Downhole Microchip Charging via Sliding Sleeve and Ball Trigger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drilling microchips used to collect downhole data often run out of battery and clog internal components of the drill string before reaching the desired depth, leading to inaccurate estimations of temperature, pressure, and wellbore trajectory during drilling operations.
Innovation Solution
A microchip system with a sliding sleeve, ball landing seat, and charging ring is deployed, allowing microchips to be released and charged downhole, using a ball to trigger movement and release through an exit groove, and a charging coil to maintain power, ensuring continuous data collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If drilling microchips are pumped downhole directly from the surface, then data collection capability is provided, but the microchips run out of battery before reaching the desired depth
Solution Approach 1:
The microchips are pre-charged in the charging well before being deployed to the target depth. This preliminary charging action ensures that the microchips have sufficient battery power to operate throughout the entire downhole journey and data collection period, eliminating the limitation of running out of battery before reaching the desired depth.
2Reliability
If drilling microchips are pumped downhole directly from the surface, then data collection is enabled, but the microchips clog internal components of the drill string
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the charging function from the data collection function by using a dedicated charging well and charging mechanism. The microchips are charged in the charging well before deployment, which prevents them from clogging the drill string components during the charging process. This segmentation eliminates the harmful clogging effect while maintaining data collection capability.
3Productivity
If estimations are used for temperature and pressure values, then planning and execution can proceed, but the values are inaccurate due to multiple sources of error
Solution Approach 1:
The microchips autonomously collect real-time temperature and pressure data downhole and transmit this information to the surface. This self-service data collection eliminates the need for estimations based on offset wells and indirect calculations, providing accurate measurement values that improve both planning precision and operational efficiency.
4Measurement precision
If the wellbore trajectory is obtained after well completion through wireline survey, then the trajectory data is available, but the process is time-consuming and delays production
Solution Approach 1:
The microchips collect wellbore trajectory data in real-time during the drilling process itself, rather than waiting for post-completion wireline survey. This preliminary data collection action provides accurate trajectory information immediately, eliminating the time delay associated with subsequent surveys and enabling faster production decisions.
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 accurate real-time data collection of temperature, pressure, and wellbore trajectory without battery limitations and clogging issues, enhancing drilling precision and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The charging ring is electronically connected to the microchip ring and has a circuit, a power source, and a charging coil. The charging coil is disposed adjacent to the microchip ring within the sliding sleeve.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a sliding sleeve, a ball landing seat, microchips, a ball catcher, and a charging ring. The sliding sleeve is installed within a tubular body. The tubular body has an exit groove. The ball landing seat is formed by the sliding sleeve and is configured to receive a ball. The plurality of microchips are housed in a microchip ring installed within the sliding sleeve. The plurality of microchips are configured to be released into the well to gather data upon reception of the ball in the ball landing seat. The ball catcher is configured to receive and hold the ball after the plurality of microchips are released into the well. The charging ring is electronically connected to the microchip ring and has a circuit, a power source, and a charging coil. The circuit has a voltage regulation chip, a microprocessor, and a circuit motion sensor.