Drilling system powered by energy-harvesting sensor
First Claim
1. A method for determining the value of an attribute of ambient energy at a downhole drilling assembly, the method comprising:
- harnessing ambient energy to produce a first signal having first signal energy carrying information representing the value of the attribute; and
using power and information derived from the first signal energy to produce a second signal carrying information representing the value of the attribute.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system is provided for determining the value of an attribute of ambient energy at a drilling assembly at the bottom of a borehole. Ambient energy includes kinetic energy, hydraulic energy and thermal energy. Attributes include vibration frequency spectrum, pressure difference, and temperature difference. The method uses energy harvested by at least one energy-harvesting sensor to power the system. The system generates data signals from at least one energy-harvesting sensor at one or more locations along a downhole drilling assembly, and transmits data up the borehole.
28 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method for determining the value of an attribute of ambient energy at a downhole drilling assembly, the method comprising:
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harnessing ambient energy to produce a first signal having first signal energy carrying information representing the value of the attribute; and using power and information derived from the first signal energy to produce a second signal carrying information representing the value of the attribute. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A sensor-transmitter station adapted for mounting on a downhole drilling assembly, for use in a system for determining the value of an attribute of ambient energy at the drilling assembly, the sensor-transmitter station comprising:
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an energy-harvesting sensor; a signal conditioner; and a power conditioner, wherein the energy-harvesting sensor is mounted to receive ambient energy from the drilling assembly and is coupled to deliver a first signal representing the value of the attribute to both the signal conditioner and the power conditioner, and wherein the power conditioner is coupled to deliver conditioned power to the signal conditioner. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An system for determining the value of an attribute of ambient energy at the surface of a downhole drilling assembly, the system comprising:
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a sensor-transmitter station adapted for mounting at a first location on the drilling assembly, the sensor-transmitter station including an energy-harvesting sensor, a signal conditioner, and a power conditioner, the energy-harvesting sensor mounted to receive ambient energy at the drilling assembly and coupled to deliver a signal having signal energy, the signal energy carrying information representing the value of the attribute, to the power conditioner and to the signal conditioner; and a receiver station, adapted for mounting at a second location on the drilling assembly, and adapted to receive a signal transmitted by the sensor-transmitter station; wherein the power conditioner is coupled to power the signal conditioner. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A distributed system adapted for mounting on a downhole drilling assembly, for determining the value of an attribute of ambient energy at a plurality of sensor assembly locations on the body of the drilling assembly, the system comprising:
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a plurality of sensor-transmitter stations mounted at spaced intervals along the body of the drilling assembly, each sensor-transmitter station including at least one energy-harvesting sensor and a signal conditioner; and a receiver station mounted on the body of the drilling assembly, at a location above the sensor-transmitter stations; wherein each sensor-transmitter station is adapted to transform ambient energy into a first signal having signal energy, the signal energy carrying information representing the value of the attribute, such that the energy of the output signal of each sensor-transmitter assembly is derived entirely from signal energy. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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Specification