Autonomous tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11274546-B2
Application number	US-201916971976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2019
Priority date	Feb 23, 2018
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus for determining the location of a tool traveling down a wellbore by measuring a first borehole magnetic anomaly with respect to time at two known locations on a tool, comparing the time difference between the two measurements, then calculating the velocity of the tool based on the comparison, then further calculating the distance traveled by the tool in the wellbore based on the velocity calculation, then executing a series of commands at a predetermined location in the wellbore.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for use downhole comprising:
a top housing with a first end, a second end, and an axis;
a middle housing with a first end located proximate to the second end of the top housing, and a second end, wherein the middle housing is coaxial with the axis;
a braking housing with a first end located proximate to the second end of the middle housing, and a second end, wherein the braking housing is coaxial with the axis;
a bottom housing with a first end located proximate to the second end of the braking housing, and a second end, wherein the bottom housing is coaxial with the axis;
a first magnetic anomaly sensor located within the top housing;
a second magnetic anomaly sensor located within the bottom housing and located a fixed axial distance from the first magnetic anomaly sensor;
a processor located within the middle housing, operatively connected to the first magnetic anomaly sensor and the second magnetic anomaly sensor, wherein the processor calculates the velocity of the apparatus based on comparing measurements taken from the first magnetic anomaly sensor and the second magnetic anomaly sensor; and
at least one radially retractable braking arm located in the braking housing, wherein the processor can command the braking arm to extend against a wellbore and stop the downhole descent of the apparatus at a predetermined location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of electromagnetic coils disposed within the first magnetic anomaly sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a first electromagnetic coil disposed within the first magnetic anomaly sensor adapted to generate an electromagnetic field.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a second electromagnetic coil disposed within the first magnetic anomaly sensor adapted to generate an electromagnetic field.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a third electromagnetic coil disposed within the first magnetic anomaly sensor adapted to detect an electromagnetic field.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a fourth electromagnetic coil disposed within the first magnetic anomaly sensor adapted to detect an electromagnetic field.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a fifth electromagnetic coil disposed within the first magnetic anomaly sensor adapted to detect an electromagnetic field.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a sixth electromagnetic coil disposed within the first magnetic anomaly sensor adapted to detect an electromagnetic field.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a seventh electromagnetic coil disposed within the second magnetic anomaly sensor adapted to generate an electromagnetic field.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising an eighth electromagnetic coil disposed within the second magnetic anomaly sensor adapted to generate an electromagnetic field.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a ninth electromagnetic coil disposed within the second magnetic anomaly sensor adapted to detect an electromagnetic field.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a tenth electromagnetic coil disposed within the second magnetic anomaly sensor adapted to detect an electromagnetic field.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising an eleventh electromagnetic coil disposed within the second magnetic anomaly sensor adapted to detect an electromagnetic field.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a twelfth electromagnetic coil disposed within the second magnetic anomaly sensor adapted to detect an electromagnetic field.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a cylindrical core located coaxial with the axis and passing through the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth electromagnets.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a first sub coupled to the first end of the top housing.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a second sub coupled to the second end of the top housing and coupled to the first end of the bottom housing.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a third sub coupled to the second end of the bottom housing.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of electromagnetic coils disposed within the second magnetic anomaly sensor.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor includes a data logger.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor includes a plurality of processors.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor computes the velocity by comparing measurements taken from the first magnetic anomaly sensor and the second magnetic anomaly sensor.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a first centralizer surrounding a portion of the first end of the top housing.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor calculates distance traveled by integrating the calculated velocity with respect to time.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor calculates the distance traveled using a summation of the calculated velocity with respect to time.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor calculates the distance traveled by averaging the calculated velocity over a plurality of measurements and multiplying by time.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor calculates the distance traveled using a piecewise summation with respect to time.

28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one radially retractable braking arm is a plurality of radially retractable braking arms located about the axis.

29. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a perforating gun assembly coupled to the top housing, wherein the processor is electrically coupled to the perforating gun assembly and can fire the perforating gun assembly at a predetermined location.

30. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cutter assembly coupled to the top housing, wherein the processor is electrically coupled to the cutter assembly and can fire the cutter assembly at a predetermined location.

31. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a setting tool coupled to the bottom housing, wherein the processor is electrically coupled to the setting tool and can activate the setting tool at a predetermined location to plug the wellbore.

Assignees

• Hunting Titan Inc

Inventors

• Mcbride Gene
• Hohmann Garrett M
• Dobsky David
• Pundole Faraidoon

Classifications

• E21B43/119

  Details, e.g. for locating perforating place or direction · CPC title

• G01V3/26

  operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified either by the surrounding earth formation or by the detecting device (with electromagnetic waves G01V3/30) · CPC title

• E21B47/092 Primary

  by detecting magnetic anomalies · CPC title

• E21B29/02

  by explosives or by thermal or chemical means {(freeing stuck objects by explosives E21B31/002)} · CPC title

• G01P3/66

  using electric or magnetic means (G01P3/80 takes precedence; measuring short time intervals G04F8/00, G04F10/00) · CPC title