Sensor Bracket on Movable Arm for Wellbore Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing downhole logging tools in oil and gas production are cumbersome and expensive due to the deployment of multiple sensors, which can disrupt fluid flow measurements and increase tool length, and sensors are often not properly arranged within the flow stream.
Innovation Solution
A system with extendable arms and pivotable brackets that position sensors within the wellbore annulus, allowing them to be rotated into the flow path, reducing tool length and improving measurement accuracy by enabling more sensors to be deployed without increasing tool diameter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are deployed to conduct measurements along different locations in the wellbore, then measurement coverage and data quality are improved, but the overall length of the tool string increases and becomes unwieldy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested structure where multiple sensors are arranged concentrically around a central tubular element. The sensors are positioned at different radial distances from the tubular, allowing multiple measurement points to be contained within a compact axial footprint, thereby improving measurement coverage without increasing tool string length
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a linear arrangement of sensors along the tubular axis to a three-dimensional configuration where sensors are distributed radially around the tubular. This spatial redistribution allows multiple sensors to occupy the same axial space at different radial positions and circumferential angles, effectively packing more sensors into the same tool length
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are deployed to conduct measurements, then measurement coverage is improved, but the number of tools and deployment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensors into a single integrated tool assembly that attaches to one tubular element. Instead of deploying separate tools for each sensor, all sensors are merged into one unit that can be deployed together, reducing the number of deployment operations and simplifying the overall process
Solution Approach 2:
The tool assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the tubular while housing multiple sensors that can measure different parameters (flow rate, pressure, temperature, etc.). This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized tools for each measurement type
3Ease of manufacture
If sensors are arranged along the tubulars, then sensor deployment is simplified, but the measurement accuracy deteriorates because sensors are not properly arranged within the flow stream
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions sensors at specific local locations around the tubular where they can optimally interact with the flow stream. Each sensor is placed at a predetermined radial distance and circumferential position that maximizes its measurement capability for its specific function, rather than uniformly distributing all sensors along the tubular length
Solution Approach 2:
The sensors are pre-positioned on the tool assembly at their optimal measurement locations before deployment. The tool assembly is designed with sensors already mounted at precise radial and circumferential positions, so that upon deployment, sensors are automatically placed in the correct positions within the flow stream without requiring complex post-deployment adjustment
Data Source
AI summary
A system for positioning a sensor within a flow path of a wellbore annulus includes a work string extending into the wellbore annulus from a surface location. The system includes a movable arm on the work string, the arm transitioning between a first radial location and a second radial location. The system further includes a bracket coupled to the arm, the bracket being pivotable about a pivot axis, wherein the bracket supports the sensor and transitions the sensor from a stored position to a deployed position.