System and method for sensing a liquid level
AssigneeChevron U.S.A. Inc.
InventorsM. Clark Thompson, Charles H. Webb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system, method and device may be used to monitor fluid levels in a borehole. The system includes a pulse generator to generate a pulse of electromagnetic energy to propagate along the wellbore towards a surface of the fluid, a detector to detect a portion of the electromagnetic pulse reflected from the surface of the fluid and propagated along the wellbore towards the detector, a processor to analyze detected signals to determine a level of the surface of the fluid, and a pump controller to control the operation of a pump located in the wellbore based on the fluid surface level.
Claims18
A system for measuring a fluid level in a casing-lined wellbore, comprising:
- a pulse generator, positionable and operable to generate a pulse of electromagnetic energy to propagate along the wellbore towards a surface of the fluid;
- a detector, positionable and operable to detect a portion of the electromagnetic pulse reflected from the surface of the fluid and propagated along the wellbore towards the detector;
- a processor, configured and arranged to receive a signal from the detector representative of the detected portion of the electromagnetic pulse and to analyze it to determine a level of the surface of the fluid;
- and
- a pump controller, configured and arranged to receive distance information from the processor and to use the distance information to control the operation of a pump located in the wellbore and wherein once the detector detects the portion of electromagnetic pulse reflected from the surface, reception of the signal is inhibited.
A method for controlling a pump located in a casing-lined wellbore, comprising:
- generating a pulse of electromagnetic energy to propagate along the wellbore towards a surface of the fluid;
- detecting with a detector a portion of the electromagnetic pulse reflected from the surface of the fluid and propagated along the wellbore towards the detector;
- receiving a signal from the detector representative of the detected portion of the electromagnetic pulse;
- analyzing the signal to determine a level of the surface of the fluid;
- and
- controlling the operation of the pump, based on the determined surface level of the fluid wherein once the detector detects the portion of electromagnetic pulse reflected from the surface, reception of the signal is inhibited.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.