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US 10,718,880 B2Granted
High-voltage protection and shielding within downhole tools
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsMatthieu Simon, Jani Reijonen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A downhole tool may include a voltage multiplier within a housing. The voltage multiplier may transform input power to the downhole tool from a first voltage to a second voltage higher than the first. The downhole tool may also include multiple shielding rings surrounding at least the voltage multiplier to reduce electric field stresses within the downhole tool. Additionally, the downhole tool may include an insulator located between the shielding rings and the housing.
Claims20
A downhole tool comprising:
- a housing;
- a voltage multiplier within the housing and configured to transform input power to the downhole tool from a first voltage to a second voltage, wherein the second voltage is greater than the first voltage;
- a plurality of shielding rings surrounding at least the voltage multiplier and configured to reduce electric field stresses within the downhole tool;
- and
- an insulator located between the plurality of shielding rings and the housing.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- surrounding, at least partially, a high-voltage power supply of a downhole tool with a plurality of shielding rings, wherein the plurality of shielding rings comprise an annular shape, wherein the plurality of shielding rings are configured to reduce electric field stresses within a diameter of the plurality of shielding rings;
- electrically coupling a spark gap electrodes to at least two of the plurality of shielding rings, wherein the spark gap electrodes are configured to propagate an electric arc to ground;
- wrapping the plurality of shielding rings with an insulator;
- and
- sealing an insulating gas within a housing of the downhole tool.
2 more elements
A downhole tool system comprising:
- a nuclear radiation generator configured to emit nuclear radiation;
- a high-voltage power supply configured transform an input power from a first voltage to a second voltage and supply the second voltage to the nuclear radiation generator;
- a first plurality of co-axial shielding rings electrically coupled to multiplier stages of the high-voltage power supply;
- a second plurality of co-axial shielding rings electrically coupled to generator stages of the nuclear radiation generator, wherein the generator stages are configured to create electric fields within the nuclear radiation generator to accelerate a charged particle into to target to generate the nuclear radiation;
- a plurality of spark gaps between adjacent pairs of shielding rings of the first plurality of co-axial shielding rings, wherein the spark gaps are configured to propagate an electric arc in response to a voltage differential greater than a threshold between at least one pair of the adjacent pairs of shielding rings;
- and
- a plastic insulator surrounding the first plurality of co-axial shielding rings, the second plurality of co-axial shielding rings, or both.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.