DOWNHOLE SELF-PROPELLING WIRELINE TOOL
20230112756 · 2023-04-13
Inventors
Cpc classification
E21B23/001
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
E21B23/14
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
International classification
E21B23/14
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
Abstract
The present invention relates to a downhole driving unit for propelling a tool forward in a well and/or for providing weight on a bit while performing an operation, comprising a tool body, an electric motor operating at a rotational speed and powered by a wireline, a plurality of projectable arm assemblies connected in a first arm end with the tool body, a plurality of wheels for contacting a wall of the well, each wheel comprising a hydraulic motor for rotation of the wheel, each arm assembly being at a second arm end connected with one of the plurality of wheels, and a first hydraulic pump driven by the electric motor for generation of a first fluid pressure for projection of the plurality of projectable arm assemblies, wherein the downhole driving unit further comprises a hydraulic section comprising a first controllable valve controlling the first fluid pressure. The invention also relates to a downhole system.
Claims
1. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool for propelling a tool forward in a well and/or for providing weight on a bit while performing an operation, comprising: a tool body, an electric motor operating at a rotational speed and powered by a wireline, a plurality of projectable arm assemblies movably connected at a first arm end with the tool body and projectable from the tool body by means of a first fluid having a first fluid pressure, a plurality of wheels for contacting a wall of the well, each wheel comprising a hydraulic motor for rotation of the wheel to provide a self-propelling movement, each wheel being connected with a second arm end of one of the arm assemblies, a first hydraulic pump driven by the electric motor for generation of a second fluid pressure of a second fluid for driving the hydraulic motor(s) rotating the wheel(s), and a first pressure sensor measuring the second fluid pressure, wherein the downhole self-propelling wireline tool further comprises a hydraulic section comprising a first controllable valve controlling the first fluid pressure based on the second fluid pressure.
2. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 1, wherein the first hydraulic pump generates the first fluid pressure for projection of the plurality of projectable arm assemblies.
3. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 1, further comprising a second hydraulic pump for generation of the first fluid pressure for projection of the plurality of projectable arm assemblies.
4. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic section further comprises a second controllable valve controlling the second fluid pressure.
5. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 1, further comprising an electric control unit for controlling the rotational speed of the electric motor.
6. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 1, further comprising a second electric motor driving a second hydraulic pump, the first electric motor driving the first hydraulic pump.
7. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 1, wherein the second hydraulic pump generates a third fluid pressure for projection of a second plurality of projectable arm assemblies, the second hydraulic pump generating a fourth fluid pressure for driving the hydraulic motor(s) rotating a second plurality of wheels.
8. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 7, further comprising a second hydraulic section comprising a third controllable valve controlling the third fluid pressure and a fourth controllable valve controlling the fourth fluid pressure.
9. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 1, wherein the controllable valve(s) is/are electronically controllable by means of an electric control unit.
10. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 5, wherein the electric control unit further comprises a voltage control unit.
11. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 5, wherein the electric control unit further comprises an electric current measuring unit.
12. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 5, wherein the electric control unit further comprises a voltage control unit comprising an electric voltage measuring unit.
13. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 1, wherein an electric control unit controls the controllable valve(s) based on the electric current and/or the electric voltage measured by the electric control unit.
14. A downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 1, wherein the controllable valve(s) is/are (a) controllable pressure relief valve(s).
15. A downhole system comprising the downhole self-propelling wireline tool according to claim 1, the wireline and a user interface at surface for controlling at least part of the downhole self-propelling wireline tool.
Description
[0067] The invention and its many advantages will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, which for the purpose of illustration show some non-limiting embodiments and in which:
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[0074] All the figures are highly schematic and not necessarily to scale, and they show only those parts which are necessary in order to elucidate the invention, other parts being omitted or merely suggested.
[0075]
[0076] By having a first controllable valve controlling the first fluid pressure based on the second fluid pressure, the wheels are not pressed more outwards than needed.
[0077] The higher the second fluid pressure, the higher the first pressure needs to be in order to propel the downhole self-propelling wireline tool 1 forward in the well in the most optimal manner. When having a low second fluid pressure, the first pressure is adjusted to match the low second fluid pressure so that power is not wasted on providing a first fluid pressure higher than needed. Furthermore, if the first fluid pressure is higher than the optimal first fluid pressure matching the present second fluid pressure, then too much friction is applied to the wall of the well, compromising the maximum available velocity of the downhole driving unit.
[0078] The first pressure sensor 49 continuously measures the second fluid pressure, and data representing the measured second fluid pressure is communicated to the electric control unit. When the second fluid pressure changes, the electric control unit electrically controls the first controllable valve by conducting electric power to the valve for moving the valve to a more or less open position, and thus the first controllable valve 16 controls the first fluid pressure based on the second fluid pressure. Thus, the sensor and the valve can be seen as a feedback loop where the measurement is fed back to control the valve, and thus an increase or decrease in the second fluid pressure is utilised to provide a resulting action on the valve to increase or decrease the pressure projecting the arms based on the rotational speed of the wheels.
[0079] In
[0080] As shown in
[0081] The downhole self-propelling wireline tool 1 further comprises a compensator 35 for providing a predetermined overpressure in the tool so that the well fluid does not enter into the tool and jeopardise the function of the tool, and so that the dirty well fluid is not mixed with the hydraulic fluid in the tool.
[0082] In
[0083] The adjustment of the operational rotational speed of the electric motor may be performed continuously so as to optimise the pulling force F and speed of the tool to keep the power demand below the power curve P of the graph in area A shown in
[0084] In
[0085] Thereby, a very simple way of adjusting the speed of the hydraulically driven downhole self-propelling wireline tool 1 is provided as only the motor is adjusted to limit the speed, and the more complex hydraulic section merely adjusts the first controllable valve 16 for controlling the first fluid pressure based on the second fluid pressure, thus optimising that sufficient power is provided to project the wheel arms, but not more than needed. The speed of the hydraulically driven downhole self-propelling wireline tool 1 is thus adjusted continuously using all available power, i.e. below the current limit, either for driving at a maximum speed or at the required force and the corresponding maximum allowable speed, and the hydraulically driven downhole self-propelling wireline tool 1 is able to drive at maximum speed until the force to pull the wireline increases to a first force at the power limit curve, above which first force the speed, and thus the rotational speed of the electric motor 4, needs to be reduced so that the current limit is not exceeded. The hydraulically driven downhole self-propelling wireline tool 1 is thus controlled to continuously adjust its speed to a maximum without exceeding the current limit of the wireline 5. By having the first controllable valve 16 controlling the first fluid pressure based on the second fluid pressure, the continuous control of the hydraulically driven downhole self-propelling wireline tool 1 is optimised even further so that no power is wasted on projecting the projectable arm assemblies 6 out towards the wall of the well other than what is needed for optimal friction between the wheels 8 and the wall to drive the hydraulically driven downhole self-propelling wireline tool 1 forward.
[0086] In
[0087] The electric control unit 18 comprises a motor driver 28, a master and/or or a voltage inverter. The electric control unit 18 determines 145 or the motor driver 28 determines 145a an operational rotational speed of the electric motor 4, and the motor driver 28 is configured to measure 125 current over the three phases to determine 130 a motor output torque of the electric motor 4. The electric control unit 18 or the motor driver 28 is configured to determine 140 a maximum allowable motor rotational speed based on the motor output torque and to compare 150 the operational rotational speed with the maximum allowable motor rotational speed and then adjust 160 the operational rotational speed of the electric motor 4 based on the comparison in order to adjust the first speed to a second speed if the operational rotational speed is higher than the maximum allowable motor rotational speed. Optionally, determining 140 a maximum allowable motor rotational speed based on the motor output torque may also be based on pre-set values 142 for maximum power or maximum current. Furthermore, the electric control unit 18 or the motor driver 28 may measure 135 a current demand of/input to the electric motor and measure 135b a voltage input to the electric motor 4, and determining 140 a maximum allowable motor speed based on the motor output torque may thus also be based on a measured current and a measured voltage of the electric motor 4.
[0088] By measuring the actual current demand and voltage of the electric motor 4, the maximum allowable motor speed can be determined more precisely as the efficiency of the electric motor 4 varies depending on the operational rotational speed of the electric motor 4. Thus, at a high rotational speed the current demand is lower than at a low rotational speed for the same power output, and the maximum power may therefore be varied to be somewhat larger at high rotational speed than when assuming that the maximum power is constant.
[0089] The allowable effect of the electric motor 4 varies with temperature so that at lower temperatures, e.g. below 200° C., the electric motor may run at higher effect than at higher temperatures. The downhole self-propelling wireline tool may therefore comprise a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the electric motor and adjusting the allowable effect level of the motor accordingly.
[0090] The method as shown in
[0091] The downhole self-propelling wireline tool 1 further comprises a surface readout module 29 for sending measured tool parameters, such as the first fluid pressure, the second fluid pressure, the operational rotational speed of the electric motor 4 and/or the motor output torque, to surface.
[0092] In
[0093] In
[0094] The tool string of
[0095] The first downhole self-propelling wireline tool la comprises the electric control unit 18, the electric motor 4, one or two hydraulic pumps 12, the hydraulic section 15 and the drive section 30, 30a with wheels 8 on projectable arm assemblies 6. The second downhole self-propelling wireline tool 1b comprises the electric control unit 18b, the electric motor 22, one or two hydraulic pumps 14, the hydraulic section 15 and the drive section 30, 30b with wheels 24 on projectable arm assemblies 23. The first downhole self-propelling wireline tool la is connected to the cable head 44 and the wireline 5. The hydraulic section 15 is configured to measure the first and second fluid pressures by means of the first pressure sensor 49 and a second pressure sensor 48 and to control the valves based on the measured first and second fluid pressures. The second hydraulic section 25 is configured to measure the third and fourth fluid pressures by means of a third pressure sensor 48b and a fourth pressure sensor 49b and to control the valves based on the measured third and fourth fluid pressures. The controllable valve(s) 16, 17, 26, 27 is/are (a) controllable pressure relief valve(s) and may be controllable from surface. The power to the tool string is thus divided equally between the first and second electric motors 4, 22 so that each motor is limited to half of the current limit to ensure that the tool string does not exceed the allowed current limit on the wireline 5.
[0096] The step of running 110 comprises running both the first and second downhole self-propelling wireline tools 1, 1a, 1b into the wellbore 2, and the step of supplying 120 electric power comprises supplying electric power to both the first and second downhole self-propelling wireline tools 1, 1a, 1b to operate the first and second downhole self-propelling wireline tools 1, 1a, 1b at a first speed to urge the tool string through the wellbore 2 at a first force, and the step of determining 130 comprises determining a motor output torque of both the first and second electric motors 4, 22, and the step of determining 140 comprises determining a maximum allowable motor rotational speed based on the motor output torque of both the first and second electric motors, and the step of comparing 150 comprises comparing the operational rotational speed of both the first and second electric motors 4, 22 with the maximum allowable motor rotational speed, and wherein the step of adjusting 160 comprises adjusting the operational rotational speed of both the first and second electric motors 4, 22 based on the comparison in order to adjust the first speed to a second speed if the operational rotational speed is higher than the maximum allowable motor rotational speed.
[0097] The electric control unit(s) 18, 18b further comprise(s) a voltage control unit 19 having an overvoltage protection unit, so that voltage fed to the tool is kept more constant, and an electric current measuring unit 20. In
[0098] In
[0099] By having an electric motor and a pump for each drive section, the downhole self-propelling wireline tool string 1 is able to drive at full speed as one drive section and with double pulling force as two drive sections. The power curve, e.g. 3 kW, of a known tool string having one pump for driving two drive sections starts at the same maximum force as the power curve of the tool string having at least one pump for each drive section, but the power curve (shown in
[0100] A stroking tool is a tool providing an axial force. The stroking tool comprises an electric motor for driving a pump. The pump pumps fluid into a piston housing to move a piston acting therein. The piston is arranged on the stroker shaft. The pump may pump fluid out of the piston housing on one side and simultaneously suck fluid in on the other side of the piston.
[0101] By “fluid” or “well fluid” is meant any kind of fluid that may be present in oil or gas wells downhole, such as natural gas, oil, oil mud, crude oil, water, etc. By “gas” is meant any kind of gas composition present in a well, completion or open hole, and by “oil” is meant any kind of oil composition, such as crude oil, an oil-containing fluid, etc. Gas, oil and water fluids may thus all comprise other elements or substances than gas, oil and/or water, respectively.
[0102] By “casing” or “well tubular metal structure” is meant any kind of pipe, tubing, tubular, liner, string, etc., used downhole in relation to oil or natural gas production.
[0103] Although the invention has been described above in connection with preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that several modifications are conceivable without departing from the invention as defined by the following claims.