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INVENTION
Russian Federation Patent RU2292455

Electric power generation thermoacoustic WAY

Electric power generation thermoacoustic WAY

Name of the inventor: Michael VAN DER (NL) SPEC Alexander
The name of the patentee: SHELL INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH BV MAATSKHAPPY (NL)
Address for correspondence: 129010, Moscow, ul. Boris Spassky, 25, p.3, Ltd. "Gorodissky and Partners", pat.pov. S.A.Dorofeevu
Starting date of the patent: 2002.11.26

The invention relates to means for producing electrical energy in the gas transportation conduit or adjacent to and may be used for power supply used in the pipe or adjacent equipment. The power generation method comprising the steps of: providing a gas passage for conveying gas to the conduit along the inlet portion of the acoustic resonator, thereby creating a standing acoustic wave in the cavity; providing a fluid passage located in the cavity through a permeable body in which is formed a number of substantially stationary cold spots and / or hot spots as a result of adiabatic expansion or compression of the resonating fluid; providing a thermal connection between the thermoelectric device and at least one of said cold spots and / or hot spots to generate electrical energy. A thermoelectric generator that implements the method comprises an acoustic resonator having an inlet portion adapted to be connected with an opening in the wall of a pipeline for transport of gas or in the wall of the equipment located within the conduit, a permeable body disposed in the acoustic tube resonator, and a thermoelectric device for generating electric energy. The invention aims at improving the efficiency of the power generation device are not limited flow of current through the pipeline.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a generator for generating electric power and a method for generating electrical energy in a pipe for transporting gas or near the gas transport pipeline.

Pipelines for transport of gas may be located in remote locations such as the face area in a gas production well or underwater and / or underground, or in areas without a secure electric power supply, such as a zone in the open sea or uninhabited areas.

From US patent 6150601 is known for production of electric energy in the production tubing for gas downhole zone using the thermoelectric device, actuated by a temperature well gradient, said gradient can be established by placing the means for flow restriction in the production tubing in wherein the gas is expanded and cooled by adiabatic expansion. A disadvantage of the known system is that a flow restriction will reduce the amount of gas produced and that the gas is cooled only few degrees Celsius unless the means for restricting the flow will not be large and very high, for example, supersonic gas velocities are reached in a tube venturi, in which case the venturi will create a large flow restriction and will be subjected to wear at a high speed.

US Patent 6011346 discloses another downhole power generator for generating, which comprises a piezoelectric element that is deformed by the differential pressure in the venturi. A disadvantage of this known generator for power generation is that the piezoelectric elements have a low power output so that its efficiency is low.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of known partial systems for energy production and in establishing thermoacoustic generator for power generation, which has a higher efficiency (efficiency) in comparison with the known generators and which does not require the use of tools to restrict the flow in the pipeline for transportation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventive method comprises the following steps:

  • providing a gas passage for conveying gas to the conduit along the inlet portion of the acoustic resonator, thereby creating a standing acoustic wave in the cavity;
  • providing a fluid passage located in the cavity through a permeable body in which is formed a number of substantially stationary cold spots [supercooling zones] and / or hot spots [zones overheating] as a result of adiabatic expansion or compression of the resonating fluid;
  • providing a thermal connection between the thermoelectric device and at least one of said cold spots and / or hot spots to generate electrical energy.

Permeable body may be arranged in series as a stack of plates which are arranged at predetermined distances from each other.

It is noted that in US Patent 4625517 and 5456082 disclose thermoacoustic devices with permeable bodies formed by a series of rods arranged in a certain way or plates that may be used in the method and generator according to the invention.

The thermoelectric device may comprise a thermocouple, which may form part of a thermoelectric element (a Peltier element).

Furthermore, a number of acoustic signal transducers may be arranged in the conduit for transporting gas to or near a line for conveying gas, said transducers determining characteristics of a standing sound wave in a pipe for transporting gas circulated from the inlet of the acoustic resonator. The acoustic transducers may be microphones which convert the acoustic signal phase difference at different distances from said input portion into an electric, fiber optical or other signal, which is transmitted in the flow monitoring system which converts the measured or measured difference or phase difference and / or other characteristics audio or audio signal or a signal component characterizing the gas flow velocity in the gas transportation conduit.

Accordingly, the power for microphones is electricity produced by the thermoelectric device and microphones convert the acoustic signal into a digital pulse (selectable) acoustic, optical, electrical or other signal. Flow monitoring system can be coupled to the flow control device, which provides regulation of the gas flow rate in the conduit for transport to a controlled depending on the gas velocity deviation from the reference value.

The invention and relates to a thermoelectric generator for generating power intended to generate electrical energy in a pipe for transporting gas by pipeline or close to transport gas. Generator for generating power according to the invention comprises an acoustic resonator having an inlet portion configured to couple with a hole in the pipe wall for the transport of gas or in the wall of the equipment such as a robotic device, logging tool for logging or tool for controlling and / or cleaning located inside the conduit, a permeable body in the acoustic tubular cavity that during use at least partially cooled or heated as a result of adiabatic expansion or compression of the resonating fluid and a thermoelectric device which is connectable to at least one cold spot and / or hot spot formed in use in the permeable body for generating electrical energy.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Electric power generation thermoacoustic WAY

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawing, which shows a schematic longitudinal section of tubing in a gas well which is equipped with thermoacoustic energy generator for generating the invention.

As shown in the drawing, the flow of natural gas 1 flows up the production tubing 2 to a wellhead (not shown) on the ground surface. Thermoacoustic generator 3 for generating electrical energy located within the annular space 4 between the production tubing 2 and a well casing 5, which is fixed by cementing in a subterranean formation 6.

The generator 3 for power generation includes an annular acoustic cavity 7, which has one or more inlet openings 8 which are formed holes or rings in the wall of the production tubing 2. The annular cavity 7 has a closed top 18 and a permeable body 9 is located in a tubular cavity 7 near 18 with the upper part.

An annular thermoelectric converter 10 is mounted next to the permeable body 9. The converter 10 is formed by a Peltier element 11 comprising bimetallic or semiconductor galvanic couples that produce electricity as a result of the temperature difference between permeable body 9 and other components of the well, which is caused by cooling of the permeable body as a result of adiabatic expansion of the gas in the cavity 7 caused by the resonating acoustic wave in the cavity 7. The heat absorption in the permeable body 9 may lead to a reduction in temperature over 50 ° C. Thus, the cooled side of the thermoelectric element 10 is subjected to heat removal by the permeable body and the other hot (heated) side of the thermoelectric element may be provided with heat conductors 11 which create a thermal "bridging" relationship with adjacent uncooled components such as the wall of the tubing 2 5 and casing of the well. The upper end of the acoustic resonator 7 and the thermoelectric element 10 are enclosed in a protective casing and thermal insulation 19.

Electrical cables 12 pass through the housing 19 and connected to the conditioning device and / or with a rechargeable battery and / or a downhole power equipment (not shown) such as a system for monitoring and / or controlling the gas flow.

Accordingly, a number of microphones 13 is provided in the production tubing 2 to determine the frequency and phase of the acoustic wave in the production tubing 2, wherein said one phase is dependent on the gas flow rate in the production tubing 2. Thus the signal generated by the microphones 13 may be transmitted to the flow monitoring device which converts the measured frequency parameter describing the gas velocity. Device for monitoring the flow may be placed on the ground surface and the signal generated by the microphone may be transmitted to surface by an electric or fiber optical cable or as an amplified sound signal or as an electromagnetic signal, which is transmitted through the wall of the tubing 2.

It should be understood that the thermoacoustic generator 3 to generate power and can be used with conduits for transport of gas located at the earth's surface or near the earth's surface, such as sea (underwater) pipeline for transporting gas and pipelines in remote areas, such as polar area and the desert where there is no proper power supply for electric power supply of the necessary equipment to monitor and control the flow.

Furthermore, the thermoacoustic generator to generate power according to the invention can be used to supply electric power equipment which is used within the conduit for transporting gas, or a well, such as a robotic device, logging tool for logging or tool for controlling and / or cleaning, located inside the tube . In this case the acoustic cavity may be formed within the equipment housing, and the front part of the cavity is formed with one or more openings formed in the wall of the equipment housing, the gas stream flows around the housing and causes the formation of standing acoustic waves in an acoustic resonator.

In an alternative embodiment the thermoacoustic power generator for generating according to the invention can function like a heat pump and may be connected to a hot spot formed in the permeable body as a result of the adiabatic compression of the fluid resulting from the resonating acoustic wave view of an acoustic resonator. The thermoelectric device can be connected between one or more cold spots and one or more hot spots formed in the permeable body as a result of thermal effects that arise because the resonating acoustic wave pattern.

CLAIM

1. A method of generating power in the gas transportation conduit or adjacent to the gas transportation conduit, comprising: providing a gas passage for conveying gas to the conduit along the inlet portion of the acoustic resonator, thereby creating a standing acoustic wave in the cavity; providing a fluid passage located in the cavity through a permeable body in which is formed a number of substantially stationary cold spots and / or hot spots as a result of adiabatic expansion or compression of the resonating fluid; providing a thermal connection between the thermoelectric device and at least one of said cold spots and / or hot spots to generate electrical energy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the resonator has an annular shape and is disposed around the downhole production tubing in a gas production well.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas transportation conduit is a conduit for transporting gas, located in a remote location, such as underwater and / or underground pipeline, conduit or zone without structures and means for power supply.

4. The method of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the permeable body is a series of stacked plates in a stacked, spaced at predetermined distances from each other.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the stacked plates in a stack in the annular cavity formed by winding a strip around the inner tubular wall of the annular cavity and by placing a number of spacers between adjacent layers of the coiled strip.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device is a thermocouple, connected between the hot spot and cold spot permeable body or between a hot or cold spot of the body and permeable element at which the temperature does not substantially influence the acoustic standing wave.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the thermocouple forms part of a Peltier element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of acoustic signal transducers is located in the conduit for transporting gas to or near a line for conveying gas, said transducers determining characteristics of a sound wave in a pipe for transporting gas circulated from the inlet of the acoustic resonator.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the acoustic transducers are microphones which convert the acoustic signal into an electric, fiber optical or other signal, which is transmitted to a flow monitoring device which converts phase differences and / or other characteristics of the acoustic signals into an indication, characterizing the gas flow velocity in the gas transportation conduit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the microphones are used for energy electricity generated by the thermoelectric cavity and transform the acoustic signal of the microphones to a pulsed digital (discrete) acoustic, optical, electrical or other signal.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the signal transducers comprise one or more rechargeable batteries, which charging is performed by the thermoelectric device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the flow monitoring system is connected to a flow control device for providing adjustment of gas flow rate in the conduit for transport to a controlled depending on the gas velocity deviation from the reference value.

13. The thermoelectric generator for generating power intended to generate electrical energy in a pipe for transporting gas or near the gas transportation conduit, comprising an acoustic resonator having an inlet portion configured to couple with the opening in the wall of the pipeline for transporting the gas or in the wall of the equipment located inside the conduit, a permeable body disposed in the acoustic tube resonator, which in use at least partially cooled or heated as a result of adiabatic expansion or compression of the resonating fluid and a thermoelectric device configured to be connected to at least one cold spot and / or hot spot formed in use in the permeable body for generating electrical energy.

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Publication date 17.02.2007gg