CA1165853A
Expired / Lapsed
CA
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Signalling within a borehole while drilling
Assignee: NL Sperry Sun Inc
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Filing: 1981-08-26
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Granted: 1984-04-17
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Expires: 2001-08-26
Abstract
Abstract S P E C I F I C A T I O N "Improvements in or Relating to Apparatus for Signalling within a Borehole while Drilling" ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A down-hole signal generator for a mud-pulse telemetry system comprises a flow constrictor defining a throttle orifice for the mud passing along a drill string, a throttling member displaceable with respect to a casing to modulate the mud pressure for the purpose of transmitting measurement data up the drill string, and a turbogenerator incorporating an electrical generator within the casing. The flow constrictor and casing form an integrated unit which is installed within a drill collar and is retrievable by drawing it up the inside of the drill string. The throttling member is displaced by a pump according to the torque required to drive the rotor of the generator which is dependent on the electrical load of the generator. The pump incorporates a rotary valve member which supplies the output of the pump to one or other side of a double-acting ram according as to whether the valve member is rotating with a first phase of rotation or a second phase of rotation. The phase of rotation is determined by a torque sensitive actuator coupled to the valve member by a shaft and incorporating an escapement plate tiltable about an axis transverse to the shaft by a torque drive arm for driving the rotor.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael K. Russell
- 👤 Anthony W. Russell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
CA
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 21:00
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B47/00; E21B47/12; E21B47/14; E21B47/18; E21B41/00; E21B41/0085; E21B47/20; E21B47/24
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
107 words
A down-hole signal transmitter for a mud-pulse telemetry system, comprising a flow constrictor defining a throttle orifice for the mud passing along a drill string, a throttling member displaceable with respect to the throttle orifice to vary the throughflow cross-section of the throttle orifice, and control means for displacing the throttling member to modulate the mud pressure, wherein the flow constrictor, throttling member and control means are formed as an integrated unit which is adapted to be installed within a drill collar disposed at the end of the drill string and which is capable of being retrieved by drawing it up the inside of the drill string.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
107 words
A down-hole signal transmitter for a mud-pulse telemetry system, comprising a flow constrictor defining a throttle orifice for the mud passing along a drill string, a throttling member displaceable with respect to the throttle orifice to vary the throughflow cross-section of the throttle orifice, and control means for displacing the throttling member to modulate the mud pressure, wherein the flow constrictor, throttling member and control means are formed as an integrated unit which is adapted to be installed within a drill collar disposed at the end of the drill string and which is capable of being retrieved by drawing it up the inside of the drill string.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
A transmitter according to claim 1, wherein a fishing neck is attached to the unit to enable the unit to be retrieved by engaging the fishing neck with a gripping device at the end of a line.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A transmitter according to claim 1, wherein a measuring instrument is attached to the unit and is retrievable up the drill string with the unit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
A transmitter according to claim 3, wherein the unit and the measuring instrument are oriented with respect to the drill collar by a mule shoe coupling between a casing of the measuring instrument and the inside wall of the drill collar.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
117 words
A down-hole signal transmitter for a mud-pulse telemetry system, comprising a flow constrictor defining a throttle orifice for the mud passing along a drill string, a throttling member displaceable with respect to the throttle orifice to vary the throughflow cross-section of the throttle orifice, a turbogenerator for supplying a measuring instrument and arranged to be driven by the mud flow passing along the drill string, and control means for displacing the throttling member to modulate the mud pressure, wherein the control means is coupled to the rotor of the turbogenerator and is adapted to modulate the mud pressure according to the torque required to drive the rotor which is dependent on the electrical load of the turbogenerator.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
117 words
A down-hole signal transmitter for a mud-pulse telemetry system, comprising a flow constrictor defining a throttle orifice for the mud passing along a drill string, a throttling member displaceable with respect to the throttle orifice to vary the throughflow cross-section of the throttle orifice, a turbogenerator for supplying a measuring instrument and arranged to be driven by the mud flow passing along the drill string, and control means for displacing the throttling member to modulate the mud pressure, wherein the control means is coupled to the rotor of the turbogenerator and is adapted to modulate the mud pressure according to the torque required to drive the rotor which is dependent on the electrical load of the turbogenerator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
78 words
A transmitter according to claim 5, wherein the control means is adapted to displace the throttling member in one direction when the electrical load of the turbogenerator is such that the torque required to drive the rotor exceeds the maximum torque available for driving the rotor, and to displace the throttling member in the opposite direction when the electrical load is such that the torque required to drive the rotor does not exceed the maximum available driving torque.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
A transmitter according to claim 6, wherein the control means incorporates a ram coupled to the throttling member, a pump for supplying hydraulic fluid to the ram, and a torque sensitive actuator for controlling supply of hydraulic fluid from the pump to the ram.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
62 words
A transmitter according to claim 7, wherein the ram is double-acting, and the torque-sensitive actuator is adapted to supply hydraulic fluid to one side of the ram to displace the throttling member in said one direction or to the opposite side of the ram to displace the throttling member in said opposite direction, according to the torque required to drive the rotor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
64 words
A transmitter according to claim 8, wherein the pump incorporates a rotary valve member for supplying hydraulic fluid from the pump to said one side of the ram when rotating with a first phase and to said opposite side of the ram when rotating with a second phase, the torque-sensitive actuator being adapted to control the phase of rotation of the rotary valve member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
A transmitter according to claim 9, wherein the pump also incorporates a plurality of cylinders having pistons arranged to be driven cyclically, the rotary valve member being adapted to connect each cylinder in turn to one side of the ram during rotation.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
89 words
A transmitter according to claim 10, wherein the rotary valve member is provided with a first peripheral recess in fluid communication with said one side of the ram and arranged to intermittently communicate with each of the pump cylinders during rotation of the rotary valve member, and a second peripheral recess, circumferentially offset with respect to the first peripheral recess, in fluid communication with said opposite side of the ram and also arranged to intermittently communicate with each of the pump cylinders during rotation of the rotary valve member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
71 words
A transmitter according to claim 9 , wherein the torque-sensitive actuator comprises a drive plate coupled to the rotary valve member and an escapement plate for driving both the drive plate and the rotor, the escapement plate being adapted to engage the drive plate in a first relative rotational position or in a second relative rotational position during rotation of the plates, according to the torque required to drive the rotor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
72 words
A transmitter according to claim 12, wherein the escapement plate is tiltable about a tilt axis transverse to its axis of rotation to change the relative rotational position of the drive plate and escapement plate, and is coupled to the rotor by a torque drive arm which is adapted to tilt the escapement plate when the torque required to drive the rotor exceeds the maximum driving torque available at the escapement plate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
70 words
A transmitter according to claim 13, wherein one of the plates incorporates first and second pins at first and second rotational positions respectively, and the other plate incorporates a third pin for engagement with either the first pin or the second pin during rotation of the plates according to whether the escapement plate is in a first angled position or a second angled position with respect to said tilt axis.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
A transmitter according to claim 13, wherein the escapement plate is biased into a first angled position with respect to said tilt axis by a spring.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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