Wireless Well Fluid Extraction Monitoring System

Abstract

A system for wirelessly monitoring a well fluid extraction process, which operates in conjunction with a host computer. The system includes a wireless base that has a base radio and a communication port to interface with the host computer. The system also has a first remote with a first remote radio that communicates with the base radio using a radio protocol. The first remote also has a first sensor interface that can receive a first sensor signal. The first remote digitally samples the first sensor signal at a predetermined sampling rate, and then communicates first sampled data to the wireless base through the radio protocol. A host software application, which executes on the host computer, receives the first sampled data from the wireless base communication port.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wireless dynamometer system, which operates in conjunction with a computer to monitor performance of a sucker rod driven pump, the system comprising:
 a host software application for execution on the computer;   a wireless base having a base radio transceiver interfaced to the computer;   a wireless remote having a sucker rod clamp, and having a strain gauge fixed to said sucker rod clamp and coupled to a first digital converter that samples, at a first sampling rate, load signals indicative of instantaneous sucker rod loads to generate a stream of load data;   an accelerometer, fixed to said wireless remote, and coupled to a second digital converter that samples sucker rod instant rate of acceleration signals at a second sampling rate to generate a stream of acceleration data;   a remote radio transceiver that transmits said stream of acceleration data and said stream of load data to said host software application through said base radio transceiver using a radio protocol, and wherein   said host software application receives and processes said stream of acceleration data and said stream of load data to generate and display, on the computer, a real time dynagraph showing performance of the sucker rod driven pump, and wherein   said base radio transceiver and said remote radio transceiver utilize said radio protocol to communicate host commands from said host software application to said wireless remote, and to communicate remote commands from said wireless remote to said host software application, and wherein said host commands include a synchronization signal sent to synchronize said first sampling rate of said first digital converter and said second sampling rate of said second digital converter.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , and wherein:
 said sucker rod clamp comprises a pretension adjustment means, and wherein   said strain gauge includes a pretension circuit that outputs a calibration signal indicating said pretension adjustment means is within an operating range.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , and wherein:
 said wireless remote includes an actuator coupled to said pretension circuit, wherein actuation of said actuator couples said calibration signal to said remote radio to transmit said calibration signal to said host software application, for display on the computer, thereby enabling visual confirmation of said strain gauge pretension.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , and wherein:
 said host software application displays a real time surface dynagraph, and calculates and displays a real time down-hole pump dynagraph.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , and wherein:
 said base radio transceiver and said remote radio transceiver are frequency agile between a configuration radio channel and data transfer radio channel, and wherein   said wireless remote operates on said configuration radio channel by default and changes to said data transfer radio channel upon receipt of a channel command from said host software application.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , and wherein:
 said remote wireless transceiver periodically transmits an identity beacon that contains a unique identification code for said wireless remote, and wherein   said base transceiver couples said unique identification code to said host software application, thereby making said host software application aware of the availability of said wireless remote, and wherein   said wireless remote is subsequently addressed according to said unique identification code by said host software application.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , and wherein:
 said first sampling rate and said second sampling rate are programmable by said host software application, and wherein   said host software application transmits a sampling rate command to said wireless remote to programmably control said first sampling rate and said second sampling rate.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , and wherein:
 said host software application analyzes said stream of acceleration data and said stream of load data, and generates a graphical animation of a down hole portion of the sucker rod driven pump.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 a second wireless remote having a second remote radio transceiver that communicates with said base radio transceiver using said radio protocol, and having a sensor interface to receive a stream of sensor signals, and wherein   said second wireless remote digitally samples said stream of sensor signals and communicates second sampled data to said host software application through said wireless base.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , and wherein;
 said wireless remote includes at least a first actuator coupled to said remote radio transceiver, and wherein   actuation of said actuator causes said wireless remote to transmit an actuation command, as one of said remotes commands, to said wireless base, and wherein   said actuation command is coupled from said wireless base to said host software application and causes said host software application to send a begin acquisition command, as one of said host commands, to said wireless remote to begin acquisition and processing of said stream of acceleration data and said stream of load data sensor data.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , and wherein;
 said host commands include an acquisition command for said wireless remote to begin, and a cease acquisition command for said first remote to terminate, said digital sampling and communication of said stream of acceleration data and said stream of load data.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , and wherein;
 said host commands include a sampling rate command, which is sent to said wireless remote and defines said first predetermined sampling rate and said second predetermined sampling rate.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , and wherein the wireless dynamometer system is further adapted to take acoustic echo readings through a well bore coupling in a well bore of a well fluid extraction process, the system further comprising:
 an acoustic gun assembly having a gas pressure reservoir gated with a solenoid valve to selectively release a shock wave of gas pressure to the well bore interface port;   a solenoid drive circuit coupled to open said solenoid valve in response to a fire command;   a microphone acoustically coupled to the well bore interface port to receive echo signals resulting from said shock wave;   a microphone convertor coupled to output a digital microphone signal;   a gun assembly radio transceiver coupled to said microphone convertor and said solenoid drive circuit, and adapted to communicate with said base radio transceiver according to said radio protocol, and wherein   said host software application communicates said fire command, as one of said host commands, to activate said solenoid valve to release said shock wave, and wherein   said gun assembly radio transceiver communicates said digital microphone signal to said base radio transceiver, thereby providing echo signals for analysis by said host software application.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 18 , and wherein:
 said host software application detects said shock wave of gas pressure within said digital microphone signal to establish a reference time for acoustic echo readings, also within said digital microphone signal.   
     
     
         15 . A method of wirelessly monitoring performance of a sucker rod driven pump using a computer running a host software application, which is interfaced with a wireless base having a base radio transceiver that communicates using a radio protocol with a wireless remote that includes a remote radio transceiver, wherein the wireless remote includes a sucker rod clamp with a strain gauge coupled to a first digital converter, and an accelerometer coupled to a second digital converter, the method comprising the steps of:
 generating a stream of load data using the first digital converter by sampling strain gage signals at a first sampling rate, which are indicative of instantaneous sucker rod loads;   generating a stream of acceleration data using the second digital converter by sampling accelerometer signals at a second sampling rate, which are indicative of sucker rod instant rate of acceleration;   transmitting the stream a load data and the stream of acceleration data to the host software application using the radio protocol between the remote radio transceiver and the base radio transceiver;   generating, and displaying on the computer, a real time dynagraph by the host software application, by processing the steam of load data and the stream of acceleration data, thereby showing performance of the sucker rod driven pump;   wirelessly communicating host commands from the host software application to the wireless remote, and communicating remote commands from the wireless remote to the host software application, and   synchronizing the first sampling rate and the second sampling rate by wirelessly sending a synchronization signal from the host software application to the wireless remote.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , and wherein the sucker rod clamp includes a pretension adjustment, and the strain gauge includes a pretension circuit that outputs a calibration signal, and further comprising the step of:
 adjusting the pretension adjustment to place the calibration signal within a predetermined operating range.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , and wherein the wireless remote includes an actuator coupled to the pretension circuit, and further comprising the steps of:
 wirelessly transmitting the calibration signal to the host software application upon actuating the actuator, and   displaying calibration information on a display of the computer, thereby enabling visual confirmation of the strain gauge pretension.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
 displaying, on the computer by the host software application, a real time surface dynagraph, and   calculating and displaying a real time down-hole pump dynagraph by the host software application.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , and wherein the base radio transceiver and the remote radio transceiver are frequency agile between a configuration radio channel and data transfer radio channel, and further comprising the steps of:
 operating the wireless remote on the configuration radio channel by default, and   changing to the data transfer radio channel upon receiving of a channel command from the host software application.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , and further comprising the steps of:
 periodically transmitting an identity beacon, by the wireless transceiver, that contains a unique identification code for the wireless remote;   coupling the unique identification code to the host software application, thereby making the host software application aware of the availability of the wireless remote, and   subsequently addressing the wireless remote according to the unique identification code.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , and wherein the first sampling rate and the second sampling rate are programmable by the host software application, and further comprising the steps of:
 transmitting, from the host software application, a sampling rate command to the wireless remote, thereby programming the first sampling rate and the second sampling rate.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , and further comprising the steps of:
 analyzing the stream of acceleration data and said stream of load data by the host software application, and generating a graphical animation of a down hole portion of the sucker rod driven pump.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , and wherein the wireless remote includes an actuator coupled to the remote radio transceiver, and further comprising the steps of:
 transmitting an actuation command to the wireless base by the wireless remote upon actuating the actuator, and   coupling the actuation command to the host software application, thereby causing the host software application to send a begin acquisition command, as one of the host commands, to the wireless remote to begin acquisition and processing of the stream of acceleration data and the stream of load data sensor data.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 15 , and further comprising the steps of:
 sending a sampling rate command, by the host software application, to the wireless remote, thereby defining a first predetermined sampling rate and a second predetermined sampling rate.