Wireless Sheave Wheel Assembly with Imaging for Well Operations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireline operations in oil and gas wells lack real-time monitoring of tool movement and tension, as well as surrounding conditions, leading to potential system failures and inefficiencies due to inaccuracies in measurement and reliance on manual inspections.
Innovation Solution
A wireless sheave wheel assembly with integrated imaging and depth/tension measurement systems that transmit data to a ground control system, allowing for real-time monitoring and reducing measurement errors through a nearly full wrap of the wireline around the wheel, eliminating slippage and enhancing tension measurement accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional wireline operations are used without integrated monitoring systems, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and reliability deteriorate due to lack of real-time data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple monitoring functions (depth measurement, tension measurement, and imaging) into a single integrated sheave wheel assembly. This merging of previously separate systems into one unified device improves measurement precision while managing system complexity through integration rather than proliferation of separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheave wheel assembly is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: guiding the wireline, measuring depth through rotation tracking, measuring tension through integrated sensors, and capturing images through mounted cameras. This multi-functionality allows a single device to provide comprehensive monitoring, improving overall measurement precision without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Loss of information
If manual inspections are used instead of real-time monitoring, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of information and productivity deteriorate due to delayed detection of issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously collects data from depth sensors, tension sensors, and imaging cameras, then transmits this information in real-time to the wireline truck. This feedback loop provides operators with immediate operational data, eliminating information loss associated with manual inspections and enabling timely decision-making despite the added monitoring system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual inspection methods with automated electronic monitoring systems. Sensors and cameras automatically capture and transmit operational data, substituting human visual inspection and manual data collection with electronic systems that provide continuous real-time information without proportionally increasing operational complexity.
3Measurement precision
If the wireline makes a nearly full wrap around the sheave wheel, then measurement precision improves by eliminating slippage, but device complexity increases due to required wheel design
Solution Approach 1:
The sheave wheel is designed with a specific curvature and diameter that enables the wireline to make a nearly full wrap around it. This curved geometry is optimized to maintain consistent contact between the wireline and wheel surface throughout the wrapping motion, eliminating slippage and improving depth measurement precision while keeping the wheel design manageable through proper geometric selection.
4Reliability
If imaging system and wireless transceiver are integrated into the sheave wheel assembly, then reliability improves through comprehensive monitoring, but weight and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system and wireless transceiver are integrated into the sheave wheel assembly, combining multiple monitoring and communication functions into one unit. This merging improves reliability by ensuring all components work together as a unified system while managing weight increases through integrated design rather than adding separate distributed components.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheave wheel assembly includes a housing; a wheel attached to the housing and configured to rotate relative to the housing; an imaging system attached to the housing and configured to obtain images of a surrounding of the sheave wheel assembly; and a transceiver attached to the housing and configured to send the images in a wireless manner to a ground control system.