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US 12,180,823 B2Granted
Real-time monitoring of swellpackers
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorsMichael Linley Fripp, Luke William Holderman, Jalpan Piyush Dave
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A downhole packer system includes a swellable material configured to expand to seal against a wellbore wall in response to exposure to downhole fluids. The downhole packer system also includes at least one sensor disposed proximate the swellable material. The at least one sensor is configured to measure one or more electrical properties of the swellable material to determine a degree of expansion of the swellable material.
Claims16
A downhole packer system, comprising:
- a swellable elastomer configured to expand and seal against a wellbore wall in response to exposure to at least one downhole fluid;
- one or more sensors disposed proximate the swellable elastomer, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure dielectric permittivity and/or magnetic permeability of the swellable elastomer, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a series of point sensors disposed in one or more end rings positioned at one or more axial ends of the swellable elastomer, and wherein the swellable elastomer is doped with high dielectric particles to increase the dielectric permittivity of the swellable elastomer;
- and
- one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to determine degree of expansion of the swellable elastomer based at least in part on one or more correlations between swelling and the measured dielectric permittivity and/or magnetic permeability, comprising to determine a rate of change of the dielectric permittivity and/or magnetic permeability based on the measured dielectric permittivity and/or magnetic permeability and determine the rate of change as substantially constant indicating the swellable elastomer is fully expanded.
1 more element
A downhole packer system, comprising:
- a mandrel;
- a swellable elastomer seal disposed about the mandrel and configured to expand and seal against a wellbore wall in response to absorbing a downhole fluid;
- and
- one or more sensors disposed proximate the swellable elastomer seal, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure dielectric permittivity and/or magnetic permeability of the swellable material, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a series of point sensors disposed in one or more end rings positioned at one or more axial ends of the swellable elastomer seal, wherein the swellable elastomer seal is doped with one or more magnetic responsive materials to increase the magnetic permeability of the swellable elastomer seal;
- and
- one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine degree of expansion of the swellable elastomer seal based at least in part on one or more measured changes to dielectric permittivity and/or magnetic permeability of the swellable elastomer seal by the one or more sensors, comprising to determine a rate of change of the dielectric permittivity and/or magnetic permeability based on the measured changes to dielectric permittivity and/or magnetic permeability and determine the rate of change as substantially constant indicating the swellable elastomer seal is fully expanded.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.