Protection of electronic devices used with perforating guns

• US 9,447,678 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Walter, Patrick L., Rodgers, John P., Glenn, Timothy S., Serra, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Andre
• Application Number:
  US14/125,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20140290352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/1195 Replacement of drilling mud; decrease of undesirable shock waves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/017 Protecting measuring instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/16 Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general G10K11/36 takes precedence

Abstract

A sensing subassembly for use with a downhole tool comprises a housing, a cavity disposed within the housing, at least one electronic component disposed within the cavity, and at least one isolating member disposed within the cavity. The at least one isolating member is configured to attenuate at least a portion of frequency components of a mechanical wave above a threshold and transmit at least a portion of frequency components below the threshold to the at least one electronic device.

Claims

1. A sensing subassembly for use with a downhole tool comprising:

a housing;

a cavity, wherein the cavity is disposed within the housing;

at least one electronic component disposed within the cavity; and

at least one isolating member disposed within the cavity, wherein the at least one isolating member is configured to attenuate at least a portion of frequency components of a mechanical wave above a threshold and transmit at least a portion of frequency components below the threshold to the at least one electronic device.

2. The sensing subassembly of claim 1, further comprising a mounting member configured for mounting the at least one electronic device.

3. The sensing subassembly of claim 2, wherein the mounting member comprises a triaxial mount configured for orienting at least one electronic device in three axes.

4. The sensing subassembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one isolating member comprises a polymeric material configured to provide a spring function around the at least one electronic device.

5. The sensing subassembly of claim 2, wherein the isolation member comprises a polymeric material configured to provide a spring function around the mounting member.

6. The sensing subassembly of claim 1, wherein the threshold is about 30 kHz or greater.

7. The sensing subassembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one isolating member is further configured to maintain the functional integrity of the at least one electronic device disposed within the cavity while in close proximity to a detonating perforating gun.

8. The sensing subassembly of claim 4, wherein the polymeric material comprises a glass transition temperature above about 100 degrees Celsius.

9. The sensing subassembly of claim 4, wherein the threshold is based on the modulus or thickness of the polymeric material around the at least one electronic device.

10. The sensing subassembly of claim 5, wherein the threshold is based on the modulus or thickness of the polymeric material around the mounting member.

11. The sensing subassembly of claim 1, wherein the isolation member engages at least a portion of the cavity wall.

12. The sensing subassembly of claim 1, wherein the cavity extends into the housing.

13. A method of measuring a shock event in a wellbore comprising:

receiving, by a sensing subassembly, at least one mechanical wave within a wellbore, wherein the sensing subassembly comprises;

a cavity disposed within a housing,

at least electronic component disposed within the cavity, and

at least one isolating member disposed with the at least one electronic device within the cavity;

attenuating at least a portion of frequency components of the at least one mechanical wave above a threshold frequency;

transmitting at least a portion of the frequency components of the at least one mechanical wave below the threshold to the electronic device;

sensing at least one parameter associated with the at least one mechanical wave;

generating, by the electronic component, at least one signal in response to the sensing; and

storing the at least one signal in a non-transitory computer readable media.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one mechanical wave comprises a detonation wave generated by at least one perforating gun disposed within the wellbore.

15. A method of absorbing a mechanical wave using a shock protection apparatus comprising:

receiving a mechanical wave at a housing, wherein the housing is disposed in a wellbore, wherein the housing contains at least one cavity with at least one sensor disposed within the at least one cavity, wherein the at least one sensor is coupled to the housing by an isolation member;

attenuating at least a portion of the mechanical wave using the isolation member;

transmitting at least a portion of the mechanical wave to the at least one sensor using the isolation member; and

sensing at least one parameter of the mechanical wave transmitted to the at least one sensor.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising encapsulating the at least one sensor with the isolation member, wherein the isolation member comprises a polymeric material configured to provide a spring function around the at least one sensor.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising mounting the at least one sensor on a mounting member.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising encapsulating the mounting member with the isolation member, wherein the isolation member comprises a polymeric material configured to provide a spring function around the mounting member.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein attenuating at least the portion of the mechanical wave comprises attenuating above a threshold frequency and wherein transmitting at least a portion of the mechanical wave comprises transmitting below a threshold frequency to the at least one sensor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein attenuating at least a portion of the mechanical wave comprises attenuating mechanical wave frequencies at about 30 kHz or greater and transmitting mechanical wave frequencies comprises transmitting mechanical wave frequencies below about 30 kHz.