Short range data transmission in a borehole

• US 10,539,009 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Drilling International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Scientific Drilling International, Inc.
• Inventors: Graf, Stephan, White, Matthew A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hawkins, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US13/572,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,720 Days
• Field of Search: 324342
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to an antenna for transfer of information along a drill string. The antenna has an antenna coil having a long side and short side. The antenna coil is adapted to be affixed to the drill string such that the long side of the antenna coil is along the longitudinal axis of the drill string, and the short side is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drill string.

Claims

1. A method of borehole communication comprising:

providing a first cross-coil antenna comprising one or more windings arranged to form an antenna coil, each winding including a long side and short side, wherein the antenna coil is affixed to a drill string, wherein the drill string includes a mud motor and a drill bit, wherein the long side of each winding of the antenna coil comprises a plurality of segments wherein at least one of the plurality of segments is aligned essentially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the drill string, and wherein the short side of each winding comprises a plurality of segments wherein at least one of the plurality of segments is aligned essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drill string and essentially perpendicular to the long side of the winding;

providing a voltage source in electrical communication with the first cross-coil antenna;

providing an insulated gap electrode, toroidal antenna, a band electrode, or a second cross-coil antenna;

actuating the voltage source to produce an electrical current in the first cross-coil antenna;

inducing a magnetic field to form a current on the drill string;

using the current to transmit data along the drill string; and

receiving the data at the insulated gap electrode, toroidal antenna, band electrode, or second cross-coil antenna.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the voltage source is an alternating current voltage source.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a mud-pulser, wherein the mud-pulser is in electrical communication with the insulated gap electrode, toroidal antenna, band electrode, or second cross-coil antenna;

communicating the data between the insulated gap electrode, toroidal antenna, band electrode, or second cross-coil antenna to the mud-pulser; and

activating the mud-pulser to transmit the data uphole to a surface receiver.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cross-coil antenna is located between the drill bit and the mud motor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the insulated gap electrode, toroidal antenna, band electrode, or second cross-coil antenna is located uphole from the mud motor and the first cross-coil antenna is located downhole from the mud motor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cross-coil antenna further comprises a core and the core is a ferrite or ferromagnetic material.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the ferrite or ferromagnetic core is coated with an insulator.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cross-coil antenna is comprised of an insulator.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting data from the insulated gap electrode, toroidal antenna, band electrode, or second cross-coil antenna to the first cross-coil antenna using current; and

receiving data at the first cross-coil antenna.

10. A method of borehole communication comprising:

providing a first cross-coil antenna comprising one or more windings arranged to form an antenna coil, each winding including a long side and a short side, wherein the antenna coil is affixed to a drill string, wherein the drill string includes a mud motor and a drill bit, wherein the long side of each winding of the antenna coil is aligned parallel with the axial longitudinal axis of the drill string, and wherein the short side of each winding extends radially outward from the axial longitudinal axis of the drill string and perpendicular to the long side of the winding;

providing a voltage source in electrical communication with the first cross-coil antenna;

providing an insulated gap electrode, toroidal antenna, a band electrode, or a second cross-coil antenna;

actuating the voltage source to produce an electrical current in the first cross-coil antenna;

inducing a magnetic field to form a current on the drill string;

using the current to transmit data along the drill string; and

receiving the data at the insulated gap electrode, toroidal antenna, band electrode, or second cross-coil antenna.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the voltage source is an alternating current voltage source.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

providing a mud-pulser, wherein the mud-pulser is in electrical communication with the insulated gap electrode, toroidal antenna, band electrode, or second cross-coil antenna;

communicating the data between the insulated gap electrode, toroidal antenna, band electrode, or second cross-coil antenna to the mud-pulser; and

activating the mud-pulser to transmit the data uphole to a surface receiver.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first cross-coil antenna is located between the drill bit and the mud motor.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the insulated gap electrode, toroidal antenna, band electrode, or second cross-coil antenna is located uphole from the mud motor and the first cross-coil antenna is located downhole from the mud motor.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first cross-coil antenna further comprises a core and the core is a ferrite or ferromagnetic material.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the ferrite or ferromagnetic core is coated with an insulator.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the first cross-coil antenna is comprised of an insulator.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

transmitting data from the insulated gap electrode, toroidal antenna, band electrode, or second cross-coil antenna to the first cross-coil antenna using current; and

receiving data at the first cross-coil antenna.