US 12,338,726 B2
Engineered acoustics for downhole equipment
John B. Weirich, Spring, TX (US)
Assigned to CHEVRON U.S.A. INC., San Ramon, CA (US)
Filed by Chevron U.S.A. Inc., San Ramon, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/470,205.
Prior Publication US 2025/0092775 A1, Mar. 20, 2025
Int. Cl. E21B 47/00 (2012.01); E21B 34/14 (2006.01); E21B 41/00 (2006.01); G01H 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 47/00 (2013.01) [E21B 34/14 (2013.01); E21B 41/0085 (2013.01); G01H 9/004 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
9. A method of managing a well system, the method comprising,
placing downhole equipment in a wellbore of the well system, the downhole equipment comprising an acoustic sensor and a flow control valve, the flow control valve comprising a housing, a sliding sleeve, and an acoustic feature on one or both of the housing and the sliding sleeve;
detecting with the acoustic sensor an acoustic signal emitted by the acoustic feature when the sliding sleeve moves from a first position to a second position and the movement of the sliding sleeve engages a protrusion of the acoustic feature causing the acoustic feature to emit the acoustic signal;
transmitting, by the acoustic sensor, the acoustic signal to a control system;
determining, by the control system, an operating parameter of the downhole equipment based upon the acoustic signal; and
transmitting, by the control system, responsive to determining the operating parameter, a control signal that modifies an operation of the well system.