Baker Hughes Corporation

Baker Hughes, a Ge Compnay, LLC

Nextstream Wired Pipe, LLC

Robert Buda

Henning Rahn

Stephan Mueller

Rene Schulz

Ingo Roders

Detlev Benedict

Volker Peters

Hans Robert Oppelaar

Carsten Haubold

Helmut Dieter Floerke

Michael Koppe

Stephan Bernard

Stephen Mueller

Julia Reisewitz

A wired pipe system includes a wired pipe segment having a first end and a second end, a first coupler in the first end and a second coupler in the second end and a transmission line disposed in the wired pipe segment between the first and second ends. The transmission line includes a transmission cable that includes an inner conductor and an insulating material disposed about the inner conductor as well as a a wire channel surrounding the insulating material and the inner conductor for at least a portion of a length of the transmission cable. The wire channel and the insulating material are mated together by at least one mating feature.

Method of forming a wired pipe transmission line

A downhole tool in a wellbore may be at least partially enclosed by a protector. The protector may form a physical barrier between the downhole tool and a wellbore environment. The protector include a sheath formed of a pliant material or a textile and may include one or more hard inserts.

Protection of downhole tools against mechanical influences with a pliant material

A connector for use in connecting a communication element to a transmission line in a wired pipe segment includes a first female end adapted to surround and make electrical contact with a coupler connection that extends away from a communication element of the coupler; a second female end adapted to receive an inner conductor of a coaxial cable; and an inner connection element formed on an inner surface of the connector adapted to electrically connect the coupler connection and the inner conductor, the inner connection element formed such that it does not completely surround at least one of the inner conductor and the coupler connection.

Wired pipe coupler connector

An apparatus for locking a transmission line in a tubular includes a first clamp segment configured to surround at least a portion of the transmission line of the tubular, the transmission line having a longitudinal axis. The apparatus also includes a second clamp segment configured to surround at least a portion of the transmission line, the second clamp segment and the first clamp segment configured to apply radial forces in opposite radial directions when the first clamp segment is engaged with the second clamp segment, the opposite radial directions being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the radial forces operating together to maintain the transmission line in a fixed position relative to the tubular and maintain tension in the transmission line.

Maintaining tension of a transmission line in a tubular

A wired pipe segment includes a body extending from a box end to a pin end and a coupler located in one of the box and pin ends. The coupler includes a carrier having at least one electrical component disposed therein and one or more antennas supported by and spaced from the carrier and being electrically coupled to the carrier through at least one of the electrical components, the antennas being formed in the carrier in a same molding machine. The segment also includes a transmission line extending away from the coupler towards the other of the box and pin end and in communication with the one or more antennas.

A downhole tool includes a tool body having an inner surface portion and an outer surface portion. The outer surface portion includes a recess having a peripheral wall and an inner surface. A multi-chip module (MCM) housing is defined in the recess. The MCM housing includes one or more fortifying members that support axial and radial loading of the downhole tool and include one or more electronics receiving zones.

Downhole tool including a multi-chip module housing

A downhole tool includes a tool body having an outer surface portion and an inner surface portion and a recess formed in one of the outer surface portion and inner surface portion. At least one removable electronic component access member is detachably mounted to the tool body. The removable electronic component access member provides access to electronic components housed in the recess. A metallic seal is provided on at least one of the tool body and the removable electronic component access member. The metallic seal prevents fluid ingress into the recess through the at least one removable electronic component access member.

Removeable electronic component access member for a downhole system

Transmission line for wired pipe

An apparatus for communicating a signal to or from a downhole tool includes a drill pipe configured to be rotated to drill a borehole, a tubular under axial tension and secured in the drill pipe, and a retention device secured to the tubular and configured to maintain the tubular under the axial tension. The retention device includes a portion extending from a body of the device in a direction that is non-inward-radial with respect to a longitudinal axis of the drill pipe. The apparatus further includes a transmission line disposed in the tubular and in an opening of the retention device and in communication with the downhole tool.

Retention device for drill pipe transmission line

An electronic frame for use in a downhole component coupling mechanism includes: a first frame element including at least one retaining structure configured to retain an electronic component; and a second frame element configured to be disposed at the first frame element, the second frame element permanently joined to the first frame element to isolate the electronic component from downhole fluids and form the electronic frame, the electronic frame configured to be disposed in a coupling assembly of a first downhole component and a second downhole component and constrained axially by the coupling assembly.

Electronic frame for use with coupled conduit segments

An apparatus for maintaining tension of a transmission line in a tubular includes a first clamp segment configured to surround at least a portion of a transmission line and a second clamp segment configured to surround at least a portion of the transmission line. The second clamp segment has a first axial end and a second axial end. The first axial end is configured to contact an axial end of the first clamp segment, such that the first clamp segment and the second clamp segment are configured to apply a force in opposite radial directions to clamp the transmission line with respect to the tubular to lock a position of the transmission line with respect to the tubular.

A method for providing tension to a data or power transmission line in a pipe includes inserting a transmission line into a transmission line channel of a pipe. The transmission line has a first end and a second end and is inserted into a first end of the pipe second-end-first and has a first tension-load-supporting mechanism attached to the first end of the transmission line. The method includes applying a first level of tension to the transmission line in the pipe and applying a second tension-load-supporting mechanism to the second end of the transmission line while the first level of tension is applied to the transmission line. The method further includes removing the first level of tension from the transmission line to maintain a second level of tension along the transmission line between the first and second tension-load-supporting mechanisms.

Application and maintenance of tension to transmission line in pipe

An electronic frame for use in a downhole component coupling mechanism in a segmented wired pipe system includes a first frame element including at least one retaining structure configured to retain an electronic component. The frame also includes a sealed chamber disposed in the frame element, the sealed chamber including inputs to receive input signals from communication elements and either couple the inputs together or direct the input signals to control electronics.

Electronic frame having conductive and bypass paths for electrical inputs for use with coupled conduit segments

A wired pipe segment includes an inner bore extending through the wired pipe segment and a transmission line channel forming a channel from outside the wired pipe segment to the inner bore and including an inlet into the inner bore. The inner bore includes a pocket formed in the inner bore proximate the inlet and an insert is disposed in the pocket that substantially fills the pocket.

Growing community of inventors

Lower Saxony, Germany

Robert Buda