Telemetry subsystem to communicate with plural downhole modules

• US 8,022,839 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Goodman, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh; Sunil
• Application Number:
  US11/830,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20090033332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 340/853.7, 340/855.5, 340/855.1, 166/297, 166/66.6
• US Class Current: 340/853.7
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/1185 Ignition systems
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/12 Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling

Abstract

A system for use in a wellbore includes plural modules for positioning in the wellbore and including respective interfaces, where the plural modules are configured to perform predefined downhole tasks in the wellbore. The plural modules are associated with respective local power sources. A telemetry subsystem enables communication between at least two of the plural modules, where the communication between the at least two of the plural modules allows one of the two modules to affect an operation of another of the two modules.

Claims

1. A system for use in a wellbore, comprising:

plural modules for positioning in the wellbore and including respective interfaces, wherein the plural modules are configured to perform predefined downhole tasks in the wellbore;

local power sources associated with the plural modules;

a telemetry subsystem comprising one or more telemetry components to interconnect the interfaces of the plural modules to enable communication between at least two of the plural modules, wherein the one or more telemetry components include one or more routers to provide electrical or optical communications between or among the interfaces of the plural modules, and wherein the communication between the at least two of the plural modules allows one of the two modules to affect an operation of another of the two modules; and

a carrier structure having embedded conductors coupling the telemetry subsystem to a surface controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a first of the two modules comprises a firing module to fire an explosive device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a second of the two modules comprises a valve module.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the valve module includes control logic to actuate a valve in the valve module in response to an indication of activation of the firing module, wherein the indication is received through the telemetry subsystem.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the interfaces are secondary interfaces, and wherein multiple ones of the plural modules further include corresponding primary interfaces to communicate with surface equipment located at an earth surface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the carrier structure comprises one of a wired tubing and a wired pipe.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plural modules comprise a sensor module having at least one sensor to sense a characteristic in the wellbore.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the plural modules further comprise a firing module having control logic configured to:

receive a command from a surface controller to activate the firing module;

in response to the command, access the sensor module to retrieve measurement data through the telemetry subsystem; and

activate the firing module in response to validating the measurement data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the control logic of the firing module is configured to further send a status indication to the surface controller.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the status indication includes the measurement data.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the local power sources are contained in respective ones of the plural modules.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the local power sources comprise batteries.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising the surface controller to be deployed at an earth surface, wherein the surface controller is configured to send commands over the embedded conductors and through the telemetry subsystem to one or more of the modules, and wherein the surface controller is configured to receive data through the telemetry subsystem and over the embedded conductors from one or more of the modules.

14. A method for use in a wellbore, comprising:

positioning plural modules in the wellbore, wherein the plural modules include respective interfaces and respective local power sources, and wherein the plural modules are configured to perform predefined downhole tasks in the wellbore;

providing a telemetry subsystem in the wellbore to enable communication between at least two of the plural modules, wherein the telemetry subsystem comprises one or more telemetry components to interconnect the interfaces of the plural modules, and wherein the one or more telemetry components are selected from one or more routers and one or more switches to enable electrical or optical communications;

communicating information from a first of the plural modules to a second of the plural modules to cause the operation of the second module to be affected by the information from the first module; and

communicating data and commands between the telemetry subsystem and a surface controller at an earth surface, wherein communicating the data and commands is through embedded conductors in a carrier structure that carries a tool including the plural modules and the telemetry subsystem.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the interfaces comprise secondary interfaces that allow the plural modules to communicate with each other through the telemetry subsystem, the method further comprising communicating between multiple ones of the plural modules and surface equipment through a primary interface of each of the multiple modules.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first module comprises a firing module, and the second module comprises a valve module, and wherein the information communicated from the first module to the second module comprises the firing module communicating an indication that the firing module has been activated to the valve module, the method further comprising:

the valve module actuating a valve based on the indication from the firing module.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the second module comprises a firing module, and the first module comprises a sensor module having a sensor to measure a characteristic of the wellbore, wherein the information from the first module to the second module comprises measurement data, the method further comprising:

the firing module validating the measurement data prior to activating the firing module.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein communicating the data and commands comprises sending data sent by one of the plural modules to the surface controller over the embedded conductors.

19. A method for use in a wellbore, comprising:

positioning plural modules in the wellbore, wherein the plural modules include respective interfaces and respective local power sources, and wherein the plural modules are configured to perform predefined downhole tasks in the wellbore;

providing a telemetry subsystem in the wellbore to enable communication between at least two of the plural modules, wherein the telemetry subsystem comprises one or more telemetry components to interconnect the interfaces of the plural modules, and wherein the one or more telemetry components are selected from one or more routers and one or more switches to enable electrical or optical communications;

communicating information from a first of the plural modules to a second of the plural modules to cause the operation of the second module to be affected by the information from the first module; and

communicating data and commands between the telemetry subsystem and a surface controller at an earth surface, wherein communicating the data and commands is through an optical fiber contained in tubing.

20. A system for use in a wellbore, comprising:

plural modules for positioning in the wellbore and including respective interfaces, wherein the plural modules are configured to perform predefined downhole tasks in the wellbore;

local power sources associated with the plural modules;

a telemetry subsystem comprising one or more telemetry components to interconnect the interfaces of the plural modules to enable communication between at least two of the plural modules, wherein the one or more telemetry components include one or more routers to provide electrical or optical communications between or among the interfaces of the plural modules, and wherein the communication between the at least two of the plural modules allows one of the two modules to affect an operation of another of the two modules; and

a tube containing an optical fiber to couple the telemetry subsystem to a surface controller.