System and method for real-time condition monitoring of an electric submersible pumping system

1. A pumping system for use in a subterranean wellbore below a surface, the pumping system comprising:

a motor assembly;

a pump driven by the motor assembly;

one or more sensors configured to measure an operating parameter within the pumping system and output a signal representative of the measured parameter, wherein the one or more sensors comprises an acoustically active sensor; and

a wireless telemetry system, wherein the wireless telemetry system is configured to transmit data representative of the measured parameter from the pumping system to the surface,

wherein the wireless telemetry system comprises an interrogator in wireless communication with the acoustic active sensor and a control unit in communication with the interrogator,

wherein the wireless telemetry system is configured to transmit an incident wireless signal from the interrogator, receive the incident wireless signal at the acoustically active sensor, and reflect from the acoustically active sensor a reflected wireless signal, wherein the reflected wireless signal has been affected by the physical parameter acting on the acoustically active sensor.

2. The pumping system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor array module that aggregates data collected by the one or more sensors.

3. The pumping system of claim 2 , wherein the pumping system further comprises:

a transmitter operably connected to the sensor array module;

and a receiver connected above the pump assembly.

4. The pumping system of claim 3 , wherein the transmitter is configured to send a primary wireless data signal to the receiver and wherein the primary wireless data signal includes data representative of the measured parameter from the pumping system.

5. The pumping system of claim 4 , wherein the wireless telemetry system further comprises a control unit located on the surface and wherein the receiver is configured to send a secondary wireless data signal to the control unit.

6. The pumping system of claim 5 , wherein the primary wireless data signal and secondary wireless data signal are each selected from the group consisting of acoustic wave signals and radio wave signals.

7. The pumping system of claim 4 , wherein the wireless telemetry system further comprises:

a control unit located on the surface;

one or more repeaters between the control unit and the receiver; and

wherein the receiver is configured to send a secondary wireless data

signal to the control unit through the repeaters.

8. The pumping system of claim 4 , wherein the wireless telemetry system further comprises:

a control unit located on the surface;

a data cable extending between the control unit and the receiver; and

wherein the receiver is configured to send a wired signal to the

control unit through the data cable.

9. The pumping system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more sensors comprises an acoustically active sensor.

10. The pumping system of claim 9 , wherein each of the acoustically active sensors comprises a surface acoustic wave sensor.

11. The pumping system of claim 10 , wherein each of the acoustically active sensors comprises:

an input transducer;

a delay field; and

an output transducer.

12. The pumping system of claim 9 , wherein the wireless telemetry system further comprises:

a control unit on the surface; and

an interrogator.

13. The pumping system of claim 12 , wherein the interrogator is an acoustic wave generator and an acoustic wave receiver.

14. A method for monitoring physical parameters within a pumping system deployed in a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an acoustically active sensor within the pumping system;

providing an interrogator in wireless communication with the acoustically active sensor;

providing a control unit in communication with the interrogator;

transmitting an incident wireless signal from the interrogator;

receiving the incident wireless signal at the acoustically active sensor;

reflecting from the acoustically active sensor a reflected wireless signal, wherein the reflected wireless signal has been affected by the physical parameter acting on the acoustically active sensor;

and receiving the reflected wireless signal with the interrogator; and

interpreting the differences between the incident wireless signal and the reflected wireless signal as a measurement of the physical parameter acting on the acoustically active sensor.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of transmitting an incident wireless signal from the interrogator further comprises transmitting an incident acoustic wave.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of transmitting an incident wireless signal from the interrogator further comprises transmitting an incident radio wave.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein following the step of transmitting an incident radio wave, the method further comprises the steps of:

transducing the incident radio wave at the acoustically active sensor to produce a surface acoustic wave on the acoustically active sensor;

permitting the surface acoustic wave to be distorted along a delay field on the acoustically active sensor; and

transducing the distorted surface acoustic wave into a reflected radio wave.

18. A method for monitoring physical parameters of a pumping system deployed in a wellbore below the surface from a control unit located on the surface, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an acoustically active sensor within the pumping system;

providing an interrogator in wireless communication with the acoustically active sensor;

providing a control unit in communication with the interrogator;

transmitting an incident wireless signal from the interrogator;

receiving the incident wireless signal at the acoustically active sensor;

reflecting from the acoustically active sensor a reflected wireless signal, wherein the reflected wireless signal has been affected by the physical parameter acting on the acoustically active sensor;

providing a transmitter operably connected to the acoustically active sensor;

providing a receiver at a spaced apart distance from the transmitter within the pumping system;

transmitting a primary wireless data signal from the transmitter to the receiver that is representative of the measured condition; and

transmitting a data secondary signal to the control unit on the surface from the receiver, wherein the secondary signal is representative of the measured condition.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of transmitting a secondary data signal further comprises transmitting a secondary wireless data signal from the receiver to one or more repeaters located between the receiver and the control unit.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of transmitting a primary wireless data signal further comprises transmitting an acoustic data signal to the receiver through the components of the pumping system.