High temperature, self-powered, miniature mobile device

• US 10,320,311 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Gooneratne, Chinthaka Pasan, Li, Bodong, Zhou, Shaohua
• Primary Examiner(s): Aziz, Adnan
• Application Number:
  US15/457,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20180262127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 3408546
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0085 Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/017 Protecting measuring instruments
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/138 Devices entrained in the flow of well-bore fluid for transmitting data, control or actuation signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/002 Details, e.g. power supply systems for logging instruments, transmitting or recording data, specially adapted for well logging, also if the prospecting method is irrelevant means for transmitting well survey signals E21B47/12; signal transmission systems in general G08C; transmission in general H04B
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/04 Friction generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits

Abstract

High temperature miniature mobile device includes a power generator including a first material of one polarity and a second material that is fixed in position and is of opposite polarity of the first material, wherein the first material is propelled towards or slid against the second material based on motion of the miniature mobile device so that the two materials have a maximized point of contact to generate maximum power, an electrode that is connected to the first material or second material, a bridge rectifier connected to the electrode to transform the power generated into direct current from alternating current, a storage unit for storing the power generated by the power generator, a sensor that gathers information concerning a downhole environment, and a microcontroller and transceiver unit to manage the power generated by the power generator and transmit information gathered by the sensor.

Claims

1. A high temperature, self-powered, miniature mobile device for wirelessly monitoring well conditions, the device comprising:

a power generator including a first material of one polarity and a second material that is fixed in position relative to the first material and is of opposite polarity of the first material, wherein the first material is configured to be propelled towards and separated, or slid against and separated from the second material upon motion of the miniature mobile device so that the two materials have a maximized point of contact to generate maximum power, wherein the device is configured to be deployed down a well with mud flow to measure downhole parameters, and wherein the motion is caused due to the mud flow carrying the miniature mobile device;

at least one electrode that is connected to the first material or second material;

a bridge rectifier connected to the at least one electrode to transform the power generated into direct current from alternating current;

a storage unit for storing the power generated by the power generator;

at least one sensor that gathers information concerning a downhole environment; and

a microcontroller and transceiver unit to manage the power generated by the power generator and transmit information gathered by the at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is operatively coupled to the microcontroller.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising

a shell for housing at least one of the following:

the power generator, the at least one electrode, the bridge rectifier, the storage unit, the at least one sensor, and the microcontroller and transceiver unit,

wherein the shell comprises a material that withstands high temperatures.

3. A system for wirelessly monitoring well conditions, the system comprising:

a plurality of high temperature miniature mobile devices wirelessly connected to a computer on a drilling surface, wherein the plurality of high temperature miniature mobile devices are deployed down a well with mud flow to measure downhole parameters, each of the plurality of high temperature miniature mobile devices comprising;

a power generator including a first material of one polarity and a second material that is fixed in position relative to the first material and is of opposite polarity of the first material, wherein the first material is configured to be propelled towards and separated, or slid against and separated from the second material upon motion of the miniature mobile devices so that the two materials have a maximized point of contact to generate maximum power, wherein the motion is caused due to mud flow carrying the miniature mobile devices;

at least one electrode that is connected to the first material or second material;

a bridge rectifier connected to the at least one electrode to transform the power generated into direct current from alternating current;

a storage unit for storing the power generated by the power generator;

at least one sensor that gathers information concerning a downhole environment; and

a microcontroller and transceiver unit to manage the power generated by the power generator and transmit information gathered by the at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is operatively coupled to the microcontroller.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a string of wireless transceivers placed along a drill string inside a well, each transceiver placed within at least half the distance that each transceiver can transmit data and configured to communicate wirelessly with the plurality of high temperature miniature mobile devices.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the string of wireless transceivers are configured to:

receive measurement data from one of the high temperature miniature mobile devices; and

transmit the measurement data to another wireless transceiver closer to the computer on the drilling surface.

6. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

one or more downhole tools placed along a drill string inside a well for being activated, deactivated, or configured by one of the high temperature miniature mobile devices when the device is within a predetermined distance from the tool,

or a downhole tool to activate, deactivate or configure one of the high temperature miniature mobile devices when the device is within a predetermined distance from the tool.

7. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a sleeve formed on an outer surface of a drill string, the sleeve adapted to move downwards in response to hydraulic or mechanical pressure,

wherein the sleeve comprises an outer valve for securing the plurality of high temperature miniature mobile devices in the body of the sleeve and releasing the plurality of high temperature miniature mobile devices when opened.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the first material is suspended using one or more coil springs.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the motion is caused due to vibration, rotation, or noise in a drill string carrying the miniature mobile devices.

10. The system of claim 3, further comprising a turbine operatively coupled to the first material for causing the first material to move towards the second material or away from the second material.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the storage unit comprises one of ceramic film capacitors, electrolytic capacitors, supercapacitors, double-layer capacitors, or pseudo-capacitors.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein the first material and the second material are comprised of a material that causes static electricity.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first material and the second material are selected from the group consisting of Copper, Aluminum, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Polyimide, Lead, Elastomer, Polydimethylacrylamide (PDMA), Nylon, and Polyester.

14. The system of claim 3, wherein the first material and the second material comprise a fire-resistant material.

15. The system of claim 3, further comprising

a shell for housing at least one of the following:

the power generator, the at least one electrode, the bridge rectifier, the storage unit, the at least one sensor, and the microcontroller and transceiver unit, wherein the shell comprises a material that withstands high temperatures.

16. The system of claim 3, wherein the transceiver unit is configured to communicate over a wireless communication method selected from the group consisting of Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, and ZigBee.

17. A method for wirelessly monitoring well conditions, the method comprising:

wirelessly connecting a plurality of high temperature miniature mobile devices to a computer on a drilling surface;

deploying the plurality of high temperature miniature mobile devices down a well with mud flow to measure downhole parameters, each of the plurality of high temperature miniature mobile devices comprising;

a power generator including a first material of one polarity and a second material that is fixed in position relative to the first material and is of opposite polarity of the first material, wherein the first material is propelled towards and separated, or slid against and separated from the second material upon motion of the miniature mobile devices so that the two materials have a maximized point of contact to generate maximum power, wherein the motion is caused due to the mud flow carrying the miniature mobile devices;

at least one electrode that is connected to the first material or second material;

a bridge rectifier connected to the at least one electrode to transform the power generated into direct current from alternating current;

a storage unit for storing the power generated by the power generator;

at least one sensor that gathers information concerning a downhole environment; and

a microcontroller and transceiver unit to manage the power generated by the power generator; and

transmitting information gathered by the at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is operatively coupled to the microcontroller.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

installing a string of wireless transceivers along a drill string inside a well, each transceiver being installed within at least half the distance that each transceiver can transmit data, wherein the wireless transceivers are configured to communicate wirelessly with the plurality of high temperature miniature mobile devices.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the string of wireless transceivers are configured to:

receive measurement data from one of the high temperature miniature mobile devices; and

transmit the measurement data to another wireless transceiver closer to the computer on the drilling surface.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

installing one or more downhole tools along a drill string inside a well for being activated, deactivated, or configured by one of the high temperature miniature mobile devices when the device is within a predetermined distance from the tool,

or a downhole tool to activate, deactivate or configure one of the high temperature miniature mobile devices when the device is within a predetermined distance from the tool.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a sleeve on an outer surface of a drill string, the sleeve adapted to move downwards in response to hydraulic or mechanical pressure, wherein the sleeve comprises an outer valve for securing the plurality of high temperature miniature mobile devices in the body of the sleeve; and

releasing the plurality of high temperature miniature mobile devices upon opening the outer valve.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the first material is suspended using one or more coil springs.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the motion is caused due to vibration, rotation, or noise in a drill string carrying the miniature mobile devices.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

operatively coupling a turbine to the first material for causing the first material to move towards the second material or away from the second material.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the storage unit comprises one of ceramic film capacitors, electrolytic capacitors, supercapacitors, double-layer capacitors, or pseudo-capacitors.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the first material and the second material are selected from the group consisting of Copper, Aluminum, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Polyimide, Lead, Elastomer, Polydimethylacrylamide (PDMA), Nylon, Polyester, a fire-resistant material, or a material that causes static electricity.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing a first housing for housing the power generator, the electrode, and the bridge rectifier, wherein the first housing comprises a polymeric material; and

providing a second housing for housing the storage unit, microcontroller, and the transceiver unit, wherein the second housing comprises a material selected from the group consisting of certain solids, transition metals, as well as high strength alloys and/or compounds of the transition metals, and high temperature dewars.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the transceiver unit is configured to communicate over a wireless communication method selected from the group consisting of Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, and ZigBee.