High-efficiency downhole wireless communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10544672-B2
Application number	US-201415518446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

A communication system for use with a well tool can include an of outer toroid antenna. The outer toroid antenna can be positionable around an outer housing of the well tool. The communication system can also include an inner toroid antenna positionable within the outer housing of the well tool. The communication system can further include a switch coupled to the outer toroid antenna and the inner toroid antenna. The switch can be operable to enable or disable a wireless communication via the outer toroid antenna or the inner toroid antenna.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication system for use with a well tool, the communication system comprising:
an outer toroid antenna that is disposed around an outer housing of the well tool;
an inner toroid antenna that is disposed within the outer housing of the well tool;
a processor; and
a memory including instructions executable by the processor for causing the processor to:
receive a signal from the inner toroid antenna that is disposed within the outer housing of the well tool;
detect a signal strength associated with the signal;
determining if the signal strength is below a threshold; and
responsive to the signal strength being below the threshold, operate a switch to disable a wireless communication via the inner toroid antenna and enable the wireless communication via the outer toroid antenna disposed around the outer housing of the well tool.

2. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the inner toroid antenna is positioned around a mandrel positioned within the outer housing of the well tool.

3. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the well tool comprises at least one of a mud motor and a rotary steerable tool.

4. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor for causing the processor to operate the switch to enable the wireless communication via the outer toroid antenna based on a resistivity of a fluid in a wellbore.

5. The communication system of claim 4 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor for causing the processor to operate the switch to enable the wireless communication via the outer toroid antenna based on the resistivity being less than a first threshold.

6. The communication system of claim 5 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor for causing the processor to operate the switch to enable the wireless communication via the inner toroid antenna and disable the wireless communication via the outer toroid antenna based on the resistivity exceeding a second threshold.

7. The communication system of claim 1 , further comprising a voltage detector coupled to the outer toroid antenna and the inner toroid antenna, the voltage detector operable to determine a voltage associated with the wireless communication.

8. The communication system of claim 7 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor for causing the processor to operate the switch to enable the wireless communication via the outer toroid antenna based on the voltage being below a first threshold.

9. The communication system of claim 8 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor for causing the processor to operate the switch to enable the wireless communication via the inner toroid antenna based on the voltage exceeding a second threshold.

10. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the outer toroid antenna is positioned within a housing operable to protect the outer toroid antenna from damage.

11. A system comprising:
a processor;
a memory including instructions executable by the processor for causing the processor to:
receive a signal from an inner toroid antenna that is disposed within an outer housing of a well tool;
detect a signal strength associated with the signal;
determining if the signal strength is below a threshold; and
responsive to the signal strength being below the threshold, operate a switch to disable a wireless communication via the inner toroid antenna and enable the wireless communication via an outer toroid antenna disposed around the outer housing of the well tool; and

the switch, wherein the switch is coupled to the inner toroid antenna and the outer toroid antenna, the switch being operable to enable or disable the wireless communication via the outer toroid antenna or the inner toroid antenna.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor for causing the processor to operate the switch to enable the wireless communication via the outer toroid antenna based on a resistivity of a fluid in a wellbore.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor for causing the processor to operate the switch to enable the wireless communication via the outer toroid antenna based on the resistivity being less than a resistivity threshold.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor for causing the processor to operate the switch to enable the wireless communication via the inner toroid antenna based on the resistivity exceeding the resistivity threshold.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein a voltage detector is coupled to the outer toroid antenna and the inner toroid antenna, the voltage detector operable to determine a voltage associated with the wireless communication.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions that are executable by the processor for causing the processor to enable the wireless communication via the outer toroid antenna responsive to the voltage being below a voltage threshold, and enable the wireless communication via the inner toroid antenna responsive to the voltage exceeding the voltage threshold.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the well tool comprises at least one of a mud motor and a rotary steerable tool.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the outer toroid antenna is positioned within a housing operable to protect the outer toroid antenna from damage.

19. A method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a signal via an inner toroid antenna disposed within an outer housing of a well tool;
detecting, by the processor, a signal strength associated with the signal;
determining, by the processor, if the signal strength is below a threshold; and
responsive to the signal strength being below the threshold, operating, by the processor, a switch to disable a wireless communication via the inner toroid antenna and enable the wireless communication via an outer toroid antenna disposed around the outer housing of the well tool.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising executing the following operations responsive to the signal strength being below the threshold:
operating the switch to enable the wireless communication via both the inner toroid antenna and the outer toroid antenna;
receiving a second signal via the outer toroid antenna;
detecting a second signal strength associated with the second signal;
responsive to the second signal strength exceeding a second threshold, operating the switch to disable the wireless communication via the inner toroid antenna.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
receiving a third signal via the outer toroid antenna;
detecting a third signal strength associated with the third signal;
determining if the third signal strength is below a third threshold; and
responsive to the third signal strength being below the third threshold, operating the switch to enable the wireless communication via the inner toroid antenna.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
receiving a fourth signal via the inner toroid antenna;
detecting a fourth signal strength associated with the fourth signal;
responsive to the fourth signal strength exceeding a fourth threshold, ope

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Nguyen Quang Huy
• Huang Wei Hsuan
• Ma Jin

Classifications

• E21B47/13 Primary

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

• G05B19/108

  characterised by physical layout of switches; switches co-operating with display; use of switches in a special way · CPC title

• E21B47/18

  through the well fluid {, e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry} · CPC title

• E21B47/12

  Means for transmitting measuring-signals or control signals from the well to the surface, or from the surface to the well, e.g. for logging while drilling · CPC title

• E21B47/122 Primary

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic