Telemetry Conveyed by Pipe Utilizing Specks

• US 20120108171A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prime Downhole Manufacturing LLC
• Original Assignee: Sondex Ltd (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: AYERS, David Blaine
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49982 Coating

Abstract

Drill pipe segments, communication systems, and methods of manufacturing pipe segments usable for communicating data wirelessly between sensors and tools placed in an oil and/or gas well are provided. Communication specks are applied on at least one of an outer surface or an inner surface of the pipe segments or coil tubing.

Claims

1. A drill pipe segment, comprising:

a pipe having a first terminal portion, at a first end of the pipe, and a second terminal portion, at a second end of the pipe, opposite to the first end, the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion being configured to allow assembling the drill pipe segment with another substantially similar drill pipe segment, at the first end and at the second end; and

communication specks disposed on a surface of the pipe, each communication speck being configured to communicate wirelessly data with other of the communication specks located on the pipe or on an adjacent substantially similar drill pipe segment, within a communication radius of the communication speck.

2. The drill pipe segment of claim 1, wherein each communication speck comprises:

an antenna configured to receive first signals including the data and to broadcast second signals including the data;

a control electronics block connected to the antenna and configured to process the first signals and to generate the second signals; and

a power source configured to provide power to the antenna and the control electronics.

3. The drill pipe segment of claim 2, wherein the control electronics is one of hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software.

4. The drill pipe segment of claim 1, wherein the communication specks are glued on an external surface of the pipe.

5. The drill pipe segment of claim 1, wherein the communication specks are mixed into a coat and applied on an external surface of the pipe.

6. The drill pipe segment of claim 1, wherein the communication specks are mixed into a coat and applied on an internal surface of the pipe.

7. The drill pipe segment of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more wires disposed along a middle section of the drill pipe segment, the one or more wires being configured to transmit data between first communication specks applied on the first terminal portion, and second communication specks applied on the second terminal portion.

8. The drill pipe segment of claim 2, wherein the power source of some of the communication specks is a parasitic power generator.

9. The drill pipe segment of claim 8, wherein the parasitic power generator includes a piezoelectric element converting vibrations occurring during drilling into electric power.

10. The drill pipe segment of claim 1, wherein the first terminal portion has inner threads, and the second terminal portion has outer threads, the inner threads and the outer threads being used to assemble the drill pipe segment with another substantially similar drill pipe segment.

11. The drill pipe segment of claim 10, wherein communication specks are not applied on the inner threads and on the outer threads.

12. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of pipe segments configured to be assembled with each other to form a segmented pipe; and

communication specks applied on an outer or an inner surface of at least some of the pipe segments, to enable wireless communication via the communication specks, each of the communication specks being configured to communicate wirelessly with other of the communication specks located on the same pipe segment or on an adjacent pipe segment, within a communication radius.

13. The communication system of claim 12, wherein each of the communication specks comprises:

an antenna configured to receive first signals including the data and to broadcast second signals including the data;

a control electronics block connected to the antenna and configured to process the first signal and to generate the second signals; and

a power source configured to provide power to the antenna and the control electronics.

14. The communication system of claim 12, further comprising:

a sensor configured to acquire information about one or more drilling parameters and to generate the data based on the acquired information.

15. The communication system of claim 12, further comprising:

an interface configured to receive and extract the data transmitted at least partially wireless via the communication specks, the interface being located close to the top of the segmented drill pipe.

16. A method of manufacturing drill pipe segments, comprising:

providing a pipe configured to assemble with another substantially similar pipe; and

applying communication specks on at least a portion of an inner or an outer surface of the pipe, each communication speck being configured to communicate wirelessly data with other of the communication specks located within a communication radius, on the pipe or on an adjacent pipe.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising one of:

gluing the communication specks on the outer surface of the pipe; and

painting a coating in which the communication specks are mixed, on at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface of the pipe.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

mounting wires along a middle section of the pipe, between first communication specks located at a first terminal portion of the pipe and second communication specks located at a second terminal portion of the pipe, the wires being configure to transmit the data between the first communication specks and the second communication specks.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

applying new communication specks on the surface of the pipe in areas where some of the communication specks have been damaged or removed, during a maintenance operation.

20. A communication system, comprising:

coil tubing; and

communication specks disposed on an outer or an inner surface of the coil tubing, each communication speck being configured to communicate wirelessly data with other of the communication specks located on the coil tubing within a communication radius.