WELL-BORE GENERATOR

• US 20180149133A1
• Filed: 05/09/2017
• Published: 05/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disposal Power Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Disposal Power Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Herl, Drue
• Granted Patent: US 10,465,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/162 Injecting fluid from longitudinally spaced locations in injection well
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/02 Adaptations for drilling wells
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/10 Submerged units incorporating electric generators or motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 17/061 with rotation axis substantially in flow direction
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/04 using pressure differences or thermal differences occurring in nature F03G7/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1807 Rotary generators H02K7/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for generating energy. The system is incorporated into a disposal or injection well. A conduit is extended down in the well from the surface. Water disposed in the well is used to drive some sort of mechanical-energy creating device that has an axis that runs up the wellbore. The device is used to turn a shaft that extends up in the well, and is used to either generate electrical power, or be used for some mechanical purpose outside the wellbore.

Claims

1. A system for use in a wellbore including an internal casing, the internal casing extending down from a location near a surface level into the wellbore in a formation, the system comprising:

a fluid-delivery system configured to receive a fluid from a fluid source, and deliver the fluid into an upper portion of a conduit, the conduit being coaxially inside, and extending down into the internal casing;

a coaxial space defined between an outside surface of the conduit and inside surfaces of the internal casing;

a sealing member outside the tubular member inside the coaxial space, the sealing member allowing for the passage of the fluid into a formation once the fluid has passed through the conduit while preventing back flow into the coaxial space from the formation;

a fluid-receiving device located inside the conduit, the fluid-receiving device receiving the fluid and creating rotational mechanical energy;

a mechanical-energy utilization system, the utilization system configured to use the rotational mechanical energy created in a location outside of the wellbore.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid-receiving device includes a helical rotor.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the helical rotor imparts rotation into a shaft which extends up in the wellbore to the surface level where the rotational mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid-receiving device comprises an impeller.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the impeller imparts rotation into a shaft which extends up in the wellbore to the surface level where the rotational mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the rotational mechanical energy created by the impeller is converted into electrical energy at a location in the wellbore below the surface level.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the electrical energy is delivered from the wellbore to the surface area using an electrical conduit.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the mechanical-energy utilization system is a generator at the surface level, the generator receiving the rotational-mechanical energy from a shaft that extends up the wellbore from the fluid-receiving device, the generator converting the rotational-mechanical energy into electrical energy for use outside the wellbore.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the mechanical energy in the shaft is directly introduced into and directly drives the generator, the generator operating on substantially the same rotational axis as the shaft.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the generator uses a permanent magnet motor drive head which is driven by the rotation of the rod inside of a stator.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the mechanical energy from the shaft is introduced into a rotational-energy-transfer system, the rotational-energy-transfer system driving the generator, the generator operating on a different rotational axis than does the shaft.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the casing, at an upper portion, is coaxially included inside a primary casing lined with concrete;

the rod extends up through a well head before encountering the generator; and

;

the coaxial space above the sealing member is filled with packer fluid, the packer fluid being prevented from entering the formation by the sealing member.

13. A system for creating energy using a wellbore made into a formation to a depth below a ground water level, the system comprising:

a fluid-receiving device located in the wellbore, the fluid-receiving device receiving fluid travelling downward inside a conduit inside the wellbore, and creating rotational mechanical energy inside the wellbore;

a mechanical-energy utilization system, the utilization system comprising one of;

(i) a mechanical to electrical conversion device for converting the mechanical energy into electrical power for consumption; and

(ii) a mechanical energy consumption arrangement configured to use the rotational mechanical energy created in the wellbore for some mechanical application in a location outside the wellbore; and

a fluid outlet from the conduit, the outlet being located below the ground water level and thus substantially limiting exposure to any ground water.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the conduit extends down from a location near a surface level into the wellbore in the formation, and a coaxial space is defined between an outside surface of the conduit and an inside, substantially cylindrical surface of a wellbore casing, and the coaxial space is sealed off above the fluid outlet.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the fluid-receiving device includes a helical rotor.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein fluid-receiving device includes an impeller which imparts rotation into a shaft which extends up in the wellbore to the surface level where the rotational mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the rotational mechanical energy created by the impeller is converted into electrical energy at a location in the wellbore below the surface level.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the mechanical-energy utilization system includes a shaft that extends up from the wellbore and is received into and directly drives a generator, the generator operating on substantially the same rotational axis as the shaft.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the mechanical-energy utilization system includes a shaft that extends up from the wellbore and encounters a mechanical-energy transfer system that enables the rotational energy to be received into a generator that operates on a rotational axis that is not the same as that of the shaft.

20. A method for generating energy comprising:

selecting one of a disposal and injection well made into a formation;

extending a conduit down the selected well;

locating a mechanical-energy creating device in the conduit to create mechanical rotation of a shaft in the conduit;

generating electrical energy using the mechanical rotation of the shaft for use outside of the selected well.