System and method for real-time condition monitoring of an electric submersible pumping system
AssigneeGE Oil & Gas ESP, Inc.
InventorsRobert Lee Marvel, Tyler Walker, Samved Bhatnagar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pumping system for use in a subterranean wellbore below a surface includes a motor assembly, a pump driven by the motor assembly, and one or more sensors configured to measure an operating parameter within the pumping system and output a signal representative of the measured parameter. The pumping system further includes a wireless telemetry system that is configured to transmit data representative of the measured parameter from the pumping system to the surface. The one or more sensors may include acoustically active sensors that operate according to surface acoustic wave principles.
Claims20
A pumping system for use in a subterranean wellbore below a surface, the pumping system comprising:
- a motor assembly;
- a pump driven by the motor assembly;
- one or more sensors configured to measure an operating parameter within the pumping system and output a signal representative of the measured parameter, wherein the one or more sensors comprises an acoustically active sensor;
- and
- a wireless telemetry system, wherein the wireless telemetry system is configured to transmit data representative of the measured parameter from the pumping system to the surface,
- wherein the wireless telemetry system comprises an interrogator in wireless communication with the acoustic active sensor and a control unit in communication with the interrogator,
- wherein the wireless telemetry system is configured to transmit an incident wireless signal from the interrogator, receive the incident wireless signal at the acoustically active sensor, and reflect from the acoustically active sensor a reflected wireless signal, wherein the reflected wireless signal has been affected by the physical parameter acting on the acoustically active sensor.
A method for monitoring physical parameters within a pumping system deployed in a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an acoustically active sensor within the pumping system;
- providing an interrogator in wireless communication with the acoustically active sensor;
- providing a control unit in communication with the interrogator;
- transmitting an incident wireless signal from the interrogator;
- receiving the incident wireless signal at the acoustically active sensor;
- reflecting from the acoustically active sensor a reflected wireless signal, wherein the reflected wireless signal has been affected by the physical parameter acting on the acoustically active sensor;
- and receiving the reflected wireless signal with the interrogator;
- and
- interpreting the differences between the incident wireless signal and the reflected wireless signal as a measurement of the physical parameter acting on the acoustically active sensor.
A method for monitoring physical parameters of a pumping system deployed in a wellbore below the surface from a control unit located on the surface, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an acoustically active sensor within the pumping system;
- providing an interrogator in wireless communication with the acoustically active sensor;
- providing a control unit in communication with the interrogator;
- transmitting an incident wireless signal from the interrogator;
- receiving the incident wireless signal at the acoustically active sensor;
- reflecting from the acoustically active sensor a reflected wireless signal, wherein the reflected wireless signal has been affected by the physical parameter acting on the acoustically active sensor;
- providing a transmitter operably connected to the acoustically active sensor;
- providing a receiver at a spaced apart distance from the transmitter within the pumping system;
- transmitting a primary wireless data signal from the transmitter to the receiver that is representative of the measured condition;
- and
- transmitting a data secondary signal to the control unit on the surface from the receiver, wherein the secondary signal is representative of the measured condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.