Systems and methods for wirelessly monitoring well conditions

• US 10,436,022 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• 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): Casillashernandez, Omar
• Application Number:
  US16/020,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20180306028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 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 47/12 Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A system for wirelessly monitoring well conditions includes a set of wireless transceivers placed along a drill string inside a well, each transceiver placed within at least half the maximum distance that each transceiver can transmit data, and a power generator attached to each transceiver that powers the respective transceiver, the power generator including a first material that is 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 toward the second material based on the motion of the power generator so that the two materials have a maximized point of contact to generate maximum power. The wireless transceivers may communicate using any wireless communication technology, including but not limited to Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and BLE.

Claims

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

connecting an array of wireless transceivers along a drill string inside a well, each transceiver placed within at least half the maximum distance that each transceiver can transmit data;

connecting a power generator to each transceiver for powering the respective transceivers, the wireless transceivers communicate over a wireless communication method selected from the group consisting of Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, and ZigBee;

providing a first housing for housing the power generator and a bridge rectifier; and

providing a second housing for housing a storage unit, a microcontroller, and a transceiver unit, wherein the second housing comprises a hollow housing structure that provides clearance for the drilling fluids to flow through.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

connecting at least one sensor that gathers information concerning a downhole environment to one of the wireless transceivers;

connecting a microcontroller unit to each of the wireless transceivers to manage the power generated by the power generator; and

transmitting information gathered by the at least one sensor.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting step further comprises:

transmitting information to a first transceiver placed within at least half the maximum distance that each transceiver can transmit data.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting step further comprises:

transmitting information to second transceiver placed at the maximum distance that each transceiver can transmit data.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a MWD or LWD sensor.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

embedding the power generator inside the drill string and the wireless transceiver outside the drill string.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

embedding the power generator and the wireless transceiver inside the drill string.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first housing comprises a polymeric material.

9. The method according to claim 1, 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.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit comprises at least one of dielectric capacitors, ceramic film capacitors, electrolytic capacitors, supercapacitors, double-layer capacitors, and pseudo-capacitors.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the wireless transceivers comprises a sleep mode, a standby mode, and an active mode of operation.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the power generator further comprises:

a first material that is 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; and

wherein the first material is propelled towards the second material based on the motion of the power generator so that the two materials have a maximized point of contact to generate maximum power.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

depositing nano particles on the first material or the second material to form nano pillars or nano patterns.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of Copper, Aluminum, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Polyimide, Lead, Elastomer, Polydimethylacrylamide (PDMA), Nylon, and Polyester.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second material is selected from the group consisting of Copper, Aluminum, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Polyimide, Lead, Elastomer, Polydimethylacrylamide (PDMA), Nylon, and Polyester.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

suspending the first material using one or more coil springs.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

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

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the power generator further comprises:

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

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

the storage unit is configured to store the power generated by the power generator.