Down-hole liquid detecting apparatus
First Claim
1. Liquid-detecting apparatus, wherein:
- the apparatus includes a probe (20) which is suitable for passing down into a hole from a surface, and for detecting and identifying fluids present in the hole;
the probe includes a first sensor (38);
the probe includes a second sensor, being an optical sensor (39), which includes an electrically-derived light emitter (40);
the two sensors include respective electrical on/off switches, which are responsive to the nature of the fluid in which the sensor is immersed, as detected by the sensor;
the apparatus includes two relatively insulated electrical conductors (36) extending between the probe and the surface;
the probe includes a dc battery (60), the arrangement of the probe being such that the battery passes physically down into the hole as a component of the probe;
the electrical arrangement of the probe is such that, during operation of the apparatus, the battery supplies electrical energy to the light emitter, and is such that the said energy is supplied constantly to the said light emitter irrespective of the condition of the on/off switches in either of the two sensors;
the probe includes a resistor (R1), the arrangement of the probe being such that the resistor passes physically down into the hole as a component of the probe;
the resistor is assembled in series with the on/off switch of one of the sensors to form a sensor-sub-assembly;
the said sensor-sub-assembly is assembled in parallel with the on/off switch of the other sensor to form a switch-sub-assembly;
the switch-sub-assembly and the battery are assembled in series between the two conductors;
the two sensors are so arranged in the switch-sub-assembly that the switch-sub-assembly in operation is effective to adopt three different electrical states in correspondence to three states of the probe in relation to the hole, namely;
in-air, in-water, and in-oil;
the apparatus is effective to provide the said three different electrical states of the switch-sub-assembly as three different voltage levels applied between the two conductors, being a maximum level, a minimum level and an intermediate level.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The probe (20) includes a conductivity sensor (38) and an optical sensor (39) for detecting the depth of a layer of oil, gasoline, etc floating on the surface of water in a well. A battery (60) is included in the probe, and a resistor (R1) is provided in series with the conductivity sensor. When the probe is in oil, both sensors are OFF, and no voltage is detectable at the surface; when the probe is in air, the optical sensor is ON and the conductivity sensor is OFF, so that a maximum voltage is detectable at the surface; and when the probe is in water, the optical sensor is OFF and the conductivity sensor (with its resistor) is ON, so that an intermediate voltage, as set by the value of the resistor, is detectable at the surface.
18 Citations
15 Claims
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1. Liquid-detecting apparatus, wherein:
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the apparatus includes a probe (20) which is suitable for passing down into a hole from a surface, and for detecting and identifying fluids present in the hole; the probe includes a first sensor (38); the probe includes a second sensor, being an optical sensor (39), which includes an electrically-derived light emitter (40); the two sensors include respective electrical on/off switches, which are responsive to the nature of the fluid in which the sensor is immersed, as detected by the sensor; the apparatus includes two relatively insulated electrical conductors (36) extending between the probe and the surface; the probe includes a dc battery (60), the arrangement of the probe being such that the battery passes physically down into the hole as a component of the probe; the electrical arrangement of the probe is such that, during operation of the apparatus, the battery supplies electrical energy to the light emitter, and is such that the said energy is supplied constantly to the said light emitter irrespective of the condition of the on/off switches in either of the two sensors; the probe includes a resistor (R1), the arrangement of the probe being such that the resistor passes physically down into the hole as a component of the probe; the resistor is assembled in series with the on/off switch of one of the sensors to form a sensor-sub-assembly; the said sensor-sub-assembly is assembled in parallel with the on/off switch of the other sensor to form a switch-sub-assembly; the switch-sub-assembly and the battery are assembled in series between the two conductors; the two sensors are so arranged in the switch-sub-assembly that the switch-sub-assembly in operation is effective to adopt three different electrical states in correspondence to three states of the probe in relation to the hole, namely;
in-air, in-water, and in-oil;the apparatus is effective to provide the said three different electrical states of the switch-sub-assembly as three different voltage levels applied between the two conductors, being a maximum level, a minimum level and an intermediate level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification