# US 11,029,177 B2 · Pressure compensated sensors

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- Number: US 11,029,177 B2
- Document ID: US11029177B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/598,159
- Filed: 2017-05-17
- Published: 2018-11-22
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-17
- Assignees: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Dan Tho Lu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029177B2

## CPC

- G01D 11/245: {Housings for sensors}
- E21B 47/017: Protecting measuring instruments
- E21B 47/09: Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells {, e.g. the position of an extending arm}; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes
- G01D 11/26: Windows; Cover glasses; Sealings therefor
- G01D 11/30: Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
- G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

A pressure compensated sensing system and methods for using the same are provided. The system can include a housing, a seal, an incompressible fluid, and sensing elements. The seal can be positioned within a housing cavity and divide the cavity into two portions. A first cavity portion can be sealed from the fluid environment by the seal and contain the sensing elements and the incompressible fluid. A second cavity portion can be in fluid communication with the fluid environment. The fluid environment can apply an external pressure to the seal that is opposed by an internal pressure of the sealed cavity applied to the seal by the incompressible fluid. When the internal pressure and the external pressure are different, the seal can move in a manner that changes the volume of the sealed cavity by an amount sufficient to equalize the internal pressure with the external pressure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pressure compensated sensor system, comprising:
a housing extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end and a distal end and defining a cavity therein;
an inner tube positioned within the housing and extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis;
a seal positioned within the cavity and extending laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis between the housing and the inner tube, the seal dividing the cavity into a first fluidly sealed cavity portion and a second cavity portion configured for exposure to a fluid environment surrounding the housing;
a cap directly secured to the distal end of the housing, wherein the first cavity portion includes a cap volume defined by the cap;
one or more sensing elements positioned within the cap volume; and
an incompressible fluid disposed within the first cavity portion;
wherein the seal is configured to move in response to pressure differences between the first cavity portion and the second cavity portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the housing includes an aperture in a sidewall configured to allow fluid to flow from the fluid environment into the second cavity portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the seal comprises a diaphragm seal configured to elastically deform in response to pressure differences between the first cavity and the second cavity.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the incompressible fluid substantially fills the first cavity portion, and the sensing elements are submerged in the incompressible fluid.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the incompressible fluid comprises a dielectric.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing elements include a proximity sensor configured to induce an eddy current in a target.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid environment is a subsea environment.