| CPC E21B 43/121 (2013.01) [F04B 47/12 (2013.01)] | 10 Claims |
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1. A well tool system comprising:
an elongate, hollow body configured to be installed within a wellbore that is formed from a surface of the Earth through a subterranean zone to a subsurface reservoir storing hydrocarbons, the body defining an interior volume through which a plunger of a plunger lift system is configured to travel from the surface toward the subsurface reservoir;
a plunger catcher plate attached to a downhole end of the body, the plate configured to transition from a first plate position in which a plate axis is perpendicular to a body axis and a second plate position in which the plate axis is parallel to the body axis, the plate configured, in the second plate position, to catch the plunger traveling from the surface toward the subsurface reservoir;
a hydraulic actuation assembly connected to the plunger catcher plate, the hydraulic actuation assembly configured to transition the plunger catcher plate from the first plate position to a second plate position in response to being hydraulically actuated,
wherein the hydraulic actuation assembly comprises an actuation sleeve configured to translate within the interior volume along the body axis between a first sleeve position in which the plate is maintained in the first plate position and a second sleeve position in which the plate is allowed to translate to the second plate position,
wherein the hydraulic actuation assembly comprises a plate spring that is connected to the plunger catcher plate and the body, wherein, in a biased state, the plate spring is configured to maintain the plate in the first plate position, and wherein, in an unbiased state, the plate spring is configured to allow the plate to transition to the second plate position,
wherein the hydraulic actuation assembly comprises a piston configured to translate along the body axis between an energized position in which the actuation sleeve retains the plate spring in the biased state and a de-energized position in which the actuation sleeve permits the plate spring to transition to the unbiased state,
wherein the hydraulic actuation assembly comprises a piston spring coupled to the piston, wherein the piston spring is in a biased state when the piston is in the energized position, and wherein the piston spring is configured to transition to an unbiased state to transition the piston from the energized position to the de-energized position, and
a pin configured to couple the actuation sleeve and the piston to cause the actuation sleeve to translate along the body axis in response to the piston translating between the energized position and the de-energized position, wherein each of the actuation sleeve and the piston define a respective notch to receive respective ends of the pin.
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