Non-full pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of oilfield production engineering, and particularly relates to a non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device. The main problem of the existing drilling fluid return flow monitoring device is that the monitoring result error is large. A vertical measuring pipe (9) is connected to the upper side wall of the body (1), the measuring pipe (9) is connected to the top cover (6), the top cover (6) is provided with a laser probe (18), a magnetic field probe (14) is connected to the bottom side wall of the body (1), the body (1) is provided with a circuit board (20), and the laser probe (18) and the magnetic field probe (14) are connected to the circuit board (20). The non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device can accurately monitor the non-full-pipe flow of high-speed drilling fluid returned from the wellhead. When drilling encounters complex conditions such as overflow and leakage, early warning can be accurately performed, complex accidents in the well can be reduced, and oil and gas safety can be ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of oil pumping units, specifically to a non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device. Background Technology

[0002] The shale oil formations in the Sichuan-Chongqing region are characterized by well-developed fractures, good connectivity, and associated gas production. High formation pressure presents significant challenges during drilling and completion, including high risk of lost circulation and slow turnaround times, hindering the acceleration, efficiency, and quality improvement of shale oil drilling under complex geological conditions. Currently, overflow prediction relies mainly on methods such as monitoring the mud tank level by mud handlers or manually measuring density. However, these methods have low accuracy, and by the time leaks are detected manually, they have often already occurred. In well logging, a more widely used method is the contact measurement method based on baffle flowmeters. The working principle of these flowmeters is based on the oscillation caused by the impact of the outlet drilling fluid on the baffle, which alters the resistance of the flowmeter, yielding the percentage of liquid in the pipe diameter. This percentage is then converted into the outlet flow rate using a calculation formula. However, factors such as drilling fluid density, viscosity, solid phase adhesion, and installation location can all affect the measurement results, leading to significant errors in the calculated outlet flow rate. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To overcome the shortcomings of existing drilling fluid return flow monitoring devices with large monitoring errors, this invention provides a non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device. This device can accurately monitor the flow rate of high-speed drilling fluid returning from the wellhead when the pipe is not full. When drilling encounters complex situations such as overflow or leakage, it can provide accurate early warning, reduce complex downhole accidents, and ensure oil and gas safety.

[0004] The technical solution of the present invention is: a non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device, comprising a body, the body being placed horizontally, a vertically oriented measuring tube being connected to the upper side wall of the body, a top cover being connected to the measuring tube, and a laser probe being provided on the top cover for measuring the liquid level of the fluid inside the body; at least one magnetic field probe being connected to the bottom side wall of the body for measuring the flow velocity of the fluid inside the body; and a circuit board being provided on the outside of the body, with the laser probe and the magnetic field probe both connected to the circuit board.

[0005] Furthermore, the two ends of the body are fixed to the pipeline by a left flange and a right flange.

[0006] Furthermore, the inner surface of the body is provided with a polyurethane coating.

[0007] Furthermore, there are three magnetic field probes.

[0008] Furthermore, both the outer surface of the magnetic field probe and the outer surface of the laser probe are coated with tungsten carbide.

[0009] Furthermore, a laser is connected to the laser probe, and laser mounting claws are connected to the left and right sides of the laser, respectively. The laser mounting claws are connected to the bottom surface of the top cover by fixing bolts.

[0010] Furthermore, the main body is provided with an outer protective shell, and a circuit board protective shell is connected to the outer protective shell through a support column. The circuit board protective shell is a box, and the circuit board is fixed inside the circuit board protective shell.

[0011] Furthermore, a liquid crystal display screen is fixed on top of the circuit board protective shell, and the liquid crystal display screen is connected to the circuit board.

[0012] Furthermore, the circuit board is connected to the host computer via wires.

[0013] Furthermore, the laser probe measures the liquid level inside the body, and the magnetic field probe measures the liquid flow rate. The measurement results are transmitted to the circuit board, and the conversion circuit in the circuit board calculates the liquid flow rate based on the liquid level, flow rate, and inner diameter of the body, and transmits the result to the host.

[0014] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: Due to the above-mentioned scheme, the non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device uses a laser to emit laser rays towards the drilling fluid surface inside the pipe, and a laser probe to measure the fluid level. Simultaneously, a magnetic field probe measures the fluid velocity. The laser and magnetic field probes transmit the measurement results to a circuit board. The conversion circuit within the circuit board calculates the fluid flow rate based on the fluid level, flow velocity, and the inner diameter of the device, and transmits the result to the host computer, thereby monitoring the drilling fluid flow rate. Therefore, this monitoring device can accurately monitor the flow rate of high-speed drilling fluid returning from the wellhead when the pipe is not full, enabling precise early warning in case of complex situations such as overflows and leaks during drilling, reducing complex downhole accidents, and ensuring national oil and gas security. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is the front view of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 Sectional view of CC;

[0017] Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 Sectional view of DD;

[0018] Figure 4 It is along Figure 3 Sectional view of EE;

[0019] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of point I in the middle;

[0020] Figure 6 This is an external view of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 7 It is along Figure 6 Sectional view of FF;

[0022] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the installation location of the laser probe;

[0023] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the top cover;

[0024] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the measuring tube;

[0025] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a magnetic field probe.

[0026] In the diagram: 1-Monitoring device body, 2-Outer protective shell, 3-Support column, 4-LCD display screen, 5-Circuit board protective shell, 6-Top cover, 7-Sealing ring A, 8-Polyurethane coating, 9-Measuring tube, 10-Sealing ring B, 11-Left flange, 12-Right flange, 13-Sealing ring C, 14-Measuring probe, 15-Fixing bolt, 16-Laser fixing claw, 17-Laser, 18-Laser probe, 19-Heat sink, 20-Circuit board. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, it is necessary to understand that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," "top," and "bottom" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are intended only to facilitate the description of this invention and to simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the components referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0029] Depend on Figures 1 to 11 As shown, a non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device includes a body 1, which is a horizontally placed circular pipe with a left flange 11 and a right flange 12 connected to its two ends, respectively. The body 1 is fixed to the pipeline between the wellhead and the vibrating screen via the left and right flanges, and the fluid flowing out of the wellhead flows through the body 1. The inner wall surface of the body 1 is coated with a polyurethane coating 8, which is approximately 1 mm thick. The polyurethane coating uses existing materials, and the application of the polyurethane coating can significantly improve the lifespan of the device.

[0030] A vertical measuring tube 9 is connected to the upper side wall of the main body 1. The structure of the measuring tube 9 is shown in the figure. Figure 10 A sealing ring B10 is provided at the connection between the measuring tube 9 and the main body 1 to enhance the sealing performance of the connection. To extend the overall lifespan of the monitoring device, the inner wall of the measuring tube 9 can also be coated with a polyurethane coating 8. The upper end of the measuring tube 9 is threadedly connected to the top cover 6, and a sealing ring A7 is provided at the connection between the measuring tube 6 and the top cover 6. The structure of the top cover 6 is described below. Figure 9 A laser probe 18 is mounted on the top cover 6. The measuring tube 9 should be located above the circular tube of the main body 1, and the top cover 6 is located above the measuring tube 9, thus placing the laser probe 18 on the upper part of the main body 1. This allows the laser probe 18 to measure the liquid level at any height when liquid flows through the main body 1. A magnetic field probe 14 is connected to the bottom side wall of the main body 1, and a sealing ring C13 is provided at the connection between the magnetic field probe 14 and the main body 1. The magnetic field probe 14 is located at the bottom of the circular tube of the main body 1, so that as long as liquid flows through the main body 1, the magnetic field probe 14 can measure the flow rate without the tube being full of liquid. A circuit board 20 is provided on the outside of the main body 1, and both the laser probe 18 and the magnetic field probe 14 are connected to the circuit board 20. The circuit board 20 can receive and process the liquid level and flow rate information collected by the two probes to calculate the displacement.

[0031] The laser probe 18 is connected to the top cover 6 in the following manner, see Figure 7 , Figure 8 The laser probe 18 is fixed below the laser 17. Laser mounting claws 16 are connected to the left and right sides of the laser 17, respectively. The two mounting claws 16 are connected to the bottom surface of the top cover 6 via bolts 15, thus fixing the laser probe 18 to the bottom surface of the top cover 6. When the top cover 6 is tightened onto the measuring tube 9, the laser probe 18 is positioned above the measuring tube 9 and can be used to measure the liquid level inside the main body 1. The laser 17 emits a laser beam every 50ms towards the drilling fluid surface in the pipe, measuring the liquid level height. Because the laser 17 is 20cm away from the upper edge of the inner hole of the monitoring device main body 1, the drilling fluid will not contact the laser probe, preventing contamination and eliminating the need for cleaning. This achieves a cleaning-free operation and ensures accurate measurement results.

[0032] The magnetic field probe 14 is shown Figure 11The magnetic field probe 14 is used to measure the flow rate of the liquid. To improve the accuracy of the measurement, three magnetic field probes 14 can be provided. The circuit board 20 uses a certain algorithm to summarize and calculate the data measured by the three magnetic field probes 14, which can effectively reduce the fluctuation of the measurement results in the non-full pipe state, accurately calculate the real-time flow rate, and improve the measurement accuracy. The magnetic field probe 14 is covered with a shielding layer of aluminum foil to shield against electromagnetic interference from the well site; the side near the outer shell is filled with a heat insulation layer of asbestos to protect the magnetic field probe 14; at the same time, the surface of the magnetic field probe 14 is coated with a tungsten carbide (WC) coating. Tungsten carbide coating is an existing material, and spraying it on the surface of the magnetic field probe 14 can improve its erosion resistance. When the drilling fluid flows through the channel of the body 1, the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field probe 14 in the body 1 will cut the magnetic field lines. The induced electromotive force signal generated by cutting the magnetic field is converted into the liquid flow rate.

[0033] The main body 1 is provided with an outer protective shell 2, see Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 The outer protective shell 2 is annular and fits around the body 1 between the left flange 11 and the right flange 12. The outer protective shell 2 is fixed to the outer surface of the body 1 on both sides by end plates, forming an annular cavity between the outer surface of the body 1 and the outer protective shell 2. The magnetic field probe 14 is installed within the cavity between the outer protective shell 2 and the body 1, while the measuring tube 9 and its laser probe 18 are located outside one end of the outer protective shell 2. The upper part of the outer protective shell 2 is connected to the circuit board protective shell 5 via a support column 3. The circuit board protective shell 5 can be machined into a square box, and the circuit board 20 is fixed inside the circuit board protective shell 5. An LCD screen 4 is fixed above the circuit board protective shell 5 and connected to the circuit board 20. The LCD screen 4 can display the liquid level, liquid flow rate, and calculated liquid flow rate, allowing for direct observation of the measurement results from the outside. The circuit board 20 is connected to the host via an aviation plug and wires, and transmits the measured and calculated results to the host. The host system determines whether leakage has occurred based on the flow rate. When the system determines that overflow leakage has occurred, it will issue an alarm. At the same time, the host supplies power to the circuit board 20, the magnetic field probe 14 and the laser 17 via wires.

[0034] Before use, the entire device for monitoring the flow rate of drilling fluid in a non-full pipe is connected to the rigid pipeline between the wellhead and the vibrating screen via the left and right flanges at both ends before the drilling team begins drilling. The connection is secured with bolts to the specified torque, and the device is installed at the end closest to the wellhead. After startup, the laser 17 emits a laser beam towards the drilling fluid surface in the pipeline every 50ms. The laser probe 18 measures the fluid level, and the magnetic field probe 14 measures the real-time flow velocity. The laser probe 18 and the magnetic field probe 14 transmit the measurement results to the circuit board 20. The conversion circuit within the circuit board 20 calculates the fluid flow rate based on the fluid level, flow velocity, and the inner diameter of the main body 1, and transmits the result to the host computer, thereby monitoring the drilling fluid flow rate and determining whether there is any overflow or leakage.

[0035] This monitoring device calculates the flow rate after measuring the liquid level, thus enabling precise monitoring of the flow rate of high-speed drilling fluid returning from the wellhead when the well is not full. This allows for accurate early warning of complex situations such as overflows and leaks during drilling, reducing complex downhole accidents and ensuring national oil and gas security.

[0036] The various embodiments of the present invention have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device, comprising a body (1), wherein the body (1) is placed horizontally, characterized in that: A vertical measuring tube (9) is connected to the upper side wall of the main body (1), and a top cover (6) is connected to the measuring tube (9). A laser probe (18) is provided on the top cover (6) for measuring the liquid level inside the main body (1). At least one magnetic field probe (14) is connected to the bottom side wall of the main body (1) for measuring the flow rate of the liquid inside the main body (1). A circuit board (20) is provided on the outside of the main body (1), and the laser probe (18) and the magnetic field probe (14) are both connected to the circuit board (20).

2. The non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two ends of the body (1) are fixed to the pipeline by the left flange (11) and the right flange (12).

3. The non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner surface of the body (1) is provided with a polyurethane coating (8).

4. The non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are 3 magnetic field probes (14).

5. The non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer surfaces of the magnetic field probe (14) and the laser probe (18) are both coated with tungsten carbide.

6. The non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The laser probe (18) is connected to a laser (17), and laser fixing claws (16) are connected to the left and right sides of the laser (17). The laser fixing claws (16) are connected to the bottom surface of the top cover (6) by fixing bolts (15).

7. The non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The main body (1) is provided with an outer protective shell (2), and a circuit board protective shell (5) is connected to the outer protective shell (2) by a support column (3). The circuit board protective shell (5) is a box, and the circuit board (20) is fixed inside the circuit board protective shell (5).

8. The non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The LCD screen (4) is fixed on the top of the circuit board protective shell (5), and the LCD screen (4) is connected to the circuit board (20).

9. The non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The circuit board (20) is connected to the host computer via wires.

10. The non-full-pipe drilling fluid flow monitoring device according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that: The laser probe (18) measures the liquid level inside the body (1), and the magnetic field probe (14) measures the liquid flow rate. The measurement results are transmitted to the circuit board (20). The conversion circuit in the circuit board (20) calculates the liquid flow rate based on the liquid level, flow rate and inner diameter of the body (1), and transmits the results to the host.

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