Stress wave telemetry system for drillstems and tubing strings

Claim 1

A system for transmitting signals along one of an elongated tubular drillstem and tubing string between a point in a wellbore and a point at or near the earth's surface, said system comprising: an elongated tubular stem extending into a wellbore and supported by support means at the earth's surface; means associated with said stem for sensing a condition in said wellbore related to wellbore operations; means for converting signals related to said condition to a digital signal; means interposed in said stem for generating a compressional wave at a selected frequency in said stem for transmission along said stem toward the earth's surface, said means for generating including a sub having a transverse flange, a generally annular member of magnetic material connected to said flange and disposed for oscillatory axial vibration for imparting compressional waves to said flange and to said stem, and a solenoid coil disposed in proximity to said annular member and adapted to be energized to oscillate said annular member at a selected oscillatory frequency for transmitting compressional stress waves along said stem; and means connected to said stem for sensing said vibrations and for transmitting signals related to said vibrations to receiving means at or near the earth's surface whereby information related to said condition in said well bore is transmitted to said receiving means through conversion of vibrations propagated along said stem.

Claim 2

A system for transmitting signals along one of an elongated tubular drillstem and tubing string between a point in a wellbore and a point at or near the earth's surface, said system comprising: an elongated tubular stem extending into a wellbore and supported by support means at the earth's surface; means associated with said stem for sensing a condition in said wellbore related to wellbore operations; means for converting signals related to said condition to a digital signal; means interposed in said stem for generating a compressional wave at a selected frequency in said stem for transmission along said stem toward the earth's surface, said means for generating including a sub having a transverse flange, a generally annular member of magnetic material connected to said flange and disposed for oscillatory axial vibration for imparting compressional waves to said flange and to said stem, and a solenoid coil disposed in proximity to said annular member and adapted to be energized to oscillate said annular member at a selected oscillatory frequency for transmitting compressional stress waves along said stem; and means connected to said stem for sensing said vibrations and for transmitting signals related to said vibrations to receiving means at or near the earth's surface whereby information related to said condition in said well bore is transmitted to said receiving means through conversion of vibrations propagated along said stem.

Claim 3

A system for transmitting signals along one of an elongated tubular drillstem and tubing string between a point in a well bore and a point at or near the earth's surface, said system comprising: an elongated tubular stem extending into a wellbore and supported by support means at the earth's surface; means associated with said stem for sensing a condition in said wellbore related to wellbore operations; means for converting signals related to said condition to a digital signal; means interposed in said stem for generating torsional vibrations in said stem for transmission along said stem toward the earth's surface, said means for generated torsional vibrations comprising a sub and at least two unbalanced rotor members supported on said sub and connected to motor means and operable to be driven at selected speeds and in selected phase relationship to each other for generating torsional vibrations in said sub and said stem at selected frequencies, and means connected to said stem for sensing said vibrations and for transmitting signals related to said vibrations to receiving means at or near the earth's surface whereby information related to said condition in said wellbore is transmitted to said receiving means through conversion of vibrations propagated along said stem.

Claim 4

A system for transmitting signals along one of an elongated tubular drillstem and tubing string between a point in a well bore and a point at or near the earth's surface, said system comprising: an elongated tubular stem extending into a wellbore and supported by support means at the earth's surface; means associated with said stem for sensing a condition in said wellbore related to wellbore operations; means for converting signals related to said condition to a digital signal; means interposed in said stem for generating torsional vibrations in said stem for transmission along said stem toward the earth's surface, said means for generated torsional vibrations comprising a sub and at least two unbalanced rotor members supported on said sub and connected to motor means and operable to be driven at selected speeds and in selected phase relationship to each other for generating torsional vibrations in said sub and said stem at selected frequencies, and means connected to said stem for sensing said vibrations and for transmitting signals related to said vibrations to receiving means at or near the earth's surface whereby information related to said condition in said wellbore is transmitted to said receiving means through conversion of vibrations propagated along said stem.

Claim 5

A system for transmitting signals along an elongated tubing string between first and second spaced apart points on said tubing string, said system comprising: an elongated tubing string supported by support means; vibrator means interposed in said tubing string for generating vibrations for transmission along said tubing string between said first and second points, said vibrator means including a sub having a transverse flange, a generally annular member of magnetic material connected to said flange and disposed for oscillatory axial vibration for imparting compressional waves to said flange and to said tubing string, and a solenoid coil disposed in proximity to said annular member and adapted to be energized to oscillate said annular member at a selected oscillatory frequency for transmitting compressional stress waves along said tubing string; means for exciting said vibrator means to produce oscillatory vibrations for propagation along said tubing string between said first and second points; means connected to said tubing string for measuring vibrations transmitted along said tubing string and for generating signals related to said vibrations; and means for receiving said signals related to said vibrations representing information transmitted between said first and second points along said tubing string as oscillatory vibrations.

Claim 6

A system for transmitting signals along an elongated tubing string between first and second spaced apart points on said tubing string, said system comprising: an elongated tubing string supported by support means; vibrator means interposed in said tubing string for generating vibrations for transmission along said tubing string between said first and second points, said vibrator means including a sub having a transverse flange, a generally annular member of magnetic material connected to said flange and disposed for oscillatory axial vibration for imparting compressional waves to said flange and to said tubing string, and a solenoid coil disposed in proximity to said annular member and adapted to be energized to oscillate said annular member at a selected oscillatory frequency for transmitting compressional stress waves along said tubing string; means for exciting said vibrator means to produce oscillatory vibrations for propagation along said tubing string between said first and second points; means connected to said tubing string for measuring vibrations transmitted along said tubing string and for generating signals related to said vibrations; and means for receiving said signals related to said vibrations representing information transmitted between said first and second points along said tubing string as oscillatory vibrations.

Claim 7

A system for transmitting signals along an elongated tubing string between first and second spaced apart points on said tubing string, said system comprising: an elongated tubing string supported by support means; vibrator means interposed in said tubing string for generating vibrations for transmission along said tubing string between said first and second points; said vibrator means comprising at least two unbalanced rotor members connected to motor means and operable to be driven at selected speeds and in selected phase relationship to each other for generating torsional vibrations in said tubing string at selected frequencies; means for exciting said vibrator means to produce said torsional vibrations for propagation along said tubing string between said first and second points; means connected to said tubing string for measuring torsional vibrations transmitted along said tubing string and for generating signals related to said torsional vibrations; and means for receiving said signals related to said torsional vibrations representing information transmitted between said first and second points along said tubing string as torsional vibrations.

Claim 8

A system for transmitting signals along an elongated tubing string between first and second spaced apart points on said tubing string, said system comprising: an elongated tubing string supported by support means; vibrator means interposed in said tubing string for generating vibrations for transmission along said tubing string between said first and second points; said vibrator means comprising at least two unbalanced rotor members connected to motor means and operable to be driven at selected speeds and in selected phase relationship to each other for generating torsional vibrations in said tubing string at selected frequencies; means for exciting said vibrator means to produce said torsional vibrations for propagation along said tubing string between said first and second points; means connected to said tubing string for measuring torsional vibrations transmitted along said tubing string and for generating signals related to said torsional vibrations; and means for receiving said signals related to said torsional vibrations representing information transmitted between said first and second points along said tubing string as torsional vibrations.