Addressable projectile for perforating applications
The addressable projectile assembly with onboard switches and ignition systems addresses the selective fire and verification challenges of bullet guns, ensuring reliable and efficient well perforation by confirming successful projectile deployment.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/US2025/039810
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-07-31
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-05
AI Technical Summary
Existing bullet gun systems for well perforation lack selective fire capability and reliable verification of successful projectile initiation, with complex and error-prone assembly due to separate addressable switch controllers above the projectile carriers.
An addressable projectile assembly with an onboard switch and ignition system, where each projectile has a firing circuit and propellant section, allowing for individual addressing and verification of successful firing through combustion-induced inoperability of the switch.
Ensures reliable and consistent perforations by enabling selective fire and confirming successful projectile deployment, reducing assembly errors and enhancing operational efficiency.
Smart Images

Figure US2025039810_05022026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] ADDRESSABLE PROJECTILE FOR PERFORATING APPLICATIONS
[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0003] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 677,874 filed July 31, 2024, the content of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
[0004] BACKGROUND
[0005] 1. Field
[0006] The present disclosure relates to oil or gas well completion, and more particularly to the perforation process.
[0007] 2. Description of Related Art
[0008] A vital segment in an oil or gas cased hole well completion is the perforation process which connects the sealed wellbore to the reservoir containing hydrocarbons. Typical perforating operations involve deploying perforating guns into the cased hole wellbore via wireline or other conveyance. The perforating gun string comprises one or more carriers which contain shaped charges that penetrate the wellbore casing when initiated. When ballistically initiated, the shaped charges produce an energetic tunnel through the perforating gun carrier and through the wellbore casing without the use of any projectile. The orifice through the wellbore casing is referred to as an entry hole or through hole.
[0009] While shaped charge design can generate very consistent entry holes, it falls short of perfect diameter consistency across every perforation in the wellbore. Consistent perforations are required for ideal stimulation treatment of the well. Precisely machined projectiles or bullets can be used in place of shaped charges to ensure the most consistent diameter from hole-to-hole through the wellbore casing. A projectile type perforating gun, often referred to as a bullet gun, can be used in place of traditional shaped charge perforating guns to help ensure consistent perforations in the cased wellbore.
[0010] The traditional bullet gun lacks the selective fire ability of traditional shaped charge guns. Select fire capability is required to produce one or more perforations at multiple depths in the wellbore in a single deployment into the well. Addressable switches are routinely used for shaped charge perforating guns so that a string of multiple perforating guns can be selectively addressed and initiated via electronic commands from a user interface, typically at surface.
[0011] There are bullet gun systems that have multiple addressable switch controllers above the projectile carriers such that each projectile can be selectively addressed and initiated at a desired depth in the well. However, these bullet systems have known shortcomings. The manufacturability and assembly of such systems is error prone since many conducting wires are required to electrically connect each switch in the controller above to each corresponding projectile in the projectile carrier below. These systems also lack the ability to confirm successful initiation of each projectile. The conventional techniques have been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is an ever-present need for improved systems and methods for addressable projectiles or bullets for perforating applications such as in oil or gas well completion. This disclosure provides a solution for this need.
[0012] SUMMARY
[0013] An addressable projectile assembly includes an addressable switch including a firing circuit, a line in contact operatively connected to the firing circuit, and a line out contact operatively connected to the addressable switch. A propellant section adjacent to the addressable switch includes a propellant material. An ignition element is operatively connected to the propellant section. The ignition element is electrically connected to the firing circuit of the addressable switch. A bullet adjacent to the propellant section is configured so upon initiation of the ignition element through the addressable switch, the propellant material is configured to ignite wherein ignition of the propellant material creates an explosive shockwave that propels the bullet outward.
[0014] A bullet housing can house the addressable switch at a base of the assembly. The bullet can be within a bullet assembly holder of the assembly separate from the bullet housing. A passage can connect the propellant section in fluid communication with a chamber of the bullet housing in which the addressable switch can be seated so that upon ignition of the propellant material, combustion products of the propellant material render the addressable switch inoperable.
[0015] The firing circuit can include control logic storing a machine-readable address and configured to compare an incoming signal from the line in to the machine-readable address to determine whether the incoming signal matches the machine-readable address, and responsive to the incoming signal matching the machine-readable address, to initiate the ignition element to ignite the propellant material. The ignition element can be embedded on or within the propellant material. A primer section can be embedded within the propellant material around the ignition element. The primer can have a lower threshold of ignition than that of the propellant material to facilitate ignition of the propellant material by the ignition element.
[0016] The addressable switch can include a printed circuit board (PCB). Each of the firing circuit, the line in contact, and the line out contact can be mounted to the PCB. Traces of the PCB can electrically connect the firing circuit to each of the line in contact and the line out contact. The PCB can include a plug connector electrically connected to the firing circuit. One or more leads of the ignition element can be plugged into the plug connector for control of the ignition element by the firing circuit.
[0017] A bullet gun assembly includes a tubular housing extending along a length from a first end of the tubular housing to a second end of the tubular housing opposite the first end. The tubular- housing includes a wiring chassis running the length of the tubular- housing having a top electrical contact at the first end and a bottom electrical contact at the second end. One or more bullet receptacles are included between the top and bottom electrical contacts. Each bullet receptacle has two or more contact receptacles configured to accept a line in contact and a line out contact of an addressable projectile assembly as described herein.
[0018] The tubular- housing can be a carrier for a plurality of addressable bullet gun assemblies. In each bullet gun assembly, the line in contact can be electrically connected to a first one of the two or more contact receptacles, and the line out contact can be electrically connected to a second one of the two more contact receptacles.
[0019] Each of the one or more bullet receptacles can include a ground contact receptacle. The addressable switch of each addressable gun assembly can include a ground contact electrically connected to a ground bus of the wiring chassis through the ground contact receptacle. The ground bus can be electrically connected to an inner diameter of the tubular housing. Each of the one or more bullet receptacles can include a line out electrical connection from the addressable switch thereof to a next addressable projectile switch in the carrier. The tubular housing can include a top contact bulkhead and a bottom contact bulkhead, each configured to electrically connect a plurality of addressable switches in the one or more bullet receptacles, and to create a pressure seal from one carrier to another. The top contact bulkhead can be included in a top interlock. The top interlock can include a line in electrical contact configured to connect electrically to a line out contact from a first tool carrier above the top interlock. The bottom contact bulkhead can be included in a bottom interlock. The bottom interlock can include a line out electrical contact configured to connect electrically to a line in contact from a second tool carrier below the bottom interlock.
[0020] A sub can be assembled to the first end of the tubular housing. The sub can be configured to be assembled to an end of an adjacent tool housing. The sub cab be devoid of addressable switches. Each of the one or more bullet receptacles can have a top interlock and a bottom interlock so that multiple switch modules can be stacked in a single carrier.
[0021] A method of deploying one or more addressable bullet gun assemblies into a wellbore includes lowering a tool string to one or more desired perforation depths. At each of the one or more desired perforation depths, the method includes addressing an addressable switch of an addressable projectile assembly in the tool string and sending a command to arm the addressable switch of the addressable projectile assembly. The method includes sending power from a surface power supply through a firing circuit of the addressable switch of an addressable projectile assembly, resulting in heating of an ignition element which ignites a propellant that creates an explosive shockwave to propel a bullet of the addressable projectile assembly outward through a bullet gun assembly and into the wellbore. Igniting the propellant can include disabling or at least partially destroying the addressable switch with combustion products of the propellant to render the addressable switch into a state detectable from a switch controller as inoperative. The method can include sending a command to the addressable switch to reply and determining a lack of timely response as indicative that the bullet has fired.
[0022] It is also contemplated that the method can include sending a command to the addressable switch to reply, receiving a valid response from the addressable switch, and determining the valid response as indicative that the bullet has failed to fire. In this case, the method can include resending the command to arm the addressable switch and resending power from the surface power supply through a firing circuit to attempt to fire the bullet after a failure to fire.
[0023] These and other features of the systems and methods of the subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings.
[0024] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation, embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein:
[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of an addressable bullet assembly constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, showing the addressable switch, the propellant, and the bullet;
[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic axial cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 1, showing the addressable bullet assembly in a receptacle module of a tool earner;
[0028] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the tool carrier of FIG. 2, showing multiple receptacle modules stacked within the tool carrier, each having a respective addressable bullet assembly; and
[0029] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a method of using the system of FIG. 1.
[0030] DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, a partial view of an embodiment of an assembly in accordance with the disclosure is shown in FIG. 1 and is designated generally by reference character 100. Other embodiments of systems in accordance with the disclosure, or aspects thereof, are provided in FIGS. 2-4, as will be described. The systems and methods described herein can be used to provide individually addressable bullets or projectiles for well completion, wherein the addressable switch is altered upon a successful firing to allow verification of successful firing.
[0032] An improved bullet gun system is disclosed herein such that each projectile has an onboard addressable switch. This can eliminate the error prone assembly issues associated with the traditional approach where the addressable switch controller is above the projectile carrier. Since each addressable switch can be consumable upon initiating its attached bullet, the systems and methods as disclosed herein can allow reliable shot confirmation after addressing and initiating each addressable projectile. In contrast, traditional bullet systems with addressable switches provide no way of verifying whether a given bullet has successfully fired, since the addressable switch of each projectile is located in a separate controller sub above the projectile carrier
[0033] An addressable projectile assembly 100 includes an addressable switch 102 including a firing circuit 104, a line in contact 106 operatively connected to the firing circuit 104, a ground contact 170 operatively connected to the addressable switch 102, and a line out contact 108 operatively connected to the firing circuit 104. The addressable switch 102 includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 110. Each of the firing circuit 104, the line in contact 106, and the line out contact 108 is mounted to the PCB 1 10. Traces 1 12 of the PCB 1 10 electrically connect the firing circuit 104 to each of the line in contact 106, the ground contact 170, and the line out contact 108. The PCB 110 includes a plug connector 114 electrically connected to the firing circuit 104. One or more leads 116 of the ignition element 118 are plugged into the plug connector 114 for control of the ignition element 118 by the firing circuit 104.
[0034] The firing circuit 104 includes control logic 120 storing a machine -readable address and configured to compare an incoming signal from the line into the machine-readable address, and responsive to the incoming signal matching the machine-readable address, to initiate powering the ignition element 118 to ignite the propellant material 124 in a propellant section 122.
[0035] With continued reference to FIG. 1, the propellant section 122 is adjacent to the addressable switch 102 includes an ignitable propellant material 124. Any suitable propellant material known to those skilled in the art may be used as the propellant material 124. The ignition element 118 is operatively connected to the propellant section 122. The ignition element 118 is electrically connected to the firing circuit 104 of the addressable switch 102 so that when the control logic 120 received a signal that matches the stored address of the addressable switch 102, the ignition element 118 is armed, i.e. connected so that power can be applied to the ignition element to heat and ignite the propellant material 124. The ignition element 118 can be embedded on or within the propellant material 124, e.g., by curing the propellant material 124 with the ignition element 118 in place. Once secured in or on the propellant material 124, leads 116 of the ignition element 118 can be plugged into the plug connector 114 and the PCB 110 can be assembled proximate or adjacent the propellant section 122. A primer section 126 can be embedded within the propellant material 124 around the ignition element 118. The primer section 126 can have a primer material therein that has a lower threshold of ignition, e.g., can ignite at a lower temperature, than that of the propellant material 124 to facilitate ignition of the propellant material 124 by the ignition element 118. Examples of suitable primer material having a lower ignition threshold than commonly available propellant material are known to those skilled in the art.
[0036] A projectile or bullet 128 is assembled adjacent to the propellant section 122. The bullet 128 is configured so upon initiation of the ignition element 118 through the addressable switch 102, the propellant material 124 ignites to create an explosive shockwave that propels the bullet 128.
[0037] Referring now to FIG. 2, a bullet housing 130 houses the addressable switch 102 at a base of the assembly 100. The bullet 128 is within a bullet assembly holder 132 of the assembly 100 separate from the bullet housing, i.e., the bullet assembly holder 132 is a separate housing from the main bullet housing 130. The bullet assembly holder 132 is pressed or threaded into engagement with the bullet housing 130, so ignition of the propellant material 124 fires the bullet 128 out of the bullet assembly holder 132. A passage 134 connects the propellant section 122 in fluid communication with a switch chamber 136 of the bullet housing 130 wherein the addressable switch 102 is seated. Upon ignition of the propellant material 124, combustion products of the propellant material render the addressable switch 102 inoperable. The last unused addressable switch 102 on the line can be fired first so as to not lose the ability to address any of the unfired bullets up the line.
[0038] A switch seal 138 is provided across the opening of the switch chamber 136 of the bullet housing 130 where the addressable switch 102 is seated for sealing the addressable switch 102 from well bore fluids. Similarly, a bullet seal 140 is provided over the opening of the bullet chamber 142 in the bullet assembly holder 132 in which the bullet 128 is seated, to seal the chamber 142 from well bore fluids. A soft material wadding 144 is optionally included in the bullet chamber 142 to keep the bullet 128 in place until fired out through the tool opening 148.
[0039] With reference now to FIG. 3, a bullet gun assembly 150 includes a tubular’ housing 152 extending along a length L along a longitudinal axis A from a first end 154 of the tubular housing 152 to a second end 156 of the tubular housing 152 opposite the first end 154. The tubular housing 152 includes a wiring chassis 157 running the length of the tubular- housing 152 having a top electrical contact 158 at the first end 154 and a bottom electrical contact 160 at the second end 156. One or more bullet receptacles 162, e.g., as modules, are included between the top and bottom electrical contacts 158, 160. Each bullet receptacle 162 has a set of contact receptacles 164, 166, 168 configured to accept a line in contact 106, a line out contact 108, and a ground contact 170 of an addressable projectile assembly 100 as shown in FIGS. 1-2.
[0040] The tubular- housing 152 is a tool carrier for a plurality of addressable bullet gun assemblies 100 as the assembly described above with reference to FIG. 2, so tubular housing 152 is also referred to herein as carrier 152 or tool carrier 152. In each bullet gun assembly 100, the line in contact 106 (labeled in FIG. 1) is electrically connected to a respective line in contact receptacle 164, the ground contact 170 (labeled in FIG. 1) is electrically connected to a respective ground contact receptacle 166, and the line out contact 108 (labeled in FIG. 1) is electrically connected to a respective line out contact receptacle 168.
[0041] With continued reference to FIG. 3, the ground contact 170 of each addressable switch 102 (labeled in FIG. 1 ) is electrically connected to a ground bus 172 of the wiring chassis through the ground contact receptacle 166. The ground bus 172 is electrically connected to an inner diameter of the tubular housing 152. The ground bus 172 includes a spring 174 at each end thereof biased against the inner diameter of the tubular housing 152, which is in turn electrically grounded. This provides each addressable switch 102 (labeled in FIG. 2) with electrical grounding.
[0042] Still with reference to FIG. 3, each of the one or more bullet receptacles 162 includes a line out electrical connection 176 from the addressable switch 102 thereof (labeled in FIG. 2) to a next addressable switch 102 in the carrier, i.e., the addressable switches are connected in series along a line connecting respective line in contacts 106 to adjacent line out contacts 108. Similarly, there is a line in electrical connection 184 (also labeled in FIG. 2) connecting each bullet receptacle 162 with bullet receptacles 162 or a wireline above it. The tubular housing 152 includes a top contact bulkhead 178 and a bottom contact bulkhead 180, each configured to electrically connect a plurality of addressable switches 102 in the one or more bullet receptacles 162, and to create a pressure seal from one carrier to another. The top contact bulkhead 178 is included in a top interlock that includes a line in electrical contact 182 configured to connect electrically to a bottom electrical contact 160 from a first tool carrier 152 above the top interlock. The bottom contact bulkhead 180 is included in a bottom interlock that includes a line out electrical contact 186 configured to connect electrically to a line in electrical contact 182 from a second tool carrier 152 below the bottom interlock.
[0043] A sub 188 is assembled to the first end of the tubular’ housing 152. The sub 188 is configured to be assembled to an end of an adjacent tool housing, e.g., to connect the tubular housing 152 in a string of tools. The sub 188 is devoid of addressable switches, which eliminates the traditional addressable switch controller in the sub as each bullet or projectile 128 has its own onboard addressable switch 102 as shown in FIG. 1. Each of the one or more bullet receptacles 162 has a top interlock 190 and a bottom interlock 192 so that multiple addressable switch assemblies 100 can be stacked interlock to interlock in a single earner or tubular- housing 152. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that while FIG. 3 shows four addressable switch assemblies 100, any suitable number can be stacked without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
[0044] Referring now to FIG. 4, and with continued reference to FIG. 3, a method 400 of deploying one or more addressable bullet gun assemblies into a wellbore is described. When assembling the carrier of the addressable bullet gun assembly 150, the user will stack a number of bullet receptacles 162 as modules into the carrier 152 to match the available room for that carrier, as indicated in block 402. The top and bottom contact subs 188 can be installed as described above. To load the addressable b 150, each projectile or addressable projectile assembly 100 can be installed into the tubular housing 152 such that the three contacts 106, 108, 170 of the addressable projectile assembly 100 mate to the three receptacles 164, 166, 168 of the bullet receptacles 162 inside the carrier 152. One method to achieve proper mating is the bullet housing 130 having sealing surface so that a threaded bullet sleeve, e.g., bullet assembly holder 132 of FIG. 2, can be installed over the projectile assembly 100 and threaded into the carrier 152 after the projectile assembly 100 is pushed into the bullet receptacle 162 such that the line in, line out and ground contacts 106, 108, 170 and receptacles 164, 166, 168 are mated. The loaded bullet gun assembly 150 can be loaded onto a wireline cable head 194, as indicated in block 404.
[0045] The method 400 includes lowering a tool string to one or more desired perforation depths, e.g., using the wireline (WL) as indicated in block 406. A winch of the conveyance systems can be lowered into the wellbore 200 (shown in FIG. 2). The method 400 can include using a switch system surface control panel 196 to address all of the addressable switches 102 (labeled in FIG. 1) in the carrier 152, as indicated in block 408. At each of the one or more desired perforation depths, the user communicates from surface, e.g. using surface control panel 196, to address the lowermost, unused addressable switch 102 (labeled in FIG. 1) of an addressable projectile assembly in the tool string down hole and sending a command to arm the addressable switch of the addressable projectile assembly, as indicated in block 410. This can be at any desired depth, e.g., at any depth below 200 ft (61 m). This includes sending power from a surface power supply 198 through the firing circuit 104 (labeled in FIG. 1) of the addressable switch 102 of the bottom most, unused addressable projectile assembly 100. This results in heating of the ignition element 118 which ignites a propellant that creates an explosive shockwave to propel a bullet 128 of the addressable projectile assembly 100 outward through a bullet gun assembly and into the wellbore 200 as described above with reference to FIGS. 1-2. The explosive shockwave propels the bullet 128 outward into the wellbore 200, through the casing 202 and into the formation 204 (labeled in FIG. 2).
[0046] Igniting the propellant also includes disabling or at least partially destroying the addressable switch 102. This can involve any suitable way of disabling the addressable switch 102. For instance, after the bullet 128 is fired, well fluids can enter chamber 142 and reach the PCB 110 through the holes created by the bullet, which fluids can short out the addressable switch 102 to disable it. It is also contemplated that the addressable switch 102 can be disabled or at least partially destroyed by combustion products of the propellant to render the addressable switch 102 into a state detectable from a switch control panel 196 as inoperative. Any other suitable way of disabling or at least partially destroying the addressable switch 102 can also be used, such as shrapnel or the like. The method 400 includes sending a command to the addressable switch 102 to reply. A lack of timely response due to disablement of the addressable switch 102 is indicative that the corresponding bullet 128 has fired, as in successful initiation. It is also contemplated that the method includes sending a command to the addressable switch to reply, as indicated in block 412. Receiving a valid response from the addressable switch 102 is indicative that the bullet 128 has failed to fire. In this case, the method 400 includes resending the command to arm the addressable switch and resending power from the surface power supply through a firing circuit 104 to attempt to fire the bullet 128 after a failure to fire. If the bullet 128 continues to fail, a different bullet 128 can be used. Once the wellbore at this depth is perforated successfully, the wireline cable head 194 can be drawn upward to the next perforation depth, and the firing sequence can be repeated at this new depth, as indicated in block 414. Once all of the desired addressable projectiles have been fired, the method 400 includes retrieving the bullet gun assembly to the surface, as indicated in block 416. If it is desired to reuse the carrier, the spent wiring, chassis, bullet receptacles 162, and the like can be removed from the carrier 152 and they can be reloaded with new components as needed, as indicate din block 418.
[0047] The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for individually addressable bullets or projectiles for well completion, wherein the addressable switch is altered upon a successful firing to allow verification of successful firing. While the apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been shown and described with reference to certain embodiments, those skilled in the ail will readily appreciate that changes and / or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure.
Claims
What is claimed is;1. An addressable projectile assembly comprising: an addressable switch including a firing circuit, a line in contact operatively connected to the firing circuit, and a line out contact operatively connected to the addressable switch; a propellant section adjacent to the addressable switch including a propellant material; an ignition element operatively connected to the propellant section wherein the ignition element is electrically connected to the firing circuit of the addressable switch; and a bullet adjacent to the propellant section configured so upon initiation of the ignition element through the addressable switch, the propellant material is configured to ignite, wherein ignition of the propellant material propels the bullet outward.
2. The assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising a bullet housing that houses the addressable switch at a base of the assembly, wherein the bullet is within a bullet assembly holder of the assembly separate from the bullet housing.
3. The assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein a passage connects the propellant section in fluid communication with a chamber of the bullet housing in which the addressable switch is seated so upon ignition of the propellant material, combustion products of the propellant material render the addressable switch inoperable.
4. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the firing circuit includes control logic storing a machine-readable address and configured to:determine whether an incoming signal from the line in matches the machine-readable address; and responsive to the incoming signal matching the machine-readable address, initiate the ignition element to ignite the propellant material.
5. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the ignition element is embedded on or within the propellant material.
6. The assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein a primer section is embedded within the propellant material around the ignition element, wherein the primer has a lower threshold of ignition than that of the propellant material to facilitate ignition of the propellant material by the ignition element.
7. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the addressable switch includes a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein each of the firing circuit, the line in contact, and the line out contact is mounted to the PCB, and wherein traces of the PCB electrically connect the firing circuit to each of the line in contact and the line out contact.
8. The assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the PCB includes a plug connector electrically connected to the firing circuit, and wherein one or more leads of the ignition element are plugged into the plug connector for control of the ignition element by the firing circuit.
9. A bullet gun assembly comprising:a tubular housing extending along a length from a first end of the tubular housing to a second end of the tubular housing opposite the first end, the tubular housing including: a wiring chassis running the length of the tubular housing having a top electrical contact at the first end and a bottom electrical contact at the second end; and one or more bullet receptacles between the top and bottom electrical contacts, wherein each bullet receptacle has two or more contact receptacles configured to accept a line in contact and a line out contact of an addressable projectile assembly.
10. The assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the tubular housing is a carrier for a plurality of addressable bullet gun assemblies, each bullet gun assembly including: an addressable switch including a firing circuit, a line in contact operatively connected to the firing circuit and electrically connected to a first one of the two or more contact receptacles, and a line out contact operatively connected to the firing circuit and electrically connected to a second one of the two more contact receptacles; a propellant section adjacent to the addressable switch including a propellant material; an ignition element operatively connected to the propellant section wherein the ignition element is electrically connected to the firing circuit of the addressable switch; and a bullet adjacent to the propellant section, wherein a upon initiation of the ignition element through the addressable switch, the propellant material is configured to ignite, and wherein ignition of the propellant material propels the bullet outward.
11. The assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein each of the one or more bullet receptacles includes a ground contact receptacle, wherein the addressable switch of each addressable gunassembly includes a ground contact electrically connected to a ground bus of the wiring chassis through the ground contact receptacle, wherein the ground bus is electrically connected to an inner diameter of the tubular housing.
12. The assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein each of the one or more bullet receptacles includes a line out electrical connection from the addressable switch thereof to a next addressable projectile switch in the carrier.
13. The assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the tubular housing includes a top contact bulkhead and a bottom contact bulkhead, each configured to electrically connect a plurality of addressable switches in the one or more bullet receptacles, and to create a pressure seal from one carrier to another.
14. The assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein the top contact bulkhead is included in a top interlock, wherein the top interlock includes a line in electrical contact configured to connect electrically to a line out contact from a first tool carrier above the top interlock, and wherein the bottom contact bulkhead is included in a bottom interlock, wherein the bottom interlock includes a line out electrical contact configured to connect electrically to a line in contact from a second tool carrier below the bottom interlock.
15. The assembly as recited in claim 9, further comprising a sub configured to be assembled to the first end of the tubular housing and to an end of an adjacent tool housing, wherein the sub is devoid of addressable switches.
16. The assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein each of the one or more bullet receptacles has a top interlock and a bottom interlock so that multiple switch modules can be stacked in a single carrier.
17. A method of deploying one or more addressable bullet gun assemblies into a wellbore, comprising: lowering a tool string to one or more desired perforation depths; at each of the one or more desired perforation depths, addressing an addressable switch of an addressable projectile assembly in the tool string; sending a command to arm the addressable switch of the addressable projectile assembly; and sending power from a surface power supply through a firing circuit of the addressable switch of an addressable projectile assembly, resulting in heating of an ignition element which ignites a propellant that propels a bullet of the addressable projectile assembly outward through a bullet gun assembly and into the wellbore.
18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein igniting the propellant renders the addressable switch into a state detectable from a switch controller as inoperative.
19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising: sending a command to the addressable switch to reply; and determining a lack of timely response as indicative that the bullet has fired.
20. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising: sending a command to the addressable switch to reply; receiving a valid response from the addressable switch; determining the valid response as indicative that the bullet has failed to fire; and resending the command to arm the addressable switch and resending power from the surface power supply through a firing circuit to attempt to fire the bullet after a failure to fire.