A downhole wall clamping device

Abstract

This application provides a downhole wall clamping device, comprising: an upper cover and a base connected by a central support column and a guide support column; the central support column is connected to an upper support rod, a support sleeve, and a lower support rod via upper, middle, and lower threaded sections respectively; a support arm is connected between the upper and lower support rods; the support arm is slidably connected to a ball frame; the support sleeve is connected to the ball frame via an elastic element; the ball frame is connected to a wall clamping ball; the drive shaft of the drive unit passes through the upper cover and is connected to the central support column; when the central support column is driven to rotate in a first direction for a clamping time, the upper and lower support rods move to the open position, the support arm is in a fully open state, the support sleeve moves to the clamping position, and the wall clamping ball abuts against the well wall; when the central support column is driven to rotate in a second direction for a retraction time, the upper and lower support rods move to the retracted position, the support arm is in a fully retracted state, the support sleeve moves to the initial position, and the wall clamping ball is released from the well wall. The device enables the installation and retrieval of instruments, improving stability and reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of observation instrument technology, and in particular to a downhole wall clamping device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, downhole seismic monitoring instruments are mainly installed using cement-bonded mounting. These instruments are not repairable, and a malfunction can cause all related instruments to stop working, rendering the entire well unusable and resulting in significant economic losses due to reduced instrument utilization efficiency. Therefore, designing a wall-clamping device to assist in the installation and retrieval of downhole instruments is a problem that needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a downhole wall clamping device.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a downhole wall-closing device, comprising:

[0005] The top cover and the base are connected by a central support and a guide support.

[0006] The central support column is connected to the upper support rod via an upper threaded section, to the support sleeve via a middle threaded section, and to the lower support rod via a lower threaded section. A support arm is connected between the upper and lower support rods. The support arm is slidably connected to the ball frame. The support sleeve is connected to the ball frame via an elastic element. The ball frame is connected to the outward-facing retaining ball.

[0007] The drive shaft of the drive unit passes through the upper cover and is connected to the central support column. When the drive unit drives the central support column to rotate and lock in the first direction for a certain period of time, the upper support rod and the lower support rod move to the open position, the support arm is in the fully open state, the support sleeve moves to the locking position, and the wall-locking ball locks against the well wall.

[0008] When the drive unit drives the central support to rotate and retract in the second direction, the upper and lower support rods move to the retracted position, the support arm is in a fully retracted state, the support sleeve moves to the initial position, and the wall-locking ball releases its locking mechanism from the well wall.

[0009] The control unit is used to control the rotation direction and rotation time of the drive unit.

[0010] Optionally, when the drive unit drives the central support column to rotate and open in the first direction for a certain period of time, the upper and lower support rods rise along the central support column and the guide support column to the open position, the support arm is fully opened, and the upper and lower support rods stop rising; the central support column continues to rotate in the first direction, the support sleeve continues to rise along the central support column, and the ball frame and the wall-clamping ball are driven to rise along the support arm through the elastic element. When the rotation reaches the clamping time, the support sleeve is in the clamping position, and the wall-clamping ball is engaged with the well wall.

[0011] Optionally, when the drive unit drives the central support to rotate in the second direction for the release time, the upper and lower support rods descend along the central support and guide support, and the wall-locking ball releases its abutment from the well wall. When it descends to the retracted position, the support arm is fully retracted, and the upper and lower support rods stop descending. The central support continues to rotate in the second direction, and the support sleeve continues to descend along the central support. The elastic element drives the ball frame and the wall-locking ball to descend along the support arm. When the rotation reaches the retracted time, the support sleeve is in the initial position.

[0012] Optionally, the central support column is provided with an auxiliary elastic element. When the central support column is driven to rotate in the first direction, the auxiliary elastic element applies an elastic force to the upper and lower support rods in the retracted position, so that the upper and lower support rods engage with the upper and lower threaded sections, respectively. When the central support column is driven to rotate in the second direction, the auxiliary elastic element applies an elastic force to the upper and lower support rods in the extended position, so that the upper and lower support rods engage with the upper and lower threaded sections, respectively.

[0013] Optionally, the upper cover and the base are connected by three guide pillars, which are equidistant from each other along the circumference. The upper support rod and the lower support rod are respectively connected to the central pillar and the three guide pillars. The upper support rod and the lower support rod are connected by three support arms, which are equidistantly positioned between each pair of guide pillars.

[0014] Optionally, the upper support rod is connected to the upper end of the support arm via a transmission joint, and the lower support rod is pivotally connected to the lower end of the support arm. When the upper and lower support rods are in the extended position, the transmission joint extends; when the upper and lower support rods are in the retracted position, the transmission joint retracts.

[0015] Optionally, the control unit is used to determine the clamping time based on the diameter of the well, the diameter of the clamping ball, and the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction.

[0016] Optionally, the method for determining the clamping time based on the diameter of the well, the diameter of the clamping ball, and the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction is as follows:

[0017] (1)

[0018] in, D The diameter of the well. d The diameter of the squash ball, v 1 represents the speed at which the squash ball rises along the support arm. This is the maximum angle between the support arm and the vertical direction.

[0019] Optionally, the control unit is used to determine the retraction time based on the initial position of the retaining ball, the diameter of the retaining ball, and the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction.

[0020] Optionally, the drive unit is a motor;

[0021] The control unit is used to detect the motor current during the rotation of the motor. When the current exceeds a preset abnormal threshold, the control unit controls the reduction of the motor rotation speed. If the current exceeds the abnormal threshold for a longer period than a preset abnormal time threshold, the control unit controls the motor to stop rotating.

[0022] As can be seen from the above, the downhole wall-clamping device provided in this application embodiment, when the drive center support rotates and clamps in the first direction for a certain time, the upper and lower support rods move to the open position, the support arm is in a fully open state, the support casing moves to the clamping position, and the wall-clamping ball abuts against the well wall; when the drive center support rotates and retracts in the second direction for a certain time, the upper and lower support rods move to the retracted position, the support arm is in a fully retracted state, the support casing moves to the initial position, and the wall-clamping ball disengages from the well wall. The device adopts a wall-clamping ball design, which can improve the stability and reliability of instrument installation and adapt to complex downhole environments; by automatically controlling the rotation time and rotation direction of the device, the installation and retrieval of the device and instrument can be realized, and it can be adapted to wells of different diameters. During the installation and retrieval process, through the coordinated movement of each component, jamming can be effectively avoided, and the device can be installed and retrieved conveniently, quickly, and smoothly. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a simplified structural and parameter diagram of the clamping mechanism in some embodiments;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the device structure according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a simplified structural diagram of an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figures 5A-5C This is a schematic diagram of the card-opening process according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figures 6A-6D This is a schematic diagram of the card unlocking and recycling process according to an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figures 7A-7D This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the support sleeve, upper support rod, and lower support rod during the process of opening the locking mechanism according to an embodiment of this application.

[0031] Figures 8A-8D This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the support sleeve, upper support rod, and lower support rod during the unblocking and retraction process according to an embodiment of this application.

[0032] Figure 9A This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the wall-mounted ball being stuck against the well wall according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 9B This is a schematic diagram showing the state where the wall-mounted ball is not stuck against the well wall, according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0035] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the embodiments of this application should have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in the embodiments of this application do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0036] In related technologies, claw-type wall-clamping devices are used to assist in the installation of downhole instruments. However, the claw-type design has poor adaptability to the wellbore or well casing. The claws form surface contact with the wellbore, and when the wellbore or well casing deforms, the instrument tilts along with the claws and the wellbore, affecting the instrument's observation position. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the arm length of the chuck and the wall angle α (the angle between the line connecting the two chucks to the well wall and the line connecting the center point of the support rod and the contact point) are both fixed values. They can only be adapted to well walls or well casings with fixed inner diameters. They cannot be adapted to downhole installations with different inner diameters, nor do they have the function of automatic control of installation and retrieval. They cannot automatically install and retrieve the instrument.

[0037] In view of this, this application provides a downhole wall clamping device. The wall clamping device adopts a wall clamping ball design, which can improve the reliability of fixing to the well wall or well wall casing through point contact, ensuring that the instrument is in the normal observation position. By controlling the wall clamping ball to rise to different heights, it can clamp onto well walls or well wall casings of different inner diameters, thereby adapting to downhole installations of different inner diameters. By controlling the rotation direction and rotation time of the drive unit, the device can be opened or retrieved, assisting in the installation and retrieval of downhole instruments. The device has a simple and reliable structure, is easy to operate, and has wide applicability.

[0038] The technical solution of this application will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0039] like Figure 2 , 3 As shown in Figures 7A and 7A, this application provides a downhole wall clamping device, comprising:

[0040] Top cover 1 and base 3 are connected by a central support 2 and a guide support 4.

[0041] The central support column 2 is connected to the upper support rod 5 via the upper threaded section 21, to the support sleeve 8 via the middle threaded section 22, and to the lower support rod 6 via the lower threaded section 23. The upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 are connected to the support arm 7, which is slidably connected to the ball frame 11. The support sleeve 8 is connected to the ball frame 11 via the elastic element 10, and the ball frame 11 is connected to the wall-mounting ball 12 facing outward.

[0042] The drive shaft of the drive unit passes through the upper cover 1 and is connected to the central support column 2. When the drive unit drives the central support column 2 to rotate and lock in the first direction, the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 move to the open position, the support arm 7 is in the fully open state, the support sleeve 8 moves to the locking position, and the wall-locking ball 12 locks against the well wall.

[0043] When the drive unit drives the central support column 2 to rotate and retract in the second direction, the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 move to the retracted position, the support arm 7 is in the fully retracted state, the support sleeve 8 moves to the initial position, and the wall-locking ball 12 is released from the well wall.

[0044] The control unit is used to control the rotation direction and rotation time of the drive unit.

[0045] The downhole wall-clamping device provided in this embodiment is encapsulated in a sealed cylinder. The upper end of the device is connected to the downhole instrument. The downhole instrument is installed downhole using the downhole wall-clamping device. After reaching the installation position, the wall-clamping device is opened, and the wall-clamping ball abuts against the well wall or well wall casing, securing the downhole instrument downhole. When instrument maintenance is required, the wall-clamping device is retrieved, and the wall-clamping ball disengages from the well wall or well wall casing, achieving overall retrieval of the wall-clamping device and the instrument.

[0046] Specifically, the downhole wall clamping device includes an upper cover 1 and a base 3. The upper cover 1 and the base 3 are connected by a central support 2 and a guide support 4. The upper end of the upper cover 1 is connected to the drive unit 15 through a support 19. The drive shaft of the drive unit 15 passes through the center of the upper cover 1 and is connected to the central support 2. The central support 2 can rotate in a first direction (e.g., forward) or a second direction (e.g., reverse) under the drive of the drive shaft.

[0047] The central support column 2 is provided with an upper threaded section 21, a middle threaded section 22, and a lower threaded section 23. The upper threaded section 21 is connected to the upper support rod 5, the middle threaded section 22 is connected to the support sleeve 8, and the lower threaded section 23 is connected to the lower support rod 6. The upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 can rise or fall along the central support column 2 and the guide support column 4, and the support sleeve 8 can rise or fall along the central support column 2. A support arm 7 is connected between the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6. A ball frame 11 is slidably connected to the support arm 7. The ball frame 11 can slide up and down along the support arm 7. The support sleeve 8 is connected to one side of the ball frame 11 through an elastic element 10, and the other side of the ball frame 11 is connected to the retaining ball 12. When the support sleeve 8 rises or falls, the ball frame 11 slides up and down through the elastic element 10, and the retaining ball 12 can slide up and down along the support arm 7 together with the ball frame 11.

[0048] In some embodiments, to accommodate downhole installation, both the upper cover 1 and the base 3 have circular cross-sections. The upper cover 1 and the base 3 are connected by three guide pillars 4, which are equidistantly arranged along the circumference. The upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 are connected to the central pillar 2 and the three guide pillars 4, respectively. The upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 are connected by three support arms 7, which are equidistantly positioned between each pair of guide pillars. That is, the three guide pillars 4 and the three support arms 7 are spaced equidistantly along the circumference. Both the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 have three legs, which are connected to the three guide pillars 4, allowing them to rise or fall vertically under the guidance of the guide pillars 4. The legs of the upper support rod 5 are connected to the upper ends of the support arms 7, and the legs of the lower support rod 6 are connected to the lower ends of the support arms 7. The three retaining balls on the three support arms 7 engage with the well wall, forming a stable triangular support structure.

[0049] In some embodiments, the upper support rod 5 is connected to the upper end of the support arm 7 via a transmission joint 9, and the lower support rod 6 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the support arm 7. When the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 are in the extended position, the transmission joint 9 extends; when the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 are in the retracted position, the transmission joint 9 retracts.

[0050] like Figure 4 , 5A As shown in -5C, 7A-7D, in some embodiments, when the drive unit drives the central support column 2 to rotate in the first direction for a certain period of time, the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 rise along the central support column 2 and the guide support column 4 to the open position, the support arm 7 is fully opened, and the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 stop rising; the central support column 2 continues to rotate in the first direction, the support sleeve 8 continues to rise along the central support column 2, and the ball frame 11 and the wall-clamping ball 12 are driven to rise along the support arm 7 through the elastic element 10. When the rotation reaches the clamping time, the support sleeve 8 is in the clamping position, and the wall-clamping ball 12 is clamped against the well wall.

[0051] In this embodiment, the process from the initial state to the opening and locking of the device is as follows: the drive unit drives the central support column 2 to rotate in the first direction, the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 rise from the initial retracted position along the central support column 2 and the guide support column 4, the support sleeve 8 rises from the initial position along the central support column 2, when the drive unit rotates to open, the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 rise to the open position, the upper support rod 5 is located at the upper end of the upper thread 21 and the outer thread area, the lower support rod 6 is located at the upper end of the lower thread 23 and the outer thread area, the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 are in a slipping state, stop rising, maintain a constant height, the transmission joint 9 is in an unfolded horizontal state, the support arm 7 is fully opened, and the angle between the support arm 7 and the vertical direction reaches its maximum (i.e., in formula 1). ).

[0052] The drive unit drives the central support column to continue rotating in the first direction, and the support sleeve 8 continues to rise along the central support column 2. During the rising process, the support sleeve 8 drives the ball frame 11 and the wall-clamping ball 12 to rise along the support arm 7 through the elastic element 10. When the drive unit rotates to clamp, the support sleeve 8 is in the clamped position. The support sleeve 8 rises to the upper end of the central thread 22 and the area outside the thread. The support sleeve 8 is in a slipping state, and the wall-clamping ball 12 is stuck against the well wall. The wall-clamping ball 12 remains in its current position. The downhole instrument uses its own weight to make the wall-clamping ball tightly clamped to the well wall. The heavier the instrument's own weight, the tighter it is clamped, thus firmly installing the device and downhole instrument downhole.

[0053] In the locked state, the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 remain slippery, preventing damage to the corresponding threads, maintaining the effectiveness of the thread structure, ensuring smooth extension and retraction of the support arm 7, and avoiding jamming. The design employs a wall-mounted ball joint, with point contact between the ball and the well wall, adapting to well wall inclination. Even if the well wall tilts, it ensures the verticality of the device and downhole instruments, thus guaranteeing normal instrument operation.

[0054] like Figures 6A-6D As shown in Figures 8A-8D, in some embodiments, when the drive unit drives the central support column 2 to rotate in the second direction for the unblocking time, the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 descend along the central support column 2 and the guide support column 4, and the wall-locking ball 12 unblocks from the well wall. When it descends to the retracted position, the support arm 7 is fully retracted, and the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 stop descending. The central support column 2 continues to rotate in the second direction, and the support sleeve 8 continues to descend along the central support column 2. Through the elastic element 10, the ball frame and the wall-locking ball 12 descend along the support arm. When the rotation reaches the retracting time, the support sleeve 8 is in the initial position.

[0055] In this embodiment, the process of the device from the open and locked state to the unlocked and retracted state is as follows: the drive unit drives the central support column 2 to rotate in the second direction, the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 start from the open position and descend along the central support column 2 and the guide support column 4, the transmission joint 9 retracts and pulls the support arm 7 to retract, the support sleeve 8 descends along the central support column 2, the support sleeve 8 drives the ball frame 11 and the wall-locking ball 12 to descend along the support arm 7 through the elastic element 10, the wall-locking ball 12 unlocks from the well wall, when the drive unit rotates to unlock the time, the upper support rod 5 descends to the lower end of the upper thread 21 and the outer thread area, the lower support rod 6 descends to the lower end of the lower thread 23 and the outer thread area, the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 are in a slipping state, stop descending, maintain the height unchanged, the support arm 7 is fully retracted, and the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 return to the initial retracted position.

[0056] When the wall-clamping ball is stuck against the well wall, the stress is mainly concentrated on the wall-clamping ball and transmitted to the support arm 7, transmission joint 9 and central support column 2 through the wall-clamping ball 12. In this embodiment, the wall-clamping release operation is designed to first retrieve the support arm 7 and then retrieve the wall-clamping ball 12. When the support arm 7 is retrieved, the wall-clamping ball 12 immediately decouples from the well wall, and the wall-clamping stress on the wall-clamping ball 12 immediately disappears, which facilitates the quick and smooth release of the wall-clamping state, minimizes the risk of jamming, and enables the smooth retrieval of the wall-clamping device and downhole instruments.

[0057] The drive unit drives the central support column 2 to continue rotating in the second direction, and the support sleeve 8 continues to descend along the central support column 2. The ball frame 11 and the clamping ball 12 descend together with the support sleeve 8. When the drive unit rotates back, the support sleeve 8 descends to the lower end of the central thread 22 and the area outside the thread. The support sleeve 8 stops descending, and the support sleeve 8 and the clamping ball 12 return to their initial positions. The device and downhole instruments are in a suspended and free state and can be pulled out of the well for maintenance.

[0058] In some embodiments, the central support column 2 is provided with an auxiliary elastic element. When the central support column 2 is driven to rotate in a first direction, the auxiliary elastic element applies an elastic force to the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 in the retracted position, causing the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 to engage with the upper threaded section 21 and the lower threaded section 23, respectively. When the central support column 2 is driven to rotate in a second direction, the auxiliary elastic element applies an elastic force to the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 in the extended position, causing the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 to engage with the upper threaded section 21 and the lower threaded section 23, respectively.

[0059] Combination Figure 2 As shown, an upper auxiliary elastic element 16 is provided on the central support 2 at the position corresponding to the upper support rod 5.

[0060] A lower auxiliary elastic element 17 is provided on the central support column 2 at the position corresponding to the lower support rod 6. When the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 are in the retracted position, they are located in the outer thread area of ​​the lower end of the upper and lower threads, respectively, and are disengaged from the threaded connection. When the central support column rotates in the first direction, the upper auxiliary elastic element 16 and the lower auxiliary elastic element 17 apply elastic force to the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6, respectively, so that the upper support rod 5 engages upward with the upper thread 21, and the lower support rod 6 engages upward with the lower thread 23, thereby allowing the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 to rise smoothly along the central support column. At the same time, the lower auxiliary elastic element 17 can provide a reverse support force for the movement of the lower support rod 6, avoiding damage to the well wall from a sudden increase in clamping force; the pre-tightening force provided by the upper auxiliary elastic element 16, the lower auxiliary elastic element 17 and the elastic element 10 can ensure stable contact between the clamping ball 12 and the well wall, preventing loosening.

[0061] When the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 are in the open position, the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 are located in the outer area of ​​the upper thread and the lower thread respectively, and are disengaged from the threaded connection. When the central support rotates in the second direction, the upper auxiliary elastic element 16 and the lower auxiliary elastic element 17 respectively apply elastic force to the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6, so that the upper support rod 5 engages with the upper thread 21 downward and the lower support rod 6 engages with the lower thread 23 downward, thereby allowing the upper support rod 5 and the lower support rod 6 to descend smoothly along the central support.

[0062] In some ways, such as Figure 3 As shown, the lower end of the support sleeve 8 is provided with a guide plate 18. The guide plate 18 has grooves at positions corresponding to each guide pillar 4 and support arm 7. When the support sleeve 8 rises or falls along the central pillar 2, the guide plate 18 rises or falls along the guide pillar 4 and support arm 7, ensuring the stability and reliability of the device. The elastic element 10 includes an upper elastic element and a lower elastic element. One end of the upper elastic element is connected to the upper end of the support sleeve 8, and the other end of the upper elastic element is connected to the inner side of the ball frame 11. One end of the lower elastic element is connected to the lower end of the support sleeve 8, and the other end of the lower elastic element is connected to the inner side of the ball frame 11. Through the cooperation of the two elastic elements, the ball frame 11 and the wall-locking ball 12 are driven to rise or fall with the support sleeve 8.

[0063] In some embodiments, the upper cover 1 is provided with sealing grooves 13 and 14 for installing sealing rings. Sealing rings are installed at the connection point between the upper cover and the drive unit to improve the sealing performance of the device, effectively cope with complex environments such as dry and wet wells, and ensure long-term operational reliability. Optionally, O-rings, lip rings, etc., can be used as sealing rings; no specific limitation is made.

[0064] Optionally, the ball frame 11 and the support arm 7 are slidably connected via a slide rail slider structure or a slide rail pulley structure. The wall-mounting wheel 12 can be a tension wheel, and there is no specific limitation.

[0065] In some embodiments, the control unit is used to determine the clamping time based on the diameter of the well, the diameter of the clamping ball, and the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction.

[0066] like Figure 9A As shown, the device is equipped with three retaining balls, which are equidistant from each other along the circumference and located at the three vertices of an equilateral triangle. When the three retaining balls engage with the well wall, they provide stable support. After determining the diameter of the well, the diameter of the retaining balls, and the maximum angle formed by the support arm with the vertical direction when fully extended, the clamping time is calculated based on these parameters. The method is as follows:

[0067] (1)

[0068] in, D The diameter of the well. d The diameter of the squash ball, v 1 represents the speed at which the squash ball rises along the support arm. This is the maximum angle between the support arm and the vertical direction.

[0069] In other words, once the device parameters (diameter of the clamping ball) and the target well to be installed are determined, the device and downhole instruments can be precisely installed and secured in the target well by controlling the rotation time of the drive unit in the first direction. Moreover, the clamping time can be adjusted to install in wells of different diameters. In addition, the control time of the device can be changed by designing the diameter of the clamping ball.

[0070] In some configurations, the device is suitable for installation in wells with diameters within a certain range. When the support casing 8 of the device is in the clamped position, and the support casing 8 rises to the upper end of the central thread 22, outside the thread area, and the support casing 8 is in a slipping state, this corresponds to the largest diameter well to which the device can be installed. When the diameter of the well is smaller than this maximum diameter, the support casing 8 does not need to rise to the outside area of ​​the central thread 22. The wall-clamping ball can be controlled to rise to different heights, so that the wall-clamping ball can be adaptively clamped against the well wall of wells with different diameters. That is, as long as the wall-clamping ball can be clamped against the well wall, the height to which the support casing drives the wall-clamping ball to rise can be adaptively adjusted according to the diameter of the well.

[0071] In some embodiments, the control unit is used to determine the retraction time based on the initial position of the wall-mounted ball, the diameter of the wall-mounted ball, and the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction.

[0072] like Figure 9B As shown, when the retaining sleeve and retaining balls are in the initial position, the diameter of the circle formed by the three retaining balls is S. The retraction time can be calculated based on the diameter S of the circle formed by the retaining balls in the initial position, the diameter of the retaining balls, and the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction. The method is as follows:

[0073] (2)

[0074] in, v 2 represents the speed at which the scuttle ball descends along the support arm. The angle between the support arm and the vertical direction is the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction. Since the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction changes during the retraction process, The value of is between the maximum and minimum included angles. The minimum included angle is the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction when the support arm is in the fully retracted state.

[0075] By controlling the rotation and retraction time of the drive unit in the second direction, the device can be precisely restored to its initial state.

[0076] In some methods, during the process of the device moving from its initial position to the point where the locking block is opened, the upward velocity of the locking ball along the support arm is greater than or equal to 0. Specifically:

[0077] The device is in its initial position. v 1=0, t=0, S < D ;

[0078] During the process of the upper support rod being extended. v 1>0, t >0, ;

[0079] With the upper support rod extended. v 1>0, t = T 1, ; T 1 represents the time required to open the container;

[0080] As the squash ball continued to rise, v 1>0, T 1 < t < T 2, ;

[0081] When the squash ball is stuck in the position, v 1=0, t = T 2, , T 2 refers to the clamping time.

[0082] During the process of the device returning to its initial position from the expanded locking position, the descent speed of the locking ball along the support arm is less than or equal to 0. Specifically:

[0083] With the device in the extended and locked position, v 2=0, t =0, S = D ;

[0084] With the upper support rod retracted and released. v 2 < 0, t >0, ;

[0085] The upper strut is in the retracted position. v 2 < 0, t = T 3, , T 3 represents the card unlocking time.

[0086] As the squash ball continued its descent, v 2 < 0, T 3<t < T 4, ;

[0087] The squash ball is in its initial position. v 2=0, t = T 4, S < D , T 4 represents the recovery time.

[0088] In some embodiments, when the ball is locked in place, the locking angle between the locking ball and the well wall is:

[0089] (3)

[0090] in, L The length of the support arm is given by the wall angle, which is the angle between the line connecting any two wall-mounted balls to the well wall and the line connecting the center point of the upper support rod (the intersection of the upper support rod 5 and the central support 2) and the contact point.

[0091] When designing the device parameters, the static friction coefficient μ=tanα between the clamping ball and the well casing must be considered. The range of values ​​for the clamping angle α is determined based on this static friction coefficient, and the well diameter is also considered. D The range of values ​​for the wall angle, the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction, etc., are systematically designed to determine the length of the support arm. L The diameter of the squash ball d Parameters such as these.

[0092] In some embodiments, the drive unit is a motor; the control unit is also used to detect the motor current during the rotation of the motor, and when the current exceeds a preset abnormal threshold, control to reduce the rotation speed of the motor; if the time for which the current exceeds the abnormal threshold is greater than a preset abnormal time threshold, control the motor to stop rotating.

[0093] In this embodiment, a fault detection mechanism is provided to ensure the reliability of the device. During the control of the motor rotation, the motor current is continuously monitored. If the current abnormally rises to an abnormal threshold (e.g., 3A), the mechanical impact force is reduced by decelerating. If the abnormal current lasts for an abnormal time threshold (e.g., 3 seconds), the motor is controlled to stop rotating to prevent mechanical parts from being deformed by force and the circuit from being damaged by overcurrent, thus ensuring the safety of the device.

[0094] The downhole wall-clamping device provided in this embodiment adopts a wall-clamping ball design, which uses the wall-clamping ball to clamp against the well wall, so as to achieve stable installation of the device and instrument downhole. It has good adaptability to the complex environment of deep wells, provides reliable and stable support for the instrument, and avoids the well wall deformation affecting the instrument's observation position. By controlling the rotation direction and rotation time of the drive unit, the installation and retrieval of the device can be automatically controlled, and it can be adapted to installation in wells of different diameters. At the same time, during the installation and retrieval process, the coordinated movement process of each component is cleverly designed, which can effectively avoid jamming and facilitate convenient, fast and smooth installation and retrieval of the device.

[0095] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of this disclosure (including the claims) is limited to these examples; within the framework of this disclosure, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of the embodiments of this application as described above, which are not provided in the details for the sake of brevity.

[0096] Additionally, to simplify the description and discussion, and to avoid obscuring the embodiments of this application, the well-known power / ground connections to integrated circuit (IC) chips and other components may or may not be shown in the provided drawings. Furthermore, the apparatus may be shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the embodiments of this application, and this also takes into account the fact that the details of the implementation of these block diagram apparatuses are highly dependent on the platform on which the embodiments of this application will be implemented (i.e., these details should be fully understood by those skilled in the art). While specific details (e.g., circuits) have been set forth to describe exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of this application can be implemented without these specific details or with variations thereof. Therefore, these descriptions should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0097] Although this disclosure has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, many substitutions, modifications, and variations of these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. For example, other memory architectures (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM)) may be used with the embodiments discussed.

[0098] The embodiments of this application are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications, and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A downhole wall-clamping device, characterized in that, include: The top cover and the base are connected by a central support and a guide support. The central support column is connected to the upper support rod via an upper threaded section, to the support sleeve via a middle threaded section, and to the lower support rod via a lower threaded section. A support arm is connected between the upper and lower support rods. The support arm is slidably connected to the ball frame. The support sleeve is connected to the ball frame via an elastic element. The ball frame is connected to the outward-facing retaining ball. The drive shaft of the drive unit passes through the upper cover and is connected to the central support column. When the drive unit drives the central support column to rotate in the first direction to open for a certain period of time, the upper support rod and the lower support rod rise along the central support column and the guide support column to the open position, the support arm is fully opened, and the upper support rod and the lower support rod stop rising. The central support column continues to rotate in the first direction, and the support sleeve continues to rise along the central support column. Through the elastic element, the ball frame and the wall-clamping ball are driven to rise along the support arm. When the rotation reaches the clamping time, the support sleeve is in the clamping position, and the wall-clamping ball is engaged with the well wall. When the drive unit drives the central support to rotate and retract in the second direction, the upper and lower support rods move to the retracted position, the support arm is in a fully retracted state, the support sleeve moves to the initial position, and the wall-locking ball releases its locking mechanism from the well wall. The upper support rod is connected to the upper end of the support arm via a transmission joint, and the lower support rod is pivotally connected to the lower end of the support arm. When the upper and lower support rods are in the extended position, the transmission joint extends; when the upper and lower support rods are in the retracted position, the transmission joint retracts. The control unit is used to control the rotation direction and rotation time of the drive unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the drive unit drives the central support column to rotate in the second direction for the release time, the upper and lower support rods descend along the central support column and the guide support column, and the wall-locking ball releases its abutment from the well wall. When it descends to the retracted position, the support arm is fully retracted, and the upper and lower support rods stop descending. The central support column continues to rotate in the second direction, and the support sleeve continues to descend along the central support column. The elastic element drives the ball frame and the wall-locking ball to descend along the support arm. When the rotation reaches the retracted time, the support sleeve is in the initial position.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central support column is equipped with an auxiliary elastic element. When the central support column is driven to rotate in the first direction, the auxiliary elastic element applies an elastic force to the upper and lower support rods in the retracted position, so that the upper and lower support rods engage with the upper and lower threaded sections respectively. When the central support column is driven to rotate in the second direction, the auxiliary elastic element applies an elastic force to the upper and lower support rods in the extended position, so that the upper and lower support rods engage with the upper and lower threaded sections respectively.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper cover and the base are connected by three guide pillars, which are equidistant from each other along the circumference. The upper support rod and the lower support rod are connected to the central pillar and the three guide pillars, respectively. The upper support rod and the lower support rod are connected by three support arms, which are equidistantly positioned between each pair of guide pillars.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control unit is used to determine the clamping time based on the diameter of the well, the diameter of the clamping ball, and the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The clamping time is determined based on the diameter of the well, the diameter of the clamping ball, and the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction. The method is as follows: ； in, D The diameter of the well. d The diameter of the squash ball, v 1 represents the speed at which the squash ball rises along the support arm. This is the maximum angle between the support arm and the vertical direction.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control unit is used to determine the retraction time based on the initial position of the retaining ball, the diameter of the retaining ball, and the angle between the support arm and the vertical direction.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive unit is a motor; The control unit is used to detect the motor current during the motor's rotation, and when the current exceeds a preset abnormal threshold, control the motor to reduce its rotation speed. If the current exceeds the abnormal threshold for a period of time longer than a preset abnormal time threshold, the motor will be controlled to stop rotating.

Images