SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF HARVESTING ENERGY IN A WELLBORE

• US 20160226405A1
• Filed: 04/12/2016
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Hardin, John R. Jr., Sitka, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 10,014,802 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: F03B 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18; Power stations or aggregates incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/185 using fluid streams
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 35/101 with mechanical input and electrical output, e.g. generators, sensors

Abstract

A downhole assembly including a turbine to be disposed within a wellbore and a rotating array. The rotating array includes magnetic material and is coupled to the turbine. The downhole assembly also includes a magnetostrictive material coupled to the rotating array to strain the magnetostrictive material to induce an electric current in a conductor coupled to the magnetostrictive material.

Claims

1. A downhole assembly to harvest energy in a wellbore, the downhole assembly comprising:

an impeller to be disposed in a wellbore;

a shaft coupled to the impeller and disposed within a housing;

a swash plate coupled to the shaft and having a surface disposed at an angle with respect to an axis of the shaft; and

a magnetostrictive device proximate to the swash plate and comprising magnetostrictive material and a conductor proximate to the magnetostrictive material;

wherein the impeller drives the shaft in response to fluid flow in the wellbore; and

wherein the swash plate rotates with a rotation of the shaft, and the surface of the swash plate imparts an alternating compressive load to the magnetostrictive material, thereby inducing an electrical current in the conductor.

2. The downhole assembly of claim 8, wherein the impeller is coupled to the shaft disposed to provide a non-contact inertia drive.

3. The downhole assembly of claim 8, wherein the magnetostrictive material is in form of a rod.

4. The downhole assembly of claim 10, wherein the magnetostrictive device further comprises:

a housing about the magnetostrictive material; and

a button assembly couple to the magnetostrictive material to transfer the alternating compressive load to the magnetostrictive material.

5. The downhole assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

stator blades to accelerate the fluid flow toward the impeller.