IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0768656
(2001-01-24)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Vinegar, Harold J.
- Burnett, Robert Rex
- Savage, William Mountjoy
- Carl, Jr., Frederick Gordon
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출원인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
17 인용 특허 :
85 |
초록
▼
A controllable gas-lift well having controllable gas-lift valves and sensors for detecting flow regime is provided. The well uses production tubing and casing to communicate with and power the controllable valve from the surface. A signal impedance apparatus in the form of induction chokes at the su
A controllable gas-lift well having controllable gas-lift valves and sensors for detecting flow regime is provided. The well uses production tubing and casing to communicate with and power the controllable valve from the surface. A signal impedance apparatus in the form of induction chokes at the surface and downhole electrically isolate the tubing from the casing. A high band-width, adaptable spread spectrum communication system is used to communicate between the controllable valve and the surface. Sensors, such as pressure, temperature, and acoustic sensors, may be provided downhole to more accurately assess downhole conditions and in particular, the flow regime of the fluid within the tubing. Operating conditions, such as gas injection rate, back pressure on the tubing, and position of downhole controllable valves are varied depending on flow regime, downhole conditions, oil production, gas usage and availability, to optimize production. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is trained to detect a Taylor flow regime using downhole acoustic sensors, plus other sensors as desired. The detection and control system and method thereof is useful in many applications involving multi-phase flow in a conduit.
대표청구항
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1. A method of operating a gas-lift oil well comprising the steps of:mounting one or more acoustic sensors proximate production tubing in the oil well;sensing the acoustic signature of multi-phase fluid flow within the production tubing;electrically isolating a section of the production tubing using
1. A method of operating a gas-lift oil well comprising the steps of:mounting one or more acoustic sensors proximate production tubing in the oil well;sensing the acoustic signature of multi-phase fluid flow within the production tubing;electrically isolating a section of the production tubing using an induction choke;communicating said acoustic signature to a computer using the electrically isolated section of the production tubing;determining a flow regime of the multi-phase flow using said computer; andcontrolling the operating parameters of the oil well based on said determination of said flow regime by said computer. 2. The method of claim 1, said controlling step further comprising the step of regulating the amount of compressed lift gas injected into the oil well. 3. The method of claim 1, said controlling step further comprising the step of regulating the amount of compressed lift gas input through a downhole controllable valve into the production tubing. 4. The method of claim 1, said determining step further comprising the step of inputting said acoustic signature into an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). 5. The method of claim 1, said controlling step further comprising the step of adjusting said operating parameters to attain a Taylor flow regime. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sensing additional fluid physical characteristics. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of sensing pressure and temperature of the fluid in the production tubing. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer is a downhole controller and said controlling step comprises regulating a controllable valve based on said controller determination. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of powering the acoustic sensor using the production tubing as a conductor. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:providing a casing positioned and longitudinally extending within a borehole of the well;providing the production tubing annularly spaced within the casing;electrically isolating a section of the production tubing such that a communications path is created along the section of the production tubing; andsending signals along the isolated section of the production tubing to providecommunication between the acoustic sensor and the surface computer. 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:providing a casing positioned and longitudinally extending within a borehole of the well;providing the production tubing annularly spaced within the casing;coupling an upper signal impedance apparatus to the production tubing proximate a surface of the well;coupling a lower signal impedance apparatus to the production tubing substantially spaced below the surface of the well in the borehole; andsending signals along a section of the production tubing between the upper signal impedance apparatus and the lower signal impedance apparatus to provide communication between the acoustic sensor and the surface computer. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:inputting power to the section of tubing between the upper and lower signal impedance apparatus for powering the acoustic sensor and a downhole controllable gas-lift valve; andwherein said controlling step further comprises the step of regulating the amount of compressed lift gas input through the downhole controllable valve into the production tubing. 13. A gas-lift oil well comprising:a production tubing for conveying a multi-phase fluid, including oil and lift gas, to a surface of the well;one or more sensors located downhole proximate the production tubing for sensing a physical parameter of the multi-phase fluid;a section of the production tubing electrically isolated using an induction choke such that a communications path is created along the section;a modem operatively coupled to the production tubing for receiving data from the sensor and conveying the data on the production tubing to the surface using the electrically isolated section of t he production tubing; anda computer for receiving said data and determining a flow regime of said multi-phase fluid. 14. The well of claim 13, further comprising a throttle for controlling the amount of lift gas injected into the well, the throttle being controlled by said surface computer based on said flow regime. 15. The well of claim 13, wherein:said sensor is an acoustic sensor; andsaid computer includes an Artificial Neural Network for determining a flow regime based on measurements from said acoustic sensor. 16. The well of claim 13, further comprising an AC power source coupled to the production tubing for providing power to said sensor. 17. The well of claim 13, further comprising a downhole controllable valve for regulating the amount of lift gas injected into the production tubing. 18. The well of claim 13, further comprising:an upper signal impedance apparatus coupled to the production tubing proximate the surface of the well and acting as an impedance to current flow along the production tubing;a lower induction choke coupled to the tubing below the upper signal impedance apparatus and acting as an impedance to current flow along the production tubing; andwherein the modem communicates data along a section of the production tubing between the upper signal impedance apparatus and the lower signal impedance apparatus. 19. A method of controlling multiphase fluid flow in a conduit comprising the steps of:determining an acoustic signature of the fluid flow along a portion of the conduit;impeding AC signal flow on the conduit to electrically isolate a section of the conduit;conveying the acoustic signature to a controller via an AC signal using the isolated section of the conduit as a conductor;determining a flow regime of said fluid in said portion based on said acoustic signature; andadjusting the amount of at least one of said fluids in said conduit to attain a more desirable flow regime. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the conduit is production tubing of an oil well and said multiphase fluid includes oil and lift gas injected into the well. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the desirable flow regime is attained by minimizing the amount of lift gas injected in the well and maximizing the amount of oil produced. 22. The method of claim 19, wherein the controller is a computer having an Artificial Neural Network for determining the flow regime based on said acoustic signature. 23. The method of claim 19, wherein the desirable flow regime approximates Taylor flow. 24. The method of claim 19, said conveying step further comprising the steps of:coupling a first signal impedance apparatus to the conduit;coupling a second signal impedance apparatus to the conduit spaced axially apart from the first signal impedance apparatus along the conduit; andsending AC signals representing the acoustic signature to the controller along a section of the conduit between the first signal impedance apparatus and the second signal impedance apparatus. 25. The method of claim 19, including a plurality of acoustic sensors spaced along the conduit, and powering the sensors by applying an AC signal to the conduit. 26. A method of operating a petroleum well having a piping structure disposed in a borehole comprising the steps of:mounting a plurality of sensors in or proximate the borehole of the petroleum well;determining a fluid flow characteristic using said sensors;electrically isolating a section of the piping structure using a current impedance choke;powering a number of said sensors using said electrically isolated section of the well piping structure as a conductor and applying a time-varying signal to the electrically isolated section of the piping structure;communicating said fluid flow characteristics using said piping structure as a conductor; andcontrolling the operating parameters of the petroleum well based on said communicated flow characteristics. 27. The method of claim 26, including communicating said fluid flow characte ristics to a surface computer and determining operating parameters of the petroleum well based in part on said fluid flow characteristics. 28. The method of claim 26, including communicating said fluid flow characteristics to a downhole controller and determining operating parameters of the petroleum well based in part on said fluid flow characteristics. 29. The method of claim 27, measuring surface characteristics of the well and communicating said surface characteristics to the surface computer and determining the operating parameters of the petroleum well based in part on said surface characteristics. 30. The method of claim 26, including controlling the operating parameters of the petroleum well by regulating the flow through a controllable valve mounted to the piping structure downhole. 31. The method of claim 26, the well comprising a gas lift well, including controlling the operating parameters of the petroleum well by regulating the input of compressed gas into the well. 32. The method of claim 26, including controlling the operating parameters of the petroleum well by regulating the output of the well through a controllable valve coupled to the piping structure at the surface. 33. The method of claim 26, including determining a fluid flow characteristics by using an acoustic sensor to estimate fluid flow in the piping structure. 34. The method of claim 26, including determining a fluid flow characteristics by using a pressure sensor to estimate fluid pressure in the piping structure. 35. The method of claim 26, wherein the piping structure includes production tubing and the current impedance choke is a ferromagnetic choke coupled to the production tubing. 36. The method of claim 26, wherein the piping structure includes casing and the current impedance choke is a ferromagnetic choke coupled to the casing.
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