Fluid means for data transmission

• US 4,932,005 A
• Filed: 09/22/1988
• Issued: 06/05/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: J. C. Birdwell
• Original Assignee: J. C. Birdwell
• Inventors: Birdwell, J. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US07/173,197
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 367/83, 367/84, 367/85, 175/48, 175/50
• 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 47/24 by positive mud pulses using a flow restricting valve within the drill pipe
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 15/02 the fluids being viscous or non-homogeneous
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/125 Reciprocating valves
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/164 Stoffing boxes
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/111 with two mechanically connected pumping members
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 9/1178 the movement in the other direction being obtained by a hydraulic connection between the liquid motor cylinders

Abstract

A means to transmit recorded data through a fluid medium is disclosed. The preferred embodiment incorporates a positive displacement fluid pump having constant pressure pumping means connected to pump fluid through a drill string for drilling oil wells. A variable orifice means is located down hole in the drill string which changes orifice diameter responsive to sensed data. The pumped fluid is displaced by a pumping piston driven by a second piston powered by constant pressure hydraulic fluid. The pumped fluid is held at a constant pressure so that a change in orifice diameter will change the volume of the flow through the orifice and likewise change the volume of flow of the hydraulic drive fluid. The flow rate of the hydraulic drive fluid is thus gauged to thereby record the orifice diameter change and in turn receive signals transmitted by the change in orifice diameter.

Claims

1. A method of measuring a change in the flow rate of fluid flowing within a drill string in an oil well to transmit information concerning changes in downhole conditions from the bottom of the well to the top of the drill string, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) entrapping a first fluid within a closed container being provided with an escape outlet which outlet restricts fluid flow of the first fluid from said container;

(b) applying a pressure of constant magnitude to the entrapped first fluid;

(c) adding a controlled volume of fluid to the entrapped first fluid at a flow rate and pressure equal to the flow rate and pressure of the first fluid that flows through said escape outlet; and

(d) measuring changes in the flow rate of the first fluid added to the entrapped first fluid to thereby measure any changes in the flow rate of said entrapped first fluid flowing out of the escape outlet.

2. The method of claim 1, including the step of applying said pressure of constant magnitude to the trapped first fluid by pumping pistons driven by a second fluid pressured to a constant magnitude wherein the flow rate of the second fluid is directly proportional to the flow rate of the first fluid added to the entrapped first fluid in said closed container.

3. The method of claim 2 including the step of measuring change in the size of the escape outlet by measuring change in the flow rate of said second fluid.

4. The method of claim 2 including the step of supplying added first fluid by pumping pistons driven by second fluid pressured to a constant pressure magnitude wherein the flow rate of second fluid is directly proportional to the flow rate of said fluid added to the entrapped fluid in said closed container.

5. The method of claim 1 including the step of utilizing a string of drill pipe as said container and said outlet is positioned near the lower end of the drill string and the step of measuring the change in flow rate of first fluid added to the drill string is done at a surface location.

6. The method of claim 5 including the step of transmitting a change of flow rate to a measuring instrument through entrapped first fluid in the drill string with a change in the flow rate of first fluid passing therethrough.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein hydraulic fluid is applied to a pump means and said pump means pumps drilling fluid along the drill string.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said pump means is provided with hydraulic fluid at a fixed pressure and responds to changes in load placed thereon in pumping drilling fluid by changing hydraulic fluid flow rate.

7. A method of conducting measurements while drilling from a downhole location to the surface along a drill string in a well borehole, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) along a drill string positioned in a well borehole and having a variable orifice serially in the drill string for forming measurement signals, pumping drilling fluid along the drill string at a specified pressure;

(b) changing the variable orifice to create a change in flow rate of drilling fluid along the drill string;

(c) pumping the drilling fluid into the drill string by a hydraulically powered means wherein hydraulic fluid is provided thereto; and

(d) changing the flow rate of hydraulic fluid in relation to changes of flow rate of drilling fluid so that changes in the variable orifice are encoded in changes in the hydraulic fluid flow rate to thereby obtain a surface indication of down hole measurements while drilling.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein a pump means is operated by hydraulic fluid provided thereto at a fixed pressure and said pump means delivers drilling fluid at a fixed pressure, and invariant pressure from said pump means is applied to the drill string continuously without regard to the variable orifice.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein a multi-piston multi-stroke pump means is operated by hydraulic fluid and including the steps of applying hydraulic fluid to said pump means to provide multiple pumping strokes delivering drilling fluid to said drill string and hydraulic fluid is applied at a constant pressure to said pump means and said pump means provides drilling fluid to said drill string at a constant pressure.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein drilling fluid is delivered into the drill string at a flow rate dependent on operation of the variable orifice and wherein flow rate variations are directly proportional to variations in hydraulic fluid flow rate at a fixed pressure.