RFID Seal Wear Detection for Rotating Wellbore Sealing Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for monitoring the wear of sealing elements in wellbore devices are subjective and lack real-time capabilities, leading to unexpected failures due to unaccounted factors like drill pipe condition and abnormal wear, which can contribute to well control events.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an array of passive RFID tags embedded in sealing elements to detect wear by interpreting responses from intact and damaged tags, determining material thickness, and predicting potential breakdowns using a monitoring system that processes logged data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If passive RFID tags are embedded in sealing elements to enable real-time wear monitoring, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is divided into multiple zones with RFID tags embedded at different radial positions. Each tag independently monitors wear at its specific location, allowing the system to segment the monitoring function across multiple simple components rather than using one complex monitoring system.
Solution Approach 2:
Passive RFID tags serve as intermediaries between the sealing element and the monitoring system. These tags are simple, low-cost components that passively respond to reader queries, enabling wear detection without requiring complex active sensors, power sources, or sophisticated electronics within the sealing element itself.
2Reliability
If an array of RFID tags is used to monitor wear at multiple radial positions, then reliability of wear detection is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into standard RFID tag embedding procedures that can be replicated at multiple positions. Each tag installation follows the same protocol, allowing for consistent quality control and simplifying the overall manufacturing process despite the multi-position requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses passive RFID tags with standardized specifications that can be manufactured and installed using consistent parameters. By maintaining uniform tag types, embedding depths, and radial positions within tolerance ranges, the manufacturing process becomes predictable and controllable despite the array configuration.
3Reliability
If real-time monitoring is implemented to prevent unexpected failures, then safety and reliability are improved, but loss of time for monitoring and data processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The passive RFID tags automatically respond to reader queries without requiring active power consumption or external energy sources. The monitoring system leverages existing wellbore operations and routine communications to trigger wear assessments, allowing the system to serve itself using available resources rather than requiring dedicated monitoring time or energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system operates periodically during wellbore operations rather than continuously. Wear assessments are triggered at specific operational intervals or when wellbore conditions change, allowing real-time monitoring capability while minimizing time loss by conducting monitoring only when necessary rather than continuously.
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 real-time monitoring of sealing element wear, predicting potential failures, and preventing complete breakdowns by providing accurate wear detection and alert systems.
Implementation Method 1
An array of sensors, and more specifically, passive radio frequency-identification (RFID) tags, are embedded in the elastomer of the seal at incremental depths, offset from the internal diameter of the material. The tags may be installed within areas of the seal with the greatest wear exposure or distributed to provide a higher resolution of wear detection.
Data Source
AI summary
A drilling system is provided that includes a wellbore device. The wellbore device includes a housing including a bore and a seal element composed of an elastomeric material, positioned within the housing, and configured to seal the bore. The wellbore device includes a bearing assembly supported within the housing and configured to enable the seal element to rotate relative to the housing. The drilling system includes a wireless seal wear monitoring system that includes an RFID tag embedded within the seal element and an RFID transceiver and an RFID antenna disposed within a recess of the housing at an axial location adjacent the RFID tag. The RFID transceiver and RFID antenna are configured to communicate with the RFID tag and a control system. The control system is configured to determine a presence of wear in the seal element based on information provided by the RFID tag.