Systems, apparatus and methods for measuring while drilling

• US 4,553,226 A
• Filed: 06/17/1982
• Issued: 11/12/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Scherbatskoy Family Trust
• Original Assignee: Serge A. Scherbatskoy
• Inventors: Scherbatskoy, Serge A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moskowitz, Nelson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US06/389,247
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 367/83, 367/85, 367/81, 367/84, 367/82, 73/153, 33/306, 33/307, 175/40, 175/48, 375/23, 340/853, 340/861
• US Class Current: 367/83
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/18 through the well fluid , e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/22 by negative mud pulses using a pressure relieve valve between drill pipe and annulus

Abstract

This invention is concerned with downhole measurements while drilling a borehole in the earth with a drill bit at the lower end of the drill string and transmitting such measurements to the surface. The drilling fluid is forced through a fluid passage which includes a drill string, a bit at the lower end thereof and the annulus surrounding the drill string. There is a restriction in the passage causing a pressure drop creating a high pressure zone and a low pressure zone within said passage, and a drilling fluid bypass comprising a bypass valve provides fluid communication between the high pressure zone and the low pressure zone. By means of a downhole sensor and associated equipment a plurality of pulse or electrical voltage change signals representing downhole information is produced. Each of these signals is arranged to generate several electrical voltage changes. A control means is provided to cause opening of the bypass valve responsive to one of these signals and for causing closing of the valve responsive to another of said signals.

Claims

1. A system for performing measurements in a drill hole during drilling operations using a drill string, said drill string defining a part of a fluid passage through which drilling fluid is forced to flow under pressure downwardly through said drill string from the earth'"'"'s surface towards the lower end of said drill string and then upwardly through the annulus surrounding said drill string from said lower end of said drill string to the earth'"'"'s surface, sensor means for sensing the magnitude of a downhole parameter and for generating a series of signal pulses representing said magnitude, a restriction within said passage, said restriction causing a pressure drop within said passage and as a consequence thereof creating a high pressure zone and a low pressure zone within said passage on different sides of said restriction with a consequent pressure difference therebetween, means comprising a bypass valve in a bypass between said zones for providing fluid communication between said high pressure zone and said low pressure zone;

first means for producing two lengthened secondary pulses in response to each of said signal pulses;

second means operated responsive to said lengthened secondary pulses for causing initiation of the opening of said valve in response to one of said lengthened secondary pulses and for causing initiation of the closing of said valve in response to the other of said lengthened secondary pulses, thereby generating pressure changes in said drilling fluid; and

,

transducer means at the earth'"'"'s surface to detect said pressure changes and to provide a measure of the magnitude of said parameter.

2. A system for performing measurements in a drill hole during drilling operations using a drill string, said drill string defining a part of a fluid passage through which drilling fluid is forced to flow under pressure downwardly through said drill string from the earth'"'"'s surface towards the lower end of said drill string and then upwardly through the annulus surrounding said drill string from said lower end of said drill string to the earth'"'"'s surface, sensor means for sensing the magnitude of a downhole parameter and for generating a plurality of voltage changes representing said magnitude, a restriction within said passage, said restriction causing a pressure drop within said passage and as a consequence thereof creating a high pressure zone and a low pressure zone within said passage on different sides of said restriction with a consequent pressure difference therebetween, means comprising a bypass valve in a bypass between said zones for providing fluid communication between said high pressure zone and said low pressure zone, said bypass valve being movable in a first direction from a close to an open position and in a second direction from an open to a close position;

an actuating means responsive to said voltage changes comprising first means to be actuated to move said valve in said first direction and second means to be actuated to move said valve in said second direction and an electronic timing circuit for causing actuations of said first and second means and for controlling time intervals between actuations of said two means to be actuated thereby generating pressure changes in said drilling fluid responsive to the actuations of said valve; and

,

transducer at the earth'"'"'s surface to detect said pressure changes which result from actuations of said valve and to provide a measure of the magnitude of said parameter.

3. A system for performing measurements in a drill hole during drilling operations using a drill string, said drill string defining a part of a fluid passage through which drilling fluid is forced to flow under pressure downwardly through said drill string from the earth'"'"'s surface towards the lower end of said drill string and then upwardly through the annulus surrounding said drill string from said lower end of said drill string to the earth'"'"'s surface, sensor means for sensing the magnitude of a downhole parameter and data signalling means for generating a series of signal pulses representing said magnitude, a restriction within said passage, said restriction causing a pressure drop within said passage and as a consequence thereof creating a high pressure zone and a low pressure zone within said passage on different sides of said restriction with a consequent pressure difference therebetween, pressure signalling means comprising a bypass valve in a bypass between said zones for providing fluid communication between said high pressure zone and said low pressure zone said bypass valve having an open position and a closed position;

means for producing a plurality of electrical voltage changes in response to each of said signal pulses and including

electronic means for controlling the time interval between selected ones of said electrical voltage changes;

means for controlling said pressure signalling means and operated in accordance with a selected one of said electrical voltage changes for causing initiation of the movement of said valve into one of said positions and in accordance with a selected other of said electrical voltage changes for causing initiation of the movement of said valve into the other of said positions, thereby causing pressure changes to be generated in said drilling fluid; and

,

a transducer means at the earth'"'"'s surface to detect said pressure changes and to provide a measure of the magnitude of said parameter.

4. A system for performing measurements in a drill hole during drilling operations using a drill string, said drill string defining a part of a fluid passage through which drilling fluid is forced to flow under pressure downwardly through said drill string from the earth'"'"'s surface towards the lower end of said drill string and then upwardly through the annulus surrounding said drill string from said lower end of said drill string to the earth'"'"'s surface, means for sensing the magnitude of a downhole parameter and for generating a plurality of voltage changes representing said magnitude, a restriction within said passage, said restriction causing a pressure drop within said passage and as a consequence thereof creating a high pressure zone and a low pressure zone within said passage on different sides of said restriction with a consequent pressure different therebetween, means comprising a bypass valve in a bypass between said zones for providing fluid communications between said high pressure zone and said low pressure zone;

means including an electronic timing circuit responsive to selected ones of said voltage changes for generating a plurality of secondary voltage changes;

first means for opening said valve in accordance with selected ones of said secondary voltage changes and second means for closing said valve in accordance with selected others of said voltage changes thereby generating pressure changes in said drilling fluid; and

,

transducer means at the earth'"'"'s surface to detect said pressure changes and to provide a measure of said parameter.