Downhole Sensor Power via Resonant Casing Waves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Downhole sensors in the energy industry face premature battery failure due to high temperatures and the need for reliable, long-term power transmission to ensure accurate drilling and well health monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A system using an AC power supply unit connected to the well casing, with a conductive stake in the cement or geologic structure, to deliver alternating current power to downhole nodes, allowing for indefinite operation and bypassing battery reliance, utilizing resonant circuitry to optimize power transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If batteries are used to power downhole sensors, then the sensors can operate independently, but the batteries will fail prematurely due to high temperatures exceeding 300°C
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the power source from the downhole sensor environment by using the well casing and external power supply, removing the battery from the high-temperature downhole environment where it would fail. The sensor node receives power through the casing conductor rather than relying on an onboard battery.
Solution Approach 2:
The well casing acts as an intermediary conductor to transmit power from the surface power supply to the downhole sensor nodes. This intermediary approach allows power delivery without requiring batteries to be present in the high-temperature downhole environment.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If external power is transmitted through the well casing, then sensors can operate indefinitely, but the high-temperature environment and electrical hazards present challenges
Solution Approach 1:
The well casing, which already exists in the well structure, is utilized as the power transmission conductor. This self-service approach repurposes an existing structural element for dual functions: mechanical support and electrical power transmission, eliminating the need for separate power delivery infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces traditional electrical power transmission systems with a system that uses the conductive well casing as the transmission medium. This substitution leverages the existing mechanical structure (casing) to perform the electrical function, simplifying the overall system.
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 reliable, long-term power delivery to downhole sensors, maintaining their operation and data transmission capabilities in high-temperature environments, potentially extending the lifespan of well monitoring systems.
Implementation Method 1
A system using an AC power supply unit connected to the well casing, with a conductive stake in the cement or geologic structure, to deliver alternating current power to downhole nodes
Implementation Method 2
utilizing resonant circuitry to optimize power transmission
Data Source
AI summary
A well telemetry system supplies power to downhole sensor nodes employed for obtaining telemetry data in oil wells. The nodes are held in the cement that lines the well and surround the casing. At the surface, an AC power unit is connected to the casing and geological structure that surrounds the cement. Power to nodes is supplied using an AC resonant circuit that generates standing waves of electrical power on the casing. Power from the standing waves is delivered to the nodes which are located at antinodes of the standing wave. The nodes are held in cement that surround the casing, with one of their two electrodes connected to the casing and the other connected to the cement or to geological structure.