outlet from which the fluid exits the chamber; 
 the chamber having a cross-sectional area that decreases along a central axis of the chamber toward the outlet, wherein the cross-sectional area is perpendicular to the central axis; and 
 a resistance to fluid flow through the chamber varies based on a physical property of the fluid. 
   
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the variable flow resistance system includes multiple variable flow resistance systems installed in respective ones of the multiple openings, with the multiple variable flow resistance systems configured for parallel and/or series fluid flow through the well screen assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 17 , wherein a quantity of the multiple variable flow resistance systems installed in the respective ones of the multiple openings is determined by a desired flow restriction and/or flow rate for flowing the fluid through the well screen assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the inlet to the chamber is angled away from the central axis of the chamber and the angle induces the rotational flow of the fluid in the chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the physical property is at least one of viscosity, velocity, and density. 
     
     
         21 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the chamber is one of an oval, a circle, a square, a rectangle, a polygon, and an irregular shape. 
     
     
         22 . The assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the chamber is tapered from the inlet to the outlet. 
     
     
         23 . The assembly of  claim 21 , wherein an inner surface of the chamber is at least one of smooth, grooved, splined, channeled, circumferentially spaced apart recesses, circumferentially spaced apart protrusions, and coated with an abrasive material. 
     
     
         24 . The assembly of  claim 21 , wherein a top surface of the chamber includes at least one of a protrusion positioned at the central axis, one or more channels positioned circumferentially about the central axis, and one or more recesses positioned circumferentially about the central axis. 
     
     
         25 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein a top surface of the chamber includes a protrusion positioned at the central axis, and wherein the protrusion is one of a hemi-spherical, a pyramid, a conical, a frusto-conical, a cylindrical, a polygonal, and a tapered polygonal shape. 
     
     
         26 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein fluid flowing through the outlet exits the body through a bottom surface of the body. 
     
     
         27 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein fluid flowing through the outlet exits the body through a side surface of the body.