System and Methodology for Determining Forces Acting on Components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016333683-A1
Application number	US-201515109916-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 6, 2015
Priority date	Jan 6, 2014
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A technique facilitates measurement of forces resulting from a variety of loads, stresses, temperatures, or other sources. In an embodiment, the system comprises a load cell constructed with channels extending into a component which may be subjected to forces. Sensors cooperate with the channels to detect changes in volume of the channels as an indicator of the forces acting on the component. In some applications, the channels enclose a liquid, and the sensors comprise pressure sensors which detect changes in pressure within the liquid due to the volumentric changes in the channels. The system also may comprise a compensation system which compensates for external influences, such as temperatures and hydrostatic pressures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for measuring force, comprising:
a drill string disposed in a wellbore, the drill string having a downhole component and a load cell coupled with the downhole component, the load cell comprising:
a plurality of channels, each channel being filled with a liquid; and
a plurality of pressure sensors, each pressure sensor being associated with a corresponding channel of the plurality of channels, the pressure sensors measuring changes in pressure resulting from changes in volume in the plurality of channels when the downhole component is subjected to a sufficient load force.

2 . The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of channels comprises capillaries oriented to detect stress on the downhole component in a predetermined direction.

3 . The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an electronic processing system coupled to the plurality of pressure sensors to convert pressure change data to forces applied to the downhole component.

4 . The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pressure sensors is placed in a protected area on the downhole component to reduce exposure to environmental factors in the wellbore.

5 . The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the load cell further comprises a compensation system which compensates for temperature and hydrostatic pressure.

6 . The system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the compensation system comprises additional channels filled with liquid.

7 . The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the capillaries comprise a pair of parallel capillaries.

8 . The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of channels comprises capillaries arranged in a predetermined pattern to measure torque loads, bending loads, temperature induced loads, or axial loads.

9 . A method for measuring force in a well component, comprising:
placing a plurality of capillaries in a downhole well component; enclosing a liquid in the plurality of capillaries; engaging a pressure sensor with the liquid in each capillary of the plurality of capillaries; and using the pressure sensors to monitor the loading on the downhole well component by measuring pressure changes in the liquid due to the volumetric changes in the plurality of capillaries when the downhole well component is subjected to sufficient forces.

10 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein using comprises outputting data from the pressure sensors to a processing system.

11 . The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising moving the downhole well component downhole into a wellbore.

12 . The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising locating the downhole well component in a drill string.

13 . The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising compensating the measurements obtained by the pressure sensors for external effects.

14 . A system for measuring force, comprising:
a load cell having: channels extending into a component subjected to forces; and sensors cooperating with the channels to detect changes in volume of the channels as an indication of forces acting on the component.

15 . The system as recited in claim 14 , wherein each channel encloses a liquid and each sensor comprises a pressure sensor to measure pressure changes in the liquid which result from corresponding volume changes in a corresponding channel.

16 . The system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the component is a body of the load cell, the channels extending into the body.

17 . The system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the component comprises a downhole well component.

18 . The system as recited in claim 14 , further comprising a well string, the load cell being mounted to the well string.

19 . The system as recited in claim 14 , further comprising a drill string, the load cell being mounted to the drill string.

20 . The system as recited in claim 15 , further comprising a processing system coupled to each sensor to process pressure data and to use the pressure data in determining the forces acting on the component.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Delgado Miguel Marcel Jose

Classifications

• E21B47/007

  Measuring stresses in a pipe string or casing (for locating blocked portions of pipes E21B47/09) · CPC title

• G01L9/00

  Measuring steady of quasi-steady pressure of fluid or fluent solid material by electric or magnetic pressure-sensitive elements {(G01L11/004 takes precedence)}; Transmitting or indicating the displacement of mechanical pressure-sensitive elements, used to measure the steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluid or fluent solid material, by electric or magnetic means (measuring differences of two or more pressure values G01L13/00; measuring two or more pressure values simultaneously G01L15/00) · CPC title

• G01L1/02

  by hydraulic or pneumatic means · CPC title

• E21B47/06 Primary

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title

• G01L5/1627 Primary

  of strain gauges (using piezoresistors G01L5/162) · CPC title