Downhole flow sensing with power harvesting
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsMikko K. Jaaskelainen, Julian Drew, Barry Fish
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Abstract
A downhole energy harvesting apparatus comprising a fluidic oscillator comprising: an inlet channel configured to receive fluid from a wellbore, a feedback system coupled to the inlet channel to oscillate the fluid, and an outlet channel coupled to the feedback system and configured to receive the oscillated fluid from the feedback system, and at least one piezoelectric element disposed on at least one side of the outlet channel and configured to generate an electric signal in response to variations in pressure of the oscillated fluid.
Claims20
A downhole energy harvesting apparatus comprising:
- an asymmetric fluidic oscillator comprising:
- an inlet channel configured to receive fluid from a wellbore;
- a feedback system coupled to the inlet channel to oscillate the fluid;
- and
- an outlet channel coupled to the feedback system and configured to receive the oscillated fluid from the feedback system, wherein the outlet channel comprises a first portion and a second portion positioned opposite the first portion, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are non-parallel to each other;
- and
- at least one piezoelectric element disposed on at least one side of the outlet channel and configured to generate an electric signal in response to variations in pressure of the oscillated fluid.
A method to harvest downhole energy, comprising:
- receiving fluid from a wellbore by an inlet channel of an asymmetric fluidic oscillator;
- oscillating the fluid by a feedback system of the asymmetric fluidic oscillator;
- outputting the fluid oscillated by the feedback system to an outlet channel of the asymmetric fluidic oscillator, wherein the outlet channel comprises a first portion and a second portion positioned opposite the first portion, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are non-parallel to each other;
- and
- generating, by at least one piezoelectric element disposed on at least one side of the outlet channel, an electric signal in response to variations in pressure of the oscillated fluid.
A system comprising:
- an asymmetric fluidic oscillator comprising:
- an inlet channel configured to receive fluid from a wellbore;
- a feedback system coupled to the inlet channel to oscillate the fluid;
- and
- an outlet channel coupled to the feedback system and configured to receive the oscillated fluid from the feedback system, wherein the outlet channel comprises a first portion and a second portion positioned opposite the first portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are non-parallel to each other;
- at least one piezoelectric element disposed on at least one side of the outlet channel and configured to generate an electric signal in response to variations in pressure of the oscillated fluid;
- and
- a processor coupled to the at least one piezoelectric element and configured to analyze the electric signal to determine a flow rate, a density, a type, or a phase of the oscillated fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.