Expandable Patch for Downhole Sensor Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Downhole sensors face longevity issues and have limited upgrade capabilities, making it difficult to deploy replacements in existing wells without complex procedures.
Innovation Solution
A sensor assembly with an expandable patch that can be seated in a well casing, allowing for easy deployment, replacement, and upgrade of sensors by expanding from a compressed to an expanded diameter, enabling the use of various expandable structures such as internally trussed, bendable, or stretchable walls, and wireless connectivity for power and communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional downhole sensors are deployed, then initial sensing function is achieved, but sensor longevity is limited and replacement is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is divided into separate components: a deployable sensor package and a stationary receiver. The sensor can be independently replaced by deploying a new sensor package through the casing while the receiver remains in place, enabling easy replacement without retrieving the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor package is deployed through the existing well casing and nested within the established well infrastructure. This allows the sensor to be placed in the annulus or attached to the casing interior without requiring wellbore access or complex retrieval mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If sensors are placed in existing well casings, then upgrade capability is improved, but deployment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patch structure includes an expandable wall that transitions from a compressed deployment state to an expanded operational state. This dynamic transformation allows the sensor to be inserted in a compact form through the casing and then expanded to its functional configuration, simplifying the deployment process while enabling upgrades.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameters of the patch wall are changed during deployment - specifically, the wall expands from a small compressed diameter to a larger expanded diameter. This parameter change enables the sensor to pass through the casing in a compact state and then establish its functional form factor after deployment.
3Ease of operation
If expandable patch structures are used, then ease of deployment is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patch utilizes a flexible wall structure that can be compressed into a thin, deployable form and then expanded to create a stable mounting surface for the sensor. This flexible shell approach simplifies deployment while the expansion mechanism provides the necessary structural complexity only when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patch wall employs a curved or corrugated structure that facilitates expansion from a compressed state to an expanded state. The curvature geometry enables the transformation from a linear compressed form to a three-dimensional expanded form, simplifying the deployment mechanism while achieving the required structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor assembly includes a patch with a wall configured to be seated in a well casing. A sensor is mounted to the wall of the patch. The wall of the patch can define a central passage therethrough configured to allow passage of downhole tools therethrough. The wall of the patch can be expandable from a first compressed diameter to a second expanded diameter. The wall of the patch can include at least one of a corrugated expandable structure, a stretchable structure, and/or an internally trussed expandable structure, for example.