Fluidic adjustable choke

Abstract

A surface well choke system has a flow chamber and a fluid switch. The flow chamber has a first flow chamber inlet with more resistance to flow to an outlet than a second flow chamber inlet has to flow to the outlet. The fluid switch has a first flow path from a fluid switch inlet to the first flow chamber inlet, a second flow path from the fluid switch inlet to the second flow chamber inlet, and a movable flow deflector upstream of the first and second flow paths. The movable flow deflector is actuable to deflect flow from the fluid switch inlet to the first flow path or the second flow path.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surface well choke system, comprising:
 a flow chamber comprising a first flow chamber inlet that has more resistance to flow to an outlet than a second flow chamber inlet has to flow to the outlet; and   a fluid switch comprising:
 a first flow path from a fluid switch inlet to the first flow chamber inlet; and 
 a second flow path from the fluid switch inlet to the second flow chamber inlet; 
 a movable flow deflector actuable to deflect flow from the fluid switch inlet to the first flow path or the second flow path. 
   
     
     
         2 . The surface well choke system of  claim 1 , where the movable flow deflector is between a retracted position and an extended position and continuously adjustable therebetween. 
     
     
         3 . The surface well choke system of  claim 1 , comprising a controller communicably coupled to an actuator of the movable flow deflector, the controller to operate the actuator at a specified duty cycle. 
     
     
         4 . The surface well choke system of  claim 3 , where the controller is to operate the actuator at a specified duty cycle of 0.001 to 1 Hertz. 
     
     
         5 . The surface well choke system of  claim 3 , where the movable flow deflector resides in an inlet flow path of the fluid switch, and the actuator stroke is 30% or less of the diameter of the inlet flow path. 
     
     
         6 . The surface well choke system of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a sensor to sense a characteristic of fluid that flows through the surface well choke system; and   a controller communicably coupled to an actuator of the moveable flow deflector, the controller to operate the actuator.   
     
     
         7 . The surface well choke system of  claim 1 , where the fluid switch comprises a wellhead attachment flange. 
     
     
         8 . The surface well choke system of  claim 1 , where the first inlet comprises an indirect flow inlet and the second inlet comprises a direct flow inlet that is oriented to direct incoming flow more directly to the outlet than the indirect flow inlet. 
     
     
         9 . The surface well choke system of  claim 8 , where the flow chamber comprises a curved sidewall apart from the outlet; and
 where the indirect inlet is oriented to direct incoming flow substantially parallel to a tangent of the curved sidewall and the direct inlet is oriented to direct incoming flow at the outlet.   
     
     
         10 . The surface well choke system of  claim 1 , comprising a bypass flow path to bypass flow around the flow chamber and the fluid switch, comprising an inlet about the inlet to the fluid switch and an outlet about the outlet of the flow chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The surface well choke system of  claim 1 , comprising a second flow chamber and a second fluid switch in fluidic parallel to the first mentioned flow chamber and first mentioned fluid switch. 
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising:
 directing a fluid flow from a wellhead through a first flow path of a surface well choke to an outlet of the surface well choke with a first flow resistance;   moving a fluid deflector in the fluid flow; and   directing the fluid flow, with the fluid deflector, through a second, different flow path of the surface well choke to the outlet with a second, different flow resistance.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising moving the fluid deflector in the fluid flow to an initial position and directing the fluid flow through the first flow path. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising cycling the fluid deflector between the initial position and another position at a rate of 0.001 to 1 Hertz. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , where directing the fluid flow through the second flow path comprises directing the fluid flow through an indirect path to the outlet and directing the fluid flow through the first flow path comprises directing the fluid flow through a more direct path to the outlet. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising directing a portion of the fluid flow through a bypass concurrently while directing another portion of the fluid flow through the first flow path and the second flow path. 
     
     
         17 . A surface well choke system, comprising:
 a flow chamber comprising a first flow chamber inlet that has more resistance to flow to an outlet than a second flow chamber inlet has to flow to the outlet;   a fluid switch comprising:
 a first flow path from a fluid switch inlet to the first flow chamber inlet; 
 a second flow path from the fluid switch inlet to the second flow chamber inlet; and 
 a movable flow deflector actuable to deflect flow from the fluid switch inlet to the first flow path or the second flow path; and 
   a controller communicably coupled to an actuator of the movable flow deflector, the controller to operate the actuator upon user input.   
     
     
         18 . The surface well choke system of  claim 17 , comprising at least one sensor communicably coupled to the controller to sense a characteristic of fluid that flows through the well choke system. 
     
     
         19 . The surface well choke system of  claim 18 , comprising:
 a first sensor upstream of the flow chamber to sense a first characteristic of fluid; and   a second sensor downstream of the flow chamber to sense a second characteristic of fluid.