Multi-gimbaled borehole navigation system
US7093370B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 12, 2004 |
| Grant date | Aug 22, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 12, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B47/022
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
An omnidirectional borehole navigation system is provided that includes a housing that can be placed within the smaller diameter drill pipes used towards the bottom of a borehole, an outer gimbal connected to the housing, and at least two or more stacked inner gimbals that are nested in and connected to the outer gimbal, the inner gimbals each having an axis parallel to one another and perpendicular to the outer gimbal. The inner gimbals contain electronic circuits, gyros whose input axes span three dimensional space, and accelerometers whose input axes span three dimensional space. There are an outer gimbal drive system, an inner gimbal drive system for maintaining the gyro input axes and the accelerometer input axes as substantially orthogonal triads, and a processor responsive to the gyro circuits and the accelerometer circuits to determine the attitude and the position of the housing in the borehole.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.