Energy Harvesting from a Downhole Jar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016258254-A1
Application number	US-201315027652-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 8, 2013
Priority date	Nov 8, 2013
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for harvesting energy from the operation of a downhole jar is disclosed. The system converts the kinetic energy associated with the operation of the jar to electrical energy by associating the relative movement between a magnet and a coil to the relative movement between a movable member and a stationary member in the jar. Electrical energy is generated in the coil as a result of the relative motion between the magnets and the coil. This electrical energy may be stored in an electrical energy storage subsystem and provided to a downhole tool for use in the wellbore. The downhole tool may be used to power other tools, to take measurements, to communicate with other devices, to actuate other devices, and to otherwise control such other devices.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for converting kinetic energy to electrical energy in a downhole environment, the apparatus comprising:
a jar comprising a movable member and a stationary member, the movable member being movable relative to the stationary member by a control system; and at least one magnet; at least one conductive coil; wherein the magnet moves relative to the coil to generate electrical energy in response to movement of the movable member relative to the stationary member upon actuation of the jar.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an energy storage device coupled to the conductive coils and operable to harvest and store electrical energy generated in response to movement of the movable member relative to the stationary member.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one magnet is fixed to the stationary member and at least one conductive coil is fixed to the movable member.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one conductive coil is fixed to the stationary member and at least one magnet is fixed to the movable member.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one conductive coils is embedded in a surface of the movable member.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the conductive coils is arranged cylindrically about the magnets, and wherein the magnets are constrained to move axially within a cylindrical member formed by the conductive coils.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an energy storage module, the energy storage module being coupled to the coil to receive and store generated electricity.

8 . A system for generating electrical energy in a downhole environment, the system comprising:
a conveyance; a jar comprising a movable member and a stationary member, the movable member being movable relative to the stationary member by a control system; and a magnet; and a conductive coil; wherein the magnet moves relative to the coil to generate electrical energy in response to movement of the movable member relative to the stationary member.

9 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising an energy storage subsystem electrically coupled to the conductive coil.

10 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising a downhole tool powered by the energy storage subsystem.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the downhole tool further comprises a controller and a memory.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the downhole tool comprises a counter that is operable to count a number of jar actions and store the count to the memory.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the conveyance comprises a module, a drum and a spool of wireline, the wireline being coupled to the jar and the drum.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the stationary member comprises the conductive coil and the conductive coil is attached to a cylindrical housing, wherein the movable member comprises a mandrel that is movable in an axial direction relative to the cylindrical housing, and wherein the mandrel comprises the magnet.

15 . A method for generating electrical energy in a wellbore, the method comprising:
operating a jar deployed within the wellbore, the jar comprising a movable member and a stationary member, the movable member being movable relative to the stationary member, and further comprising a magnet and a conductive coil, the magnet being movable relative to the coil to generate electrical energy in response to movement of the movable member relative to the stationary member; and storing the electrical energy in an energy storage subsystem, the energy storage subsystem being electrically coupled to the conductive coil.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the energy storage subsystem comprises a capacitor and a charging circuit coupled to the conductive coil and the capacitor to charge the capacitor.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the energy storage subsystem comprises a battery and a charging circuit coupled to the conductive coil and the battery to charge the battery.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing electrical energy to a downhole tool using the energy storage subsystem.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising using the downhole tool to measure at least one of the group consisting of temperature, pressure, acceleration, and force.

20 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising using the downhole tool to count a number of jar actions and store the count to a memory within the downhole tool.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Guo Lianhe
• Mappus Christian S

Classifications

• E21B31/113

  hydraulically-operated · CPC title

• E21B41/0085 Primary

  Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes · CPC title

• E21B47/065

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• H02K35/02

  with moving magnets and stationary coil systems · CPC title