US 12,674,389 B2Granted

In-slips acoustic reception

AssigneeBaker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC

InventorsJohn-Peter van Zelm, Trevor Page, Andrew Hawthorn

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Systems and methods that enable acoustic communications through a drill pipe even when the drill pipe is being held in floor slips. In one embodiment, multiple self-contained acoustic receivers are positioned at different locations on a drilling rig to receive acoustic telemetry signals from a downhole tool through various acoustic channels. The acoustic receivers may have components (e.g., vibration sensor, microprocessor, wireless transmitter, magnet) encased in a translucent encapsulant, which avoids exposed components that could otherwise create a spark in the hazardous drilling rig environment. Acoustic telemetry signals are communicated through the drill pipe and rig structure to the different acoustic receivers and the acoustic receivers communicate data corresponding to the received acoustic signals to a central processor that can process the signals to generate acoustic telemetry data that has a greater signal-to-noise ratio than the signals received by the individual acoustic receivers.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A system for acoustically communicating downhole telemetry through a drill pipe in slips, the system comprising:

an acoustic telemetry tool coupled to a drill pipe, the acoustic telemetry tool and the drill pipe positioned downhole in a well;
a set of slips having interior surfaces configured to grip an exterior surface of the drill pipe and exterior surfaces that are conically tapered, wherein when the slips are positioned around the drill pipe between the drill pipe and a support structure of a drilling rig, the drill pipe is supported by the slips and the slips are supported by the support structure;
a plurality of acoustic receivers, each of the plurality of acoustic receivers mounted on the drilling rig at different locations, wherein the plurality of acoustic receivers are acoustically coupled to receive acoustic signals through a different, corresponding acoustic channel from the acoustic telemetry tool through the drill pipe, the slips and the support structure of the drilling rig;
and
a hardware processor configured to receive data signals transmitted by the plurality of acoustic receivers, each of the received data signals embodying the acoustic signals being transmitted by the acoustic telemetry tool, wherein the hardware processor is configured to process the received data signals to generate acoustic telemetry data with a higher signal-to-noise ratio than data signals received by the individual acoustic receivers.

2 more elements

A self-contained acoustic receiver comprising:

a vibration sensor configured to detect an acoustic signal and to generate corresponding output signals;
a microcontroller configured to receive the vibration sensor output signals and generate corresponding data signals;
a wireless transmitter configured to receive the data signals generated by the microcontroller and transmit the data signals via a wireless channel;
and
one or more visual indicators electrically connected to at least one of the vibration sensor, the microcontroller and the wireless transmitter, the one or more visual indicators encased within a solid encapsulant, wherein the solid encapsulant is translucent;
a coupling;
wherein the vibration sensor, the microcontroller, the wireless transmitter and the coupling are encased within the solid encapsulant which is electrostatic discharge (ESD) safe, and
wherein the coupling is configured to secure the acoustic receiver to the drilling rig.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.