Axial gap generator measurement tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10385665-B2
Application number	US-201715857510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2017
Priority date	Sep 20, 2017
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

A tool includes a device including a housing and a rotor, the rotor to rotate about a longitudinal axis, and an axial gap generator including a stator assembly positioned adjacent to the rotor. The axial gap generator generates a voltage signal as a function of a gap spacing between the stator assembly and the rotor, the gap spacing being parallel to the longitudinal axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tool, comprising:
a device comprising a housing and a rotor, the rotor configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis; and
an axial gap generator comprising a stator assembly positioned adjacent to the rotor, the axial gap generator configured to generate a voltage signal as a function of a gap spacing between the stator assembly and the rotor and parallel to the longitudinal axis;
where the stator assembly comprises a first stator portion adjacent a first longitudinal side of the rotor, the gap spacing being a first gap spacing, and a second stator portion adjacent a second longitudinal side of the rotor opposite the first longitudinal side of the rotor, the second stator portion extends from the first stator portion radially outward and around an end of the rotor between the first longitudinal side and the second longitudinal side of the rotor, the axial gap generator configured to generate the voltage signal as a function of the first gap spacing between the first stator portion and the first longitudinal side of the rotor and a second gap spacing between the second stator portion and the second longitudinal side of the rotor.

2. The tool of claim 1 , where the device is a downhole-type device configured to operate in a downhole wellbore environment.

3. The tool of claim 1 , where the device comprises at least one of a motor, a compressor, a blower, a pump, or a thrust bearing.

4. The tool of claim 1 , where the axial gap generator is configured to determine an axial position of the rotor as a function of the generated voltage signal.

5. The tool of claim 4 , where the axial gap generator is configured to determine axial position of the rotor for an active axial magnetic bearing system.

6. The tool of claim 1 , where the axial gap generator is configured to vary the voltage signal based on a variance in the gap spacing in response to a displacement of the rotor relative to the stator assembly and parallel to the longitudinal axis.

7. The tool of claim 1 , where the axial gap generator comprises a permanent magnet to generate a magnetic field through the axial gap generator.

8. The tool of claim 1 , where the axial gap generator comprises an energized field coil to generate a magnetic field through the axial gap generator.

9. The tool of claim 1 , where the axial gap generator is positioned adjacent to a longitudinal end of the rotor.

10. The tool of claim 1 , where the voltage signal is the back electromotive force of the axial gap generator.

Assignees

• Upwing Energy Llc

Inventors

• Mcmullen Patrick
• Artinian Herman

Classifications

• E21B47/008

  Monitoring of down-hole pump systems, e.g. for the detection of "pumped-off" conditions · CPC title

• H02K5/128

  using air-gap sleeves or air-gap discs · CPC title

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• F16C32/044

  Active magnetic bearings · CPC title

• F04D13/10

  adapted for use in mining bore holes · CPC title