Spinner Flowmeter Cleaning via Heating and Rotation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Production logging tools, such as spinner flowmeters, often face impaired sensitivity and performance due to sticky materials like tar and wax that adhere to their delicate spinners, leading to operational failures and downtimes, especially in horizontal wells where the tools scrub and agitate borehole deposits during logging.

Innovation Solution

A production logging tool equipped with a cleaning assembly that includes a heating element, a drive, and a clutch, allowing for in-situ cleaning of the spinner flowmeter by heating and rotating it to remove sticky materials, activated remotely from the surface to maintain tool functionality and accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the spinner flowmeter is used to monitor fluid movement in the wellbore, then production logging and flow rate evaluation are enabled, but sticky materials like tar and wax adhere to the spinner causing impaired sensitivity and performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflowmeter performanceVSAvoidsticky material adhesion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The heating element is activated before and during logging operations to prevent sticky materials from adhering to the spinner in the first place, maintaining flowmeter performance throughout the operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The heating element, which consumes energy, is used to eliminate the harmful effect of sticky material adhesion by melting or vaporizing the materials, thereby restoring and maintaining spinner sensitivity and flowmeasurement accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Reliability

If the tool is pulled out of the wellbore to clean the spinner, then sticky materials can be removed from the flowmeter, but operational time is lost and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflowmeter sensitivityVSAvoidlogging operation efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The flowmeter performs its own cleaning function through the integrated heating element that melts and removes sticky materials from the spinner while the tool remains in the wellbore, eliminating the need for retrieval and external cleaning operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The heating element operates continuously or periodically during logging runs to maintain spinner cleanliness and sensitivity, ensuring uninterrupted flow measurement capabilities without requiring tool retrieval for cleaning

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Reliability

If the heating element is activated to remove sticky materials, then spinner sensitivity is restored, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflowmeter performanceVSAvoidheating element power

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The heating element is activated periodically or on-demand based on detected performance degradation rather than continuously, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining flowmeter functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The heating element is activated only when and where needed (at the spinner location) rather than heating the entire tool or wellbore, minimizing energy consumption while effectively removing sticky materials from the critical measurement component

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 tool to be cleaned without being pulled out of the wellbore, saving time and resources, and allows for automatic data quality control through logging runs before and after cleaning, ensuring accurate fluid parameter measurements.

Implementation Method 1

The controller activates and deactivates at least one of the drive or the heating element to heat a volume around the spinner with the heating element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

The controller activates and deactivates at least one of the drive or the heating element to selectively spin the spinner with the drive

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical rotation:

Data Source

PatentUS11952885B2Cleaning a production logging spinner flowmeter

Publication Date: 2024.04.09 SAUDI ARABIAN OIL CO

AI summary

A production logging tool has a housing, a flowmeter assembly, a heating element, a drive, a clutch, and a controller. The housing has a first end attached to a wellbore string. The flowmeter assembly has a spinner exposed to fluid in the production string and a spinner shaft fixed to the spinner and extending from a rear surface of the spinner into the housing. The spinner shaft is rotatably attached to the housing. The heating element is attached to the spinner. The drive is disposed within the housing. The controller is operationally coupled to the drive and the heating element. The controller activates and deactivates at least one of the drive or the heating element to heat a volume around the spinner with the heating element or selectively spin the spinner with the drive.