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US 2014/0209301 A1Published application
Electromechanical actuator apparatus and method for down-hole tools
AssigneeBench Tree Group, LLC
InventorsPedro R. Segura, Daniel Q. Flores, William F. Trainor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for the actuation of down-hole tools are provided. The down-hole tool that may be actuated and controlled using the apparatus and method may include a reamer, an adjustable gauge stabilizer, vertical steerable tools, rotary steerable tools, by-pass valves, packers, whipstocks, down hole valves, latch or release mechanisms and/or anchor mechanisms.
Claims23
An actuator for a downhole tool, comprising:
- a housing;
- an actuator, housed in the housing, that generates a force to be applied to a downhole tool that is connectable to the actuator;
- a shaft, in the housing, that transfers the force of the actuator to the downhole tool that is connectable to the actuator;
- an electronic control system that provides control signals to the actuator;
- the electronic control system having a plurality of sensors that detect operation of the actuator and affect the control signals provided to the actuator and sensorless circuitry that detect the operation of the actuator;
- and
- wherein the electronic control system detects that a sensor has failed, switches to the sensorless circuitry when the sensor has failed and uses an output signal from the sensorless circuitry and output signals from the plurality of sensors that did not fail to provide the control signals to the actuator so that the actuator operates even when the sensor has failed.
4 more elements
An actuator for a downhole tool, comprising:
- a housing;
- an actuator, housed in the housing, that generates a force to be applied to a downhole tool that is connectable to the actuator;
- a shaft, housed in the housing, that transfers the force of the actuator to the downhole tool that is connectable to the actuator;
- an electronic control system that provides control signals to the actuator;
- the electronic control system having a plurality of sensors that detect operation of the actuator and affect the control signals provided to the actuator and sensorless circuitry that detect the operation of the actuator;
- and
- wherein the electronic control system detects that more than one of the sensors has failed, switches to sensorless circuitry when the sensors have failed and uses output signals from the sensorless circuitry to control the actuation of the downhole actuator so that the downhole actuator operates even when the sensor has failed.
4 more elements
A method for operating an downhole actuator, comprising:
- providing, in the downhole actuator, an electronic control system having a plurality of sensors that controls the actuation of the downhole actuator;
- detecting, by the electronic control system, that a sensor has failed;
- switching to sensorless circuitry when the sensor has failed;
- and
- using an output signal from the sensorless circuitry and output signals from the plurality of sensors that did not fail to control the actuation of the downhole actuator so that the downhole actuator operates even when the sensor has failed.
2 more elements
A method for operating an downhole actuator, comprising:
- providing, in the downhole actuator, an electronic control system having a plurality of sensors that controls the actuation of the downhole actuator;
- detecting, by the electronic control system, that more than one of the sensors has failed;
- switching to sensorless circuitry when the sensors have failed;
- and
- using output signals from the sensorless circuitry to control the actuation of the downhole actuator so that the downhole actuator operates even when the sensor has failed.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.