Adjustable Sensor Assembly for Wellhead Thickness Variations

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing sensor systems for measuring temperature and pressure of wellbore fluids are inaccurate due to the fixed sensor length, which does not accommodate the varying thickness of wellheads and flange housings, leading to inconsistent measurements across different installations.

Innovation Solution

An adjustable length sensor assembly with a slidable control line and sensor, allowing the sensor to move between a retracted and expanded position to accommodate different wellhead and flange housing thicknesses, ensuring accurate placement within the flow path for precise measurements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a fixed length sensor is used, then the sensor assembly is simple in structure, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to inability to accommodate varying wellhead and flange housing thicknesses

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature and pressure measurement accuracyVSAvoidsensor assembly structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor assembly incorporates a dynamic length adjustment mechanism that allows the sensor to move between retracted and extended positions. This dynamic capability enables the sensor to accommodate varying wellhead and flange housing thicknesses, ensuring accurate placement within the flow path for precise temperature and pressure measurements while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The sensor assembly allows for changes in the sensor's positional parameter (distance from wellhead surface) by providing an adjustable length mechanism. This parameter change capability ensures the sensor can be positioned at the optimal location within the flow path regardless of variations in wellhead and flange housing thickness, thereby maintaining measurement precision across different installations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If a fixed length sensor is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability deteriorates due to inconsistent measurements across different wellhead thicknesses

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccommodation of varying wellhead thicknessesVSAvoidsensor assembly structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor assembly incorporates a dynamic length adjustment mechanism that allows the sensor to move between retracted and extended positions. This dynamic capability enables the sensor to accommodate varying wellhead and flange housing thicknesses, ensuring accurate placement within the flow path for precise temperature and pressure measurements while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The adjustable length sensor assembly is designed to be universally applicable across different wellhead and flange housing configurations. By incorporating an extendable mechanism, a single sensor assembly design can adapt to multiple thickness variations, eliminating the need for multiple fixed-length sensor variants and thereby improving adaptability without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the sensor length is extended to accommodate thicker wellheads, then the adaptability improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with different flange housing thicknessesVSAvoidsensor assembly structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor assembly incorporates a dynamic length adjustment mechanism that allows the sensor to move between retracted and extended positions. This dynamic capability enables the sensor to accommodate varying wellhead and flange housing thicknesses, ensuring accurate placement within the flow path for precise temperature and pressure measurements while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The sensor assembly employs a nested structure where the sensor can be retracted into the flange housing when not in use or when accommodating thinner wellheads. This nesting capability allows the sensor to be stored compactly within the available space, reducing the overall device footprint and complexity while maintaining the ability to extend when needed for thicker wellhead configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS11846177B2Adjustable length sensor assembly for wellhead

Publication Date: 2023.12.19 HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES INC

AI summary

This disclosure provides a sensor assembly. The sensor assembly, in one aspect, includes a flange housing, the flange housing including a mating surface for engaging a wellhead and an opposing surface, an interior cavity extending into the flange housing from the mating surface, and an exterior cavity extending into the flange housing from the opposing surface. The sensor assembly, according to this aspect, further includes a connector in sealed engagement with the flange housing proximate the exterior cavity, and a control line extending into the interior cavity through the connector. The sensor assembly, according to this aspect, further includes a sensor coupled to an exposed end of the control line proximate the interior cavity, the control line slidable within the connector, the exterior cavity and the interior cavity to move the sensor between a retracted position and an expanded position to accommodate different thickness wellheads.