US 9,000,939 B2Granted

Mud powered inertia drive oscillating pulser

AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.

InventorsMark A. Sitka, Kristopher Sherrill, Daniel Winslow

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A mud pulse telemetry tool is used in a drill string that has a drilling fluid flowing inside. The mud pulse telemetry tool may include a pulser disposed in the drill string and a drive system for driving the pulser. The pulser may include a non-rotating mud pulse stator and a mud pulse rotor disposed proximate to the stator. The drive system may include a turbine stator, a turbine rotor, and a rotatable inertial member magnetically coupled to the turbine rotor. The inertial member may be operatively connected at a first end to the mud pulse rotor. In the mud pulse telemetry tool, rotational energy may be transmitted from the turbine rotor to the rotatable inertial member by a magnetic coupling. The rotatable inertial member may be operatively connected to a supplemental motor that is adapted to supplement rotational energy imparted to the rotatable inertial member by the drive system.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A mud pulse telemetry tool for use in a drill string having a drilling fluid flowing therein, said tool comprising:

a pulser disposed in said drill string, the pulser including:
a non-rotating mud pulse stator, and
a mud pulse rotor disposed proximate to the stator;
and
a drive system, said drive system comprising:
a turbine stator,
a turbine rotor,
a generally cylindrical rotatable inertial member formed from a high density material, said rotatable inertial member magnetically coupled to the turbine rotor, said inertial member operatively connected at a first end to the mud pulse rotor;
said rotatable inertial member when rotating having a larger inertia than an inertia of the mud pulse rotor;
a transmission disposed intermediate between the mud pulse rotor and the turbine rotor, said transmission having a first rotational input member, a rotational output member, and a gear set disposed intermediate between first rotational input member and the rotational output member, said gear set including at least one intermediate member disposed between the first rotational input member and the rotational output member, and a plurality of clutches adapted to engage and disengage the intermediate member to transfer synchronized bursts of rotational energy from the rotatable inertial member to the mud pulse rotor;
and
a processor and a rotational speed sensor, said rotational speed sensor operable to output data on a rotational speed of the rotatable inertial member to the processor, said processor operable to calculate a time period for at least one of the plurality of clutches to engage the intermediate member of the gear set based on the data on the rotational speed and mass of the rotatable inertia member and output a signal to activate at least one of the plurality of clutches to engage the intermediate member of the gear set for the time period and transfer rotational energy from the rotatable inertial member to the mud pulse rotor.

9 more elements

A method of mud pulse telemetry for use in a drill string having a drilling fluid flowing therein, said method comprising:

disposing a mud pulse telemetry tool in the drill string, wherein said mud pulse telemetry tool includes:
a mud pulser having a non-rotating mud pulse stator, and a mud pulse rotor positioned proximate to the stator,
a drive system having a turbine stator, a turbine rotor, and a general cylindrical rotatable inertial member having a mass greater than a mass of the mud pulse rotor,
a gear set disposed intermediate between the mud pulse rotor and the turbine rotor, said gear set having a first rotational input member and at least one rotational output member, at least one intermediate gear member disposed between the input member and the output member of the gear set, and a plurality of clutches operatively connected to the at least one intermediate gear member of gear set;
flowing the drilling fluid down the drill string and through the mud pulse telemetry tool;
rotating the turbine rotor with drilling fluid flowing through the tool;
rotating the rotatable inertia member by magnetic coupling of the member to the rotating turbine rotor of the drive system and creating an inertia of the rotatable inertia member that is greater than an inertia of the mud pulse rotor;
storing potential energy as rotational energy in the rotating rotatable inertia member;
transmitting the rotational energy from the rotatable inertia member to the mud pulse rotor;
outputting data including a rotational speed of the rotating inertia member from a rotational speed sensor;
receiving the rotational speed data in a processor;
calculating a time period for at least one of the plurality of clutches to engage based on the data on the rotational speed and mass of the rotatable inertia member;
outputting from the processor an activation signal for at least one clutch of the plurality of clutches;
receiving the activation signal in the at least one clutch and engaging the clutch with the at least one gear member;
transferring synchronized bursts of rotational energy from the rotatable inertial member to the mud pulse rotor via the clutch and gear set;
accelerating and decelerating the mud pulse rotor in a rotationally oscillating motion;
restricting and unrestricting flow of the drilling fluid through the mud pulse stator;
and
generating a plurality of controlled time-based pressure pulses in the drilling fluid in the drill string.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/545,356Filed 10 Jul 2012
Published: US 2013/0076527 A128 Mar 2013
Granted: 7 Apr 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

E21B 47/24
Through the well fluid , e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry: by positive mud pulses using a flow restricting valve within the drill pipe
G01V 11/002
Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00: details, e.g. power supply…
E21B 47/06
Survey of boreholes or wells: measuring temperature or pressure
E21B 47/18
Using acoustic waves: through the well fluid , e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry