Object Launching System for Well

Abstract

An object launching apparatus for a well has a housing, a flow mandrel, and a cage. The flow mandrel is disposed in the housing's internal chamber, and a flow passage in the mandrel communicates flow from the housing's inlet to the mandrel's flow port, which in turn communicates with the housing's outlet. The cage is disposed in the internal chamber and defines pockets for holding the objects. A motor and shaft move the cage in the housing relative to the mandrel's flow port so the cage's pockets can be selectively positioned in communication between the mandrel's flow port and the housing's outlet. This allows any of the object(s) held in the positioned pocket to be launched into the flow to the well. Preferably, the motor rotates the shaft so the cage can ride linearly along the shaft's thread and the cage can rotate through a cammed engagement with the housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An object launching apparatus for a well, the apparatus comprising:
 a housing defining an internal chamber and having an inlet and an outlet communicating with the internal chamber;   a flow mandrel disposed in the internal chamber and defining a flow passage, the flow passage communicating the inlet of the housing with a flow port of the flow passage, the flow port communicating with the outlet of the housing; and   a cage disposed in the internal chamber on the flow mandrel and defining a plurality of pockets for holding the objects, the cage movable on the flow mandrel relative to the flow port and selectively positioning one of the pockets in communication between the flow port of the flow mandrel and the outlet of the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cage is movable at least in a linear direction in the housing relative to the flow port and the outlet. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the cage is movable in a radial direction in conjunction with the linear direction in the housing relative to the flow port and the outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a lock movable in the housing relative to the cage and being selectively engageable with the cage. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a shaft disposed in the housing and coupled to the cage, the shaft operable to move the cage at least in a linear direction. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein a bearing couples the shaft to the cage, the shaft being rotatable in the housing, the bearing moveable along the rotated shaft. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a cammed engagement defined between the cage and the internal chamber translates linear movement of the cage to radial movement of the cage in the internal chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the cammed engagement comprises:
 one or more guides disposed on the cage; and   a channel defined in an internal surface of the internal chamber defines a channel, the one or more guides riding in the channel.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a motor operably coupled to the cage and operable to move the cage in the internal chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein a shaft operably couples the motor to the cage, the motor moving the cage in the internal chamber with the shaft, wherein the motor pulls the shaft in the internal chamber, rotates the shaft in the internal chamber, or both pulls and rotates the shaft in the internal chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a controller operably coupled to the motor and controlling movement of the cage in the housing. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an inlet connection coupled to the inlet of the housing and receiving flow for communication with the flow passage of the flow mandrel. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the inlet connection comprises a valve operable to control communication of the flow. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising an outlet connection coupled to the outlet and supplying the flow to the well. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cage defines an internal passage in which the flow mandrel is disposed. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an auxiliary port communicating with the internal chamber, the cage selectively positioning one of the pockets in communication with the auxiliary port. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more of:
 a first sensor detecting position of the cage in the housing;   a second sensor disposed toward the inlet and detecting flow of fluid into the inlet;   a third sensor disposed toward the outlet and detecting flow of fluid from the outlet; and   a fourth sensor disposed toward the outlet and detecting passage of the object launched from the outlet.   
     
     
         18 . An object launching apparatus for a well, the apparatus comprising:
 a housing defining an internal chamber and having at least one outlet communicating with the internal chamber; and   a cage disposed in the internal chamber and defining a plurality of pockets around an axis of the cage for holding the objects, the cage movable in the internal chamber around the axis and selectively positioning at least one of the pockets in communication with the at least one outlet of the housing.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the housing comprises an inlet communicating with the internal chamber, and wherein the at least one pocket positioned in communication with the at least one outlet further positions in communication with the inlet. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the inlet of the housing is in fluid communication with a fluid source. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising a flow mandrel disposed in the internal chamber and defining a flow passage therein, the flow passage communicating the inlet of the housing with at least one flow port of the flow passage, the cage movable on the flow mandrel, the at least one flow port communicating with the at least one outlet of the housing. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the cage is movable relative to the at least one flow port of the flow passage to position the at least one pocket in communication between the at least one flow port of the flow mandrel and the at least one outlet of the housing. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the cage is movable at least in a linear direction in the housing to align the pockets in communication between the at least one flow port and the at least one outlet. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the cage is movable in a radial direction in conjunction with the linear direction in the housing to align the pockets in communication between the at least one flow port of the flow passage. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein to move the cage in the internal chamber around the axis of the cage, the cage is movable in a linear direction and is concurrently or separately movable in a radial direction in the internal chamber to position the pockets in communication with the at least one outlet. 
     
     
         26 . A method of launching objects into fluid flow directed to a well, the method comprising:
 communicating an outlet of an internal chamber of a housing with the fluid flow directed to the well;   storing the objects in pockets around an axis of a cage disposed in the internal chamber of the housing;   positioning selective ones of the pockets in communication with the outlet in the housing by selectively moving the cage around the axis of the cage in the internal chamber of the housing; and   deploying the objects in the selectively positioned pockets into the fluid flow directed to the well.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein selectively moving the cage around the axis of the cage in the internal chamber of the housing comprises moving the cage linearly in the internal chamber. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein selectively moving the cage around the axis of the cage in the internal chamber of the housing comprises rotating the cage in the internal chamber in conjunction with the linear movement. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein rotating the cage in the internal chamber in conjunction with the linear movement comprises engaging a guide and channel arrangement between the cage and the internal chamber. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein positioning selective ones of the pockets of the cage with the outlet in the housing comprises positioning the selective ones of the pockets between an inlet of the housing and the outlet of the housing. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein positioning the selective ones of the pockets between the inlet and the outlet comprises moving the cage on a flow mandrel communicating with the inlet, the flow mandrel having a flow port communicating with the outlet. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein deploying the objects in the selectively positioned pockets into the fluid flow directed to the well comprises carrying the objects in the fluid flow communicated from the flow port to the outlet through the selected one of the pockets. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising selectively locking the cage in the internal chamber of the housing. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising one or more of:
 detecting position of the cage in the housing;   detecting the fluid flow into an inlet of the housing;   detecting the fluid flow from the outlet of the housing; and   detecting passage of the object deployed from the outlet.