APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING PARAMETERS DOWNHOLE USING GRAVITY-AFFECTED SENSOR

• US 20130153206A1
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Cairns, Paul G., Estes, Robert A., Kuck, Kurt J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,163,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/66
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/0236 using a pendulum
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 2009/107 spheres
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/10 by using rolling bodies , e.g. spheres, cylinders, mercury droplets
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/02 Switches operated by change of position, inclination or orientation of the switch itself in relation to gravitational field tilting mercury container H01H29/20; change of position due to change of liquid level H01H35/18

Abstract

In one aspect, an apparatus for use in a wellbore is provided that in one embodiment includes a sensor having a plurality of spaced conductive contact elements, a sensing member that moves by gravity and contacts at least two contact elements in the plurality of contact elements to create an electrical short between such at least two contact elements and a circuit coupled to the contact elements configured to generate electrical signals in response to the electrical short between the contact elements.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in a wellbore, comprising:

a sensor having;

a plurality of spaced contact elements;

a sensing member that moves by gravity and contacts at least two contact elements in the plurality of contact elements to create an electrical short between such at least two contact elements; and

a circuit coupled to the contact elements configured to generate electrical signals in response to the electrical short between the contact elements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of contact elements are arranged in two sets and wherein the sensing member contacts at least one contact element in each of the two sets.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the contact elements in the two sets face each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the contact elements in the two sets are interlaced and the sensing member contacts more than two contact elements.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact elements are arranged in a circle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to detect a plurality of shorted contact elements.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing member comprises mercury in the form selected from a group consisting of:

(i) sphere;

(ii) oval; and

(iii) another shape configured to contact two or more contact elements.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing member and the contact elements exhibit substantially same coefficient of expansion.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a circuit coupled to the contact elements provides signals responsive to the expansion of the sensing element and a processor configured to determine temperature of the from such signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a processor configured to determine from the electrical signals a parameter of the tool selected from a group consisting of:

(i) tool face;

(ii) inclination; and

(iii) orientation.

19. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a circuit coupled to the contact elements provides signals responsive to the expansion of the sensing element and a processor configured to determine temperature of the from such signals.

11. An apparatus for determining a parameter of interest downhole, comprising:

a tool body; and

a sensor in the tool body that contains;

a plurality of spaced apart contact elements; and

a sensing member that moves by gravity and contacts at least two contact elements in the plurality of contact elements to create an electrical short between the at least two contact elements;

a circuit coupled to the plurality of contact elements configured to generate electrical signals in response to the electrical short between the contact elements; and

a processor configured to process the signals to determine the parameter of interest.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the parameter interest is selected from a group consisting of:

(i) toolface;

(ii) inclination;

(iii) orientation; and

(iv) temperature.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of contact elements are arranged in two sets and wherein the sensing member contacts at least one contact element in each of the two sets.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the contact elements in the two sets are interlaced and the sensing member contacts at least two contact elements.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the contact elements are arranged in a circle.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the circuit is configured to detect a plurality of shorted contact elements.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sensing member comprises mercury in the form selected from a group consisting of:

(i) sphere;

(ii) oval; and

(iii) another shape configured to contact two or more contact elements.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sensing member and the contact elements exhibit substantially same coefficient of expansion.

20. An apparatus for determining a parameter of interest downhole, comprising:

a tool body configured to be deployed in a wellbore;

a gravity-assisted sensor in the tool that includes a sensing member that freely moves over a plurality of spaced apart contact elements to cause a shorts between at least two such contact elements at a time and generate electrical signals corresponding to such shorts; and

a processor configured to determine the parameter of interest utilizing the electrical signals.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the parameter of interest is a gravity toolface and wherein the apparatus further includes a sensor for determining a magnetic toolface of the tool and wherein the gravity toolface is utilized as a reference to the magnetic tool face during operation of the tool in the wellbore.