Wireless remote liquid level detector and indicator for well testing
First Claim
1. A liquid level measuring system for use in measuring the liquid level in a well including a bore hole extending from a well head at the earth'"'"'s surface to a subterranean liquid reservoir and a casing in said bore hole, comprising:
- an electrically conductive sensing probe housing adapted to be lowered into said well, said housing including a sealed chamber;
a conductivity sensing probe insulatably carried by said housing to sense electrical conduction through said liquid between said probe and said housing when said probe housing is lowered to the liquid level in said well;
a pulse generating means disposed in said sealed chamber for generating excitation pulses of a preselected pattern;
a gate circuit means disposed in said sealed chamber and responsive to conduction through said sensing probe for gating said excitation pulses to an output thereof at the onset of conduction through said probe;
an acoustic transmitter means carried by said housing for generating acoustic signals which propagate up said well in response to said excitation pulses;
an acoustic receiver means disposed at said well head for receiving said acoustic signals and generating an indicating signal in response to the reception of said acoustic signals; and
a wire line reel assembly including a footage indicator and having a wire line attached to said sensing probe housing for lowering said sensing probe housing into said well to provide a depth indication of said liquid level at the indication of reception of said acoustic signal by said receiving means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An acoustic system is provided for measuring the fluid level in oil, gas or water wells under pressure conditions that does not require an electrical link to the surface for level detection. A battery powered sound transmitter is integrated with a liquid sensor in the form of a conductivity probe, enclosed in a sealed housing which is lowered into a well by means of a wire line reel assembly. The sound transmitter generates an intense identifiable acoustic emission when the sensor contacts liquid in the well. The acoustic emissions propagate up the well which functions as a waveguide and are detected by an acoustic transducer. The output signal from the transducer is filtered to provide noise rejection outside of the acoustic signal spectrum. The filtered signal is used to indicate to an operator the liquid level in the well has been reached and the depth is read from a footage counter coupled with the wire line reel assembly at the instant the sound signal is received.
-
Citations
5 Claims
-
1. A liquid level measuring system for use in measuring the liquid level in a well including a bore hole extending from a well head at the earth'"'"'s surface to a subterranean liquid reservoir and a casing in said bore hole, comprising:
-
an electrically conductive sensing probe housing adapted to be lowered into said well, said housing including a sealed chamber; a conductivity sensing probe insulatably carried by said housing to sense electrical conduction through said liquid between said probe and said housing when said probe housing is lowered to the liquid level in said well; a pulse generating means disposed in said sealed chamber for generating excitation pulses of a preselected pattern; a gate circuit means disposed in said sealed chamber and responsive to conduction through said sensing probe for gating said excitation pulses to an output thereof at the onset of conduction through said probe; an acoustic transmitter means carried by said housing for generating acoustic signals which propagate up said well in response to said excitation pulses; an acoustic receiver means disposed at said well head for receiving said acoustic signals and generating an indicating signal in response to the reception of said acoustic signals; and a wire line reel assembly including a footage indicator and having a wire line attached to said sensing probe housing for lowering said sensing probe housing into said well to provide a depth indication of said liquid level at the indication of reception of said acoustic signal by said receiving means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
Specification