Patent · US Expired

Controller for oil wells with a thermal dispersion probe

US5525040A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
7References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 31, 1994
Grant dateJun 11, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 31, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF04B2205/11
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A controller for controlling the pumping unit for an oil well comprises a housing having a first and a second tip for placement in a flow of oil between the wellbore to holding tanks; means for generating a substantially constant power; a constant power heater in the first tip connected to the means for generating, for radiating a substantially constant heat; means for determining the temperature at each the first and second tips and for generating a digital signal indicative of the temperature of the first and second tips; supervising means for controlling the means for determining, processing the digital signal for determining a rolling average signal, and generating a control signal therefrom which is independent of ambient temperature of the oil flow; and means for switching the pumping unit on or off, according to the control signal. The controller further comprises means for calibrating the means for determining. The constant power heater is preferably a FET connected in series with a resistor. The invention also provides a optimizing method for controlling a pumping unit of an oil well.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.