Apparatus for electromagnetically coupling power and data signals between well bore apparatus and the surface
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Well bore apparatus comprising:
- a sub-surface tool including a selectively-operable means which includes at least one electrical device;
coupling means including inner and outer telescopically-interfitting coil assemblies, said coil assemblies further including,inner and outer cores formed substantially of ferrite materials having a DC bulk resistivity greater than ten thousand ohm-meters and cooperatively arranged so that said coil assemblies can be telescopically interfitted together, said ferrite material being selected from the group of metal ions consisting of manganese, nickel, zinc, magnesium, cadmium, cobalt, and cooper and having a curie temperature point greater than the maximum anticipated well bore temperature to which said coil assemblies will be exposed, said ferrite materials further including an additive of no more than about ten percent by weight of zirconia in a crystalline or uncrystalline form, andinner and outer coils, disposed within said inner and outer cores, respectively wound around said inner and outer cores and electromagnetically intercoupled to one another whenever said coil assemblies are telescopically interfitted together,means on said tool for retaining one of said coil assemblies in a position in a well bore where it can be telescopically interfitted with the other of said coil assemblies, and means for connecting said coil of said one coil assembly to said electrical device; and
means on said other coil assembly for connecting its said coil to the conductors in a suspension cable supporting said other coil assembly for movement in a well bore to said position where said coil assemblies are telescopically interfitted.
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Abstract
In the representative embodiment of the new and improved apparatus disclosed herein, a downhole tool adapted to be coupled in a pipe string and positioned in a well bore is provided with one or more electrical devices cooperatively arranged to receive power from surface power sources or to transmit and/or receive control or data signals from surface equipment. Unique inner and outer coil assemblies arranged on ferrite cores are arranged on the downhole tool and a suspension cable for electromagnetically coupling the electrical devices to the surface equipment so that power and/or data or control signals can be transmitted between the downhole and surface equipment.
387 Citations
44 Claims
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1. Well bore apparatus comprising:
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a sub-surface tool including a selectively-operable means which includes at least one electrical device; coupling means including inner and outer telescopically-interfitting coil assemblies, said coil assemblies further including, inner and outer cores formed substantially of ferrite materials having a DC bulk resistivity greater than ten thousand ohm-meters and cooperatively arranged so that said coil assemblies can be telescopically interfitted together, said ferrite material being selected from the group of metal ions consisting of manganese, nickel, zinc, magnesium, cadmium, cobalt, and cooper and having a curie temperature point greater than the maximum anticipated well bore temperature to which said coil assemblies will be exposed, said ferrite materials further including an additive of no more than about ten percent by weight of zirconia in a crystalline or uncrystalline form, and inner and outer coils, disposed within said inner and outer cores, respectively wound around said inner and outer cores and electromagnetically intercoupled to one another whenever said coil assemblies are telescopically interfitted together, means on said tool for retaining one of said coil assemblies in a position in a well bore where it can be telescopically interfitted with the other of said coil assemblies, and means for connecting said coil of said one coil assembly to said electrical device; and means on said other coil assembly for connecting its said coil to the conductors in a suspension cable supporting said other coil assembly for movement in a well bore to said position where said coil assemblies are telescopically interfitted. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Well bore apparatus comprising:
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sub-surface equipment including a tubular body adapted to be coupled into a pipe string and positioned in a well bore; selectively-operable means on said body including at least one electrical device; coupling means including inner and outer telescopically-interfitting coil assemblies, said coil asemblies further including, inner and outer core members respectively formed substantially of ferrite materials having a DC bulk resistivity greater than ten thousand ohm-meters and cooperatively sized and arranged so that said coil assemblies can be telescopically interfitted together, said ferrite materials being selected from the group of metal ions consisting of manganese, nickel, zinc, magnesium, cadmium, cobalt and copper and having a curie temperature point greater than the anticipated maximum well bore temperatures to which said coil assemblies will be exposed, said ferrite materials further including an additive of no more than about ten percent by weight of zirconia in a crystalline or uncrystalline form, and inner and outer coils, disposed within said inner and outer core members, respectively wound around said inner and outer core members and electromagnetically intercoupled to one another whenever said coil assemblies are telescopically interfitted together, means for coaxially mounting said outer coil assembly within said body and in position to telescopically receive said inner coil assembly, and means for connecting said outer coil to said electrical device; means on said inner coil assembly for connecting said inner coil to the conductors in a suspension cable dependently supporting said inner coil assembly for movement through a pipe string in a well bore to a position therein where said inner and outer coil assemblies are telescopically interfitted; and surface equipment connected to the conductors in a suspension cable supporting said inner coil assembly. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. Apparatus adapted to be disposed in a well bore for inductively coupling power and data signals between surface equipment and sub-surface equipment, comprising:
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a first conductor adapted to be connected to the surface equipment; a second conductor adapted to be connected to the sub-surface equipment; and coupling means interconnecting said first conductor to said second conductor for conducting said power and data signal between said surface equipment and said sub-surface equipment, said coupling means including, a first coil connected to said first conductor, a second coil connected to said second conductor and coaxially disposed around said first coil, said second coil being inductively coupled with said first coil, and core means disposed within and around said first coil and said second coil for assisting in the inductive coupling of said first coil and said second coil, said core means comprising a specific ferrite material, said specific ferrite material of said core means including ceramic magnetic materials formed of ionic crystals and having the general chemical composition (Me)Fe2 O3, where (Me) is a metal ion selected from a group consisting of manganese, nickel and zinc. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. Apparatus adapted for electromagnetically coupling electrical conductors in a well bore suspension cable to well bore apparatus having at least one electrical device and comprising:
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inner and outer coil assemblies respectively including, inner and outer core members formed substantially of ferrite materials having a DC bulk resistivity greater than ten thousand ohm-meters and cooperatively arranged so that said inner coil assembly can be telescopically disposed within said outer coil assembly, said core members being formed of ferrites selected from the group of metal ions consisting of manganese, nickel, zinc, magnesium, cadmium, cobalt and copper, said ferrites further including an additive of up to about ten percent by weight of zirconia, and inner and outer coils disposed within said inner and outer core members, respectively wound around said inner core member and inductively coupling the conductors in a suspension cable connected to one of said coils to a well bore electrical device connected to the other of said coils whenever said inner coil assembly is disposed within said outer coil assembly. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. Apparatus adapted for electromagnetically coupling electrical conductors in a well bore suspension cable to well bore apparatus having at least at least one electrical device and comprising:
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inner and outer coil assemblies respectively including, inner and outer core members formed substantially of ferrite materials having a DC bulk resistivity greater than ten thousand ohm-meters and cooperatively arranged so that said inner coil assembly can be telescopically disposed within said outer coil assembly, said core members being formed of ferrites selected from the group of metal ions consisting of manganese, nickel, zinc, magnesium, cadmium, cobalt and copper respectively having a curie temperature point that is at least equal to the maximum anticipated well bore temperatures to which said coil assemblies will be exposed, said ferrites further including an additive to the ferrite material of no more than about ten percent by weight of zirconia in a crystalline or uncrystalline form, and inner and outer coils, disposed within said inner and outer core members, respectively wound around said inner core member and inductively coupling the conductors in a suspension cable connected to one of said coils to a well bore electrical device connected to the other of said coils whenever said inner coil assembly is disposed within said outer coil assembly. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. Apparatus adapted for electromagnetically coupling electrical conductors in a well bore suspension cable to well bore apparatus having at least one electrical device and comprising:
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inner and outer coil assemblies respectively including, inner and outer core members formed substantially of ferrite materials having a DC bulk resistivity greater than ten thousands ohm-meters and cooperatively arranged so that said inner core assembly can be telescopically disposed within said outer coil assembly, said core members being formed of ferrites selected from the group consisting of nickel-zinc ferrite, iron oxide magnetite, nickel ferrite and magnesium ferrite and respectively having a curie temperature point that is at least equal to the maximum anticipated well bore temperatures to which said coil assemblies will be exposed, said ferrites further including an additive to the ferrite material of nore more than about ten percent by weight of zirconia in a crystalline or uncrystalline form, and inner and outer coils, disposed within said inner and outer core members, respectively wound around said inner core member and inductively coupling the conductors in a suspension cable connected to one of said coils to a well bore electrical device connected to the other of said coils whenever said inner coil assembly is disposed within said outer coil assembly. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification