Systems and methods of harvesting energy in a wellbore

• US 10,014,802 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Hardin, Jr., John R., Sitka, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Julio C.
• Application Number:
  US15/096,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20160226405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 290 54, 290 43, 166 665, 166 651, 166248, 3661651, 3661741, 175 93, 175320, 310 26
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0085 Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18; Power stations or aggregates incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/185 using fluid streams
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 35/101 with mechanical input and electrical output, e.g. generators, sensors

Abstract

A downhole assembly including a turbine to be disposed within a wellbore and a rotating array. The rotating array includes magnetic material and is coupled to the turbine. The downhole assembly also includes a magnetostrictive material coupled to the rotating array to strain the magnetostrictive material to induce an electric current in a conductor coupled to the magnetostrictive material.

Claims

1. A downhole assembly to harvest energy in a wellbore, the downhole assembly comprising:

an impeller to be disposed in a wellbore;

a shaft coupled to the impeller and disposed within a housing;

a swash plate coupled to the shaft and disposed at an adjustable angle with respect to a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the shaft and a swash plate bearing surface of the swash plate;

a magnetostrictive device proximate to the swash plate and comprising magnetostrictive material and a conductor proximate to the magnetostrictive material, wherein the impeller drives the shaft in response to fluid flow in the wellbore; and

a rotating distal portion of the swash plate distal from the shaft, wherein the rotating distal portion of the swash plate rotates about the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and wherein the magnetostrictive material is alternately compressed and relaxed by the rotating distal portion of the swash plate, thereby inducing an electrical current in the conductor.

2. The downhole assembly of claim 1, wherein the impeller is coupled to the shaft disposed to provide a non-contact inertia drive.

3. The downhole assembly of claim 1, wherein the magnetostrictive material is in form of a rod.

4. The downhole assembly of claim 1, wherein the magnetostrictive device further comprises:

a housing about the magnetostrictive material; and

a button assembly coupled to the magnetostrictive material to transfer the alternating compressive load to the magnetostrictive material.

5. The downhole assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

stator blades to accelerate the fluid flow toward the impeller.