Wireless Quartz Thermal Sensor Using Waste Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal anemometers require external power and are fragile, making them unsuitable for use in harsh, remote environments with liquid flows or where power is not readily available.
Innovation Solution
A wellbore wireless thermal conductivity sensor system utilizing a quartz resonator with a heat dissipation element, where superfluous heat from electronics circuits is used to pre-heat the dissipation element, reducing power requirements and enabling wireless operation, and allowing integration with other sensors like pressure sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional thermal anemometers are used, then fluid velocity can be measured, but external power is required and the device is fragile
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor uses its own electronic circuit heat as the heat source for thermal conductivity measurement, eliminating the need for external power to heat the dissipation element. The system serves itself by converting waste heat from electronics into useful thermal energy for sensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful waste heat generated by electronic circuits into a beneficial resource for thermal conductivity measurement. Instead of dissipating heat unnecessarily, the system captures and utilizes this thermal energy to heat the dissipation element, thereby eliminating the contradiction between measurement functionality and power consumption.
2Measurement precision
If conventional thermal anemometers are used, then fluid velocity can be measured, but the wire is fragile and suitable only for clean gas flows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the fragile exposed hot wire with a protected hot-film coating on a quartz fiber or hollow glass tube. This structural modification maintains the thermal sensing capability while providing mechanical protection, enabling operation in liquid flows and rugged gas flow environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor combines multiple materials with complementary properties: a thin hot-film coating (platinum or other material) on a quartz fiber or glass tube support structure. This composite construction provides both the thermal sensitivity of the thin film and the mechanical strength of the ceramic/glass support, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and durability.
3Ease of operation
If power harvesting is used to power electronics, then wireless operation is enabled, but the efficiency of wireless power transfer is low
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the waste heat from its own electronic circuits to provide the thermal energy needed for sensing, eliminating the need for additional power consumption for heating. This self-service approach reduces the total power requirement, making wireless power harvesting more efficient and practical.
Solution Approach 2:
By converting waste heat from electronics into useful thermal energy for the dissipation element, the system reduces its overall power consumption. This allows wireless power harvesting to be more efficient, as less total power needs to be transmitted and harvested to maintain sensor operation.
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 the detection of thermal conductivity changes in remote locations without additional power, improving operational efficiency and extending battery life or wireless link performance in harsh environments.
Implementation Method 1
Convection, or convective heat transfer, occurs when fluids in motion transfers heat from one place to another. Convection can be both the result of a controlled process, or a means for obtaining a result in a process.
Implementation Method 2
a heat dissipation element (2) configured for being in thermal connection with the fluid (F)
Implementation Method 3
a first quartz resonator (11) configured to provide a first temperature signal (11s) representing an ambient temperature (θ1)
Data Source
AI summary
Wellbore wireless thermal conductivity quartz transducer comprising a thermal conductivity quartz transducer and a wireless communication system comprising an external device and an internal device, a cable, and a surface device. The thermal conductivity quartz transducer comprises a first quartz resonator, a heat dissipation element, a second quartz resonator, an electronics circuit and heat guiding means arranged for transferring a heat generated by said electronics circuit to said heat dissipation element, so that said dissipation temperature is higher than said ambient temperature. The invention is also a method for wirelessly performing transient response analysis of a formation in a wellbore with such transducer.