RELIABLE WIRED-PIPE DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A downhole signal and/or power transmission system for providing communications and/or power along a string of interconnected downhole components, comprising:
- a plurality of downhole components, at least one of said downhole components comprising;
a first end containing a pin electromagnetic coupler, said first end mechanically interconnecting with an end of a first adjacent downhole component containing a box electromagnetic coupler and said first end being electromagnetically coupled to said end of said first adjacent downhole component via said pin electromagnetic coupler; and
a second end containing a box electromagnetic coupler, said second end mechanically interconnecting with an end of a second adjacent downhole component containing a pin electromagnetic coupler and said second end being electromagnetically coupled to said end of said second adjacent downhole component via said box electromagnetic coupler,wherein said electromagnetic couplers are constructed from non-magnetic materials and wherein said signal and/or power are exchanged among said downhole components by electromagnetic resonant coupling of high-frequency signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A high-frequency data and/or power transmission system suitable for down-hole use including signal/power couplers, transmission line segments and signal repeaters. Signals and power are/is transmitted between couplers and/or between couplers and repeaters by means of electromagnetic resonance coupling. In at least a portion of the system, the transmission line segments form parallel data paths and the repeaters provide crossover capability between the data/power paths, thereby significantly improving reliability. The invention also includes methods of transmitting data and/or distributing high-frequency power through a downhole transmission system including multiple data/power paths and multiple crossovers wherein a fault location in one data/power path is bypassed by routing data and/or power to a parallel data/power path by means of electromagnetic resonance coupling.
54 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A downhole signal and/or power transmission system for providing communications and/or power along a string of interconnected downhole components, comprising:
a plurality of downhole components, at least one of said downhole components comprising; a first end containing a pin electromagnetic coupler, said first end mechanically interconnecting with an end of a first adjacent downhole component containing a box electromagnetic coupler and said first end being electromagnetically coupled to said end of said first adjacent downhole component via said pin electromagnetic coupler; and a second end containing a box electromagnetic coupler, said second end mechanically interconnecting with an end of a second adjacent downhole component containing a pin electromagnetic coupler and said second end being electromagnetically coupled to said end of said second adjacent downhole component via said box electromagnetic coupler, wherein said electromagnetic couplers are constructed from non-magnetic materials and wherein said signal and/or power are exchanged among said downhole components by electromagnetic resonant coupling of high-frequency signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A drill string signal and/or power coupling element for transmitting communications signals and/or power between drill string components and/or between elements of said drill string components, said components or elements being rotatable with respect to each other, comprising:
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a first electromagnetic coupler mounted on a first of said rotatable components or elements; a second electromagnetic coupler mounted on a second of said rotatable components or elements; and a gap between said first and second electromagnetic couplers, said gap accommodating fluids that may be electrically conductive or electrically insulating, wherein said electromagnetic couplers are constructed from non-magnetic materials and wherein said communications signals and/or power are exchanged between said rotatable components or elements by electromagnetic resonant coupling of high-frequency signals. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of providing communications along a string of downhole components comprising a plurality of interconnected downhole components having rotary connections, comprising the steps of:
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generating high-frequency signals having information modulated thereon; tuning a plurality of signal repeaters spaced along said string of downhole components to said high-frequency signals; providing at least one downhole component having; a first end containing a pin electromagnetic coupler, said first end mechanically interconnecting with an end of a first adjacent downhole component containing a box electromagnetic coupler and said first end being electromagnetically coupled to said end of said first adjacent downhole component via said pin electromagnetic coupler, said pin electromagnetic coupler constructed from non-magnetic materials, a second end containing a box electromagnetic coupler, said second end mechanically interconnecting with an end of a second adjacent downhole component containing a pin electromagnetic coupler and said second end being electromagnetically coupled to said end of said second adjacent downhole component via said box electromagnetic coupler, said box electromagnetic coupler constructed from non-magnetic materials, and a plurality of conductors connecting the pin electromagnetic coupler in the first end to the box electromagnetic coupler in the second end through said downhole component so as to form a plurality of parallel data paths between said pin electromagnetic coupler and said box electromagnetic coupler; electromagnetically coupling said high-frequency signals from one of said first and second adjacent downhole components to said downhole component through said pin and box electromagnetic couplers by means of electromagnetic resonant coupling; transmitting said high-frequency signals through at least one of said parallel data paths of said downhole component to a signal repeater; and electromagnetically coupling said high-frequency signals from said signal repeater to the other of said first and second adjacent downhole components through said pin and box electromagnetic couplers by means of electromagnetic resonant coupling. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of transmitting signals and/or power between drill string components and/or elements of said drill string components, said components or elements being rotatable relative to each other, comprising the steps of:
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generating high-frequency signals having information modulated thereon; providing a first electromagnetic coupler, said first coupler being constructed from non-magnetic material and mounted on a first component or element; providing a second electromagnetic coupler, said second coupler being constructed from non-magnetic material and mounted on a second component or element; providing a gap between said first and second electromagnetic coupler, said gap accommodating fluids that may be electrically conductive or electrically insulating; and electromagnetically coupling said high-frequency signals from said first electromagnetic coupler to the second electromagnetic coupler through said gap and said fluids by means of electromagnetic resonant coupling. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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Specification