Rotating fluid measurement device and method

• US 9,051,823 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rem Scientific Enterprises, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rem Scientific Enterprises, Inc.
• Inventors: Maute, Robert E., Sidhwa, Feroze J.
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, JEWEL VERGIE
• Application Number:
  US14/057,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20140047915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 7386111-86117, 731/520.1, 731/521.7, 731/525.3, 731/533.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/113 using electrical indications; using light radiations

Abstract

Fluid flow measurement device and method. In one embodiment, a tool comprises a rotating arm with a sensor pad to measure fluid flow into or out of the casing wall. The arm maintains the sensor pad in close proximity to the casing inner wall. The tool diameter is variable to allow the tool to traverse variable diameter casings and pass obstacles. The sensor pad comprises flow channels to direct the flow of fluid by electromagnetic sensors configured to detect conductive fluid flow.

Claims

1. A method of measuring a conductive fluid flow, the method comprising:

traversing a casing with a tool, the tool comprising a tool body and a quadrilateral arm assembly attached to the tool body, the arm assembly having a sensor pad comprising an electromagnetic sensor, wherein a sensor pad long axis is parallel to a tool body long axis, and wherein the quadrilateral arm assembly has a first rotatable joint adjacent the tool body and forming a first inner acute angle, a second rotatable joint disposed adjacent and the sensor opposite the first joint and forming a second inner acute angle, a third rotatable joint adjacent the tool body and forming a first inner obtuse angle, and a fourth rotatable joint disposed adjacent the sensor pad and opposite the third joint and forming a second inner obtuse angle;

azimuthally rotating the sensor pad along an inner circumference of the casing; and

measuring a speed and direction of radial conductive fluid flow through a wall of the casing with an electromagnetic sensor disposed in the sensor pad.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor pad is a segment of the arm assembly.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor pad is attached to a segment of the arm assembly.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising pivoting the arm assembly on an axis orthogonal to the tool body long axis.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising radially moving the sensor pad inward toward or outward from the tool body as the arm assembly pivots, respectively, toward or away from the tool body.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tool further comprises a long arm having a first end slideably coupled to the tool body, and a second end rotatably coupled to the third rotatable joint on the quadrilateral arm assembly, and wherein the method further comprises:

sliding the first end of the long arm away from the arm assembly as the sensor pad moves radially inward toward the tool body; and

sliding the first end of the long arm toward the arm assembly as the sensor pad moves radially outward from the tool body.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the long arm and tool body form a first acute angle facing the quadrilateral arm assembly, and wherein the first acute angle between the long arm and the tool body is between about 0 and about 10 degrees.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising pivoting the arm assembly at least partially within a hollowed region in the tool body as the sensor pad moves radially inward toward the tool body.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the tool body comprises a first stationary tool segment and a rotatable tool segment coupled to the first stationary tool segment, wherein the arm assembly is mounted on the rotatable tool segment, and wherein azimuthally rotating the sensor pad comprises:

azimuthally rotating the rotatable tool segment around the long axis of the tool body with respect to the first stationary tool segment.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising passing electrical measurement signals of the measured speed and direction from the electromagnetic sensor to the stationary tool segment using one or more slip rings.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising centralizing the tool body in the casing using one or more centralizers disposed on the first stationary tool segment.

12. A method for borehole logging comprising:

traversing a borehole with a tool having a long axis, the tool comprising a first stationary tool segment, a rotatable tool segment having a first end rotatably coupled to the first stationary tool segment, a sensor pad having a pad long axis parallel to the tool long axis, and an arm assembly coupling the sensor pad to the rotatable tool segment, wherein the arm assembly is pivotably attached to the rotatable tool segment with a pivot axis of the arm assembly that is orthogonal to the long axis of the tool;

azimuthally rotating the rotatable tool segment around the long axis of the tool with respect to the first stationary tool segment to move the sensor pad along an inner wall of the borehole;

moving the sensor pad radially inward toward or outward from the rotatable tool segment when the arm assembly is pivoted on the pivot axis; and

electromagnetically sensing radial conductive fluid flow through the inner wall of the borehole with the sensor pad.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein electromagnetically sensing further comprises measuring a speed and direction of the radial conductive fluid flow through the inner wall of the borehole.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising passing electrical signals indicative of the speed and direction of the radial conductive fluid flow from the sensor pad to the stationary tool segment using one or more slip rings.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising pivoting the arm assembly to move the sensor pad at least partially within a hollowed region in the rotatable tool segment to traverse a tubing in the borehole.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising centralizing the tool in the borehole using one or more first centralizers disposed on the first stationary tool segment.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the tool further comprises a second stationary tool segment rotatably coupled to a second end of the rotatable tool segment, and wherein centralizing the tool further comprises using one or more second centralizers disposed on the second stationary tool segment.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the arm assembly further comprises a first arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the rotatable tool segment and a second end pivotably coupled to the sensor pad, a second arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the rotatable tool segment and a second end pivotably coupled to the sensor pad, and a long arm having a first end slideably coupled to the rotatable tool segment and a second end rotatably coupled to the sensor pad, and wherein the method further comprises:

sliding the first end of the long arm away from the arm assembly as the sensor pad moves radially inward toward the rotatable tool segment; and

sliding the first end of the long arm toward the arm assembly as the sensor pad moves radially outward from the rotatable tool segment.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor pad comprises two or more ball rollers disposed on a face of the sensor pad, and wherein the method further comprises rolling the ball rollers on the inner wall of the borehole to move the sensor pad along the inner wall of the borehole.

20. A method for borehole logging comprising:

traversing a borehole with a tool, the tool comprising a tool body having a long axis, a sensor pad having a pad long axis parallel to the tool body long axis, a first arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the tool body and a second end coupled to the sensor pad, and a second arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the tool body and a second end coupled to the sensor pad, wherein pivot axes of the ends of the arms are orthogonal to the long axis of the tool body;

azimuthally rotating the tool around the long axis of the tool to move the sensor pad along an inner wall of the borehole;

moving the sensor pad radially inward toward or outward from the tool body when the arms are pivoted on their pivot axes, while maintaining a first vertical angle between the first arm and the tool body at a substantially same magnitude and direction as a second vertical angle between the second arm and the tool body; and

electromagnetically sensing radial conductive fluid flow through the inner wall of the borehole with the sensor pad.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein electromagnetically sensing further comprises measuring a speed and direction of the radial conductive fluid flow through the inner wall of the borehole.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising pivoting the arms to move the sensor pad at least partially within a hollowed region in the tool body to traverse a tubing in the borehole.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the tool body comprises a first stationary tool segment and a rotatable tool segment having a first end coupled to the first stationary tool segment, wherein the first and second arms are coupled to the rotatable tool segment, and wherein azimuthally rotating the tool comprises:

azimuthally rotating the rotatable tool segment around the long axis of the tool body with respect to the first stationary tool segment.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising passing electrical signals indicative of the radial conductive fluid flow from the sensor pad to the stationary tool segment using one or more slip rings.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising centralizing the tool in the borehole using one or more first centralizers disposed on the first stationary tool segment.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the tool further comprises a second stationary tool segment rotatably coupled to a second end of the rotatable tool segment, and wherein centralizing the tool further comprises using one or more second centralizers disposed on the second stationary tool segment.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the second end of the first arm is rotatably coupled to the sensor pad, wherein the second end of the second arm is rotatably coupled to the sensor pad, and wherein the method further comprises maintaining a third vertical angle between the first arm and the sensor at a substantially same magnitude and direction as a fourth vertical angle between the second arm and the sensor pad.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the tool further comprises a long arm having a first end slideably coupled to the tool body and a second end rotatably coupled to the sensor pad, and wherein the method further comprises:

sliding the first end of the long arm away from the first and second arms as the sensor pad moves radially inward toward the tool body; and

sliding the first end of the long arm toward the first and second arms as the sensor pad moves radially outward from the tool body.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising maintaining a fifth angle between the first end of the long arm and the tool body between about 0 and about 10 degrees.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein the sensor pad comprises two or more ball rollers disposed on a face of the sensor pad, and wherein the method further comprises rolling the ball rollers on the inner wall of the borehole to move the sensor pad along the inner wall of the borehole.