Apparatus and method for power management of downhole tool

Abstract

An apparatus for power conservation and selectively switching between one or more power source and a load disposed within a downhole tool based on specific condition of the environment comprising an electrical load, at least one electric power source, a controllable power switch for selectively electrically connecting and disconnecting the electric power and a controller responsive to a predetermined change in the environment; A method for power conservation of a downhole tool in response to a predetermined change in a physical property of the environment, and a method for cooling a component in a downhole tool using drilling fluid inserted form surface.

Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims: 
     
         1 . An apparatus configured and arranged to work inside a downhole tool used in a downhole environment of subterranean wells comprising:
 An electrical load having at least one load value selected from the set comprising;
 A first load, 
 A second load; 
   At least one electric power source for providing electric power to operate the electrical load disposed within the apparatus;   A controllable power switch for electrically connecting and disconnecting the electric power source to the electrical load having plurality of modes selected from the set comprising;
 A first connecting mode wherein the electric power source is connected to the first load, 
 A second connecting mode wherein the electric power source is connected to the second load, 
 And a disconnecting mode wherein the electric power source is not connected to the electrical load 
   a controller comprising a sensor having at least two states selected from the set of states comprising
 a first power state wherein the controllable power switch is in the first connecting mode, 
 a second power state wherein the controllable power switch is in the second connecting mode, 
 and an off state wherein the electrical power switch is in the disconnecting mode; 
   wherein the controller state is responsive to a predetermined change in the environment detected by the sensor;   wherein the controllable power switch is responsive to the controller state.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is selected from the set comprising:
 A volt sensor, an electrical current sensor, an electrical power sensor, a fluid flow sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a magnetic sensor, a GPS, a Radio Frequency sensor, a sonic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a movement sensor sensitive to the movement of the apparatus; an inclination sensor sensitive to the inclination of the apparatus, a light sensor, a rotation sensor sensitive to the rotation of the apparatus, and a timer;   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the change of the environment is selected from the set comprising; pressure, fluid flow rate, temperature, magnetic field, geographical position, electromagnetic waves, noise, distance from an object, movement, inclination, light, rotation, time, timer, volt value of an electric power source, electric current drained from an electric power source and electric power consumed from an electric power source. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the electric power source is selected from the set comprising a battery, a plurality of batteries connected in series, a plurality of batteries connected in parallel, a plurality of batteries connected partially in series and partially in parallel, an electric power generator, an energy harvester, an electric power converter, an electric power supply;   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is selected from the set comprising a mechanical controller, a hydraulic controller, an electronic controller, a microprocessor, a micro controller, a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), and a Distributed Control System (DCS). 
     
     
         6 . A method for power management of a downhole tool comprising,
 Disposing in a wellbore a downhole tool comprising:
 An electrical load having at least one load value selected from the set comprising;
 A first load, 
 A second load; 
 
 At least one electric power source for providing electric power to operate the electrical load disposed within the apparatus; 
 A controllable power switch for selectively electrically connecting and disconnecting the electric power source to the electrical load having plurality of modes selected from the set comprising; 
 A first connecting mode wherein the source is connected to the first load, 
 A second connecting mode wherein the electric power source is connected to the second load, 
 And a disconnecting mode wherein the electric power source is not connected to the electrical load 
 a controller comprising a sensor having at least two states selected from the set of states comprising 
 a first power state wherein the controllable power switch is in the first connecting mode, 
 a second power state wherein the controllable power switch is in the second connecting mode, 
 and an off state wherein the electrical power switch is in the disconnecting mode; 
 wherein the controller state is responsive to a predetermined change in the environment detected by the sensor; 
 wherein the controllable power switch is responsive to the controller state; 
   Causing a change of the environment selected form the set comprising:
 pressure, fluid flow rate, temperature, magnetic field, geographical position, electromagnetic waves, noise, distance from objects, movement, inclination, light, ultraviolet signal, infrared signal, rotation, time, timer, volt value of an electric power source, electric current drained from an electric power source; 
   Changing the controller state in response to the change of the environment to a state selected from the set comprising:
 a first power state, a second power state and an off state; 
   Changing the controllable power switch mode from a first mode to a second mode selected from the set comprising:
 a first connecting mode, a second connecting mode and an disconnecting mode. 
   
     
     
         7 . A method of changing temperature of a component compartment in a downhole tool used in drilling a well, the method comprising;
 Disposing to a particular depth within a well an apparatus comprising:
 a body adapted to be connected to the tubular string; 
 an internal fluid passage for connecting fluid through the body having an inlet port and an outlet port; 
 an component compartment within the body thermally coupled to the internal fluid passage; 
 Wherein the component compartment temperature is responsive to the temperature of the internal fluid passage. 
   The step of inserting a fluid from shallower depth into the tubular string and through the internal fluid passage, wherein the fluid temperature is of a different temperature when compared the earth temperature at the apparatus   The step of thermally coupling the fluid temperature to the component compartment for changing the component compartment temperature compared to earth temperature at the same depth of the apparatus.   
     
     
         8 . The method in  claim 7  wherein the inserted fluid from surface is of a lower temperature than the earth temperature at the downhole tool. 
     
     
         9 . The method in  claim 7  wherein the component compartment is thermally isolated from the annulus.