Downhole energy storage and conversion

• US 10,323,486 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Cobb, James, Rodney, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Giovanna C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schimpf, Tara E
• Application Number:
  US14/781,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20160084043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0085 Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1853 driven by intermittent forces

Abstract

Energy may be stored, converted, and generated during a drilling operation. An example method includes receiving fluid energy from a flow of drilling fluid (115) in a borehole (105). The received fluid energy may be stored as mechanical energy in an energy storage device (205) in the borehole (105). Additionally, electrical energy may be generated from the mechanical energy using a generator mechanically or magnetically coupled to the energy storage device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for downhole energy storage, conversion, and generation, comprising:

an energy storage device;

a power source that derives power from a flow of a drilling fluid during a drilling operation; and

a reversible electric motor coupled to the energy storage device and the power source, wherein the reversible electric motor comprises a first mode in which it transmits energy from the power source to the energy storage device and a second mode in which it generates electricity with energy received from the energy storage device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises at least one of a fluid-driven power source and a vibration-driven power source.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises one of a turbine coupled to an alternator, a generator comprising magnetostrictive elements, or a generator comprising piezoelectric elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the energy storage device comprises a spring.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising at least one gear assembly disposed between the reversible electric motor and the energy storage device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the gear assembly comprises a brake mechanism.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a torque limiter disposed between the reversible electric motor and the energy storage device.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising control electronics communicably coupled to the reversible electric motor, the gear assembly, and the torque limiter.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control electronics comprise a processor and a memory device coupled to the processor that includes a set of instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

monitor a current level of the reversible electric motor;

transmit a first control signal to at least one of the gear assembly and the torque limiter if the current level exceeds a first threshold;

monitor a voltage level of the reversible electric motor; and

transmit a second control signal to at least one of the gear assembly and the torque limiter if the voltage level drops below a second threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions further cause the processor to record a status of at least one survey operation performed when the voltage level is below the second threshold.

11. A method for downhole energy storage, conversion, and generation, comprising:

receiving, at a fluid-driven power source, fluid energy from a flow of drilling fluid in a borehole;

storing the fluid energy as mechanical energy in an energy storage device in the borehole;

transmitting energy, by a reversible electric motor, from the fluid-driven power source to the energy source device when the reversible electric motor is in a first mode, wherein the reversible electric motor is coupled to the energy storage device and the fluid-driven power source; and

generating electricity with energy received from the energy storage device when the reversible electric motor is in a second mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the fluid-driven power source comprises one of a turbine coupled to an alternator or a generator comprising magnetostrictive elements or piezoelectric elements.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein

the energy storage device comprises a spring;

the reversible electric motor is coupled to the spring and the fluid-driven power source; and

storing the fluid energy as mechanical energy in the spring comprises winding the spring using the reversible electric motor in response to power received at the reversible electric motor from the fluid-driven power source.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein

the energy storage device comprises a spring;

and

storing the fluid energy as mechanical energy comprises compressing the spring with a biasing member.