Production logging spinner cleaning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12320683-B2
Application number	US-202218087593-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2022
Priority date	Dec 22, 2022
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

A production logging tool includes a housing having a first end configured to connect to a well string disposed in a wellbore, a flowmeter assembly supported by the housing and including a spinner exposed to fluid in the wellbore, and a cleaning assembly connected to the housing and including a fluid nozzle directed at the spinner. The spinner rotates about a central rotational axis of the spinner, and the fluid nozzle direct a flow of cleaning fluid at the spinner. The cleaning assembly can include a fluid pump fluidly connected to the fluid nozzle to drive the flow of cleaning fluid to the fluid nozzle, and a controllable fluid valve between the fluid pump and the fluid nozzle to control the flow of cleaning fluid to the fluid nozzle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A production logging tool, comprising:
a housing having a first end configured to connect to a well string disposed in a wellbore;
a flowmeter assembly supported by the housing and comprising a spinner configured to be exposed to fluid in the wellbore and to rotate about a central rotational axis of the spinner; and
a cleaning assembly connected to the housing and comprising a fluid nozzle directed at the spinner, the fluid nozzle configured to direct a flow of cleaning fluid at the spinner.

2. The production logging tool of claim 1 , wherein the flowmeter assembly further comprises:
a spinner shaft coupled to the spinner to rotate with the spinner, and
a spinner gauge surrounding at least part of the spinner shaft, the spinner gauge configured to sense a rotational speed of the spinner.

3. The production logging tool of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning assembly comprises a fluid pump fluidly connected to the fluid nozzle, the fluid pump configured to drive the flow of cleaning fluid to the fluid nozzle.

4. The production logging tool of claim 3 , wherein the cleaning assembly further comprises a controllable fluid valve between the fluid pump and the fluid nozzle, the controllable fluid valve configured to control the flow of cleaning fluid to the fluid nozzle.

5. The production logging tool of claim 4 , wherein the controllable fluid valve comprises a solenoid valve.

6. The production logging tool of claim 3 , wherein the cleaning assembly comprises tubing fluidly connecting the fluid pump and the fluid nozzle.

7. The production logging tool of claim 3 , further comprising a fluid reservoir within the housing, the fluid reservoir being fluidly connected to the fluid pump, the fluid reservoir configured to hold the cleaning fluid and supply the cleaning fluid to the fluid pump.

8. The production logging tool of claim 7 , further comprising a heating element connected to the fluid reservoir, the heating element configured to raise a temperature of the cleaning fluid in the fluid reservoir to a minimum threshold temperature.

9. The production logging tool of claim 8 , wherein the heating element comprises a heating cartridge disposed within the fluid reservoir.

10. The production logging tool of claim 1 , further comprising a tubing fluidly connected to the fluid nozzle, the tubing configured to supply the cleaning fluid to the fluid nozzle from a fluid reservoir.

11. The production logging tool of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning assembly comprises a plurality of fluid nozzles directed toward the spinner, the plurality of fluid nozzles comprising the fluid nozzle.

12. The production logging tool of claim 1 , wherein the fluid nozzle is positioned laterally offset from the central rotational axis of the spinner.

13. The production logging tool of claim 12 , wherein the spinner comprises a plurality of blades, and the fluid nozzle is directed toward at least one blade of the plurality of blades.

14. The production logging tool of claim 1 , wherein the fluid nozzle comprises a one-way valve to permit the flow of cleaning fluid out of the nozzle and configured to restrict a flow of fluid into the nozzle from the wellbore.

15. The production logging tool of claim 1 , further comprising a controller operatively coupled to the cleaning assembly to control operation of the cleaning assembly.

16. A method, comprising:
supplying, with a cleaning assembly of a production logging tool, a flow of cleaning fluid to a fluid nozzle, the production logging tool comprising:
a housing having a first end configured to connect to a well string disposed in a wellbore;
a flowmeter assembly supported by the housing and comprising a spinner configured to be exposed to fluid in the wellbore and to rotate about a central rotational axis of the spinner; and
the cleaning assembly connected to the housing and comprising the fluid nozzle; and

directing, with the fluid nozzle, the flow of cleaning fluid to the spinner of the flowmeter assembly.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein supplying the flow of cleaning fluid to the fluid nozzle with the cleaning assembly comprises driving the flow of cleaning fluid to the fluid nozzle with a fluid pump fluidly connected to the fluid nozzle.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein driving the flow of cleaning fluid to the fluid nozzle with the fluid pump comprises controlling the flow of cleaning fluid to the fluid nozzle with a solenoid valve between the fluid pump and the fluid nozzle.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
storing the cleaning fluid in a fluid reservoir of the cleaning assembly; and
heating, with a heating element connected to the fluid reservoir, the cleaning fluid in the fluid reservoir to a minimum threshold temperature.

20. A downhole wellbore tool, comprising:
a housing having a first end configured to connect to a well string disposed in a wellbore;
a flowmeter assembly supported by the housing and comprising a spinner configured to be exposed to fluid in the wellbore and to rotate about a central rotational axis of the spinner;
a cleaning assembly connected to the housing and comprising a fluid nozzle directed at the spinner, the fluid nozzle configured to direct a flow of cleaning fluid at the spinner;
a controller operationally coupled to the cleaning assembly and configured to activate the cleaning assembly to direct the flow of cleaning fluid at the spinner;
a receiver communicatively coupled to the flowmeter assembly and configured to receive, from the flowmeter assembly, information comprising at least one parameter of the fluid in the wellbore; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the receiver and configured to:
receive the information from the receiver,
compare the information to a fluid parameter threshold,
determine, based on the comparison, that operation of the spinner is impaired, and
transmit, based on the determination, instructions to the controller to activate the cleaning assembly.

21. The downhole wellbore tool of claim 20 , wherein the cleaning assembly further comprises:
a fluid pump fluidly connected to the fluid nozzle, the fluid pump configured to drive the flow of cleaning fluid to the fluid nozzle;
a controllable fluid valve between the fluid pump and the fluid nozzle, the controllable fluid valve configured to control the flow of cleaning fluid to the fluid nozzle;
a fluid reservoir within the housing, the fluid reservoir being fluidly connected to the fluid pump, and the fluid reservoir configured to hold the cleaning fluid and supply the cleaning fluid to the fluid pump; and
a heating element connected to the fluid reservoir, the heating element configured to raise a temperature of the cleaning fluid in the fluid reservoir to a minimum threshold temperature.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Al-Huwaider Mustafa A
• Suwadi Salem H
• Ma Shouxiang Mark

Classifications

• E21B47/10

  Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements · CPC title

• E21B36/00

  Heating, cooling or insulating arrangements for boreholes or wells, e.g. for use in permafrost zones · CPC title

• B08B2203/007

  Heating the liquid · CPC title

• B08B3/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays · CPC title

• G01F1/10 Primary

  using rotating vanes with axial admission · CPC title