Patent Application
20080230277
Advances in downhole telemetry systems have enable high speed communication between downhole devices and the earth's surface. With these high speed communication abilities, more downhole devices may be utilized in downhole applications. Harsh downhole environments may subject downhole devices to extreme temperatures and pressures. Further, drilling and/or production equipment may apply potentially damaging forces to the downhole devices, such as tensile loads of a drill string, compression and tension from bending, thermal expansion, vibration, and torque from the rotation of a drill string.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,226 by Diener et al., which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it contains, discloses an apparatus for protecting sensing devices disposed on an outer surface of a pipe. The apparatus includes a housing and a plurality of bumpers. The housing is attached to the outer surface of the pipe. The bumpers are attached to one of the outer surface of the pipe or the housing. Each bumper includes a post and a bumper pad. The bumpers are enclosed within the region formed between the housing and the pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,461 by Smith, which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it contains, discloses an apparatus, method and system for communicating information between downhole equipment and surface equipment. An electromagnetic signal repeater apparatus comprises a housing that is securably mountable to the exterior of a pipe string disposed in a well bore. The housing includes first and second housing subassemblies. The first housing subassembly is electrically isolated from the second housing subassembly by a gap subassembly having a length that is at least two times the diameter of the housing. The first housing subassembly is electrically isolated from the pipe string and is secured thereto with a nonconductive strap. The second housing subassembly is electrically coupled with the pipe string and is secured thereto with a conductive strap. An electronics package and a battery are disposed within the housing. The electronics package receives, processes, and retransmits the information being communicated between the downhole equipment and the surface equipment via electromagnetic waves.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,452 by Zillinger, which is herein incorporated by reference for all that it contains, discloses a carrier apparatus for connection with a pipe string for use in transporting at least one gauge downhole through a borehole. The apparatus includes a tubular body for connection with the pipe string having a bore for conducting a fluid therethrough and an outer surface, wherein the outer surface has at least one longitudinal recess formed therein. Further, at least one insert defining an internal chamber for receiving a gauge is mounted with the body such that at least a portion of the insert is receivable within the recess for engagement therewith. The apparatus also includes an interlocking interface comprised of the engagement between the insert and the recess, wherein the interlocking interface is configured such that the insert inhibits radial expansion of the body adjacent the recess.
In one aspect of the present invention a downhole tool string component has a tubular body with an outer diameter. A first, second, and third flange are disposed around the outer diameter of the tubular body at different axial locations. A first sleeve is disposed around the tubular body such that opposite ends of the first sleeve connect to at least a portion of the first and second flanges. A second sleeve is disposed around the tubular body such that opposite ends of the second sleeve connect at least a portion of the second and third flanges. At least one sleeve forms a pocket around the outer diameter of the tubular body.
The sleeves may comprise a plurality of grooves adapted to allow the sleeves to stretch and/or flex with the tubular body. The first and second sleeves may be interlocked. The sleeves may be interlocked with a castle cut connection. The first sleeve abuts a shoulder formed in the outer diameter of the downhole component. At least one sleeve may be made of a non-magnetic material. At least one flange and at least one sleeve may be a single element. An end of at least one sleeve may fit around a portion of at least one flange.
The first pocket may be electrically connected to a second pocket formed around the outer diameter of the tubular body by the second sleeve. The pockets may be electrically connected through an electrically conductive conduit disposed within the second flange. At least one pocket may be sealed. The flanges may comprise o-rings disposed along an outer diameter of the flanges. The flanges may comprise o-rings disposed along an inner diameter of the flanges.
An electronics housing may be disposed within at least one of the pockets. The electronics housing may be interlocked with at least one flange. The electronics housing may be interlocked with the flange using pins. The electronics housing may be interlocked with the tubular body.
The component may also comprise a collar disposed around the tubular body at an end and adapted to be a primary shoulder of the component. At least one sleeve may be a stabilizer adapted to stabilize the component in a well bore. The component may comprise a third sleeve disposed around the tubular body such that opposite ends of the third sleeve connect to at least a portion of the third flange and a fourth flange, forming another pocket around the outer diameter of the tubular body. The third sleeve may comprise openings adapted to allow fluid to pass through the sleeve.
A downhole tool string component 200 in the drill string 100 may comprise a plurality of pockets 201, as in the embodiment of
The individual sleeves 203 may allow for better axial and torsional flexibility of the component 200 than if the component 200 comprised a single sleeve spanning the pockets 201. The sleeves 203 may also comprise a plurality of grooves adapted to allow the sleeves 203 to stretch and/or flex with the tubular body 205. At least one sleeve may be made of a non-magnetic material, which may be useful in embodiments using magnetic sensors or other electronics. The pockets 201 may be sealed, though a sleeve and the pocket may comprise openings adapted to allow fluid to pass through the sleeve such that one of the pockets is a wet pocket.
Electronic equipment may be disposed within at least one of the pockets of the tool string component. The electronics may be in electrical communication with the aforementioned telemetry system, or they may be part of a closed-loop system downhole. An electronics housing 216 may be disposed within at least one of the pockets wherein the electronic equipment may be disposed, which may protect the equipment from downhole conditions. The electronics may comprise sensors for monitoring downhole conditions. The sensors may include pressure sensors, strain sensors, flow sensors, acoustic sensors, temperature sensors, torque sensors, position sensors, vibration sensors, geophones, hydrophones, electrical potential sensors, nuclear sensors, or any combination thereof. Information gathered from the sensors may be used either by an operator at the surface or by the closed-loop system downhole for modifications during the drilling process. If electronics are disposed in more than one pocket, the pockets may be in electrical communication which may be through an electrically conductive conduit disposed within the flange separating them.
The first flange 208 may abut a first shoulder collar 300 disposed around the tubular body at a first end 302 of the tool string component 200 adapted to be a primary shoulder 301 of the component, as in the embodiment of
The component 200 may be assembled at the drill site. The first shoulder collar 300 may be keyed to the component by a plurality of pins 305. The left-threaded collar 303 may be disposed around the component before the first shoulder collar 300 during assembly. After the left-threaded collar 303 is threaded on the component, the first shoulder collar 300 may then be slid into position from the opposite end of the component 200 over the plurality of pins 305 which keys the component to the component.
The flanges 202 may then be placed around the component, with the first flange 208 being keyed to the primary shoulder 301, possibly by another plurality of pins 320, in order to keep the first flange 208 rotationally stationary and provide torsional support. The flanges 202 may comprise o-rings 306 disposed around an outer diameter 307 of the flanges and/or within an inner diameter 308 of the flanges 202, such that the pockets 201 may be sealed when the sleeves 203 are placed around the component. The first sleeve 207 may abut a portion of the primary shoulder 301.
The component may also be pre-assembled prior to shipping to the drill site. In such embodiments, the sleeves may be press fit around the flanges. A grit may be placed into the press fit such that the grit may gall the surfaces of the flange and sleeve in order to create more friction between the two surfaces, wherein a stronger connection is made.
The fourth flange 215 on the component 200 may be keyed to a second shoulder collar 400 placed around a second end 401 of the component, as in the embodiment of
A sleeve 203 may comprise a space 502 wherein the electronics housing 216 may be disposed, as in the embodiment of
The flange or sleeve may comprise a castle cut connection 801 wherein larger portions 900 of the connection protrude and the connection is adapted to receive smaller portions of another castle cut connection, as in the embodiment of
The component 200 may comprise a combination of flanges 202 which are separate from the sleeves 203 or combined with the sleeves 203, as in the embodiment of
Whereas the present invention has been described in particular relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the scope and spirit of the present invention.
