Mud-pulse telemetry system including a pulser for transmitting information along a drill string
AssigneeAPS Technology, Inc.
InventorsCarl Allison Perry, Richard Matthew Rothstein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system, rotary pulser, and method is disclosed to transmit information from a downhole location to a surface.
Claims35
A rotary pulser configured to transmit information from a downhole location in a well formed in an earthen formation toward the surface through a drilling fluid that passes through a drill string, the pulser comprising:
- a housing configured to be supported along an inner surface of the drill string;
- a stator supported in the housing, the stator defining an uphole end, a downhole end spaced from the uphole end in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of passages that extends through the stator along the longitudinal direction, and at least one projection carried by the downhole end and disposed adjacent to a respective at least one passage of the plurality of passages;
- a rotor rotatably supported adjacent to the downhole end, the rotor including a plurality of blades that extend outwardly in a radial direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the rotor configured to transition between at least an open position, whereby the plurality of blades are offset from the plurality of passages, to a closed position, whereby the plurality of blades partially obstruct the plurality of passages and at least one of the blades is disposed along the at least one projection,
- wherein transition of the rotor between the open position and the closed position when drilling fluid is flowing through the plurality of passages generates a series of pulses encoded with the information to be transmitted.
A method for transmitting information from a downhole location in a well formed in an earthen formation toward the surface through a drilling fluid that passes through a drill string, the method comprising:
- causing drilling fluid is pass through the drill string toward a stator supported on an inner surface of drill string in a downhole direction, the stator including an uphole end, a downhole end spaced from the uphole end in a downhole direction, and at least one projection disposed along the at least one passage;
- obtaining data from a sensor located in the downhole portion of the drill string;
- rotating a rotor mounted adjacent to the downhole end of the stator an open position, whereby at least one blade of the rotor is offset from the at least one passage of the stator, into a closed position, whereby at least one blade partially obstructs the at least one passage and is disposed along the at least one projection, wherein rotation of the rotor between the open position and the closed position generates a series of a pressure pulses having encoded therein the data obtained from the sensor.
A system configured to transmit information from a downhole location in a well formed in an earthen formation toward the surface through a drilling fluid that passes through a drill string during a drilling operation, the system comprising:
- at least one sensor configured to obtain information concerning the drilling operation;
- a rotary pulser comprising:
- a housing configured to be supported along an inner surface of the drill string a stator supported in the housing, the stator defining an uphole end, a downhole end spaced from the uphole end in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of passages that extends through the stator along the longitudinal direction, and at least one projection carried by the downhole end and disposed adjacent to a respective at least one passage of the plurality of passages;
- a rotor rotatably supported adjacent to the downhole end, the rotor including a plurality of blades that extend outwardly in a radial direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the rotor configured to transition between at least an open position, whereby the plurality of blades are offset from the plurality of passages, to a closed position, whereby the plurality of blades partially obstruct the plurality of passages and at least one of the blades is disposed along the at least one projection, whereby transition of the rotor between the open position and the closed position when drilling fluid is flowing through the plurality of passages generates a series of pulses encoded with the information to be transmitted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.