Claims
- 1. A sensing apparatus which is affixed to a wellbore device, the wellbore device located in an earth formation traversed by the wellbore device, said sensing apparatus comprising:
a) a housing in contact with the wellbore device; b) a sensor which senses a condition of at least one of the earth formation, the wellbore device, and a fluid in the wellbore device, and c) circuitry, coupled to said sensor, that generates a wireless signal related to a determination of said condition sensed by said sensor, wherein said wireless signal is represented by magnetic flux in a local region of the wellbore device that is adjacent said sensing apparatus, and wherein said wireless signal is adapted to communicate information to an interrogator device located within said wellbore device and positioned in said local region.
- 2. A sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
said circuitry includes at least one solenoidal winding through which a modulating current is injected to thereby induce said magnetic flux.
- 3. A sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
said at least one solenoidal winding is adapted to be adjacent with a surface of the wellbore device.
- 4. A sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
the wellbore device has a longitudinal axis, and said at least one solenoidal winding is oriented with its main axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wellbore device.
- 5. A sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
said circuitry includes an electrical switch coupled across said at least one solenoidal winding, and means for selectively activating and de-activating said electrical switch to generate said modulating current to thereby induce said magnetic flux.
- 6. A sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
said circuitry includes means for injecting modulating current into said at least one solenoidal winding to thereby induce said magnetic flux.
- 7. A sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
said circuitry injects an alternating current into said at least one solenoidal winding.
- 8. A sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
said at least one solenoidal winding is wound around a body of high magnetic permeability material.
- 9. A sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
said circuitry includes a rectifier which supplies power to said sensor.
- 10. A sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
said sensor senses at least one of temperature, pressure, resistivity, fluid constituents, and fluid properties of the formation.
- 11. A sensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a second sensor which senses a condition of at least one of the earth formation and the wellbore device, said second sensor coupled to said circuitry.
- 12. A sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
said housing is adapted to be mounted to an outer surface of the wellbore device.
- 13. A device for obtaining information about an earth formation traversed by a wellbore device to which is affixed at least one sensing apparatus, the sensing apparatus extending into the formation and sensing a condition of at least one of the earth formation, the wellbore device, and a fluid in the wellbore device, said device comprising:
an interrogator moveable in the wellbore device that is adapted to communicate wireless signals with the at least one sensing apparatus when moved to a position in the vicinity of the at least one sensing apparatus, said wireless signals related to a determination of the condition sensed by said sensing apparatus.
- 14. A device according to claim 13, wherein:
said interrogator comprises a conductive winding carried by an elongate body.
- 15. A device according to claim 14, wherein a core of high magnetic permeability material surrounds a portion of said elongate body and is interposed between said elongate body and said conductive winding.
- 16. A device according to claim 15, wherein:
said core is affixed to said elongate body.
- 17. A device according to claim 14, wherein:
said interrogator processes a modulating current signal induced in said conductive winding when receiving said wireless signals.
- 18. A device according to claim 14, wherein:
said interrogator generates wireless signals by injecting a modulating current signal into said conductive winding to generate magnetic flux in a local region of the wellbore device that is adjacent said interrogator, and wherein said sensing apparatus is adapted to receive said wireless signals when said interrogator is moved in the vicinity of said sensing apparatus.
- 19. A device according to claim 14, wherein:
the wellbore device has a longitudinal axis, and said conductive winding is oriented with its main axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wellbore device.
- 20. A device according to claim 13, further comprising:
circuitry for receiving wireless signals communicated from the at least one sensing apparatus to the interrogator and processing the received wireless signals to recover information encoded therein.
- 21. A system according to claim 13, wherein:
said at least one sensing apparatus comprises a plurality of substantially identical sensing apparatus spaced along the wellbore device.
- 22. A system for obtaining information about an earth formation traversed by a wellbore device, said system including:
a) an interrogator movable in the wellbore device; and b) at least one sensing apparatus which is affixed to the wellbore device and which extends into the formation, said at least one sensing apparatus including
i) a housing in contact with the wellbore device, ii) a sensor which senses a condition of at least one of the earth formation, the wellbore device, and fluid in the wellbore device, and iii) circuitry, coupled to said sensor, that generates a first wireless signal related to a determination of said condition sensed by said sensor, wherein said first wireless signal is represented by magnetic flux in a local region of the wellbore device that is adjacent said sensing apparatus; wherein said interrogator is adapted to receive said fist wireless signal when moved to a position in said local region.
- 23. A system according to claim 22, wherein:
said interrogator comprises a conductive winding carried by an elongate body.
- 24. A system according to claim 23, wherein a core of high magnetic permeability material surrounds a portion of said elongate body and is interposed between said elongate body and said conductive winding.
- 25. A system according to claim 24, wherein:
said core is affixed to said elongate body.
- 26. A system according to claim 23, wherein:
said interrogator processes a modulating current signal induced in said conductive winding when receiving said first wireless signal.
- 27. A system according to claim 23, wherein:
said interrogator generates a second wireless signal by injecting a modulating current signal into said conductive winding to generate magnetic flux in a local region of the wellbore device that is adjacent said interrogator, and wherein said sensing apparatus is adapted to receive said second wireless signal when said interrogator is moved in the vicinity of said sensing apparatus.
- 28. A system according to claim 22, wherein:
said circuitry includes at least one solenoidal winding through which a modulating current passes during wireless communication between said at least one sensing apparatus and said interrogator.
- 29. A system according to claim 28, wherein:
said at least one solenoidal winding is adapted to be adjacent with a surface of the wellbore device.
- 30. A system according to claim 28, wherein:
the wellbore device has a longitudinal axis, and said at least one solenoidal winding is oriented with its main axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wellbore device.
- 31. A system according to claim 28, wherein:
said circuitry includes an electrical switch coupled across said at least one solenoidal winding, and means for selectively activating and de-activating said electrical switch to generate said modulating current.
- 32. A system according to claim 28, wherein:
said circuitry includes means for injecting modulating current into said at least one solenoidal winding.
- 33. A system according to claim 32, wherein:
said circuitry injects an alternating current into said at least one solenoidal winding.
- 34. A system according to claim 28, wherein:
said at least one solenoidal winding is wound around a body of high magnetic permeability material.
- 35. A system according to claim 28, wherein:
said circuitry includes a rectifier which supplies power to said sensor.
- 36. A system according to claim 22, wherein:
said sensor senses at least one of temperature, pressure, resistivity, fluid constituents, and fluid properties of the formation.
- 37. A system according to claim 22, wherein:
said at least one sensing apparatus comprises a plurality of substantially identical sensing apparatus spaced along the wellbore device.
- 38. A system according to claim 37, wherein:
said plurality of substantially identical sensing apparatus are spaced both longitudinally and azimuthally along the wellbore device.
- 39. A method for transmitting information in an earth formation traversed by a wellbore device, the method comprising:
a) affixing at least one sensing apparatus to the wellbore device such that the sensing apparatus extends into the formation, said at least one sensing apparatus including
i) a housing in contact with the wellbore device, ii) a sensor which is capable of sensing a condition of at least one of the earth formation, the wellbore device, and a fluid in the wellbore device, and iii) circuitry, coupled to said sensor, that is capable of generating a first wireless signal related to a determination of said condition sensed by said sensor, wherein said first wireless signal is represented by magnetic flux in a region of the wellbore device in a local region of the wellbore device that is adjacent said sensing apparatus; b) sensing with said sensing apparatus the condition of at least one of the earth formation, the wellbore device, and a fluid in the wellbore device; c) locating an interrogator device in said local region of the wellbore device that is adjacent said sensing apparatus; d) generating the first wireless signal related to a determination of said condition sensed by said sensor; e) receiving the first wireless signal at said interrogator device; and f) causing an indication of said first wireless signal to be obtained uphole.
- 40. A method according to claim 39, wherein:
said affixing comprises affixing a plurality of substantially identical sensing apparatus spaced along the wellbore device.
- 41. A method according to claim 40, wherein:
said plurality of substantially identical sensing apparatus are affixed both longitudinally and azimuthally along the wellbore device.
- 42. A method according to claim 41, wherein:
said locating comprises moving said interrogator device within the wellbore device to different locations in the vicinities of said plurality of sensing apparatus.
- 43. A method according to claim 39, wherein:
said locating comprises moving said interrogator device within the wellbore device.
- 44. A method according to claim 39, wherein:
said interrogator device comprises a conductive winding carried by an elongate body.
- 45. A method according to claim 44, wherein:
a core of high magnetic permeability material surrounds a portion of said elongate body and is interposed between said elongate body and said conductive winding.
- 46. A method according to claim 44, further comprising:
injecting a modulating current signal into said conductive winding to generate a second wireless signal in the local region of the wellbore device that is adjacent said sensing apparatus; and receiving said second wireless signal at said at least one sensing apparatus.
- 47. A method according to claim 46, wherein:
said second wireless signal is a wakeup signal for said sensing device.
- 48. A method for identifying a place of interest in an earth formation traversed by a wellbore device, the method comprising:
a) affixing a location indicator to the wellbore device at the place of interest, said at least one location indicator including a housing in contact with the wellbore device and circuitry that is capable of generating a wireless signal represented by magnetic flux in a local region of the wellbore device that is adjacent said at least one location indicator; b) generating said wireless signal with said location indicator; c) moving a detecting device through the wellbore device and past said location indicator, said detecting device adapted to receive said wireless signal; d) identifying the place of interest by finding a sharp null in said wireless signal.
- 49. A method of interrogating a sensing apparatus which is affixed to a wellbore device, the method comprising:
a) locating an interrogator device in the vicinity of the sensing apparatus; b) communicating a wireless signal between the sensing apparatus and said interrogator device utilizing a loosely-coupled transformer interface therebetween; and c) causing an indication of said wireless signal to be obtained uphole.
- 50. A method of transmitting information in an earth formation traversed by a wellbore device, the wellbore device having at least one sensing apparatus affixed to the wellbore device and extending into the formation, the at least one sensing apparatus including housing in contact with the wellbore device, a sensor which senses a condition of at least one of the earth formation, the wellbore device, and a fluid in the wellbore device, and circuitry, coupled to the sensor, that is capable of generating a wireless signal related to a determination of the condition sensed by said sensor, wherein said first wireless signal is represented by magnetic flux in a region of the wellbore device, the method comprising:
a) locating an interrogator device in the vicinity of the sensing apparatus; b) receiving said wireless signal produced by the sensing apparatus and relating to said condition at said interrogator device; and c) causing an indication of said wireless signal to be obtained uphole.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-owned U.S. Ser. No. 10/452,447, entitled “Methods, Apparatus, and Systems for Obtaining Formation Information Utilizing Sensors Attached to a Casing in a Wellbore,” filed on Jun. 2, 2003, and is also related to co-owned U.S. Ser. No. 10/163,784 to R. Ciglenec, et al. entitled “Well-Bore Sensor Apparatus and Method”, and to co-owned U.S. Ser. No. 09/428,936 to A. Sezginer, et al. entitled “Wellbore Antennae System and Method”, and to co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,917 and to co-owned U.S. Ser. No. 09/382,534 to R. Ciglenec et al. entitled “Reservoir Management System and Method”, and to co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,028,534, and to co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,662, and to co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,257, and to U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,662, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10452447 |
Jun 2003 |
US |
Child |
10740211 |
Dec 2003 |
US |