Nested Sensor Gauge Carrier Housed in Water Reactive Outer Shell for Smart Zonal Isolation Devices
AssigneeWell Diver, Inc.
InventorsTing Chen, Ram G. Shenoy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gauge carrier having a sensor, a ball carrying the sensor, and shell surrounding the ball are disclosed. The sensor can detect at least one of pressure and temperature. The ball exposes a sensor surface to allow fluid to reach the sensor surface to take measurements. The shell, ball, and sensor combined can be configured to float or sink in water. The shell can be made of a dissolvable material that, after dissolving, allows the ball and sensor to float to the surface. The gauge carrier can withstand hydrostatic pressures exceeding 10,000 psi.
Claims20
A gauge carrier, comprising:
- a ball having an interior volume and an aperture;
- a sensor positioned in the interior volume of the ball, the sensor having a sensing surface positioned in the aperture with the sensing surface exposed through the aperture;
- and
- a shell configured to substantially surround the ball and to permit fluid to pass through the shell and reach the ball such that the sensor is in physical contact with fluid when the gauge carrier is submerged in the fluid;
- wherein the shell is made of a dissolvable material;
- wherein the ball and sensor together are buoyant in water at atmospheric pressure;
- and
- wherein the gauge carrier is capable of withstanding hydrostatic pressure of greater than 10,000 psi.
A method of obtaining a pressure and temperature profile in a well, comprising:
- pumping a gauge carrier downhole, the gauge carrier having a sensor and a memory positioned within a ball, wherein the ball and sensor are together buoyant in water at atmospheric pressure, the gauge carrier also having a dissolvable shell;
- upon reaching a desired depth in the well, triggering the dissolvable shell to dissolve, leaving the ball and sensor to float back to surface;
- and
- recording data for at least a portion of the time the gauge carrier is in the well.
A method of forming a material comprising:
- forming an alloy from a major constituent and a minor constituent wherein the minor constituent is a rare earth material;
- adding powder elements to lower stacking fault energy to promote twinning;
- adding hardeners to promote precipitation to promote strain hardening;
- and
- performing post-processing to introduce basal plane surface faults and to homogenize strain hardening.
The method of claim J wherein the major constituent comprises at least one of Gd, Y, Sc, La, Ce, or Nd.
The method of claim J wherein the rare earth material comprises between 5-25% of the alloy by weight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.