Portable attachment of fiber optic sensing loop

• US 9,512,711 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Sobolewski, Zbigniew, Spross, Ronald L., Nguyen, Gary, Sitka, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollweg, Thomas A
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON, GUY G
• Application Number:
  US14/411,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20160230534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 385 12- 13, 385/135, 385/137
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/007 Measuring stresses in a pipe string or casing for locating blocked portions of pipes E21B47/09
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/01 Devices for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits, pipes, rods or wirelines; Protecting measuring instruments in boreholes against heat, shock, pressure or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/017 Protecting measuring instruments
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/135 using light waves, e.g. infrared or ultraviolet waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/24 by measuring variations of optical properties of material when it is stressed, e.g. by photoelastic stress analysis using infrared, visible light, ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/242 the material being an optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3608 Fibre wiring boards, i.e. where fibres are embedded or attached in a pattern on or to a substrate, e.g. flexible sheets optical ribbon cables in support members G02B6/4401
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3636 the mechanical coupling means being grooves G02B6/3652 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4457 Bobbins; Reels

Abstract

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a system for removably attaching an optical fiber sensor loop onto a tubular member, which includes an optical fiber sensor loop having a continuous optical fiber positioned arranged in a plurality of loops, each of said loops having a first end turn and a second end turn, a first and a second turn guide each including a plurality of turn grooves increasing outwardly in increasing radii, each of said turn grooves configured to receive an end turn portion of the optical fiber, a first and a second supporting wedge each having a planar first surface configured to receive a turn guide and a curved second surface configured to be received on the tubular member, and a connector configured to couple the first mounting wedge to the second mounting wedge.

Claims

1. A system for removably attaching an optical fiber sensor loop onto a tubular member, said system comprising:

an optical fiber sensor loop having a continuous optical fiber arranged in a plurality of loops, each of said loops having a first end turn and a second end turn;

a first turn guide including a plurality of turn grooves, each of said turn grooves configured to receive a portion of the optical fiber at the first end turn;

a second turn guide including a plurality of turn grooves, each of said turn grooves configured to receive a portion of the optical fiber at the second end turn;

a first supporting wedge having a first surface configured to receive the first turn guide and a second surface configured to be received on a first portion of an outer surface of the tubular member;

a second supporting wedge having a first surface configured to receive the second turn guide and a second surface configured to be received on second portion of an outer surface of the tubular member; and

a connector configured to couple the first supporting wedge to the second supporting wedge.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the turn grooves are arranged substantially concentric and semi-circular.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first compression plate configured to be removably secured on the first turn guide over the first end turn of the optical fiber disposed in each turn groove of the first turn guide; and

a second compression plate configured to be removably secured on the second turn guide over the second end turn of the optical fiber disposed in each turn groove of the second turn guide.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a mounting post on the first surface of the first supporting wedge and a second mounting post on the first surface of the second supporting wedge; and

a first mounting opening in the first turn guide configured to receive the first mounting post and a second mounting opening configured to receive the second mounting post.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises:

a groove disposed in the first surface of the first supporting wedge and a groove in the first surface of the second supporting wedge;

a first rod configured to be received in the groove of the first supporting wedge and a second rod configured to be received in the groove of the second supporting wedge; and

a coupling member for coupling the first rod to the second rod.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the coupling member includes a tension adjusting device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the tension adjusting device comprises a bolt positionable through an opening through the first rod and an opening through the second rod with at least one end of the bolt threaded to receive a mating threaded nut.

8. The system of any of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber sensor loop is selected from a group comprising one or more of:

a section of a Sagnac interferometer, a section of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and a section of a distributed Acoustic Sensing System (DASS).

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the turn grooves are arranged substantially concentric and semi-circular.