Valve position sensing using electric and magnetic coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11293278-B2
Application number	US-202016855134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2020
Priority date	Apr 22, 2020
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

A system and method for identifying a position of a sliding sleeve. The system may comprise an outer housing, a sliding sleeve within the outer housing, one or more magnetic switches, and a magnet. A method may comprise closing a switch within a magnetic switch disposed with a magnet, wherein the magnetic switch is disposed downhole, and transmitting an electric current into a first electric branch, wherein the electric current traverses through first electric branch, through the magnetic switch, to a second electric branch, and to a node. The method may further comprise measuring the electric current or voltage at the node and identifying a position of a sliding sleeve in an outer housing from the measurement. The method may further comprise calibrating a linear resistor position sensor assembly based at least in part on the measurement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sliding sleeve valve comprising:
an outer housing;
a sliding sleeve slidably disposed within the outer housing, the sliding sleeve axially moveable within the outer housing to control fluid flow in relation to axial position;
an electrical circuit comprising an array of magnetic switches axially spaced at known positions with respect to the outer housing;
a magnet coupled to the sliding sleeve, wherein each magnetic switch is switched between an open state or a closed state in relation to how close the magnet is to the respective magnetic switch;
an information handling system in communication with the electrical circuit configured for determining an axial position of the sliding sleeve based on the open or closed states of the magnetic switches; and
a linear variable resistor disposed adjacent to the array of magnetic switches, wherein the information handling system is configured for determining an axial position of the sliding sleeve based on a current flow through the linear variable resistor and using the axial position determined using the array of magnetic switches to calibrate the axial position determined using the linear variable resistor.

2. The sliding sleeve valve of claim 1 , wherein the one or more magnetic switches are disposed in the outer housing and the magnet is disposed in the sliding sleeve.

3. The sliding sleeve valve of claim 1 , wherein the magnet is disposed in the outer housing and the one or more magnetic switches is disposed in the sliding sleeve.

4. The sliding sleeve valve of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more magnetic switches are a magnetic reed switch, a hall effect sensor, a capacitive switch, or magnetoresistive element.

5. The sliding sleeve valve of claim 4 , wherein the one or more magnetic switches may be an open device, a closed device, or an analog device.

6. The sliding sleeve valve of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more magnetic switches are attached to a first electric branch and a second electric branch.

7. The sliding sleeve valve of claim 6 , wherein at least one resistor is disposed between each connection for the one or more magnetic switches to the second electric branch.

8. The sliding sleeve valve of claim 1 , wherein the information handling system is configured to perform the step of calibrating the axial position determined using the linear variable resistor automatically in response to a change in operating conditions.

9. A sliding sleeve valve comprising:
an outer housing;
a sliding sleeve slidably disposed within the outer housing, the sliding sleeve axially moveable within the outer housing to control fluid flow in relation to axial position;
an electrical circuit comprising an array of magnetic switches axially spaced at known positions with respect to the outer housing;
a magnet coupled to the sliding sleeve, wherein each magnetic switch is switched between an open state or a closed state in relation to how close the magnet is to the respective magnetic switch;
an information handling system in communication with the electrical circuit configured for determining an axial position of the sliding sleeve based on the open or closed states of the magnetic switches;

a radio frequency antenna in communication with the information handling system; and
a plurality of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags each connected to a respective one of the magnetic switches such that each RFID tag may only be activated if the respective magnetic switch is closed, wherein the information handling system determines the axial position of the sleeve based on which RFID tags are activated.

10. The sliding sleeve valve of claim 9 , wherein the information handling system is configured to determine which RFID tags are open and closed in real time.

11. A method comprising:
activating a switch with a magnet, wherein the switch is disposed downhole;
transmitting an electric current into a first electric branch, wherein the electric current traverses through the first electric branch, through the activated switch, to a second electric branch, and to a node;
measuring the electric current or voltage at the node;
transmitting a radio-frequency signal from a radio-frequency antenna connected to an information handling system, energizing a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag with the radio-frequency signal and transmitting a return signal, wherein the RFID tag is attached to the switch and is activated only if the magnetic switch is activated; and
identifying a position of a sliding sleeve in an outer housing based on whether the RFID tag is activated.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the electric current traverse through at least one resistor.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the magnet is a rare earth magnet.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the magnet is an electromagnetic device.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting a radio-frequency signal from a radio-frequency antenna connected to an information handling system, energizing a radio-frequency identification tag with the radio-frequency signal and transmitting a return signal, wherein the radio-frequency identification tag is attached to the switch.

16. A method comprising:
activating a switch with a magnet, wherein the switch is disposed downhole;
transmitting an electric current into a first electric branch, wherein the electric current traverses through first electric branch, through the switch, to a second electric branch, and to a node;
measuring the electric current or voltage at the node; and
identifying a position of a sliding sleeve in an outer housing from the measurement; and
calibrating a linear variable resistor position sensor assembly based at least in part on the measurement.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the calibrating the linear resistor position sensor assembly includes reading a first position of the linear resistor position sensor assembly, comparing the first position to a second position identified by the switch, and altering the linear resistor position sensor assembly to the second position.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein calibrating is performed with an array of magnetic switches.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein calibrating is performed by an information handling system manually or automatically.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Joseph Joseph Chakkungal
• James Paul Gregory
• Wang Ziquan
• Vayeda Ravi Sharad

Classifications

• F16K37/0041

  for measuring valve parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K37/0033

  using a permanent magnet, e.g. in combination with a reed relays · CPC title

• F16K3/265

  with a sleeve sliding in the direction of the flow line · CPC title

• F16K3/262

  with a transverse bore in the valve member · CPC title

• E21B47/092 Primary

  by detecting magnetic anomalies · CPC title