Downhole wireless communications using surface waves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10132160-B2
Application number	US-201515541823-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2015
Priority date	Mar 11, 2015
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A communication system that is positionable in a wellbore can include a first transceiver for coupling externally to a casing string. The first transceiver can be for wirelessly transmitting data by generating and modulating a surface wave that propagates along an interface surface. The surface wave can include an electromagnetic wave that has a magnetic field or an electric field that is at an acute angle to a direction of propagation of the surface wave. The communication system can also include a second transceiver for coupling to the casing string and for wirelessly receiving the surface wave and detecting the data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication system that is positionable in a wellbore, the communication system comprising:
a first transceiver configured to be coupled externally to a casing string for wirelessly transmitting data by generating and modulating a surface wave that propagates along an interface surface between the casing string and a cement sheath, wherein the surface wave comprises an electromagnetic wave that includes a magnetic field or an electric field that is at an acute angle to a direction of propagation of the surface wave along the interface surface; and
a second transceiver configured to be coupled to the casing string for wirelessly receiving the surface wave and detecting the data.

2. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first transceiver is electrically coupled to a sensor comprising a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a microphone, a resistivity sensor, a vibration sensor, or a fluid flow sensor for receiving a sensor signal from the sensor and modulating the surface wave based on the sensor signal.

3. The communication system of claim 2 , wherein the first transceiver comprises:
a processing device; and
a memory device in which instructions executable by the processing device are stored for causing the processing device to:
receive the sensor signal from the sensor;
generate a transmission signal based on the sensor signal; and
transmit the transmission signal to an antenna to generate the surface wave, wherein the surface wave is representative of the data.

4. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the second transceiver is positioned externally to the casing string.

5. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first transceiver is operable to generate the surface wave by transmitting a signal with a frequency between 1 kHz and 1 MHz to an antenna.

6. The communication system of claim 5 , wherein the antenna comprises a solenoid antenna, a toroid antenna, an electric dipole antenna, or a magnetic dipole antenna.

7. The communication system of claim 6 , wherein the antenna is positioned coaxially around an outer housing of the casing string.

8. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the interface surface is where the casing string meets the cement sheath.

9. A system comprising:
a first transceiver positioned externally to a casing string for transmitting surface waves along an interface surface between the casing string and a cement sheath in a wellbore in order to wirelessly communicate data, wherein the surface waves each comprise a magnetic field or an electric field that is at an acute angle to a direction of propagation of the surface waves along the interface surface;
a second transceiver coupled to the casing string for receiving the data from the surface waves and for transmitting second surface waves in the wellbore to wirelessly communicate the data; and
a third transceiver coupled to the casing string for receiving the data from the second surface waves and for transmitting the data to a surface of the wellbore.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first transceiver is electrically coupled to a sensor comprising a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a microphone, a resistivity sensor, a vibration sensor, or a fluid flow sensor for receiving a sensor signal from the sensor and modulating the surface waves based on the sensor signal.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first transceiver comprises:
a processing device; and
a memory device in which instructions executable by the processing device are stored for causing the processing device to:
receive the sensor signal from the sensor;
generate a transmission signal based on the sensor signal; and
transmit the transmission signal to an antenna to generate the surface waves, wherein the surface waves are representative of the data.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the second transceiver is positioned externally to the casing string and the third transceiver is positioned externally to the casing string.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first transceiver is operable to generate the surface waves by transmitting signals with frequencies between 1 kHz and 1 MHz to an antenna.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the antenna comprises a solenoid antenna, a toroid antenna, an electric dipole antenna, or a magnetic dipole antenna.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the antenna is positioned coaxially around an outer housing of the casing string.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the interface surface is where the casing string meets the cement sheath.

17. A method comprising:
generating and modulating, by a first transceiver positioned externally to a casing string, a signal based on data about a wellbore environment; and
wirelessly transmitting, by the first transceiver, the modulated signal into an interface surface between the casing string and a cement sheath within the wellbore environment such that the modulated signal is a surface wave, wherein the surface wave comprises an electromagnetic wave that includes a magnetic field or an electric field that is at an acute angle to a direction of propagation of the surface wave along the interface surface; and
wirelessly receiving, by a second transceiver, the surface wave transmitted by the first transceiver.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving, by the first transceiver, the data about the wellbore environment from a sensor.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining, by the second transceiver, the data based on the received surface wave.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the interface surface is where the casing string meets the cement sheath.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Roberson Mark W
• Rodney Paul F
• Goodwin Scott

Classifications

• E21B47/13 Primary

  by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency · CPC title

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• E21B47/122 Primary

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B47/065

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B47/10

  Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements · CPC title