Granted Patent B2

US 12,297,721 · App. 18/068,879 · Granted May 13, 2025

Inventor: David Council Benker (Cedar Park, TX)

Assignee: Axis Wireline Technologies, LLC

E21B43/119E21B43/116E21B43/1185

Abstract

Claims (72)

1. A hydraulic fracturing system comprising:

a perforation gun that includes a first outer conduit, a first inner conduit included in the first outer conduit, a first proximal connector, and a first distal connector;

a coupler included in the perforation gun;

first, second, and third bulkheads included in the coupler; and

an electrical switch included in the coupler, wherein the electrical switch includes a printed circuit board (PCB);

wherein the first proximal connector includes: (a) a first proximal electrical contact to couple to an additional first bulkhead of an additional coupler, (b) a second proximal electrical contact to couple to an additional second bulkhead of the additional coupler; and (c) an aperture to receive a detonator;

wherein the first distal connector includes a distal electric contact to couple to the third bulkhead;

wherein (a) the coupler couples to the first outer conduit without use of threads, and (b) the first, second, and third bulkheads respectively include first, second, and third bulkhead electric contacts, and the first, second, and third bulkhead electric contacts include no resilient members,

wherein: (a) the first bulkhead is to couple to an additional first proximal electrical contact of an additional proximal connector of an additional perforation gun, (b) the second bulkhead is to couple to an additional second proximal electrical contact of the additional proximal connector of the additional perforation gun.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the coupler includes proximal and distal plates;

the distal plate has first and second electrical contacts;

the proximal plate has a third electrical contact;

the first bulkhead couples the first electrical contact to the electrical switch;

the second bulkhead couples the second electrical contact to the electric switch; and

the third bulkhead couples the third electrical contact to the electric switch.

3. The system of claim 2 comprising first, second, and third resilient members, wherein:

the first resilient member couples the first electrical contact to the first bulkhead and biases the first bulkhead towards the electrical switch;

the second resilient member couples the second electrical contact to the second bulkhead and biases the second bulkhead towards the electrical switch; and

the third resilient member couples the third electrical contact to the third bulkhead and biases the third bulkhead towards the electrical switch.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the second electrical contact encircles the first electrical contact.

5. The system of claim 4 comprising a circular insulator ring between the first and second electrical contacts to prevent electrical shorting between the first and second electrical contacts.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein:

the proximal and distal plates are removably coupled to the coupler;

the proximal plate is not screwed to the coupler;

the proximal plate is not adhered to the coupler with an adhesive;

the distal plate is not screwed to the coupler; and

the distal plate is not adhered to the coupler with an adhesive.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein:

the distal plate includes voids;

the coupler includes a long axis that intersects the proximal and distal plates; and

a plane, which is orthogonal to the long axis, intersects the voids.

8. The system of claim 2 , wherein:

the coupler includes a long axis that intersects the proximal and distal plates;

the first electrical contact has a maximum breadth measured orthogonal to the long axis;

the first bulkhead has distal-most end and the distal-most end has a maximum breadth measured orthogonal to the long axis; and

the maximum breath of the first electrical contact is greater than the maximum breadth of the distal-most end of the first bulkhead.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first bulkhead tapers and narrows proximally such that a proximal end of the first bulkhead has a smaller maximum breadth, measured orthogonal to the long axis, than the maximum breadth of the distal-most end of the first bulkhead.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical switch is between the first and third bulkheads.

11. The system of claim 1 comprising a mold, wherein:

the first bulkhead includes a monolithic metal conductor that extends from a proximal most end of the first bulkhead to a distal-most end of the first bulkhead electric contact;

the monolithic metal conductor includes no welds, seems, or resilient members;

the mold includes a non-metal material; and

the mold directly contacts and is form-fitted to a monolithic metal conductor.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the coupler includes a long axis that intersects the proximal and distal plates;

the long axis intersects the first and third bulkheads but not the second bulkhead;

a plane, which is orthogonal to the long axis, intersects the first and second bulkheads but not the third bulkhead.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the coupler is configured to couple the perforation gun to the additional perforation gun and to reduce a transmission of explosive induced pressure between the perforation gun and the additional perforation gun.

14. A hydraulic fracturing system comprising:

a perforation gun that includes a first outer conduit, a first inner conduit included in the first outer conduit, a first proximal connector, and a first distal connector;

a tandem sub included in the perforation gun;

first, second, and third insulated conductors included in the tandem sub;

an electrical switch included in the tandem sub, wherein the electrical switch includes a printed circuit board (PCB);

wherein the first proximal connector includes: (a) a first proximal electrical contact to couple to an additional first insulated conductor of an additional tandem sub, (b) a second proximal electrical contact to couple to an additional second insulated conductor of the additional tandem sub; and (c) an aperture to receive a detonator;

wherein the first distal connector includes a distal electric contact to couple to the third insulated conductor;

wherein the first, second, and third insulated conductors respectively include first, second, and third insulated conductor electric contacts, and the first, second, and third insulated conductor electric contacts include no resilient members,

wherein: (a) the first insulated conductor is to couple to an additional first proximal electrical contact of an additional proximal connector of an additional perforation gun, (b) the second insulated conductor is to couple to an additional second proximal electrical contact of the additional proximal connector of the additional perforation gun.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein:

the tandem sub includes proximal and distal plates;

the distal plate has first and second electrical contacts;

the proximal plate has a third electrical contact;

the first insulated conductor couples the first electrical contact to the electrical switch;

the second insulated conductor couples the second electrical contact to the electric switch;

the third insulated conductor couples the third electrical contact to the electric switch; and

the second electrical contact encircles the first electrical contact.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein:

the proximal and distal plates are removably coupled to the tandem sub;

the proximal plate is not screwed to the tandem sub;

the proximal plate is not adhered to the tandem sub with an adhesive;

the distal plate is not screwed to the tandem sub; and

the distal plate is not adhered to the tandem sub with an adhesive.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (94)