Portable attachment of fiber optic sensing loop

• US 9,593,569 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2016
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• 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
• Application Number:
  US15/338,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20170044892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 134 Days
• Field of Search: 385 12- 13, 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 method of removably attaching a optical fiber sensor loop onto a tubular member, said method comprising:

providing an optical fiber sensor loop system 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; and

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; and

coupling the first turn guide to the second turn guide, removably securing the optical fiber sensor loop to the tubular member.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

positioning a first compression plate over the optical fiber disposed in each turn groove of the first turn guide; and

positioning a second compression plate over the optical fiber disposed in each turn groove of the second turn guide.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

positioning a first supporting wedge having at least a first surface and a second surface with the second surface in contact with a first portion of an outer surface of the tubular member; and

positioning a second supporting a connector wedge having at least a first surface and a second surface with the second surface in contact with a second portion of an outer surface of the tubular member.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

removably securing the first turn guide to the first supporting wedge by positioning a first mounting opening in the first turn guide around a first mounting post on the first surface of the first supporting wedge; and

removably securing the second turn guide to the second supporting wedge positioning a second mounting opening in the second turn guide around a second mounting post on the first surface of the second supporting wedge;

wherein coupling the first turn guide to the second turn guide comprises removably coupling the first mounting wedge to the second mounting wedge with a connector.

5. The method of claim 1, further including adjusting the tension in the optical fiber sensor loop system by adjusting tension in the coupling member.

6. The method 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, or a section of a distributed Acoustic Sensing System (DASS).

7. 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 as 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;

at least one mounting wedge member including;

a contacting surface configured to contact an outer surface of the tubular member on which the optical fiber sensor loop will be mounted,

a first surface configured to receive the first turn guide,

a second surface configured to receive the second turn guide, and

a tension bar member including at least a first load transfer pin attached to the tension bar member and at least a second load transfer member attached to the tension bar member; and

wherein the first load transfer pin is configured to be received in an opening in the first turn guide and the second load transfer pin is configured to be received in an opening in the second turn guide.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the turn grooves are arranged substantially concentric and semi-circular.

9. The system of claim 7 further including a tension adjusting mechanism having at least one biasing member contacting the mounting wedge and the tension bar member.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the tension adjusting mechanism includes at least one threaded member threadedly received in an opening in the tension bar member and said threaded member contacting the wedge member.

11. The system of any of claim 7, wherein the first planar surface of the mounting wedge is planar and the second surface of the mounting wedge is planar and the surfaces are disposed at an acute angle to each other.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first turn guide includes a planar surface to be received on the first planar surface of the mounting wedge and the second turn guide includes a planar surface to be received on the second planar surface of the mounting wedge.

13. The system of any of claim 7, 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).

14. A method of removably attaching a optical fiber sensor loop onto a tubular member, said method comprising:

providing a mounting system comprising a mounting wedge having a proximal radial end and a distal radial end, and a tension bar member at the distal radial end and having a first load transfer pin and a second load transfer pin;

positioning the proximal radial end in contact with an outer surface of the tubular member;

wrapping an optical fiber sensor loop system having a continuous optical fiber arranged as 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; and

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; and

removably securing the optical fiber sensor loop by positioning an opening in the first turn guide around the first load transfer pin and positioning an opening in the second turn guide around the second load transfer pin.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the turn grooves are arranged substantially concentric and semi-circular.

16. The method of claim 14 further including adjusting the tension in the optical fiber sensor loop system by adjusting a threaded member threadedly received in the tension bar member thereby allowing a biasing member contacting the tension bar member to displace the tension bar member away from the wedge member.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein removably securing the optical fiber sensor loop further includes positioning a surface of the first turn guide on a first surface of the mounting wedge and positioning a surface of the second turn guide on a second surface of the mounting wedge wherein the first and second surfaces of the mounting wedge are disposed at an angle to each other.

18. The method of any of claim 14, 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).