Bore Measuring Tool with Radial Sensor Extension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wellbore measurement tools often require cessation of drilling operations and removal of the drill string to insert separate measurement devices, which disrupts the drilling process and lacks direct wellbore wall profiling.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus integrated within the drill string featuring a casing with a central passage and longitudinally extending biasing elements, where sensors are radially extended to engage the wellbore wall by displacing an engagement body, allowing continuous drilling and fluid bypass through bypass ports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate measurement devices are used outside the drill string, then wellbore measurement can be performed, but drilling operations must be ceased and the drill string removed
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement device is merged with the drill string by integrating the casing, biasing elements, and sensors into a single unit that can be run inside the drill string. This allows the measurement function to be combined with the drilling operation, eliminating the need to stop drilling for separate measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement apparatus is nested within the drill string structure, with the casing containing biasing elements that hold sensors. The entire assembly fits within the drill string bore, allowing measurements to be taken from within the drilling system without removing the drill string.
2Measurement precision
If separate measurement devices are used outside the drill string, then wellbore measurement can be performed, but the drill string must be removed and reinserted
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement device is permanently integrated into the drill string assembly, combining the measurement function with the drilling operation. This eliminates the time-consuming process of removing and reinserting separate measurement devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement apparatus is pre-assembled within the drill string before drilling begins. The casing, biasing elements, and sensors are prepared in advance as an integrated unit, ready for immediate deployment without requiring later installation.
3Productivity
If wall contact caliper instruments are used with bypass passage, then drilling operation can continue, but the device does not detect the profile of the well bore directly
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing elements act as intermediaries that transmit force from the engagement body to the sensors. When the engagement body is displaced, the biasing elements radially extend the sensors against the wellbore wall, enabling direct contact measurement while maintaining the bypass passage for continued drilling.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensors are designed to be dynamically extendable rather than fixed. The biasing elements allow the sensors to radially extend when needed for measurement and retract when not in use, enabling the device to adapt between measurement mode and drilling mode while maintaining direct wall contact capability.
4Measurement precision
If sensors are extended to contact the wellbore wall, then accurate wall profile data is obtained, but the drill string must be stopped
Solution Approach 1:
The device maintains continuous useful action by allowing drilling fluid to bypass through the central passage during measurement. The engagement body can be displaced to extend sensors for measurement while the bypass passage remains open, enabling both accurate wall profiling and continued drilling operations without interruption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables continuous wellbore measurement during drilling without interrupting the process, providing accurate wall profile data while maintaining fluid flow, thus optimizing wellbore placement and future well usage.
Implementation Method 1
displacement of the engagement body within the central passage from the first to the second positions compresses and radially extends the biasing elements so as to engage the sensors against the well bore wall
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for measuring a well bore wall comprises a casing connectable in line with a tool string having a central passage therethrough and extending between first and second ends and a plurality of longitudinally extending biasing elements extending longitudinally along the casing between first and second ends wherein each of the second end of the biasing elements is connected to the casing. The apparatus further comprises a sensor located along a midpoint of each of the biasing elements and an engagement body located within the central passage of the casing longitudinally displaceable therein between first and second positions, wherein the engagement body is connected to the first end of each of the biasing elements such that displacement of the engagement body within the central passage from the first to the second positions compresses and radially extends the biasing elements so as to engage the sensors against the well bore wall.