Hybrid downhole acoustic wireless network

• US 10,487,647 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Song, Limin, Zhang, Yibing, Clawson, Scott William, Walker, Katie M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherwin, Ryan W
• Application Number:
  US15/666,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20180058208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0085 Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/005 Monitoring or checking of cementation quality or level
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/007 Measuring stresses in a pipe string or casing for locating blocked portions of pipes E21B47/09
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/017 Protecting measuring instruments
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/16 through the drill string or casing , e.g. by torsional acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/18 through the well fluid , e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A hybrid electro-acoustic system for extending battery life of a downhole wireless telemetry system. The system includes a plurality of battery-powered intermediate communications nodes spaced along a downhole tubular body and attached to a wall of the tubular body, each of the battery-powered intermediate communications nodes configured to alternate between a sleep mode and an active mode and comprising: a power source comprising one or more batteries positioned within a housing; an electro-acoustic transducer and a transceiver, or a separate transmitter and receiver, positioned within the housing; and a topside communications node comprising: a transmitter and a power supply, the topside communications node structured and arranged to send an acoustic signal to one or more of the battery-powered intermediate communications nodes to place same in the active mode; wherein the power supply of the topside communications node is sufficient to enable communications directly with the intermediate communications node most remote from the surface and greater than the battery power provided to each of the intermediate communications nodes.

Claims

1. A hybrid electro-acoustic system for extending battery life of a downhole wireless telemetry system, comprising:

a plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes spaced along a downhole tubular body and attached to a wall of the tubular body, each of the subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes configured to alternate between a sleep mode and an active mode when the subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes are in a wellbore and comprising

a power source comprising one or more batteries positioned within a housing, the power source configured to provide sufficient power to transmit and receive signals to and from adjacent subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes in the active mode,

an electro-acoustic transducer, and a transceiver, or a separate transmitter and receiver, positioned within the housing and configured to transmit and receive signals at a frequency between 50 kHz and 500 kHz, and

a vibration resonator tuned to initiate a resonant vibration in the presence of a sound or vibration at a pre-selected frequency in an audible frequency range;

and

a topside communications node comprising

a power supply,

a vibration-generating device structured and arranged to send a sound or vibration in the audible frequency range directly to any of the plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes when the plurality of subsurface battery-operated intermediate communications nodes are in the wellbore, and

an electro-acoustic transducer, and a transceiver, or a separate transmitter and receiver, configured to transmit and receive signals at a frequency between 50 kHz and 500 kHz;

wherein the power supply of the topside communications node

provides sufficient power to enable the sound or vibration in the audible frequency range generated by the vibration-generating device to cause a resonant vibration of the vibration resonators of any of the subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes when said nodes are in the wellbore, thereby placing at least a subset of the subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes in the active mode, and

provides greater power than the power provided by the power source of each of the subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more battery-powered sensing nodes located at sensing locations along a downhole tubular body and attached on a wall of the tubular body, at least one sensing device in the sensing node, each of the battery-powered sensing nodes configured to alternate between a sleep mode and an active mode and comprising:

a power source comprising one or more batteries positioned within a housing;

an electro-acoustic transducer and a transceiver, or a separate transmitter and receiver, positioned within the housing, wherein the power supply of the topside communications node provides sufficient power to enable communications directly with the sensing node most remote from the surface and greater than the battery power provided to each of the sensing nodes.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sleep mode is a deep-sleep mode.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the topside communications node communicates directly with each of the plurality of battery-powered intermediate communications nodes by generating a sound or a vibration that propagates downhole via a wall of the tubular body or a fluid within the tubular body.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration-generating device comprises a repetitive impactor, a pneumatic vibrator, an eccentric motor, a piezoelectric stack, or an oscillating valve,

to generate the sound or vibration that propagates downhole to communicate with the plurality of battery-powered intermediate communications nodes.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes further comprises an electrical switch that places said subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes in the active mode when the sound or vibration is received directly from the topside communications node and the resonant vibration of the vibration resonator at the pre-selected frequency is initiated.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration resonator comprises a cantilever vibrator or a ball-spring vibrator, with a resonance frequency matching that of the pre-selected frequency.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-selected frequency is within a pass-band of the downhole tubular body, the pass-band being a frequency band in the audible frequency range where acoustic wave propagation loss in the downhole tubular body is minimal.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the topside communications node further comprises a modulator for modulating the sound or vibration generated therefrom.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the modulator produces a pattern of “

on” and

“

off”

signals to transmit a surface command directly to a specific subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications node.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes further comprises energy harvesting electronics connected to the vibration resonator.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the vibration resonator functions as a power receiver to convert energy of the sound or vibration transmitted from the topside communications node into electrical power via the energy harvesting electronics.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the energy harvesting electronics comprises a super-capacitor or chargeable batteries.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes further comprises pass-band filtering circuitry to isolate a pre-selected frequency range of the acoustic signal.

15. A method of extending battery life of a downhole wireless telemetry system, comprising:

providing a plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes spaced along a downhole tubular body and attached to a wall of the tubular body, each of the subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes configured to alternate between a sleep mode and an active mode when the subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes are in a wellbore and comprising

a power source comprising one or more batteries positioned within a housing, the power source configured to provide sufficient power to transmit and receive signals to and from adjacent subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes in the active mode,

an electro-acoustic transducer, and a transceiver, or a separate transmitter and receiver, positioned within the housing and configured to transmit and receive signals at a frequency between 50 kHz and 500 kHz, and

a vibration resonator tuned to initiate a resonant vibration in the presence of a sound or vibration at a pre-selected frequency in an audible frequency range;

providing a topside communications node comprising a power supply, a vibration generating device, and an electro-acoustic transducer;

using the vibration generating device, sending a sound or vibration in the audible frequency range directly to any of the plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes when the plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes are in the wellbore; and

placing one or more of the subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes in the active mode in response to receiving the sound or vibration by the vibration resonator or resonators associated therewith when said nodes are in the wellbore, and initiating the resonant vibration in said vibration resonator or resonators.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the sleep mode is a deep-sleep mode.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the power supply of the topside communications node

provides sufficient power to enable the sound or vibration in the audible frequency range generated by the vibration-generating device to cause the resonant vibration of the vibration resonator or resonators, and

provides greater power than the power provided by the power source of each of the intermediate communications nodes.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein sending the sound or vibration in the audible frequency range directly to any of the plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes further comprises propagating the sound or vibration via a wall of the tubular body or a fluid within the tubular body.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the vibration-generating device further comprises a repetitive impactor, a pneumatic vibrator, an eccentric motor, a piezoelectric stack, or an oscillating valve,

to generate the sound or vibration that propagates downhole to communicate with the plurality of battery-powered intermediate communications nodes.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the vibration resonator comprises a cantilever vibrator or a ball-spring vibrator, with a resonance frequency matching that of the pre-selected frequency.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising placing one or more of the subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes in the active mode by completing an electrical circuit when the vibration resonator initiates the resonant vibration.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising converting energy of the sound or vibration transmitted from the topside communications node into electrical power via energy harvesting electronics connected to the vibration resonator.

23. A method of assessing changes in subterranean well integrity along the length of the subterranean well, comprising:

providing a plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes spaced along a downhole tubular body and attached to a wall of the downhole tubular body, each of the subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes configured to alternate between a sleep mode and an active mode and comprising

a power source comprising one or more batteries positioned within a housing, the power source configured to provide sufficient power to transmit and receive signals to and from adjacent subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes in the active mode,

an electro-acoustic transducer, and a transceiver, or a separate transmitter and receiver, positioned within the housing and configured to transmit and receive signals at a frequency between 50 kHz and 500 kHz, and

a vibration resonator tuned to initiate a resonant vibration in the presence of a sound or vibration at a pre-selected frequency in an audible frequency range;

providing a topside communications node comprising a power supply, a vibration generating device, and an electro-acoustic transducer;

using the vibration generating device, sending a sound or vibration in the audible frequency range directly to each of the plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes when the plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes are in the wellbore; and

using the sound or vibration received by the vibration resonator when the plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes are in the wellbore, determining an acoustic response of each of the plurality of one or more subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes; and

using said acoustic response, assessing a condition of a propagation path between the topside communications node and each of the plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising constructing a linear acoustic tomography by measuring acoustic parameters between the topside communications node and each of the plurality of subsurface battery-powered intermediate communications nodes.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising repeating the method at a different time with respect to a previous time and measuring a change in acoustic parameters between the different time and the previous time to determine whether a physical change in a well condition has occurred.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the physical change in well conditions includes a change in fluid in the tubular body, a change in cement condition over time, or a change in tubular body integrity over time.