Hybrid transponder system for long-range sensing and 3D localization
First Claim
1. A system to determine a size, extent, and orientation of a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, the system comprising:
- a plurality of transponders each configured to be carried by a fluid into a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, each transponder comprising a substrate carrying;
an RF receiver antenna configured to receive radiofrequency (RF) signals comprising a command RF signal,an acoustic transmitter configured to transmit an acoustic return signal, anda control circuit operably coupled to the RF antenna and to the acoustic transmitter and configured;
to receive the command RF signal through the RF receiver antenna,to selectively control a state of the acoustic transmitter of the respective transponder in response thereto,to determine a power level of the received command RF signal,to transmit the acoustic return signal from the acoustic transmitter when the power level of the received command signal is at or above a predetermined power level thereby to define an active state, andto enter a quiescent state when the power level of the received command signal drops below the predetermined level;
a reader dimensioned to be deployed within a wellbore, the reader comprising;
an RF antenna assembly including an RF antenna,an RF transmitter operably coupled to the RF antenna and configured to transmit the command RF signal or command RF signals to the plurality of transponders deployed within the reservoir, andat least one acoustic receiver configured to receive acoustic return signals from the plurality of transponders deployed within the reservoir; and
a reader controller, a computer controller, or both the reader controller and the computer controller defining one or more controllers configured to perform the operations of;
initiating rotation of the reader RF antenna of the reader to actuate one or more of the plurality of transponders,identifying an approximate center of positive response for each of the one or more of the plurality of transponders responsive to receiving the respective acoustic return signal therefrom,determining an approximate azimuth of the one or more of the plurality of transponders,repeating performing the operations of causing the rotation of the RF antenna of the reader and identifying an approximate center of positive response for each of one or more other of the plurality of the transponders until determining the approximate azimuth for each of the plurality of transponders,determining a three-dimensional position of each of the plurality of transponders responsive to determining the approximate azimuth of each of the plurality of transponders, anddetermining characteristics of the hydraulic fracture responsive to the determining the three-dimensional position of each of the plurality of transponders.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems for determining a size, extent, and orientation of a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, are provided. An exemplary system can include a plurality of RFID transponders modified to include an acoustic transmitter, and an RFID reader modified to include both an RF transmitter and a pair of acoustic receivers, to be deployed in a wellbore adjacent a hydraulic fracture. The system includes program product configured to receive acoustic return signal data to determine the three-dimensional location of each RFID transponder within the reservoir, to map the location of each RFID transponder, and to responsively determine the size, extent, and orientation can be determined.
48 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A system to determine a size, extent, and orientation of a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, the system comprising:
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a plurality of transponders each configured to be carried by a fluid into a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, each transponder comprising a substrate carrying; an RF receiver antenna configured to receive radiofrequency (RF) signals comprising a command RF signal, an acoustic transmitter configured to transmit an acoustic return signal, and a control circuit operably coupled to the RF antenna and to the acoustic transmitter and configured; to receive the command RF signal through the RF receiver antenna, to selectively control a state of the acoustic transmitter of the respective transponder in response thereto, to determine a power level of the received command RF signal, to transmit the acoustic return signal from the acoustic transmitter when the power level of the received command signal is at or above a predetermined power level thereby to define an active state, and to enter a quiescent state when the power level of the received command signal drops below the predetermined level; a reader dimensioned to be deployed within a wellbore, the reader comprising; an RF antenna assembly including an RF antenna, an RF transmitter operably coupled to the RF antenna and configured to transmit the command RF signal or command RF signals to the plurality of transponders deployed within the reservoir, and at least one acoustic receiver configured to receive acoustic return signals from the plurality of transponders deployed within the reservoir; and a reader controller, a computer controller, or both the reader controller and the computer controller defining one or more controllers configured to perform the operations of; initiating rotation of the reader RF antenna of the reader to actuate one or more of the plurality of transponders, identifying an approximate center of positive response for each of the one or more of the plurality of transponders responsive to receiving the respective acoustic return signal therefrom, determining an approximate azimuth of the one or more of the plurality of transponders, repeating performing the operations of causing the rotation of the RF antenna of the reader and identifying an approximate center of positive response for each of one or more other of the plurality of the transponders until determining the approximate azimuth for each of the plurality of transponders, determining a three-dimensional position of each of the plurality of transponders responsive to determining the approximate azimuth of each of the plurality of transponders, and determining characteristics of the hydraulic fracture responsive to the determining the three-dimensional position of each of the plurality of transponders. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system to determine a size, extent, and orientation of a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, the system comprising:
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a plurality of transponders each configured to be carried by a fluid into a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, each transponder comprising a substrate carrying; an RF receiver antenna configured to receive radiofrequency (RF) signals, a digital control circuit, and an acoustic transmitter configured to transmit an acoustic return signal; a reader dimensioned to be deployed within a wellbore, the reader comprising; an RF antenna assembly including an RF antenna, an RF transmitter operably coupled to the RF antenna and configured to transmit an RF signal to each of the plurality of transponders deployed within the reservoir, and at least one acoustic receiver configured to receive acoustic return signals from each of the plurality of transponders deployed within the reservoir, the acoustic transmitter of at least a subset of the plurality of transponders comprise a thermo-acoustic device comprising a thin film heater configured to boil an environmental fluid in contact with the respective transponder when deployed within the reservoir to thereby form a pressure wave defining the respective acoustic return signal, the environmental fluid comprising one or more of the following;
a hydrocarbon fluid stored in the reservoir and the fluid employed to carry the respective transponder into the reservoir; anda control circuit operably coupled to the RF antenna and to the acoustic transmitter and configured; to receive the command RF signal through the RF receiver antenna, to control selectively a state of the acoustic transmitter of the respective transponder in response thereto, to determine a power level of the received command RF signal, to transmit the acoustic return signal from the acoustic transmitter when the power level of the received command signal is at or above a predetermined power level thereby to define an active state, and to enter a quiescent state when the power level of the received command signal drops below the predetermined level.
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12. A system to determine a size, extent, and orientation of a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, the system comprising:
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a plurality of transponders each configured to be carried by a fluid into a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, each transponder comprising a substrate carrying; an RF receiver antenna configured to receive radiofrequency (RF) signals, a digital control circuit, and an acoustic transmitter configured to transmit an acoustic return signal; a reader dimensioned to be deployed within a wellbore, the reader comprising; an RF antenna assembly including an RF antenna, an RF transmitter operably coupled to the RF antenna and configured to transmit an RF signal to each of the plurality of transponders deployed within the reservoir, and at least one acoustic receiver configured to receive acoustic return signals from each of the plurality of transponders deployed within the reservoir, the acoustic transmitter of at least a subset of the plurality of transponders comprising a thermo-acoustic device comprising a plurality of carbon nanotube membranes configured to be electrically heated to boil an environmental fluid in contact with the respective transponder when deployed within the reservoir to thereby form a pressure wave defining the respective acoustic return signal, the environmental fluid comprising one or more of the following;
a hydrocarbon fluid stored in the reservoir and the fluid employed to carry the respective transponder into the reservoir; anda control circuit operably coupled to the RF antenna and to the acoustic transmitter and configured; to receive the command RF signal through the RF receiver antenna, to control selectively a state of the acoustic transmitter of the respective transponder in response thereto, to determine a power level of the received command RF signal, to transmit the acoustic return signal from the acoustic transmitter when the power level of the received command signal is at or above a predetermined power level thereby to define an active state, and to enter a quiescent state when the power level of the received command signal drops below the predetermined level.
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13. A system to determine a size, extent, and orientation of a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, the system comprising:
a plurality of power assisted transponders each configured to be carried by a fluid into a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, each transponder comprising a substrate carrying; a radiofrequency (RF) receiver configured to receive RF signals, the RF receiver including an RF antenna, an acoustic transmitter configured to transmit an acoustic return signal, a power source operably coupled to the acoustic transmitter and configured to store energy to provide a power assist to the acoustic transmitter responsive to a command RF signal received from a reader, and a digital control circuit operably coupled to the RF antenna and to the acoustic transmitter and configured; to receive the command RF signal from the reader through the RF antenna, to selectively control a state of the acoustic transmitter of the respective transponder in response thereto, to determine a power level of the received command RF signal, to transmit the acoustic return signal from the acoustic transmitter when the power level of the received command signal is at or above a predetermined power level thereby to define an active state, and to enter a quiescent state when the power level of the received command signal drops below the predetermined level. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system to determine a size, extent, and orientation of a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, the system comprising:
a reader configured to be deployed within a wellbore, the reader comprising; an RF antenna assembly including an RF antenna, an RF transmitter operably coupled to the RF antenna and configured to transmit a command RF signal or signals to each of a plurality of transponders deployed within hydraulic fractures in the reservoir, and at least one acoustic receiver configured to receive acoustic return signals from each of the plurality of transponders deployed within the hydraulic fractures within reservoir; a reader deployment assembly configured to deploy the reader within the wellbore and to selectively translate the reader RF antenna axially along a main axis of the wellbore to selectively activate an acoustic transmitter of each of one or more of the plurality of transponders in response to the command RF signal or signals to thereby isolate the respective one or more transponders, and to provide a communications link between the reader and surface equipment when operably deployed within the wellbore; and a digital control circuit operably coupled to the RF antenna and to the acoustic transmitter and configured; to receive the command RF signal from the reader through the RF antenna, to control selectively a state of the acoustic transmitter of the respective transponder in response thereto, and to determine a power level of the received command RF signal, to transmit the acoustic return signal from the acoustic transmitter when the power level of the received command signal is at or above a predetermined power level thereby to define an active state, and to enter a quiescent state when the power level of the received command signal drops below the predetermined level. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
Specification