System and method for using controlled vibrations for borehole communications

• US 9,057,258 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2014
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helmerich & Payne Technologies, LLC (Helmerich & Payne Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Hunt Advanced Drilling Technologies, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Benson, Todd W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephenson, Daniel P
• Application Number:
  US14/508,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20150023137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 252 Days
• Field of Search: 175/57, 175/40, 175/56, 175/106, 175/24, 175/415, 175/45, 175/55, 166/177.1, 166/177.2, 173/2, 173/91, 173/128, 173/207
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 28/00 Vibration generating arrangements for boreholes or wells, e.g. for stimulating production for fishing for or freeing objects E21B31/005; for transmitting measuring-signals E21B47/14; for geophysical measurements G01V1/02
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 34/00 Valve arrangements for boreholes or wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/10 continuous unidirectional rotary motion of shaft or drilling pipe effecting consecutive impacts
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/12 Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/16 through the drill string or casing , e.g. by torsional acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/06 Deflecting the direction of boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/24 Drilling using vibrating or oscillating means, e.g. out-of-balance masses percussion drilling E21B1/00

Abstract

A system for producing controlled vibrations within a borehole comprises a vibration mechanism an impact to produce a plurality of vibration beats. The vibration mechanism is located substantially near a bottom hole assembly within the borehole. A damping mechanism selectively damps the vibration beats to encode information therein. The damping mechanism is located remotely from the vibration mechanism along a drill string of the bottom hole assembly.

Claims

1. A system for producing controlled vibrations within a borehole comprising:

a vibration mechanism for generating an impact to produce a plurality of vibration beats, wherein the vibration mechanism is located substantially near a bottom hole assembly within the borehole; and

a damping mechanism for selectively damping the plurality of vibration beats to encode information therein, wherein the damping mechanism is located remotely from the vibration mechanism along a drill string of the bottom hole assembly, wherein the damping mechanism is configured to selectively damp the vibration beats to a plurality of levels to encode the information therein.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration mechanism is configured to use mechanical energy provided by a mechanical energy source to enable translational movement of a first surface relative to a second surface to allow the first surface to repeatedly impact the second surface to produce the plurality of vibration beats.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vibration beats occur at a fixed frequency.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vibration damping mechanism is further configured to dampen a particular vibration beat below a detection threshold to skip the particular vibration beat while encoding information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein defined amplitude values of the vibration beats are bounded by a first amplitude value representing a full impact of the first and second surfaces and a second amplitude value that is below a detection threshold.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the damping mechanism is further configured to reduce a frequency of the plurality of vibration beats to a desired frequency by damping the plurality of vibration beats at a selected frequency.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a sensor positioned to detect the vibration beats; and

a controller coupled to the sensor and configured to control the damping mechanism based on the plurality of vibration beats detected by the sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of levels includes at least one of a completely suppressed level and a partially suppressed level.

9. A method for producing controlled vibrations within a borehole comprising:

generating, at a location substantially near a bottom hole assembly within a bore hole, a plurality of vibration beats using an impact force; and

selectively damping the plurality of vibration beats to a plurality of levels to encode information therein at a location on the drill string remotely located from the bottom hole assembly.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of generating further comprises generating translational movement of a first surface relative to a second surface to allow the first surface to repeatedly impact the second surface to generate the plurality of vibration beats.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of generating further comprises generating the plurality of vibration beats at a fixed frequency.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of damping further comprises selectively damping a particular vibration beat below a detection threshold to skip the particular vibration beat while encoding information.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of generating further comprises generating the plurality of vibration beats having define amplitude values bounded by a first amplitude value representing a full impact of the first and second surfaces and a second amplitude value that is below a detection threshold.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of damping further comprises selectively damping the plurality of vibration beats at a selected frequency to reduce a frequency of the vibration beats to a desired frequency.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

detecting the plurality of vibration beats with a sensor; and

controlling the damping mechanism based on the plurality of vibration beats detected by the sensor.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of levels includes at least one of a completely suppressed level and a partially suppressed level.

17. A system for producing controlled vibrations within a borehole comprising:

a vibration mechanism, located substantially near a bottom hole assembly within the borehole, to produce a plurality of vibration beats at a constant frequency, wherein the vibration mechanism is configured to use mechanical energy provided by a mechanical energy source to produce the plurality of vibration beats; and

a damping mechanism for selectively damping the plurality of vibration beats to encode information therein, wherein the damping mechanism is located remotely from the vibration mechanism along a drill string of the bottom hole assembly, wherein the damping mechanism is further configured to reduce a frequency of the plurality of vibration beats to a desired frequency by damping vibration beats at a selected frequency.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the damping mechanism is configured to selectively damp the plurality of vibration beats to a plurality of levels to encode the information therein.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of levels includes at least one of a completely suppressed level and a partially suppressed level.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the vibration damping mechanism is further configured to dampen a particular vibration beat below a detection threshold to skip the particular vibration beat while encoding information.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein defined amplitude values of the vibration beats are bounded by a first amplitude value representing a full impact of the first and second surfaces and a second amplitude value that is below a detection threshold.

22. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a sensor positioned to detect the plurality of vibration beats; and

a controller coupled to the sensor and configured to control the damping mechanism based on the plurality of vibration beats detected by the sensor.

23. A method for producing controlled vibrations within a borehole comprising:

generating, at a location substantially near a bottom hole assembly within a borehole, translational movement of a first surface relative to a second surface to allow the first surface to repeatedly impact the second surface to generate a plurality of vibration beats at a fixed frequency; and

selectively damping the plurality of vibration beats to encode information therein and selectively damping the plurality of vibration beats at a selected frequency to reduce a frequency of the plurality of vibration beats to a desired frequency at a location on the drill string remotely located from the bottom hole assembly.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of damping further comprises selectively damping the plurality of vibration beats to a plurality of levels to encode the information therein.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the plurality of levels includes at least one of a completely suppressed level and a partially suppressed level.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of damping further comprises selectively damping a particular vibration beat below a detection threshold to skip the particular vibration beat while encoding information.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of generating further comprises generating the plurality of vibration beats having define amplitude values bounded by a first amplitude value representing a full impact of the first and second surfaces and a second amplitude value that is below a detection threshold.

28. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

detecting the plurality of vibration beats with sensor; and

controlling the damping mechanism based on the plurality of vibration beats detected by the sensor.