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US 12,366,144 B2Granted
Addressable switch with initiator detection and initiator resistance measurement
AssigneeHunting Titan, Inc.
InventorsTimothy Vriend, Sridhar Rajaram
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for electrically detecting the presence of an initiator in a downhole tool.
Claims15
An apparatus for detecting current through an initiator in a perforating gun string comprising:
- an initiator coupled to an electrical source;
- an initiator voltage isolation switch in series with the initiator and a common ground;
- a current limiter in series with the initiator;
- a current detection circuit in series with the current limiter and is grounded to the common ground, wherein the initiator voltage isolation switch is electrically parallel with the series of the current limiter and the current detection circuit;
- a microcontroller configured to receive and analyze the current detection data from the current detection circuit to determine the status of the initiator;
- a Zener diode connected to the current detection circuit to provide overvoltage protection, wherein the initiator voltage isolation switch is a transistor, which is controlled by a surface command signal to selectively isolate or connect the initiator to the electrical source.
3 more elements
An apparatus for detecting an open circuit initiator in a perforating gun string comprising:
- an initiator, wherein the initiator is coupled to a current limiter;
- a voltage isolation device, wherein the voltage isolation device isolates the initiator from a power source and is in parallel with the current limiter;
- a current detection device coupled to the aforementioned current limiter, wherein the current detection device detects the current across the initiator and determines whether the initiator is an open-circuit or a closed circuit;
- a Zener diode connected in parallel with the current detection device to protect the circuit from voltage spikes during operation;
- and
- a secondary current limiter in parallel with the voltage isolation device, providing redundant current limiting protection for the initiator during detection operations.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.