Permanent downhole, wireless, two-way telemetry backbone using redundant repeaters
First Claim
1. A communications system comprising:
- a piping structure comprising a first location, a second location, and an electrically conductive portion extending between said first and second locations, wherein said first and second locations are distally spaced along said piping structure;
a first communication device electrically connected to said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure along said first location, said first communication device being adapted to send and receive communication signals via time-varying current;
a second communication device electrically connected to said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure along said second location, said second communication device being adapted to send and receive communication signals via time-varying current; and
an induction choke located about a portion of said piping structure, said induction choke being adapted to route time-varying current within said piping structure, and such that said first communication device can communicate with said second communication device via said piping structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method of communicating among devices via a piping structure using at least one induction choke about the piping structure to route a time-varying current carrying communication signals between the devices. A communications system comprises a piping structure, a first communication device, a second communication device, and an induction choke. The piping structure comprises a first location, a second location, and an electrically conductive portion extending between the first and second locations. The first and second locations are distally spaced along the piping structure. The first and second communication devices are each electrically connected to the electrically conductive portion of the piping structure along the first location and second location, respectively, and each is adapted to send and receive communication signals via time-varying current. The induction choke is located about an electrically choked portion of the electrically conductive portion of the piping structure, such that the induction choke is adapted to route time-varying current within the piping structure between the electrical connection location for the first communication device and the electrical connection location for the second communication device, and such that the first communication device can communicate with the second communication device via the piping structure. A preferred application of the present invention is a well for producing petroleum products (e.g., oil, natural gas), comprising a communication system as described above.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A communications system comprising:
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a piping structure comprising a first location, a second location, and an electrically conductive portion extending between said first and second locations, wherein said first and second locations are distally spaced along said piping structure;
a first communication device electrically connected to said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure along said first location, said first communication device being adapted to send and receive communication signals via time-varying current;
a second communication device electrically connected to said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure along said second location, said second communication device being adapted to send and receive communication signals via time-varying current; and
an induction choke located about a portion of said piping structure, said induction choke being adapted to route time-varying current within said piping structure, and such that said first communication device can communicate with said second communication device via said piping structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
an electrical current transformer adapted to transform current flowing within said piping structure to an induced secondary current.
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20. A system for providing communications among a plurality of devices in a well, comprising:
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a piping structure within said well, said piping structure having an electrically conductive portion;
a master communication device electrically connected to said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure, said master communication device being adapted to send and receive communication signals via time-varying current;
a plurality of slave communication devices electrically connected to said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure, said slave communication devices being adapted to send and receive communication signals via time-varying current; and
an induction choke located about a portion of said piping structure, said induction choke being adapted to route time-varying current within said piping structure, and such that said master communication device can communicate with said slave communication devices via said piping structure. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A communications system comprising:
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a piping structure comprising a first location, a second location, and an electrically conductive portion extending between said first and second locations, wherein said first and second locations are distally spaced along said piping structure;
a first communication device electrically connected to said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure along said first location, said first communication device being adapted to send and receive communication signals via time-varying current;
an induction choke located about an electrically choked portion of said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure, said induction choke being adapted to route time-varying current within said piping structure between said electrical connection location for said first communication device and an electrical return;
an electrical current transformer located about part of said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure along said second location, said transformer being located along said piping structure between said electrical connection location for said first communication device and said induction choke, and said transformer being adapted to transform current flowing within said piping structure to an induced secondary current in said transformer; and
a second communication device electrically connected to said transformer, such that said second communication device can communicate with said first communication device via said transformer and said piping structure.
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24. A communication system for a petroleum well, comprising:
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a piping structure comprising a first location, a second location, and an electrically conductive portion extending between said first and second locations, wherein said first and second locations are distally spaced along said piping structure, and wherein said piping structure is part of a petroleum production system for said petroleum well;
a computer system electrically connected to said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure along said first location, said computer system comprising a source of time-varying current and a first communication device, wherein said first communication device is adapted to send and receive spread spectrum communication signals along said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure via time-varying current waveforms;
a downhole device electrically connected to said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure along said second location, said downhole device comprising a second communication device, wherein said second communication device is adapted to send and receive spread spectrum communication signals along said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure via time-varying current waveforms; and
an unpowered ferromagnetic induction choke located about an electrically choked portion of said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure, said choke being adapted to route time-varying current flowing within said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure between said computer system and said downhole device, and such that said first communication device can communicate with said second communication device via said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A petroleum well for producing petroleum products, comprising:
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a piping structure comprising a first location, a second location, and an electrically conductive portion extending between said first and second locations, wherein said first and second locations are distally spaced along said piping structure;
a first communication device electrically connected to said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure along said first location, said first communication device being adapted to send and receive communication signals via time-varying current;
a second communication device electrically connected to said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure along said second location, said second communication device being adapted to send and receive communication signals via time-varying current; and
an induction choke located about an electrically choked portion of said electrically conductive portion of said piping structure, said induction choke being adapted to route time-varying current within said piping structure between said electrical connection location for said first communication device and said electrical connection location for said second communication device, and such that said first communication device can communicate with said second communication device via said piping structure. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
a controllable valve, said controllable valve being electrically connected to said second communication device such that said valve can be remotely controlled via said second communication device.
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41. A method of communicating with a remote device, comprising the steps of:
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providing an induction choke about a portion of a piping structure;
generating a communication signal with a first communication device;
transmitting said signal via a time-varying current along said piping structure using said first communication device;
routing said time-varying current within said piping structure using said induction choke; and
receiving said signal in said remote device via said time-varying current traveling within said piping structure. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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43. A method of communicating with a downhole communication device in a well, comprising the steps of:
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providing an induction choke about a portion of a piping structure in said well;
generating a spread spectrum signal with a surface communication device;
transmitting said signal via a time-varying current along said piping structure using said surface communication device;
routing said time-varying current within said piping structure using said induction choke; and
receiving said signal in said downhole communication device via said time-varying current traveling within said piping structure. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
receiving said signal with a relay communication device located along said piping structure between said surface communication device and said downhole communication device;
amplifying said signal with said relay communication device; and
transmitting said signal along said piping structure using said relay communication device.
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45. A method in accordance with claim 43, further comprising the steps of:
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generating another spread spectrum signal with said downhole communication device;
transmitting said another signal via another time-varying current along said piping structure using said downhole communication device;
routing said another time-varying current within said piping structure using said induction choke; and
receiving said signal in said surface communication device via said piping structure.
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46. In a petroleum well having a piping structure embedded in an elongated borehole extending into the earth, a communication system comprising:
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an induction choke configured for enveloping a portion of said piping structure and operable for developing a voltage potential on the piping structure to define an electrically conductive segment of said piping structure when a time-varying signal is applied to the electrically conductive segment of said piping structure; and
a plurality of individually addressable communication devices coupled to the electrically conductive segment. - View Dependent Claims (47)
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Specification