U.S. patent application number 11/685981 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-18 for cooling systems for downhole tools.
This patent application is currently assigned to SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Anthony Goodwin.
Application Number | 20080223579 11/685981 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39327971 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080223579 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Goodwin; Anthony |
September 18, 2008 |
Cooling Systems for Downhole Tools
Abstract
A cooling system for a downhole tool includes an insulating
chamber disposed in the downhole tool, wherein the insulating
chamber is adapted to house an object to be cooled; a
thermoacoustic cooler disposed in the downhole tool, wherein the
thermoacoustic cooler has a cold end configured to remove heat from
the insulating chamber and a hot end configured to dissipate heat;
and an energy source for generating an acoustic wave in the
thermoacoustic cooler. A method for constructing a downhole tool
includes disposing a to-be-cooled object in an insulating chamber
in the downhole tool; and disposing a thermoacoustic cooler in the
downhole tool proximate the insulating chamber such that the
thermoacoustic cooler is configured to remove heat from the
insulating chamber.
Inventors: |
Goodwin; Anthony; (Sugar
Land, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCHLUMBERGER OILFIELD SERVICES
200 GILLINGHAM LANE, MD 200-9
SUGAR LAND
TX
77478
US
|
Assignee: |
SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY
CORPORATION
Sugar Land
TX
|
Family ID: |
39327971 |
Appl. No.: |
11/685981 |
Filed: |
March 14, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
166/302 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25B 2309/1405 20130101;
F25B 2309/1407 20130101; F25B 9/145 20130101; F25B 2309/1424
20130101; E21B 47/017 20200501; F25B 2309/1403 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
166/302 |
International
Class: |
E21B 36/00 20060101
E21B036/00 |
Claims
1. A cooling system for a downhole tool, comprising: an insulating
chamber disposed in the downhole tool, wherein the insulating
chamber is adapted to house an object to be cooled; a
thermoacoustic cooler disposed in the downhole tool, wherein the
thermoacoustic cooler has a cold end configured to remove heat from
the insulating chamber and a hot end configured to dissipate heat;
and an energy source for generating an acoustic wave in the
thermoacoustic cooler.
2. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the thermoacoustic cooler
comprises: a resonator containing a refrigerant; and a plurality of
plates forming a stack to exchange heat with the refrigerant.
3. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the thermoacoustic cooler
is a pulse-tube refrigerator.
4. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein the resonator has a
substantially cylindrical shape and the plurality of plates are
stacked along an axial direction of the resonator.
5. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein the resonator comprises a
spherical-shaped portion connected to a tube-shaped portion.
6. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein the resonator comprises a
tube structure forming a loop having a length that is an integer
multiple of a wavelength of the acoustic wave.
7. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein the refrigerant is one
selected from the group consisting of helium, argon, a mixture of
argon and helium, and liquid sodium.
8. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the energy source
comprises a loudspeaker.
9. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the energy source
comprises a thermal generator.
10. The cooling system of claim 1, further comprising a heat pipe
disposed between the cold end of the thermoacoustic cooler and the
insulating chamber, wherein the heat pipe is adapted to conduct
heat from the insulating chamber to the cold end of the
thermoacoustic cooler.
11. A method for constructing a downhole tool, comprising:
disposing a to-be-cooled object in an insulating chamber in the
downhole tool; and disposing a thermoacoustic cooler in the
downhole tool proximate the insulating chamber such that the
thermoacoustic cooler is configured to remove heat from the
insulating chamber.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the thermoacoustic cooler
comprises: a resonator containing a refrigerant; and a plurality of
plates forming a stack to exchange heat with the refrigerant.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the refrigerant is one selected
from the group consisting of helium, argon, a mixture of argon and
helium, and liquid sodium.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the resonator has a
substantially cylindrical shape and the plurality of plates are
stacked along an axial direction of the resonator.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the resonator comprises a
spherical-shaped portion connected to a tube-shaped portion.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein the resonator comprises a tube
structure forming a loop having a length that is an integer
multiple of a wavelength of the acoustic wave.
17. A method for cooling a portion of a downhole tool, comprising:
providing a thermoacoustic cooler in the downhole tool proximate
the portion to be cooled; and energizing the thermoacoustic cooler
to generate an acoustic wave such that heat is removed from the
portion to be cooled.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the energizing is by supplying
electrical power from a source selected from the group consisting
of a surface electrical source, a downhole battery, and a downhole
power generator.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates generally to techniques for
maintaining downhole tools and their components within a desired
temperature range in high-temp environments, and, more
specifically, to a thermoacoustic cooling system for use with
downhole tools.
[0003] 2. Background Art
[0004] Various well logging and monitoring techniques are known in
the field of hydrocarbon and water exploration and production.
These techniques employ downhole tools or instruments equipped with
sources adapted to emit energy through a borehole traversing the
subsurface formation. The emitted energy passes through the
borehole fluid ("mud") and into the surrounding formations to
produce signals that are detected and measured by one or more
sensors, which typically are also disposed on the downhole tools.
By processing the detected signal data, a profile of the formation
properties is obtained.
[0005] A downhole tool, comprising a number of emitting sources and
sensors for measuring various parameters, may be lowered into a
borehole on the end of a cable, a wireline, or a drill string. Data
collected by the sensors are sent to a processing center at the
surface through the cable/wireline. With this type of wireline
logging, it becomes possible to measure borehole and formation
parameters as a function of depth, e.g., while the tool is being
pulled uphole.
[0006] An alternative to wireline logging techniques is collecting
data in downhole conditions during the drilling process. By
collecting and processing information during the drilling process,
an operator can modify or correct key steps of the operation to
optimize performance in real time. Schemes for collecting data of
downhole conditions and movement of the drilling assembly during
the drilling operation are known as Measurement While Drilling
(MWD) techniques. Similar techniques focusing more on measurement
of formation parameters than on movement of the drilling assembly
are know as Logging While Drilling (LWD).
[0007] Logging While Tripping (LWT) is an alternative to LWD and
MWD techniques. In LWT, a small-diameter "run-in" tool is sent
downhole through the drill pipe, at the end of a bit run, just
before the drill pipe is pulled. The run-in tool is used to measure
downhole physical quantities as the drill string is extracted or
tripped out of the hole. Measured data is recorded in tool memory,
as a function of time, during the trip out. At the surface, a
second set of equipment records bit depth versus time for the trip
out, and this allows the measurements to be placed on depth.
[0008] FIG. 1 shows a conventional logging tool 12 disposed in a
borehole 11 that penetrates a subsurface formation 10. The logging
tool 12 may be deployed on a wireline 13 via a wireline control
mechanism 14. In addition, the logging tool 12 may be connected to
surface equipment 15, which may include a computer (not shown).
[0009] Downhole tools are exposed to extreme temperatures (up to
260.degree. C.) and pressures (up to 30,000 psi and possibly up to
40,000 psi in the future). An operation temperature of 473 K
(245.degree. C.) or higher, which is likely to be encountered in
deep wells, already exceeds the operating temperatures of most
logging tools. In order to drill deeper, new tools will need to be
developed.
[0010] The downhole tools are typically equipped with sensitive
components (e.g., electronics packages and mechanical seals) that
often are not designed for such harsh environments. The trend among
manufacturers of electronic components is to address the high
volume commercial market, making it difficult to find components
for downhole tools. At the same time, the oilfield industry is
moving toward the exploration of deeper and hotter reservoirs as
more-easily accessible resources are being depleted. As a result,
there is an urgent need for methods or devices that permit the
sensitive electronic components to be operated at high
temperatures.
[0011] Redesigning silicon chips to operate at high temperatures is
costly, and has a significant impact on the development time and
thus the time to market. The alternative is to have systems to
protect the electronic components from the high temperature
environments. Conventional techniques include those that insulate
the sensitive components from the hot environments, such as putting
them in Dewar flasks. This technique protects the tool only for a
limited duration of time, and the nature of the flasks makes them
intrinsically fragile.
[0012] Alternatively, existing equipment can be modified to include
active cooling systems. Cooling is not only required by
electronics, but also is needed in some mechanical parts within the
system, or for reservoir hydrocarbon samples. A cooling system
capable of providing multi-watt refrigeration for
thermally-protected electronic components in downhole tools would
enable the use of electronic and sensor technologies that are
otherwise not suitable for high-temperature applications. This
would reduce the ever-increasing costs associated with the
development and implementation of high-temperature electronics, and
make it possible to introduce new technologies to subsurface
exploration and production. A cooling system for use in a downhole
tool needs to fit in the limited space within the tool. Examples
for the use of active cooling in downhole tools may be found in
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20050097911 by Revellat et
al., which discloses downhole tools with Stirling cooling
systems.
[0013] Although some cooling systems for use in downhole tools have
been proposed, a need remains for improved cooling/refrigeration
techniques for downhole tools.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0014] One aspect of the invention relates to cooling systems for
downhole tools. A cooling system in accordance with one embodiment
of the invention includes an insulating chamber disposed in the
downhole tool, wherein the insulating chamber is adpated to house
an object to be cooled; a thermoacoustic cooler disposed in the
downhole tool, wherein the thermoacoustic cooler has a cold end
configured to remove heat from the insulating chamber and a hot end
configured to dissipate heat; and an energy source for generating
an acoustic wave in the thermoacoustic cooler.
[0015] One aspect of the invention relates to methods for
constructing a downhole tool. A method in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention includes disposing a to-be-cooled
object in an insulating chamber in the downhole tool; and disposing
a thermoacoustic cooler in the downhole tool proximate the
insulating chamber such that the thermoacoustic cooler is
configured to remove heat from the insulating chamber.
[0016] One aspect of the invention relates to methods for cooling a
portion of a downhole tool. A method in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention includes providing a thermoacoustic
cooler in the downhole tool proximate to the portion to be cooled;
and energizing the thermoacoustic cooler to generate an acoustic
wave such that heat is removed from the portion to be cooled.
[0017] Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the following description and the appended
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 shows a conventional downhole tool disposed in a
borehole.
[0019] FIG. 2 shows a downhole tool including a thermoacoustic
cooler in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
[0020] FIG. 3 shows a downhole tool including a thermoacoustic
cooler in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
[0021] FIG. 4A shows a basic structure of a thermoacoustic cooler
to be disposed in a downhole tool in accordance with one embodiment
of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 4B shows a diagram illustrating a thermoacoustic
cycle.
[0023] FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustrating a thermoacoustic
cooler having a cylindrical geometry.
[0024] FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustrating a thermoacoustic
cooler including a sonic compressor.
[0025] FIG. 7 illustrates a traveling-wave refrigerator.
[0026] FIG. 8 illustrates a pulse-tube refrigerator.
[0027] FIG. 9A shows a heat-driven thermoacoustic refrigerator;
FIG. 9B shows a loudspeaker driven thermoacoustic refrigerator
similar to that in FIG. 9A.
[0028] FIG. 10 shows a generalized schematic illustrating heat
transfer using a thermoacoustic cooler in accordance with some
embodiments of the invention.
[0029] FIG. 11 illustrates a method for manufacturing a downhole
tool in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] Embodiments of the invention relate to cooling systems for
use in downhole tools. In particular, cooling systems in accordance
with some embodiments of the invention are based on thermoacoustic
cooling. A thermoacoustic cooling system functions by generating an
acoustic wave to oscillate or resonate within a space (a
resonator). The fluid molecules that oscillate or resonate within a
resonator contact a plurality of thermal conductive plates and
transfer heat to these plates. The heat can then be removed from
these plates.
[0031] Before describing thermoacoustic cooling in detail, various
techniques that can potentially be used in downhole tools are
summarized as follows.
(1) Thermoelectric Cooling (TEC)
[0032] TEC systems are advantageous over conventional refrigerating
systems in many aspects, such as being more compact and involving
only solid-state components. TEC is based on the Peltier effect,
which occurs when electric current flows through two dissimilar
materials. Depending on the current flow directions, cooling or
heating could be achieved at the junction between the two
dissimilar materials. However, TEC coolers cannot handle much power
and are typically used to cool electronic circuitry that requires a
cooling power below 100 W.
(2) Isentropic Expansion
[0033] In a thermally insulated container, a fast, but not
explosively-fast, expansion of gas is considered an isentropic
expansion. In isentropic expansion, the temperature T of the gas
varies with the pressure p as:
( .differential. T .differential. p ) s = T ( .differential. V
.differential. T ) p / C p = TaV m / C p , m , ( 1 )
##EQU00001##
wherein S is the entropy, V is the volume, C.sub.p is the heat
capacity at a constant pressure, a is the isothermal expansivity,
and the subscript m indicates a molar quantity. For an ideal
gas,
pV.sub.m=RT. (2)
and Equations (1) and (2) result in
T.sub.2=T.sub.1(p.sub.2/p.sub.1).sup.R/C.sup.p,m, (3)
wherein R is the gas constant. For an ideal monoatomic gas,
C.sub.p,m=5R/2.
[0034] At T.sub.1=473 K, a temperature likely to be encountered in
a deep well, an isentropic expansion from p.sub.1=140 MPa to
p.sub.2=35 MPa yields a cooled temperature T.sub.2=271 K. Thus,
using this cooling mechanism, it is possible to achieve a net
cooling of 200 K without increasing temperatures elsewhere in the
system.
[0035] However, this process needs a large volume of gas, which has
a relatively low heat capacity (compared to, e.g., that of water),
to cool a massive metal tool. Although it is possible to feed the
large volume of gas through a tube from the surface, it is
inconvenient.
(3) Enthalpy of a Phase Transition
[0036] Alternative to feeding a large volume of gas through a tube
from the surface to the downhole tool, liquids such as liquid
nitrogen may be fed to the downhole tool through a tube. Liquids
have much smaller volumes than the corresponding gases. For
example, liquid nitrogen may be used to provide gaseous nitrogen as
a refrigerant. The liquid-to-gas phase transition provides the
cooling. Other phase transitions may also be used in this type of
cooling to provide the enthalpy of evaporation.
(4) Vapor-to-Liquid Compression
[0037] Vapor-to-liquid compression is typically used in home
refrigerators and air-conditioning systems. This process often uses
halogenated hydrocarbons that can be readily condensed to liquid at
the hot side of the system. For downhole tools at an ambient
temperature of about 200.degree. C., conventional refrigerants and
lubricants cannot be used.
(5) Liquid Compression
[0038] Refrigerators working under this principle are referred to
as Malone refrigerators. See, e.g., G. W. Swift, Los Alamos Sci.
1993, 21, 112-123 (hereinafter "Swift (1993)," which is
incorporated by reference in its entirety. Liquids without
undergoing a vapor-to-liquid phase transition as cooling agents
have certain advantages. For example, the isothermal
compressibility, -(.differential.V/.differential.p).sub.1/V, is
much smaller for liquid than for gases. Because the amount of
energy transferred is proportional to the pressure change, a
low-compressibility cooling agent requires only a small volume
change to achieve a desired pressure change. In addition, the heat
capacity C.sub.p,m, of a typical liquid is orders of magnitudes
greater than that of a gas at pressures typically encountered in
refrigerators. Consequently, the volume of the cooling agent
required is much smaller for a liquid than for a gas. With a liquid
cooling agent, the dimensions of a piston compressor can be
smaller, the system is more compact, and the cooling efficiency can
be improved. Moreover, the mechanical power required to pump a
liquid through a heat exchanger is much smaller. A liquid cooling
agent to be used in the downhole environment needs to endure an
ambient temperature of 473 K or higher. One possibility is to use
pressurized water (see, e.g., F. J. Malone, J. Soc. Arts 1931, 79,
679).
(6) Stirling Refrigerators
[0039] Stirling refrigerators are based on the Stirling cycle,
which is a well known thermodynamic cycle. A Stirling refrigerator
typically requires no lubrication and can function at relatively
low pressures, as compared to a vapor compression system. A
Stirling engine uses heat (temperature difference) as the energy
source to provide mechanical work. A Stirling cooler operates in
reverse; it uses mechanical energy to produce temperature
difference--e.g., as a cooler or refrigerator. A Stirling
refrigerator may use one or two moving pistons to cause gas to
compress and expand, and thus is mechanically similar to an
internal combustion engine.
[0040] Due to engineering challenges, Stirling cycle engines are
rarely used in practical applications. Stirling cycle coolers are
often limited to the specialty field of cryogenics and military
use. The development of Stirling engines/coolers involves practical
considerations such as efficiency, vibration, lifetime, and cost.
Using Stirling engines/coolers on downhole tools presents
additional difficulties because of the limited space available in a
downhole tool (typically 3-6 inches in diameter) and the harsh
downhole environments (e.g., temperatures up to 260.degree. C. and
pressures up to 30,000 psi or more). Stirling engines have been
proposed for use as electricity generators for downhole tools (see,
e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,407 issued to Buchanan). More recently, a
version of a Stirling refrigerator has been incorporated into a
Schlumberger high-temperature wire-line conveyed sampling tool, see
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20050097911.
(7) Giant Magnetocaloric Effect
[0041] In this cooling mechanism, a magnetic material is spun
through a permanent magnet that causes the temperature of the
material to increase. The temperature decreases when the material
leaves the magnetic field. The hot portion of the magnet is usually
cooled with a circulating fluid. Materials having a large
magnetocaloric effect and a high magnetic ordering temperature are
suitable for this type of operations. Gd.sub.5(Si.sub.2Ge.sub.2) is
known to order ferromagnetically around T=299 K. Upon cooling, this
material undergoes a first order phase transition from the high
temperature ferromagnetic (I) to a second ferromagnetic structure
(II) at about 276 K (see, e.g., V. K. Pecharsky and K. A.
Gschneidner, Jr., Phys. Rev. Lett. 1997, 78, 4494-4497). Another
suitable material, Ni.sub.2MnGa, has been studied by Zhou et al.
(J. Phys-Condens Mat. 2004, 16, L39-L44).
[0042] Refrigeration process using these materials may reach an
efficiency of about 60%, significantly higher than
vapor-compression cycles that have a typical efficiency of 40%.
However, finding a material suitable for use in the downhole
environment requires further research. The Curie temperature, i.e.,
the temperature above which a ferromagnetic material loses its
permanent magnetism, needs to be sufficiently high for the material
to function properly in the downhole environment.
[0043] The above description illustrates that these cooling
technologies are not all suitable for downhole use. On the other
hand, devices based on the thermoacoustic cooling are more suitable
for the downhole environments. Accordingly, embodiments of the
invention are based on the thermoacoustic cooling.
[0044] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a
thermoacoustic cooling system uses a sonic compressor to generate
high acoustic pressure (about 0.8 MPa) waves at a resonance
frequency of a cavity to compress (and decompress) a refrigerant.
The sonic compressor compresses gaseous refrigerant without sliding
parts, and thus does not require lubricating oil. In addition, a
sonic compressor can reach a higher frequency than a conventional
compressor. A basic structure of a sonic compressor has been
disclosed by Swift (1993), which is hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
[0045] A cooling system in accordance with embodiments of the
invention may be used to cool a downhole tool, such as tool 12
shown in FIG. 1. Alternatively, a cooling system of the invention
may be used to cool a critical part within a downhole tool. FIG. 2
shows a downhole tool (such as 12 in FIG. 1) in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention. As shown, the downhole tool 20 is
deployed in a borehole 27 traversing a formation 28. The tool 20
may be deployed via a wireline, a drill pipe or tubing, or other
means known in the art. The tool 20 includes an elongated housing
21 that protects various components of the instrument. The
components may be located in different modules within the tool
20.
[0046] The components may include electronics 23 that need to be
protected from high temperatures. The electronics 23 are disposed
in an insulating enclosure or chamber 24 and are connected to a
thermoacoustic cooler 22. The controller 25 may include other
electronics for controlling the thermoacoustic cooler 22 or
mechanisms to remove heat from the hot end of the thermoacoustic
cooler 22, and may also include a power source to power the
thermoacoustic cooler 22. The thermoacoustic cooler 22 may be
connected directly to the working module or the
temperature-sensitive components; alternatively, it may be
connected to these components via ducts or channels 26. A cooling
fluid can be circulated through the channels 26 using a pump (not
shown).
[0047] One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the
channels 26 may use any heat transport mechanism known in the art,
including circulating fluid or gas. Therefore, the term "channels"
as used herein is intended to include any suitable heat transport
mechanism, which may or may not include a "channel" structure. In
this manner, the heat removed from the object to be cooled (the
electronics 23) is effectively "pumped" to the other end (the hot
end) of the thermoacoustic cooler 22 and dissipated by the
controller 25 into, for example, a mud flow.
[0048] FIG. 3 shows a schematic of a system for heat removal using
a thermoacoustic cooler in accordance with another embodiment of
the invention. As shown, instead of using a channel 26, a
thermoacoustic cooler 32 is in direct contact with a module or
component 33 to be cooled.
[0049] A thermoacoustic cooler may use high-intensity (e.g., 170
dB) standing acoustic waves to provide cooling and requires no
moving parts, except for a single flexing moving diaphragm that
forms the sound source (for example, that described in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 5,745,438 and 5,600,610). This property gives the
thermoacoustic cooler advantages of simplicity, reliability, lower
cost, and requiring no sealant.
[0050] The principles of thermoacoustic cooling have been reviewed
by Swift (J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1988, 84, 1145-1180, hereinafter
"Swift (1988)," which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIG. 4A illustrates a schematics of a basic thermoacoustic cooler,
which is similar to a structure disclosed in Swift (1993). The
thermoacoustic cooler 40 has a loudspeaker 41, which maintains a
standing sound wave within a resonator 42. The sound wave interacts
with a stack of solid plates 43, causing gases to oscillate between
the plates 43.
[0051] The resonator 42 has a length of about one-fourth of the
sound wavelength so that all gas molecules are in resonance, i.e.,
compressed and decompressed at essentially the same time. When the
gases are compressed by the loudspeaker 41, they heat up and move
away from the loudspeaker 41. When they are decompressed by the
loudspeaker 41, they cool down and move toward the loudspeaker 41.
When the gas molecules oscillate back and forth between the stack
of solid plates 43, they contact these plates and heat transfer
results. As a result, heat is transferred from the cold-side heat
exchanger 44 to the hot-side heat exchanger 45.
[0052] The thermodynamic cycle of the cooling process in the
thermoacoustic cooler 40 of FIG. 4A is illustrated in FIG. 4B. At
state 46 in the cycle, gas near the cold-side heat exchanger 44
absorbs heat from the cooler part of the plates 43. When compressed
by the loudspeaker 41, the gas is warms up and move to the hot-side
heat exchanger 45, shown as state 47 in the cycle. At state 48 in
the cycle, the gas transfer heat to the warmer part of the plates
43 near the hot-side heat exchanger 45. Upon decompression by the
loudspeaker 41, the gas expands and cools while moving back toward
the cold side, shown as having lower temperature and pressure at
state 49 in the cycle.
[0053] As described by Swift (1988), a few important parameters
relating to the cooling efficiency of a thermoacoustic cooler
includes: the thermal penetration depth
.delta. s = ( .kappa. M .rho. C p , m .pi. f ) 1 / 2 , ( 4 )
##EQU00002##
the viscous penetration depth
.delta. s = ( .eta. .rho. .pi. f ) 1 / 2 , ( 5 ) ##EQU00003##
and the Prandtl number
Pr = .eta. C p , m .kappa. M . ( 6 ) ##EQU00004##
wherein .kappa. is the thermal conductivity, .eta. the viscosity,
.rho. the mass density, M the molar mass, and f the frequency.
[0054] As discussed in Swift (1988), a practical refrigerator
requires a working fluid with a large thermal expansion
coefficient. In addition, all available cross-sectional area needs
to be filled with plates to maximum the cooling efficiency. The
plates are spaced apart with a distance from by 2 .delta. .kappa.
to 4 .delta. .kappa..
[0055] The thermoacoustic cooler shown in FIG. 4 is one example.
One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that other types
of thermoacoustic coolers may also be used in accordance with
embodiments of the invention. For example, FIG. 5 shows another
thermoacoustic cooler for use in a downhole tool in accordance with
another embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the
resonator 52 of a thermoacoustic cooling system 50 to be used in a
downhole tool has a cylindrical shape. A plurality of plates 53, in
a shape similar to circular washers, are used to confine gas
oscillations in a fundamental radial-breathing mode. A basic
cylindrical radial-wave refrigerator has been described in Swift
(1988).
[0056] The cylindrical geometry of the resonator shown in FIG. 5 is
particularly suitable for a downhole tool. For example, heat can be
easily removed using, e.g., a cooling fluid flowing along the axial
direction of the cylinder 52, such as in a pipe 56.
[0057] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a thermoacoustic cooler
60, which includes a wall 61 for enclosing the resonator cavity 62.
The compressor 61 is powered by a magnet 63 and a coil 64 for
compressing the gas in the resonator cavity 62. The resonator 62 is
anchored to the compressor wall 61 using an elastic support 65.
Low-pressure vapor enters through an inlet 66 having a one-way
intake valve 67, which opens at the resonant frequency, into the
resonator cavity 62, while the compressed gas exits through a
one-way outflow valve 68 at an outlet 69 into the ambient
atmosphere, carrying away heat.
[0058] In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention,
a thermoacoustic cooling system in a downhole tool may use a
traveling wave refrigerator. In a Stirling engine, the time phasing
between pressure and velocity is the same as for a traveling
acoustic wave (see, e.g., S. Backhaus and G. W. Swift, J. Acoust.
Soc. Am. 2000, 107, 3148-3166). Based on this fact, Ceperley has
proposed (H. Ceperley, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1979, 66, 1508; H.
Ceperley, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 1985, 77, 1239-1244) to eliminate
pistons from Stirling engines and use acoustical techniques to
drive the waves. This proposal led to the development of
traveling-wave heat engines. In a traveling-wave heat engine,
regenerators are used to add acoustic power to a traveling wave in
a loop structure, in which heat is pumped from one side to
another.
[0059] A traveling wave refrigerator 70 similar to that described
in Swift (1988) is illustrated in FIG. 7. Refrigerant is confined
to a loop structure 71. The path length around the loop structure
71 approximately equals an integer multiple of the wavelength of
the sound wave. Thus, a traveling wave can run around the loop
structure 71.
[0060] A regenerator 72 and heat exchangers 73 and 74 function as a
prime mover, adding acoustic power to the traveling wave as heat
flows from the hot-side heat exchanger 73 to the
room-temperature-side heat exchanger 74. Another regenerator 75 and
heat exchangers 76 and 77 function as a heat pump, using acoustic
power from the traveling wave to pump heat from the cold-side heat
exchanger 76 to the room-temperature-side heat exchanger 77.
[0061] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a
thermoacoustic cooling system in a downhole tool uses a pulse-tube
refrigerator as described in Swift (1988). The pulse-tube
refrigerator is a combination of a Stirling refrigerator and a
thermoacoustic refrigerator. The basic structures of a pulse-tube
refrigerator have been suggested by Gifford and Longsworth (W. E.
Gifford and R. C. Longsworth, Adv. Cryog. Eng. 1966, 11, 171).
Improvements to a basic pulse-tube refrigerator, including an
orifice pulse-tube refrigerator with an added flow impedance, and
using an adjustable needle valve to provide the impedance, have
been proposed by various authors (see, e.g., E. I. Milulin, A. A.
Tarasov, and M. P. Shkrebyonock, Adv. Cryog. Eng. 1984, 29, 629; R.
Radebaugh, J. Zimmerman, D. R. Smith, and B. Louie, Adv. Cryog.
Eng., 1986, 31, 779; R. Radebaugh, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Suppl. 1987,
26, 2076, G. W. Swift, D. L. Gardner, and S. Backhaus J. Acoust.
Soc. Am. 1999, 105, 711-724). A prototype using this technology was
reported to achieve cooling down to 60 K.
[0062] A pulse-tube refrigerator 80 as shown in FIG. 8 includes a
pulse tube 81, a regenerator 82, and a rotary valve 83 that has a
high-pressure gas intake 84 and a vent 85. Heat is pumped from the
cold end 86 to the room temperature heat sink 87.
[0063] A thermoacoustic cooler may use a power transducer to
convert electrical power into acoustic power that provides the
energy for cooling. Thermoacoustic engines are capable of high
power densities. For example, a refrigerator operating at a
frequency of 1 kHz, with an acoustic pressure of 1 MPa and a Mach
number of 0.1, has a power density of 8 Wcm.sup.-3, i.e., almost 3
times that of a typical automobile engine, which typically produces
a power density of about 3 Wcm.sup.3.
[0064] The thermoacoustic engine described above can also be used
as prime movers. In this case, the transducer extracts acoustic
power from the resonator, converting it into, e.g., electrical
power. The energy source for this down-hole electrical generator
can come from, for example, burning hydrocarbon in the
resonator.
[0065] Although the transducer can be located anywhere in the
system, it is preferably disposed at the stack end of the resonator
for the high-Q operation of the refrigerator. The transducer needs
to have a high impedance, i.e., a large force and small
displacement, because it is at a location of high acoustic
impedance, i.e., large pressure and small velocity, in the standing
wave. A number of different transducers, including
electro-acoustic, electro-dynamic, electrostatic, magnetic,
magnetostrictive, and piezoelectric transducers, have been
described by Hunt (Electroacoustics: The Analysis of Transduction,
and Its Historical Background, Acoustical Society of America, New
York, 1982, Chapter 1), and by Goodwin et al. (Sound Speed, Ch. 6
in Experimental Thermodynamics, Vol. VI. Measurement of the
Thermodynamic Properties of Single Phases, Ch. 5, Goodwin et al.
Eds; for International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry,
Elsevier; Amsterdam, 2003). Examples of transducer for operation at
elevated temperatures are also described in U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,745,438 and 5,600,610.
[0066] Thermoacoustic cooling systems typically use helium as a
medium. However, fluids other than helium, such as a mixture of Ar
and He (see, e.g., Jin et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 2003, 74,
677-679), or liquid sodium (see, e.g., Migliori et al., Appl. Phys.
Lett. 1988, 53, 355-357) can also be used. Among these, liquid
sodium has a low Prandtl number and a moderate density and
expansion coefficient, and particularly has a high electrical
conductivity that allows magneto-hydrodynamic transduction.
[0067] A thermoacoustic refrigerator is not necessarily powered by
a loudspeaker. In accordance with some embodiments of the
invention, a thermoacoustic cooling system may use a heat-driven
thermoacoustic refrigerator. Swift (1988) describes the working
principles of a heat-driven thermoacoustic refrigerator. The sound
source is replaced with a heat source to cause gas to oscillate,
resulting in a cooling effect. As illustrated in Swift (1988), the
refrigerator includes a tube with an approximate length of 37 cm.
The tube is closed at the top. The bottom is connected to a bulb of
an approximate spherical shape. The working fluid in the example is
helium at a pressure of about 0.3 MPa. Near the top, a stack of
plates are disposed with a spacing about 0.08 cm between the
plates.
[0068] A heat-driven thermoacoustic refrigerator 90 similar to that
described in Swift (1988) is shown in FIG. 9A. The refrigerator 90
includes a resonator sphere 91, a resonator tube section 92 about
37 cm long, a cold-side heat exchanger 94, a heat pump stack 95, a
room-temperature heat exchanger 96, a prime mover stack 97, a
hot-side heat exchanger 98, and a thermal energy source 99. The
thermal energy source 99 may derive its thermal energy from burning
hydrocarbons.
[0069] When the temperature of the hot-side heat exchanger 98 is
sufficiently high, the helium gas oscillates spontaneously at about
580 Hz, with a pressure antinode at the closed top of the case and
a velocity antinode a the tube-bulb junction. As the oscillating
helium interact with the heat pump stack 95, heat is pumped from
the cold-side heat exchanger 94 to the room-temperature heat
exchanger 96. Such a device has been shown to be able to achieve
cooling down to 273 K or lower. In fact, at an applied power of 380
W, one such device was able to cool down to a temperature of 262
K.
[0070] In an alternative embodiment, the thermal energy source 99
may be replaced by an acoustic source 99B, as shown in FIG. 9B.
That is, the heat-driven thermoacoustic refrigerator 90 shown in
FIG. 9A can be converted to a loudspeaker-driven thermoacoustic
refrigerator, shown in FIG. 9B, while maintaining a similar
geometrical structure. Such a refrigerator has been described by
Hofler ("Thermoacoustic refrigerator design and performance." Ph.D.
dissertation, Physics Department, University of California at San
Diego, 1986), hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0071] The lowest temperature achieved by a refrigerator, as shown
in FIG. 9B, was 200 K, and the highest thermal efficiency was 12%.
In a particular example, the plates in the heat pump stack 95B are
made of long strips of 8 cm wide, 0.08 mm thick Kapton spirally
wound around a plastic rod, forming an assembly with a diameter of
3.8 cm, and a length of 8 cm. The spacing between the plates is
approximately 0.38 mm, i.e., about 4 times the thermal penetration
depths. The spacing, for example, may be maintained using
monofilament nylon fish line glued to the sheet, aligned along the
direction of acoustic oscillation.
[0072] The resonator of the cooling device of FIG. 9B, containing
helium at a pressure of 1 MPa, resonates at about 500 Hz. The
resonance frequency depends on the temperature of the cold side and
the geometry of the resonator. A driver delivers 13 W of acoustic
power to the resonator has been shown to have an
electric-to-acoustic power-conversion efficiency of 20%. A
thermoacoustic refrigerator, as shown in FIG. 9B, is disclosed by
Tijani et al. (Cryogen 2002, 42, 59, 66).
[0073] The fluid within a penetration depth of a plate is primarily
responsible for the cooling. The fluid within a penetration depth
of the resonator surface on the other hand tends to dissipate the
cooling effect. Fluid in the volume is mainly responsible for
storing energy. Thus, a spherical geometry minimizes the
dissipation and maximizes the stored energy because of a favorable
volume-to-surface-area ratio, i.e., a high resonance quality
factor.
[0074] FIG. 10 shows a generalized schematic of a system for heat
removal using a thermoacoustic cooler in accordance with
embodiments of the invention. As shown, a thermoacoustic cooler 102
functions as a heat pump, removing heat from the cold reservoir
cartridge 103 to the mud flow (hot reservoir) 101. Note that the
thermoacoustic cooler 102 may be in direct contact with the object
to be cooled. Alternatively, the thermoacoustic cooler 102 may be
placed at a distance from the object to be cooled and a heat pipe
105 is used to conduct heat there-between. One of ordinary skill in
the art would appreciate that the heat pipe 105 may be any heat
transport mechanism known in the art, including circulating fluid.
Therefore, the term "heat pipe" as used herein is intended to
include any suitable heat transport mechanism, which may or may not
physically comprise a "pipe" structure. In this manner, the heat
removed from the object to be cooled (the cold cartridge 103) is
effectively "pumped" to the other end (the hot end) of the
thermoacoustic cooler and dissipated into the environment, such as
the mud flow 101.
[0075] Some aspects of the invention relate to methods for
producing a downhole tool having a cooling system in accordance
with the invention. The downhole tool may be any downhole tool used
in oil and gas exploration, completion, or production. It may be a
wireline tool, a measurement-while-drilling (MWD) tool, a
logging-while-drilling (LWD) tool, or a logging-while-tripping
(LWT) tool. In addition, a cooling system of the invention may be
used in a permanent installation to protect heat sensitive
electronics or sensors disposed downhole or embedded in the
formations.
[0076] FIG. 11 shows a process for producing a downhole tool in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As shown, the
process 110 includes disposing an insulating chamber in a downhole
tool (step 112). The insulating chamber may be a Dewar flask or a
chamber made of an insulating material suitable for downhole use.
In some embodiments, the insulating chamber may be formed by a
cutout on the insulating tool body. Then, electronics that need to
function at relative low temperatures are placed into the
insulating chamber (step 114). Alternatively, the electronics or
sensors may be placed in the insulating chamber before the latter
is placed in the downhole tool. Then, a thermoacoustic cooler is
disposed in the downhole tool (step 116). Note that the relative
order of placement of the thermoacoustic cooler and the insulating
chamber is not important, i.e., the thermoacoustic cooler may be
placed in the tool before the insulating chamber. Preferably, the
thermoacoustic cooler is placed proximate the insulating chamber.
However, if space limitations do not permit placement of the
Thermoacoustic cooler proximate the insulating chamber, the
thermoacoustic cooler may be placed at a distance from the
insulating chamber and a heat pipe or other heat transport device
may be used to conduct heat from the insulating chamber to the
thermoacoustic cooler.
[0077] While the above description uses a few thermoacoustic
coolers to illustrate embodiments of the invention, one of ordinary
skill in the art would appreciate that other types of
thermoacoustic coolers may also be used.
[0078] In the above description, a "refrigerator" and a "cooler"
both refer to a device that is capable of cooling a temperature
below that of the surrounding environment. The "refrigerant" as
described above includes "fluid" and "gas." It is noted that the
term "fluid" refers to a substance that is capable of flowing, and
thus can include a liquid, a gas, or a mixture thereof.
[0079] The energy source used to power the thermoacoustic cooler
may be selected from a surface electrical source, a downhole
battery, and a downhole power generator. The downhole power
generator may generate electricity through, e.g., the Seebeck
effect, which is a reverse process of the TEC or Peltier effect and
can generate electricity directly from temperature differences.
Alternatively, the power generator may comprise a conventional
electric power generator. The generator may be powered by burning
hydrocarbons such as fossil fuels.
[0080] In accordance with some embodiments of the invention,
instead of generating electricity, the power generator generates
heat to directly power a heat-driven thermoacoustic refrigerator by
burning hydrocarbons. Alternatively, a power generator is used to
generate acoustic waves directly, e.g., through burning
hydrocarbons, or through hydraulic power.
[0081] Advantages of the present invention include improved
cooling/refrigeration techniques for downhole tools. It will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that embodiments of the
invention are not limited to any particular type of downhole tool.
Thus, the invention may be implemented with any tool or instrument
adapted for subsurface disposal, including wireline tools,
LWD/MWD/LWT tools, coiled tubing tools, casing drilling tools, and
with long-term/permanently disposed tubulars used in reservoir
monitoring. A cooling system in accordance with embodiments of the
invention can keep the downhole electronics at significantly lower
temperatures, enabling these electronics to perform better and to
have longer service lives. A cooling system in accordance with
embodiments of the invention uses a thermoacoustic cooler that has
minimal moving parts that ensure smooth and quiet operation.
[0082] While the invention has been described with respect to a
limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having
benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments
can be envisioned that do not depart from the scope of the
invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the
invention shall be limited only by the attached claims.
* * * * *