Autonomous downhole tool
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorMurtadha J. AlTammar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An autonomous tool includes a tool body and turbine wheels coupled to the tool body. Each turbine wheel is retractable into the tool body and extendable out of the tool body. When the turbine wheels are extended out of the tool body, the axial axes of the turbine wheels can be positioned parallel to the axial axis of the tool body, allowing generation of mechanical energy from a fluid stream moving along the tool body, or positioned perpendicular to the axial axis of tool body, allowing the turbine wheels to roll along a tubular wall. Electrical generators are mechanically coupled to the turbine wheels to convert the mechanical energy produced by the turbine wheels into electrical energy. An energy storage stores the electrical energy for use by components of the tool.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a tool body having an axial axis;
- a plurality of turbine wheels coupled to the tool body, each turbine wheel movable separately to each of a first position in which the turbine wheel is retracted inside the tool body, a second position in which the turbine wheel is extended out of the tool body and an axial axis of the turbine wheel is parallel to the axial axis of the tool body, and a third position in which the turbine wheel is extended out of the tool body and the axial axis of the turbine wheel is perpendicular to the axial axis of the tool body;
- and
- a plurality of electrical generators mechanically coupled to the plurality of turbine wheels, the plurality of electrical generators to convert mechanical energy produced by the plurality of turbine wheels to electrical energy;
- and
- an energy storage electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical generators to store the electrical energy.
A system comprising:
- a well penetrating a subsurface;
- a tubing disposed in the well for transport of a fluid stream between the subsurface region and a surface region;
- and
- a downhole tool disposed in the well and further down the well than a bottom end of the tubing, the downhole tool comprising a plurality of turbine wheels that are each movable separately to each of a first position in which the turbine wheel is retracted inside a tool body, a second position in which the turbine wheel is oriented to produce mechanical energy from the fluid stream, and a third position in which the turbine wheel is oriented to roll along an inner surface of the well.
A method comprising:
- deploying a downhole tool into a well and leaving the downhole tool in the well with an axial axis of a tool body of the downhole tool aligned with a fluid flow direction in the well;
- transporting a fluid stream between the well and a surface region along the fluid flow direction;
- positioning the downhole tool in a first mode at one or more times during transporting the fluid stream by moving a plurality of turbine wheels of the downhole tool relative to the tool body and into a position and an orientation in which the fluid stream passes through the turbine wheels;
- and
- positioning the downhole tool in a second mode at one or more times during transporting the fluid stream by moving the plurality of turbine wheels of the downhole tool relative to the tool body and into a position and an orientation in which the downhole tool is transportable along the well by rolling of the turbine wheels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.