Flexible Antenna Assembly for Well Logging Tools

• US 20160248143A1
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Hensarling, Jesse Kevin, Sitka, Mark Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 10,177,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/0228 using electromagnetic energy or detectors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/18 through the well fluid , e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/00 Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/30 operating with electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/04 Adaptation for subterranean or subaqueous use
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/085 Flexible aerials; Whip aerials with a resilient base
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/08 Helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A disclosed example embodiment includes an antenna assembly for use in a well logging system. The antenna assembly includes a flexible, non-conductive cylindrical core having an outer surface and an electrically conductive path positioned on the outer surface of the core. The electrically conductive path forms an electromagnetic coil operable to transmit or receive electromagnetic energy. The electrically conductive path is formed on the core without winding a wire around the core using, for example, a removal process selected from the group consisting of milling, machining, etching and laser removal, an additive process selected from the group consisting of printing with conductive and dielectric inks and silk screening with conductive and dielectric epoxies or an integrated material deposition process such as a multi-material 3D printing process. The antenna assembly may be flexible mounted on a tubular member during assembly of a well logging tool.

Claims

1. A well logging tool comprising:

a tubular member;

at least one antenna assembly flexibly mounted on the tubular member, the antenna assembly including a flexible, non-conductive cylindrical core having an outer surface and an electrically conductive path positioned on the outer surface of the core, the electrically conductive path including an electromagnetic coil operable to transmit or receive electromagnetic energy; and

electrical circuitry electrically coupled to the at least one antenna assembly to provide electric current to or receive electric current from the electromagnetic coil.

2. The well logging tool as recited in claim 1 wherein the core further comprises a polymer.

3. The well logging tool as recited in claim 1 wherein the core further comprises a thermoplastic selected from the group consisting of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketone (PEK), polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) and polysulphone (PSU).

4. The well logging tool as recited in claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive path further comprises a coil form selected from the group consisting of a tilted coil, a crossed tilted coil, a tri-axial tilted coil, a helical coil and combinations thereof.

5. The well logging tool as recited in claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive path is formed on the core by coating the core with a conductive material and performing a removal process selected from the group consisting of milling, machining, etching and laser removal.

6. The well logging tool as recited in claim 5 wherein coating the core with the conductive material further comprises a process selected from the group consisting of spraying and dipping.

7. The well logging tool as recited in claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive path is formed on the core by an additive process.

8. The well logging tool as recited in claim 7 wherein the additive process is selected from the group consisting of printing with conductive and dielectric inks and silk screening with conductive and dielectric epoxies.

9. The well logging tool as recited in claim 7 wherein the additive process further comprises an integrated material deposition process.

10. The well logging tool as recited in claim 9 wherein the integrated material deposition process further comprises a multi-material 3D printing process.

11. A method of producing an antenna assembly comprising:

providing a flexible, non-conductive cylindrical core having an outer surface;

forming an electromagnetic coil operable to transmit or receive electromagnetic energy on the outer surface of the core by disposing an electrically conductive path on the core without winding a wire around the core.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein providing the flexible, non-conductive cylindrical core further comprises providing a polymer core.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein providing the flexible, non-conductive cylindrical core further comprises providing a thermoplastic core selected from the group consisting of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketone (PEK), polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) and polysulphone (PSU).

14. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein disposing the electrically conductive path on the core without winding a wire around the core further comprises coating the core with a conductive material and performing a removal process selected from the group consisting of milling, machining, etching and laser removal.

15. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein coating the core with the conductive material further comprises a process is selected from the group consisting of spraying and dipping.

16. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein disposing the electrically conductive path on the core without winding a wire around the core further comprises performing an additive process.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein performing the additive process further comprises performing a process selected from the group consisting of printing with conductive and dielectric inks and silk screening with conductive and dielectric epoxies.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein performing the additive process further comprises performing an integrated material deposition process.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein performing the integrated material deposition process further comprises performing a multi-material 3D printing process.

20. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising flexible mounting the antenna assembly on a tubular member.