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US 11,454,095 B1Granted
Downhole power and communications system(s) and method(s) of using same
OwnerBosko Gajicinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus, method(s), and system(s) according to which electric power is generated in one or more coils by rotating a magnetic field generated by one or more permanent magnets. The one or more coils are connected to a collar. The collar is positioned downhole in an oil and gas wellbore. The one or more permanent magnets are connected to a rotor positioned within an internal passageway of the collar. A fluid is communicated along the internal passageway of the collar. The rotor, and thus the magnetic field generated by the one or more permanent magnets, are rotated using the fluid communicated along the internal passage.
Claims24
An apparatus, comprising:
- a collar adapted to be positioned downhole in a wellbore, the collar defining an internal passageway, which internal passageway defines an inside surface in the collar;
- a support member disposed within the internal passageway of the collar and rigidly connected to the inside surface of the collar;
- a rotor disposed within the internal passageway of the collar and rotationally connected to the support member so that the rotor is rotatable relative to the collar;
- one or more permanent magnets connected to the rotor, the one or more permanent magnets generating a magnetic field;
- and
- a coil connected to the collar and adapted to generate electric power from the rotating magnetic field, the coil being spaced radially outwardly from, and axially overlapping at least respective portion(s) of, the one or more permanent magnets,
- wherein, when the collar is positioned downhole in the wellbore, fluid is communicable along the internal passageway between the coil and at least one of the one or more permanent magnets.
4 more elements
A method of generating electric power in a wellbore, the method comprising:
- rotating a magnetic field generated by one or more permanent magnets, the one or more permanent magnets being connected to a rotor positioned within an internal passageway of a collar, the rotor being rotationally connected to a support member positioned within the internal passageway so that the rotor is rotatable relative to the collar, the internal passageway defining an inside surface in the collar, the support member being rigidly connected to the inside surface of the collar, and the collar being positioned downhole in the wellbore;
- and
- generating, from the rotating magnetic field, electric power in one or more coils connected to the collar, the one or more coils being spaced radially outwardly from, and axially overlapping at least respective portion(s) of, the one or more permanent magnets,
- wherein rotating the magnetic field generated by the one or more permanent magnets comprises communicating fluid along the internal passageway, and
- wherein at least a portion of the fluid communicated along the internal passageway flows between at least one of the one or more coils and at least one of the one or more permanent magnets.
2 more elements
A system, comprising:
- one or more non-transitory computer readable media;
- and
- a plurality of instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable media and executable by one or more processors operably associated therewith to perform the following operation(s):
- rotating a magnetic field generated by one or more permanent magnets, the one or more permanent magnets being connected to a rotor positioned within an internal passageway of a collar, the rotor being rotationally connected to a support member positioned within the internal passageway so that the rotor is rotatable relative to the collar, the internal passageway defining an inside surface in the collar, the support member being rigidly connected to the inside surface of the collar, and the collar being positioned downhole in a wellbore;
- and
- generating, from the rotating magnetic field, electric power in one or more coils connected to the collar, the one or more coils being spaced radially outwardly from, and axially overlapping at least respective portion(s) of, the one or more permanent magnets,
- wherein rotating the magnetic field generated by the one or more permanent magnets comprises communicating fluid along the internal passageway, and
- wherein at least a portion of the fluid communicated along the internal passageway flow between at least one of the one or more coils and at least one of the one or more permanent magnets.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.