Wireless sensor system for electric submersible pump

• US 9,388,812 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Fastovets, Andrey, Abbott, William John Jack, Fonneland, Jostein Engeseth, Ollre, Albert G., Cardenas, Alejandro Camacho
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertheaud, Peter J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Plakkoottam, Dominick L
• Application Number:
  US14/167,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20150211526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0085 Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/128 Adaptation of pump systems with down-hole electric drives
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/08 for submerged use
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/10 adapted for use in mining bore holes
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0088 Testing machines

Abstract

An electric submersible pump system can include a shaft; a power cable connector; an electric motor configured to receive power via the power cable connector for rotatably driving the shaft; a pump operatively coupled to the shaft; a power unit for generating power via rotation of the shaft; a remote unit that includes at least one sensor for sensing information, wireless transmission circuitry for wireless transmission of sensed information and a power interface to receive power generated by the power unit; and a base unit that includes wireless reception circuitry for receipt of wireless transmission of sensed information from the remote unit and wired transmission circuitry operatively coupled to the power cable connector. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An electric submersible pump system comprising:

a shaft;

a power cable connector;

an electric motor configured to receive power via the power cable connector for rotatably driving the shaft;

a pump operatively coupled to the shaft;

a power unit for generating power via rotation of the shaft;

a remote unit that comprises at least one sensor for sensing information, wireless transmission circuitry for wireless transmission of sensed information and a power interface to receive power generated by the power unit; and

a base unit that comprises wireless reception circuitry for receipt of wireless transmission of sensed information from the remote unit and wired transmission circuitry operatively coupled to the power cable connector.

2. The electric submersible pump system of claim 1 further comprising another remote unit that comprises at least one sensor for sensing information and wireless transmission circuitry for wireless transmission of sensed information.

3. The electric submersible pump system of claim 1 wherein the remote unit comprises wireless reception circuitry for wireless receipt of information.

4. The electric submersible pump system of claim 2 wherein the remote unit comprises wireless reception circuitry for wireless receipt of information from the other remote unit.

5. The electric submersible pump system of claim 1 wherein the remote unit comprises wireless reception circuitry for wireless receipt of a remote unit control command wherein the base unit comprises wireless transmission circuitry for wireless transmission of the remote unit control command.

6. The electric submersible pump system of claim 1 wherein the power unit comprises a stator and a rotor wherein the rotor is operatively coupled to the shaft.

7. The electric submersible pump system of claim 1 wherein the power unit comprises a fluid coupling for moving fluid wherein the fluid coupling is operatively coupled to the shaft.

8. The electric submersible pump system of claim 1 further comprising a power storage device operatively coupled to at least the power interface of the remote unit.

9. The electric submersible pump system of claim 8 wherein the power storage device is operatively coupled to the power unit.

10. The electric submersible pump system of claim 8 wherein the power storage device comprises a member selected from a group consisting of a battery, a capacitor and a kinetic energy storage device.

11. The electric submersible pump system of claim 1 wherein the base unit comprises at least one sensor.

12. The electric submersible pump system of claim 1 wherein the electric motor comprises a multiphase motor and a wye point and wherein the base unit comprises power reception circuitry operatively coupled to the wye point.

13. The electric submersible pump system of claim 12 wherein the wired transmission circuitry of the base unit is operatively coupled to the power cable connector via the wye point.

14. The electric submersible pump system of claim 1 comprising a string wherein the base unit is positioned at an end of the string and wherein the base unit is operatively coupled to an end of the electric motor.

15. The electric submersible pump system of claim 14 wherein the remote unit is positioned at least in part within a pump housing of the pump.

16. The electric submersible pump system of claim 15 wherein the at least one sensor of the remote unit comprises a sensor for sensing information associated with a pump intake.

17. The electric submersible pump system of claim 15 wherein the at least one sensor of the remote unit comprises a sensor for sensing information associated with a pump discharge.

18. The electric submersible pump system of claim 1 comprising multiple pump sections wherein each of the pump sections comprises a remote unit that comprises at least one sensor for sensing information, wireless transmission circuitry for wireless transmission of sensed information and a power interface to receive power.

19. A method comprising:

providing an electric submersible pump system that comprises

a shaft,

a power cable connector,

an electric motor configured to receive power via the power cable connector for rotatably driving the shaft,

a pump operatively coupled to the shaft,

a power unit for generating power via rotation of the shaft,

a remote unit that comprises at least one sensor for sensing information, wireless transmission circuitry for wireless transmission of sensed information and a power interface to receive power generated by the power unit, and

a base unit that comprises wireless reception circuitry for receipt of wireless transmission of sensed information from the remote unit and wired transmission circuitry operatively coupled to the power cable connector;

sensing information using the at least one sensor of the remote unit;

transmitting the sensed information via the wireless transmission circuitry; and

receiving the sensed information via the wireless reception circuitry.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising transmitting information based at least in part on the sensed information via the wired transmission circuitry.