The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 31, 1982
Filed:
Aug. 21, 1981
Robert F Evans, La Habra, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
Impending bearing failure, seal failure and drilling an undergage well bore, among other things, are immediately detected by sensing the presence of aqueous drilling fluid in a lubricant or other type of sealed cavity of a drilling tool or the like during a downhole drilling operation in an environment of aqueous fluid. Electrical conduction elements are preferably employed to sense the presence of the aqueous fluid. The electrical conduction means may employ a soluble anhydrous conductive material which, when in contact with the aqueous drilling fluid, dissolves or becomes an electrical conductor to signal the presence of the aqueous fluid. The aqueous fluid may additionally serve as an electrolyte between two dissimilar metals, thereby forming a galvanic cell, or as a conductor between a pair of contact terminals. In a drilling operation, a signal is preferably transmitted from a downhole location to the surface of the earth by mud pulse telemetry. In order to sense the drilling of an undergage well bore, material normally plugging the entrance of a conduit leading to the cavity is eroded during excessive wear, thereby admitting aqueous fluid to the cavity.