High-power well logging method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A computer-controlled system to deliver power downhole into a borehole which comprises:
- a multiconductor logging cable configured to transport a power signal and a telemetry signal;
a toolstring coupled to the multiconductor logging cable to receive the power signal, said toolstring including a voltage detector configured to measure a received voltage of the power signal to responsively provide said telemetry signal to the multiconductor logging cable;
a programmable power supply coupled to the cable to provide said power signal;
a telemetry receiver coupled to the cable to receive said telemetry signal, said telemetry receiver configured to convert said telemetry signal into a voltage measurement; and
a computer coupled to the telemetry receiver to receive the voltage measurement and configured to control the programmable power supply to regulate the received voltage of the power signal.
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Abstract
A system and method for downhole power delivery. In one embodiment, the system delivers computer-regulated downhole power voltages, and may be configured to customize signal waveforms and power allocation on the various independent signal transmission modes to maximize the power capacity of the logging cable subject to its maximum voltage rating. In one embodiment, the system includes a standard multiconductor logging cable which supports orthogonal signal transmission modes on circumferentially spaced insulated conductors. A high-power power source on the surface is coupled to the insulated conductors in the cable to drive a power signal on the lowest impedance signal transmission mode. The system may further include multiple power sources operating on different independent signal transmission modes, and may also include multiple telemetry channels which share the power transmission modes via frequency multiplexing.
54 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer-controlled system to deliver power downhole into a borehole which comprises:
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a multiconductor logging cable configured to transport a power signal and a telemetry signal;
a toolstring coupled to the multiconductor logging cable to receive the power signal, said toolstring including a voltage detector configured to measure a received voltage of the power signal to responsively provide said telemetry signal to the multiconductor logging cable;
a programmable power supply coupled to the cable to provide said power signal;
a telemetry receiver coupled to the cable to receive said telemetry signal, said telemetry receiver configured to convert said telemetry signal into a voltage measurement; and
a computer coupled to the telemetry receiver to receive the voltage measurement and configured to control the programmable power supply to regulate the received voltage of the power signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of delivering power to a downhole toolstring, the method comprising:
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sensing a received voltage downhole;
transmitting a telemetry signal that indicates the received voltage;
receiving the telemetry signal;
converting the telemetry signal into a voltage measurement; and
automatically adjusting a surface power supply to regulate the received voltage. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for high-power well logging, wherein the system comprises:
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a multiconductor logging cable which supports a plurality of orthogonal signal transmission modes on circumferentially spaced conductors enclosed within armor and electrically insulated from said armor, wherein the multiconductor logging cable includes more than two circumferentially spaced conductors; and
surface equipment which includes a high-power power source coupled to the multiconductor cable to drive a power signal in a lowest impedance mode from said plurality of orthogonal signal transmission modes, wherein in the lowest impedance mode the power signal is driven in alternate polarities on adjacent ones of the circumferentially spaced conductors. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for providing a power signal over a multiconductor logging cable having a maximum voltage rating and more than two circumferentially-spaced conductors, wherein the method comprises:
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applying first and second power voltages to alternate circumferentially spaced conductors protected within cable armor, wherein the first and second power voltages have equal magnitudes and opposite polarities;
coupling the conductors carrying the first power voltage to a first shared downhole terminal; and
coupling the conductors carrying the second power voltage to a second shared downhole terminal. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification