Instrumented plunger for an oil or gas well
View Patent ↗A plunger for use in a plunger lift system of an oil or natural gas well includes one or more sensor assemblies, each including one or more sensors for measuring various physical and operational conditions during the operation of the well. The data acquired from the sensors is stored in memory within the sensor assemblies and downloaded to the plunger lift system controller when the plunger is located in the catch/lubricator. The data can then be analyzed by the controller or other computer to vary the well's operating parameters to maximize the well's operating efficiency and the data can be used in reservoir management, such as transient testing, reservoir modeling and interference testing.
1. A plunger adapted for use with a well, the plunger comprising:
a substantially cylindrical body;
at least one memory storage device;
at least one data controller, the at least one data controller being (i) coupled with the at least one memory storage device and (ii) adapted to manage the flow of data in and out of the at least one memory storage device; and
at least one data transfer device coupled with the at least one data controller, the at least one data transfer device adapted to facilitate the flow of data between the plunger and an external device.
2. The plunger of claim 1 , wherein the at least one data transfer device comprises a first set of electrical contacts located on the exterior of the body.
3. The plunger of claim 2 , wherein the power supply is electrically coupled to a second set of electrical contacts located on the exterior of the body.
4. The plunger of claim 1 , wherein the at least one data transfer device comprises a wireless transmitter.
5. The plunger of claim 1 , further comprising one or more sensors at least partially contained within the body, the one or more sensors being: (a) coupled with the at least one data controller and the at least one memory storage device; and (b) configured to monitor one or more of the group of (1) temperature, (2) pressure, (3) plunger load, (4) fluid type, (5) plunger acceleration, (6) plunger velocity, and (7) plunger position.
6. The plunger of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply electrically coupled to the at least one data controller and the at least one memory storage device.
7. A control system of a plunger lift equipped well wherein the well includes (i) a tubing string extending down a borehole, (ii) a plunger adapted to ascend and descend between a well head and a lower portion of the well bore in the tubing string wherein the plunger includes one or more sensor assemblies for monitoring and recording data concerning physical conditions in the well, the one or more sensor assemblies including an output interface and a power supply, (iii) the well head, (iv) a plunger lubricator/catch adapted to periodically hold the plunger above the well head and (v) a flow line in fluid communication with the tubing string via the well head, the control system comprising:
a controller;
a flow valve operatively coupled to the controller and fluidly coupled to the flow line, the flow valve being adapted to open or close responsive to signals from the controller;
one or more pressure sensors operatively coupled to the controller located at or proximate an associated well head;
a plunger release mechanism operatively coupled to the controller, the plunger release mechanism being adapted to release the plunger from the lubricator/catch;
a input interface operatively coupled to the controller adapted to couple with the output interface of the plunger and receive data therefrom.
8. The control system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is adapted to selectively vary the operation of the flow valve and the plunger release mechanism based on the data received from the plunger.
9. The control system of claim 7 , further comprising a charging device adapted to recharge the plunger power supply.
10. The control system of claim 7 , wherein the input interface comprises a wireless receiver.
11. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the input interface comprises one or more sets of electrical contacts adapted to interface with corresponding contacts of the plunger output interface.