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US 12,146,394 B2Granted
Controlling downhole-type rotating machines
AssigneeUpwing Energy, LLC
InventorsKuo-Chiang Chen, Patrick McMullen, Christopher Matthew Sellers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A parameter of a magnetic bearing supporting a rotor in operation within a stator of the downhole-type rotating machine is measured. A speed of the rotor is controlled based on the measured parameter.
Claims17
A method of controlling a downhole-type rotating machine, the method comprising:
- lowering a downhole-type rotating machine into a wellbore of a production well;
- sealing, with a seal assembly, the downhole-type rotating machine to a wall of the wellbore;
- flowing a fluid through the downhole-type rotating machine from downhole of the downhole-type rotating machine, across the seal assembly, to uphole of the downhole-type rotating machine;
- radially supporting a central shaft within an outer housing of the of the downhole-type rotating machine, the central shaft comprising a first permanent magnet and the outer housing comprising a second permanent magnet;
- measuring a parameter of a magnetic bearing supporting a rotor in operation within a stator of the downhole-type rotating machine, the downhole-type rotating machine comprising a pump or compressor, and the measured parameter comprising an axial load on the rotor;
- determining, based on the measured axial load on the rotor, a change in a pressure ratio of the fluid flowing across the pump or compressor through the downhole-type rotating machine;
- automatically adjusting a force on the rotor from the magnetic bearing based on the measured parameter and without external intervention;
- controlling a speed of the rotor based on the measured parameter;
- determining a future predicted pressure decline rate of the production well in which the downhole-type rotating machine resides, the future predicted pressure decline rate based on a predictive model;
- changing a speed of the rotor based on the future predicted pressure decline rate;
- and
- changing an axial position of the rotor, by the magnetic bearing, from a first position to a second position, based on the measured parameter.
9 more elements
A method of controlling a downhole-type rotating machine, the method comprising:
- measuring a parameter of a magnetic bearing in response to operation of a rotor within a housing of a downhole-type rotating machine, the measured parameter comprising amplitudes of active harmonics of the rotor rotating within the magnetic bearing, the amplitudes of active harmonics including radial displacement amplitudes of the rotor;
- predicting a failure mechanism based on the amplitudes of active harmonics, the failure mechanism comprising a slugging event;
- changing a speed of the rotor based on the measured parameter;
- and
- changing an axial position of the rotor, by the magnetic bearing, from a first position to a second position, based on the measured parameter,
- wherein changing the axial position of the rotor comprises oscillating the axial position of the rotor in a manner selected to remove scale build-up on the downhole-type rotating machine.
3 more elements
A method of controlling a downhole-type rotating machine, the method comprising:
- measuring an operating parameter of a magnetic bearing of a downhole-type rotating machine, the operating parameter comprising an axial force on the magnetic bearing and a magnetic field emitted by the magnetic bearing;
- changing an axial position of a rotor, by the magnetic bearing, from a first position to a second position, based on the measured operating parameter, wherein changing the axial position of the rotor comprises oscillating the axial position of the rotor in a manner selected to remove scale build-up on the downhole-type rotating machine;
- measuring a change in axial position of the rotor over time responsive to changing the axial position of the rotor by the magnetic bearing, from the first position to the second position;
- and
- determining at least one of a density or viscosity of a downhole fluid based on the measured change in axial position over time;
- determining future well-flow characteristics of the downhole fluid based on a flow assurance model;
- and
- controlling a speed of the rotor based on the future well-flow characteristics.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.