Electrical cable for downhole applications

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates generally to cables and more particularly to cables for use in an earth formation traversed by a borehole.

#2. Background Information

#The advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the drawings are to be used for the purpose of illustration only, and not as a definition of the invention.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a front cross-sectional view through a prior art cable;

#FIG. 2 illustrates a front cross-sectional view through an embodiment of a cable according to the present invention;

#In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.

#In one embodiment, the present invention provides an electrical cable for use in a downhole application. The cable includes an elongated support layer and an array of insulated conductors bonded to the elongated support layer. The elongated support layer substantially bears a weight of the conductors.

#FIG. 2 illustrates a front cross-sectional view through an embodiment of an electrical cable 200 (hereinafter referred to as ‘cable’) for use in downhole applications according to one embodiment of the present invention. Although cable 200 has a flat shape, the present invention is not limited to cables having such shape. The cable 200 includes an array of insulated conductors 202 for transmitting signals such as power and/or data. In one embodiment, each conductor 202 includes a solid copper wire but the present invention is not limited to copper as the sole material of which the conductors may be made, being understood that other conductive materials may be utilized. In one embodiment, each solid wire has a diameter size in a range of gage 16 AWG to 0 AWG, but the present invention is not limited with respect to this range. The solid wires may have diameter sizes that make these wires withstand the current suited to the particular application for which cable 200 is used and thus the electrical power to which the cable is subjected. For example, in an application where cable 200 is used in connection with other devices for determining the resistivity of the earth formation, the current flowing through each conductor 202 may reach 1 Ampere for a voltage of 500 VDC.