Assembly for generating electricity in a production well of a hot fluid

An assembly for generating electricity in a production well of a hot fluid, the hot fluid being water and/or oil and/or gas, the production well comprising:

• a casing;
• a production tubing, comprising an inner side and an outer side, the production tubing:
• being housed in the casing;
• being adapted to transport hot fluid from a collecting downhole location of the production well to an outer part of the well in respect to the collecting downhole location, and
• wherein between the production tubing and the casing there is an inner space configured to house a cold fluid;
• a barrier between the production tubing and the casing to fluidically separate the inner space and an interior space housed by the casing at a collecting downhole location;
• at least one pair of thermoelectric means each comprising a hot side and a cold side;
• wherein the at least one pair of thermoelectric means are configured to generate electricity when the hot side is in thermal contact with a hot source and the cold side is in thermal contact with a cold source, the hot side of the at least one pair of thermoelectric means, in operative mode, is thermally connected to the hot fluid transported by the production tubing and the cold side is thermally connected to the cold fluid of the inner space;
• an electrical conductor connected to the at least one pair of thermoelectric means for transporting the generated electricity to at least an outer part of the well;
• wherein each of the at least one pair of thermoelectric means has a semi cylindrical shape;
• at least one locking mechanism configured for fastening the at least one pair of thermoelectric means together, when fastened each of the at least one pair of thermoelectric means encircle the production tubing, and the at least one pair of thermoelectric means are configured to be installed in pairs as the production tubing is installed in the production well;
• and
• control means configured for monitoring temperature of the cold fluid, and cooling means configured for maintaining the cold fluid at a temperature lower than the temperature of the hot fluid wherein the cooling means comprise a plurality of conducts thermally connected to the cold fluid and configured for transporting a fluid, wherein the fluid transported by the plurality of conducts is cold fluid, and wherein the fluid of the plurality of conducts and the cold fluid of the inner space are different fluids.

A method for generating electricity in a production well of a hot fluid, the method comprising:

• a) providing an assembly for generating electricity comprising:
• a casing;
• a production tubing, comprising an inner side and an outer side, the production tubing:
• being housed in the casing;
• being adapted to transport hot fluid from a collecting downhole location of the production well to an outer part of the well in respect to the collecting downhole location, and
• wherein between the production tubing and the casing there is an inner space configured to house a cold fluid;
• a barrier between the production tubing and the casing to fluidically separate the inner space and an interior space housed by the casing at a collecting downhole location;
• at least one pair of thermoelectric means comprising a hot side and a cold side,
• wherein the at least one pair of thermoelectric means are configured to generate electricity when the hot side is in thermal contact with a hot source and the cold side is in thermal contact with a cold source, the hot side of the at least one thermoelectric thermoelectric means, in operative mode, is thermally connected to the hot fluid transported by the production tubing and the cold side is thermally connected to the cold fluid of the inner space,
• an electrical conductor connected to the at least one pair of thermoelectric means for transporting the generated electricity to at least an outer part of the well,
• wherein each of the at least one pair of thermoelectric means has a semi cylindrical shape;
• and
• at least one locking mechanism configured for fastening the at least one pair of thermoelectric means together and when fastened together each pair of thermoelectric means encircles the production tubing,
• b) mounting said assembly for generating electricity in a production well of a hot fluid comprising a casing previously installed, including fastening the at least one pair of thermoelectric means around the production tubing using the at least one locking mechanism, wherein the production tubing is fully covered by the at least one pair of thermoelectric means.