Universal plug and play perforating gun tandem

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11448044-B2
Application number	US-201917059992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2019
Priority date	Nov 29, 2018
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a universal plug in cartridge detonator capability in box-by-box perforating guns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tandem sub for connecting one or more perforating guns comprising:
a cylindrical body with a first end, a second end, and a hollow inner bore;
wherein the first end is a pinned end adapted to couple to a box end of a First perforating gun housing;
wherein the second end is a pinned end adapted to couple to a box end of a second perforating gun housing;
wherein the inner bore is adapted to contain a plug and play cartridge detonator assembly that can detonate a detonating cord upon receiving an electrical command from a wire; and
a cartridge detonator assembly disposed within the hollow inner bore, the cartridge detonator further comprising a cylindrical body housing, an electrical switch and circuit board, a distal end having a detonator, and a contact spring for electrically coupling the detonator assembly to a signal wire.

2. The tandem sub of claim 1 further comprising a feed thru puck coupled to a feed thru body, disposed within the hollow inner core.

3. The tandem sub of claim 2 wherein the feed thru puck having a thru hole for an electrical wire.

4. The tandem sub of claim 3 wherein the feed thru body having a means for coupling the electrical wire to the puck, thereby electrically coupling the electrical wire with the feed thru body.

5. The tandem sub of claim 4 , wherein the contact spring is coupled to the feed thru body.

6. The tandem sub of claim 5 , wherein the feed thru body has a hollow thru bore adapted for containing a booster and the detonator adjacent to each other.

7. The tandem sub of claim 4 wherein the means for electrically coupling the electrical wire with the feed thru body is a radial wire groove on the feed thru body that an exposed end of the wire wraps around.

8. The tandem sub of claim 4 wherein the means for electrically coupling the electrical wire with the feed thru body is a tangential thru hole that an exposed end of the wire wraps through and around.

9. The tandem sub of claim 4 wherein the means for electrically coupling the electrical wire with the feed thru body is a metal screw that clamps an exposed end of the wire against a metal insert that is further coupled to the contact spring.

10. A perforating gun string comprising:
a first perforating gun with an uphole box end, a downhole box end, a plurality of shaped charges connected together with a detonating cord, and a wire disposed therein, traveling from the uphole end to the downhole end;
a first tandem sub for connecting one or more perforating guns coupled to the downhole end of the first perforating gun further comprising:
a cylindrical body with a first end, a second end, and a hollow inner bore;
wherein the first end is a pinned end adapted to couple to a box end of the first perforating gun housing;
wherein the second end is a pinned end adapted to couple to a box end of a second perforating gun housing;
wherein the inner bore is adapted to contain a plug and play cartridge detonator assembly that can detonate the detonating cord of the first perforating gun upon receiving an electrical command from the wire; and
a cartridge detonator assembly disposed within the hollow inner bore, the cartridge detonator further comprising a cylindrical body housing, an electrical switch and circuit board, a distal end having a detonator, and a contact spring for electrically coupling the detonator assembly to a signal wire.

11. The tandem sub of claim 10 further comprising a feed thru puck coupled to a feed thru body, disposed within the hollow inner core.

12. The tandem sub of claim 11 wherein the feed thru puck having a thru hole for an electrical wire.

13. The tandem sub of claim 12 wherein the feed thru body having a means for coupling the electrical wire to the puck, thereby electrically coupling the electrical wire with the feed thru body.

14. The tandem sub of claim 13 , wherein the contact spring is coupled to the feed thru body.

15. The tandem sub of claim 14 , wherein the feed thru body has a hollow thru bore adapted for containing a booster and the detonator adjacent to each other.

16. The tandem sub of claim 13 wherein the means for electrically coupling the electrical wire with the feed thru body is a radial wire groove on the feed thru body that an exposed end of the wire wraps around.

17. The tandem sub of claim 13 wherein the means for electrically coupling the electrical wire with the feed thru body is a tangential thru hole that an exposed end of the wire wraps through and around.

18. The tandem sub of claim 13 wherein the means for electrically coupling the electrical wire with the feed thru body is a metal screw that clamps an exposed end of the wire against a metal insert that is further coupled to the contact spring.

19. The perforating gun string of claim 10 further comprising a second perforating gun an uphole box end, a downhole box end, a plurality of shaped charges connected together with a second detonating cord, and a second wire disposed therein, traveling from the uphole end to the downhole end.

20. The perforating gun string of claim 19 further comprising a second tandem sub coupled to the downhole end of the second perforating gun, the second tandem sub further comprising:
a cylindrical body with a first end, a second end, and a hollow inner bore;
wherein the first end is a pinned end adapted to couple to the box end of the second perforating gun housing;
wherein the second end is a pinned end adapted to couple to a box end of a third perforating gun housing; and
wherein the inner bore is adapted to contain a plug and play cartridge detonator assembly that can detonate a detonating cord upon receiving an electrical command from the second wire.

21. A method for detonating a perforating gun comprising:
coupling a first perforating gun to a tandem sub, wherein the tandem sub contains a plug and play cartridge detonator;
connecting a signal wire from the first perforating gun to the tandem sub;
placing the first perforating gun at a predetermined location downhole to perforate a desired location of a wellbore;
detonating the first perforating gun by sending a firing command to the tandem sub; and
removing the first perforating gun from the wellbore.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising coupling a second perforating gun to the tandem sub.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising coupling a second tandem sub to the second perforating gun and connecting a second signal wire from the second perforating gun to the second tandem sub.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising placing the second perforating gun at a second predetermined location downhole in the wellbore.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising detonating the second perforating gun by sending a firing command to the second tandem sub.

Assignees

• Hunting Titan Inc

Inventors

• Dyess Adam
• Mai Jason Hoang
• Bradley Richard Wayne
• Howk Joshua Blake

Classifications

• F42B1/02

  Shaped or hollow charges (blasting cartridges with cavities in the charge F42B3/08; oil winning using shaped-charge perforators E21B43/116) · CPC title

• F42B3/103

  Mounting initiator heads in initiators; Sealing-plugs · CPC title

• F42C11/001

  Electric circuits for fuzes characterised by the ammunition class or type (F42C11/02 - F42C11/06 take precedence; mechanical fuzes having electric igniters for hand grenades or marine warheads F42C14/025, F42C14/045) · CPC title

• F42D1/05

  Electric circuits for blasting · CPC title

• F42D1/045

  Arrangements for electric ignition (dynamo-electric generators H02K) · CPC title