DOWNHOLE POWER GENERATION USING HYDRAULIC FLOW REGULATION

• US 20150176372A1
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Winslow, Daniel Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,574,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0085 Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1807 Rotary generators H02K7/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/06 Control effected upon clutch or other mechanical power transmission means and dependent upon electric output value of the generator

Abstract

Systems and methods of downhole power generation are disclosed, which provide for the generation of electrical power in a downhole environment by the use of an electrical generator coupled to a hydraulic circuit that receives energy from a source in the downhole environment. The hydraulic circuit can receive energy from flowing drilling fluid and/or from kinetic energy of one or more portions of the drill string. A direct or indirect coupling can be used to transfer energy from the downhole environment to a pump in the hydraulic circuit, which can act as a hydraulic flow source, providing flow through a flow regulation device or control circuit. The hydraulic fluid under such control can then be used to turn a hydraulic motor, which is used to turn an electric generator for the generation of electricity for downhole tools such as logging tools, related telemetry, and the like.

Claims

1. A downhole power generation system comprising:

an energy source that provides input energy;

a hydraulic circuit communicably coupled to the energy source to receive the input energy at a hydraulic pump arranged within the hydraulic circuit, wherein the hydraulic pump circulates hydraulic fluid throughout the hydraulic circuit;

a hydraulic motor arranged in the hydraulic circuit;

a flow regulation device interposing the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic motor within the hydraulic circuit, wherein the flow regulating device receives hydraulic fluid flow from the hydraulic pump and provides a regulated hydraulic fluid flow directly to an inlet of the hydraulic motor which converts the regulated hydraulic fluid flow into a power input;

and

an electrical generator communicably coupled to the hydraulic motor, wherein the electrical generator receives the power input and generates electrical power.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic circuit is communicably coupled to the energy source with a coupling, and wherein the coupling transfers the input energy from the energy source to the hydraulic pump in the form of mechanical energy.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the coupling is a direct coupling.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the direct coupling includes a seal.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the coupling is an indirect coupling.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the indirect coupling comprises a magnetic coupling.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow regulation device is a pressure compensated, constant flow device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow regulation device comprises:

a first solenoid valve that receives the hydraulic fluid flow from the hydraulic pump; and

a second solenoid valve that discharges the regulated hydraulic fluid flow from the flow regulation device and back into the hydraulic circuit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first and second solenoid valves of the flow regulation device are configured for pulse width modulation control.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow regulation device is arranged in a hydraulic manifold that fluidly couples the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy source comprises at least one of a rotating drive shaft and a fluid-driven turbine.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydraulic circuit and electrical generator are disposed in a housing arranged adjacent the energy source.

12. (canceled)

14. A method of downhole power generation, comprising:

receiving input energy provided by an energy source with a hydraulic pump communicably coupled to the energy source;

circulating hydraulic fluid with the hydraulic pump throughout a hydraulic circuit;

regulating a hydraulic fluid flow received from the hydraulic pump with a flow regulation device and thereby generating a regulated hydraulic fluid flow, the flow regulation device interposing the hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor within the hydraulic circuit;

providing the regulated hydraulic fluid flow directly to an inlet of the hydraulic motor;

converting the regulated hydraulic fluid flow into a power input with the hydraulic motor; and

receiving the power input with an electrical generator and thereby generating electrical power, the electrical generator being communicably coupled to the hydraulic motor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the hydraulic pump is communicably coupled to the energy source with a coupling, the method further comprising transferring the input energy from the energy source to the hydraulic pump with the coupling in the form of mechanical energy.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising distributing electrical power from the electrical generator to a downhole tool.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving input energy provided by the energy source with the hydraulic pump further comprises coupling the energy source to the hydraulic pump using a direct coupling.

18. The method of claim 14, receiving input energy provided by the energy source with the hydraulic pump further comprises coupling the energy source to the hydraulic pump using an indirect coupling.

19. A downhole power generation system comprising:

a rotating drill string that provides input energy;

a plurality of power generation units arranged about an outer surface of the rotating drill string, each power generation unit comprising;

a hydraulic circuit communicably coupled to the energy source, wherein the hydraulic circuit receives the input energy at a hydraulic pump arranged within the hydraulic circuit and the hydraulic pump circulates hydraulic fluid throughout the hydraulic circuit;

a hydraulic motor arranged in the hydraulic circuit;

a flow regulation device interposing the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic motor within the hydraulic circuit, wherein the flow regulating device receives hydraulic fluid flow from the hydraulic pump and provides a regulated hydraulic fluid flow directly to an inlet of the hydraulic motor which converts the regulated hydraulic fluid flow into a power input;

and

an electrical generator communicably coupled to the hydraulic motor, wherein the electrical generator receives the power input and generates electrical power; and

wherein the electrical generator of each power generation unit provides the electrical power to one or more downhole tools.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the hydraulic circuit of each power generation unit is communicably coupled to the energy source with a coupling, wherein the coupling transfers the input energy from the energy source to the hydraulic pump of each power generation unit in the form of mechanical energy.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein one or more of the couplings of the plurality of power generation units is a direct coupling.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the direct coupling includes a seal.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein one or more of the couplings of the plurality of power generation units is an indirect coupling.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the indirect coupling comprises a magnetic coupling.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein one or more of the flow regulation devices of the plurality of power generation units is a pressure compensated, constant flow device.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein one or more of the flow regulation devices of the plurality of power generation units comprises:

a first solenoid valve that receives the hydraulic fluid flow from the hydraulic pump; and

a second solenoid valve that discharges the regulated hydraulic fluid flow from the flow regulation device and back into the hydraulic circuit.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first and second solenoid valves of the one or more flow regulation devices are configured for pulse width modulation control.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the flow regulation device is arranged in a hydraulic manifold that fluidly couples the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the hydraulic circuit and electrical generator of one or more of the plurality of power generation units are disposed in a housing arranged adjacent the energy source.

29. (canceled)