US2006233217A1PendingUtilityA1

Fiber optic sensing systems and methods

41
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jun 13, 2003Filed: Jun 15, 2006Published: Oct 19, 2006
Est. expiryJun 13, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Daniel D. Gleitman
E21B 47/135G01N 2021/7786G01N 21/77E21B 47/06G01N 21/645G01K 13/02E21B 47/07G01N 21/71E21B 49/00G01V 8/16
41
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Claims

Abstract

Fiber optic sensing systems and methods. In a described embodiment, a fiber optic sensing system includes an optical fiber transmitting energy to a chemical vapor deposited diamond material proximate a substance in a well. The diamond material is deposited as a coating on a substrate. The substrate and coating are heated when the energy is transmitted by the optical fiber. This heats the substance in the well, which is detected to determine a property of the substance. In another embodiment, light energy is transmitted through the diamond material.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 13 . (canceled)  
   
   
       14 . A fiber optic sensing system for use in detecting at least one property of a substance or heat transfer characteristic of a location proximate to the substance in a subterranean well, the sensing system comprising: 
 an optical fiber for transmitting energy to a sensor surface, the sensor surface being heated when energy is transmitted by the optical fiber; and    a first temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the substance.    
   
   
       15 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the substance is a fluid, and wherein the first temperature sensor detects a temperature of the fluid proximate the sensor surface.  
   
   
       16 . The sensing system according to  claim 15 , wherein the substance is a fluid, and wherein the first temperature sensor detects a temperature of the fluid remote from the sensor surface.  
   
   
       17 . The sensing system according to  claim 16 , wherein the first temperature sensor detects a temperature of the fluid upstream from the sensor surface.  
   
   
       18 . The sensing system according to  claim 16 , wherein the first temperature sensor detects a temperature of the fluid downstream from the sensor surface.  
   
   
       19 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , further comprising a second temperature sensor positioned remote from the first temperature sensor.  
   
   
       20 . The sensing system according to  claim 19 , wherein the first temperature sensor detects the temperature of the substance proximate the sensor surface, and the second sensor detects the temperature of the substance remote from the sensor surface.  
   
   
       21 . The sensing system according to  claim 20 , wherein the second temperature sensor is downstream from the first temperature sensor.  
   
   
       22 . The sensing system according to  claim 20 , wherein the second temperature sensor is upstream from the first temperature sensor.  
   
   
       23 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , further comprising an energy converter between the optical fiber and the sensor surface, the converter converting light energy transmitted by the optical fiber into heat energy in the sensor surface.  
   
   
       24 . The sensing system according to  claim 23 , wherein the energy converter is a black body interface.  
   
   
       25 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensor surface is on a diamond material.  
   
   
       26 . The sensing system according to  claim 25  wherein the diamond material is a chemical vapor deposition coating.  
   
   
       27 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein energy transmitted by the optical fiber heats a substrate on which the sensor surface is disposed.  
   
   
       28 . The sensing system according to  claim 27 , further comprising an energy converter between the optical fiber and the substrate, the converter converting light energy transmitted by the optical fiber into heat energy in the substrate.  
   
   
       29 . The sensing system according to  claim 28 , wherein the energy converter is a black body interface.  
   
   
       30 . The sensing system according to  claim 27 , wherein the sensor surface is on a diamond material attached to the substrate, the diamond material having greater thermal conductivity than the substrate.  
   
   
       31 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , further comprising a laser transmitting the energy through the optical fiber.  
   
   
       32 . The sensing system according to  claim 31 , wherein the laser is positioned in the well.  
   
   
       33 . The sensing system according to  claim 31 , wherein the laser is positioned at the earth's surface.  
   
   
       34 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the substance is a fluid within a tubular string in the well.  
   
   
       35 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the substance is a fluid external to a tubular string in the well.  
   
   
       36 . The sensing system according to  claim 35 , wherein the fluid is disposed in an annulus between the tubular string and casing in the well.  
   
   
       37 . The sensing system according to  claim 35 , wherein the tubular string is casing, and wherein the fluid is formation fluid.  
   
   
       38 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the substance is a hardenable material positioned in an annulus between a wellbore and casing in the well.  
   
   
       39 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the substance is a formation intersected by a wellbore of the well.  
   
   
       40 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the substance is a solid structure in the well.  
   
   
       41 . The sensing system according to  claim 40 , wherein the structure is a tubular string.  
   
   
       42 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensing system includes multiple sensors distributed circumferentially about a tubular string in the well.  
   
   
       43 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensing system detects a level of an interface between different fluids flowing through a tubular string in the well.  
   
   
       44 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensing system includes multiple sensors distributed longitudinally along a tubular string in the well.  
   
   
       45 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensing system detects a level of an interface between different fluids in a formation intersected by the well.  
   
   
       46 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the substance is a hardenable material installed external to a tubular string in the well, and wherein the sensing system detects a quality of installation of the hardenable material.  
   
   
       47 . The sensing system according to  claim 46 , wherein the sensing system detects a presence of a fluid in the hardenable material.  
   
   
       48 . The sensing system according to  claim 46 , wherein the sensing system detects a presence of a void in the hardenable material.  
   
   
       49 . The sensing system according to  claim 46 , wherein the sensing system detects a presence of a crack in the hardenable material.  
   
   
       50 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensing system detects a direction of flow of the substance through a tubular string in the well.  
   
   
       51 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensing system detects a rate of flow of the substance through a tubular string in the well.  
   
   
       52 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensing system detects a property indicative of an identity of the substance in the well.  
   
   
       53 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensing system detects a phase change in the substance in the well.  
   
   
       54 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensing system detects a ratio between different fluids included in the substance in the well.  
   
   
       55 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the substance is a tubular string material, and wherein the sensing system detects a thermal property of the tubular string material.  
   
   
       56 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the substance is a formation, and wherein the sensing system detects a thermal property of the formation.  
   
   
       57 . The sensing system according to  claim 56 , wherein the sensing system detects a thermal property of a fluid in the formation.  
   
   
       58 . The sensing system according to  claim 56 , wherein the sensing system detects a location of a fluid in the formation.  
   
   
       59 . The sensing system according to  claim 56 , wherein the sensing system detects a presence of a fracture in the formation.  
   
   
       60 . The sensing system according to  claim 56 , wherein the sensing system detects a location of a fracture in the formation.  
   
   
       61 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the detection of the substance temperature by the sensing system is indicative of a heat transfer characteristic of a local well environment.  
   
   
       62 . The sensing system according to  claim 61 , wherein the heat transfer characteristic is a heat capacity of the local well environment.  
   
   
       63 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the substance is a hardenable material positioned external to a tubular string, and wherein the sensing system detects a thermal property of the hardenable material.  
   
   
       64 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the substance is a tubular string material, and wherein the sensing system detects a thermal property of the tubular string material.  
   
   
       65 . The sensing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the substance is a fluid in the well, and wherein the sensing system detects a thermal property of the fluid.  
   
   
       66 - 140 . (canceled)

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