초록 ▼

For collecting data from a water well, down-hole sensors are housed in modules. The modules are arranged to be screwed together in-line to form a vertical string. Mechanically, the modules are secured to each other only by the screw connection. Data is transmitted to the surface on a 2-wire cable, t

For collecting data from a water well, down-hole sensors are housed in modules. The modules are arranged to be screwed together in-line to form a vertical string. Mechanically, the modules are secured to each other only by the screw connection. Data is transmitted to the surface on a 2-wire cable, there being no other electrical connection between the modules and the surface. The modules are connected in multi-drop configuration to the 2-wire cable. Data is transmitted using time-division multiplexing.

대표청구항 ▼

1. Apparatus for measuring and recording data from a borehole, wherein:the apparatus includes a surface unit and a down-hole unit, and includes a mechanical suspension, for physically supporting the down-hole unit from the surface unit, and the suspension includes a down-hole-base; the apparatus inc

1. Apparatus for measuring and recording data from a borehole, wherein:the apparatus includes a surface unit and a down-hole unit, and includes a mechanical suspension, for physically supporting the down-hole unit from the surface unit, and the suspension includes a down-hole-base; the apparatus includes a station, which includes a module-controller, and includes a data-logger; the station includes a pair of relatively-insulated metal station-conductors; the down-hole unit includes one or more operable modules; the modules include respective pairs of relatively-insulated metal module-conductors, corresponding to the pair of station-conductors; each one of the modules is a self-contained mechanically-unitary structure, which can be physically plugged in, and can be unplugged, as a single whole unit; when the modules are plugged in: the plugged in modules, together with the down-hole-base, form a mechanically-integrated structure; the pairs of module-conductors of the plugged-in modules make metal-to-metal electrical contact with each other, forming, in aggregate, a pair of line-conductors; the aggregate of the module-conductors of the plugged-in modules, being the line-conductors, make metal-to-metal electrical contact with the station-conductors; each one of the modules includes: an operable data-sensor, which is effective, when operated, to take a measurement of a down-hole parameter; a data-reader, which converts the measurement to a digital data-packet; an operable data-transmitter, which is effective, when operated, to apply that data-packet to the pair of module-conductors; each module is so structured that physically plugging the module in is effective simultaneously to bring the pair of module-conductors of that module into metal-to-metal electrical contact with the pair of line-conductors, without the need for a separate operation of electrically connecting the module-conductors; each module is so structured as to be rendered operable electrically, simultaneously upon the module being physically plugged in; the module-controller of the station is effective to allocate respective transmission-periods of time to the modules, each transmission-period being a period during which the module can apply its own data-packet to the line-conductors; the modules include each a line-monitor, for recognising that module's allocated transmission-period, and for operating the data-transmitter of that module, and thereby for applying that module's data-packet to the line-conductors, during that transmission-period; and the data-logger of the station is effective to log the respective data-packets transmitted from the modules. 2. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least some of the modules have no on-board battery, but receive the electrical energy needed to power the module in via the respective module-conductors.3. Apparatus of claim 2, wherein:the station includes an electrical power-source; and the station is operable in a charge-up mode, in which the power-source is switched on, to apply power to the line-conductors, thereby supplying electrical energy to the modules. 4. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein:the module-controller of the station is effective to allocate the respective transmission periods in the following manner: each of the modules is allocated a unique sequence of pulses, as its identifier, and the respective line-monitor of that module is programmed to respond to its own identifier appearing on the line-conductors; the module-controller is effective to include the respective unique identifiers in module-control-signals placed by the module-controller on the line-conductors; the station is operable in a module-control mode, in which: the module-controller applies module-control-signals onto the line-conductors; the module-control-signals comprise control-pulses of electrical energy applied across the line-conductors, being energy derived from the power source; the line-monitors of the modules are programmed to read those control-pulses; the station is operable also in a data-receiving mode, in which: the modules apply the data-packets onto the line-conductors; the data-packets comprise data-pulses in the form of alternating short-circuit and open-circuit conditions applied by the modules across the respective module-conductors and hence across the line-conductors; the data-logger is programmed to read and log those data-pulses. 5. Apparatus of claim 4, wherein, in respect of each module, the respective control-signal from the module-controller includes a data-transmit-signal and the data-transmitter of the module is programmed to place its data-packet on the line-conductors, in response thereto.6. Apparatus of claim 5, wherein:the control-signal includes also a take-measurement-signal; the module-controller is programmed, in respect of each module, first to place the take-measurement-signal onto the line-conductors; the module is programmed to respond to the take-measurement signal, to initiate a measurement from the sensor, and to process the sensed information into a form suitable for transmittal over the line-conductors as a data-packet; and the module-controller is programmed to wait for a long enough period for the measurement to be completed, and then to place the data-transmit-signal onto the line-conductors. 7. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in each of the modules, the respective pair of module conductors extends right through the module, in metal to metal continuity, whereby as many modules as are plugged in, each one remains continuously connected to the line-conductors.8. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein the module-controller and data-logger of the station are located inside a common casing.9. Apparatus of claim 8, wherein the said casing is included as a component of the down-hole unit.10. Apparatus of claim 8, wherein the said casing is included as a component of the surface unit.11. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein the module-controller is included as a component of the down-hole-base.