MXPA98001276A - Hembra connector hum - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a female electrical connector adapted to be lowered to the bottom of a well in an electric cable in order to remotely connect it to a male connector at the bottom of the bore. The connector includes a housing with a coupling for securing the female electrical connector to the cable, a female electrical contact within the coupling and an insulator placed between the housing and the female electrical contact. The female electrical contact communicates electrically with the cable and includes a circumferential ring that forms a central axis, and a cantilevered finger that extends, generally, axially from the ring. The finger has a main section that extends, generally radially inwardly from the ring, and a secondary section that extends, generally radially outwardly, from the main section, to an axially oriented distal end. Between the main and secondary sections of the finger there is a radially innermost contact surface. The insulator includes an outer liner, located between the circumferential ring of the female electrical contact and the inner surface of the housing, and a lip axially superimposed on the distal end of the cantilever finger of the female electrical contact. The inner lip protects the end of the finger so that it does not engage with the male connector when it moves inside the female connector. Some instruments have a rubbing sealing ring to remove debris from the male connector when it is inserted into the housing. The preferred materials and methods of use are also published

Description

WET FEMALE CONNECTOR This invention relates to female connectors adapted to be connected at the bottom of the bore with the male connectors of the instruments of a bore wire in oil wells. Once an oil well has been drilled, it is customary to make a log of certain sections of the well with electric instruments. These instruments are sometimes called instruments of the "sounding cable", since they communicate with the logging unit, on the surface -of the well, through an electric cable with which they are -displaced. In vertical wells, instruments are often simply lowered to the bottom of the well in the borehole. In horizontal wells or very deviated, however, gravity is often insufficient to move the instruments to the depths to be recorded. In these situations, it is sometimes necessary to push the instruments along the well with a drill pipe. The logging on a drilling cable with a drill pipe can be difficult, however, due to the presence of the cable. It is awkward and dangerous to extend the electric cable through the entire drill pipe before lowering the instruments into the pozo. For this reason, some deployment systems have been developed, such as the Schlumberger CSDPDl Diaphragm Well Diagram System, with which the electrical connection between the instruments and the cable at the bottom of the drill is made after descending. the instruments in the background. In these systems, electrical instruments are easily deployed with standard-boring piping, and then the cable is introduced into the drill pipe and connected. After making the chart, the wire can be easily uncoupled from the scanner and removed before removing the probe. The -SDPD is very effective and has been widely recognized commercially. In the SDPD and other systems, the cable is remotely connected to the instruments with a connector in the bottom of the hole. One half of this connector is attached to the instruments and lowered into the well in the drill pipe. The other half of the connector is attached to the end of the cable and is pumped, along the drill pipe, with a flow of sludge from the open holes in the bottom of the drill pipe and into the interior. of the perforation. The connector is sometimes called a "wet connector" because the connection is made in the flow of drilling mud under conditions that challenge the reliability of an electrical connection. The female contacts of the wet connector must exert a positive contact pressure ast the surfaces of the male contacts in order to ensure a reliable electrical connection. A female contact with cantilevered spring fingers has proved successful in applying said pressure, although the exposed distal ends of the fingers may become entangled in the male connector during uncoupling, damaging the female connector. Formed by bending a thin plate, said fingers also tend to displace, with time, radially outwardly in a permanent manner, reducing their ability to provide a positive contact pressure and resulting in insufficient and, sometimes, intermittent contact.

EXTRACT OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention, a female electrical connector adapted to make it descend to the bottom of a well in an electric cable to make a remote connection with a male connector at the bottom of the perforation to establish an electrical communication between the male connector and the surface of the well through a supplied cable. The female electrical connector includes a housing with a coupling for securing the electrical connector-it feeds the cable, a female electrical contact inside the housing and an insulator placed between the housing and the female-electrical contact so as to resist electrical conduction between the female electrical contact and the housing. The housing forms an internal surface with an open end for receiving the male connector. The female -electrical contact is electrically communicated with the e-wire -includes a circumferential ring that defines a central axis, and a cantilevered toe that extends, usually axially from the ring. The finger has a main section that extends, generally, radially inward -from the ring, and a secondary section that extends, -alreally, radially outward, from the -main section, toward a distal end oriented axially. Between the main and secondary sections of the finger there is a radially innermost contact surface. The insulator includes an outer cladding disposed between the circumferential annulus of the female electrical contact and the inner surface of the housing, and an internal lip superimposed axially on the distal end of the cantilevered finger of the female electrical contact. The inner lip is disposed radially inward of the distal end of the cantilevered finger so as to protect the end of the finger so that it does not engage with the male connector when it is displaced within the female connector. In some physical representations of the invention, the female electrical contact is a unitary element of electrically conductive material, preferably beryllium copper. In some cases the female electrical contact is gold plated. In some physical representations of the invention, the female connector also has a sealing ring rubbed into the housing, between the open end of the housing and the female electrical contact. The rubbing sealing ring is designed to attach an exposed surface of the male connector as it is inserted into the female connector, so as to clean debris from the exposed surface. Preferably, the internal diameter of the rubbing sealing ring is approximately equal to the internal diameter of the female electrical contact, formed by the radially innermost contact surface of the female electrical contact. The female electrical contact, in some physical representations, further includes a welded terminal that communicates electrically with the circumferential ring and extends radially outwardly therefrom. In some arrangements, the insulator forms an axial hole for the cable through it to direct the cable to the given sol terminal. In some physical representations of the invention, the female electrical contact has at least six cantilever fingers disposed around the circumferential ring.

In some physical representations of the invention the width of the finger, measured transversely with respect to the radius of the circumferential ring, decreases towards the radially innermost contact surface. The radially innermost contact surface, in some designs, has an internal surface with a length, measured along the axis of the contact, of approximately a quarter of the length of the finger. In some cases, the contact finger has a radial width equivalent to approximately 75 percent of the radial distance between the radially innermost contact surface and the inner radius of the circumferential ring. In some physical representations of the invention, the female connector also includes a movable sleeve that extends into contact, along the axis of the contact, toward an airtight end, to seal the inside of the connector until it is displaced by the male connector. . In some physical representations of the invention, designed for use with a multi-conductor cable, the connector has a series of female electrical contacts arranged concentrically along a common axis. Each - one of the female electrical contacts is in electrical contact with a corresponding conductor in the cable, disposed inside one of the insulators inside the housing, and electrically insulated from the other female electrical contacts and conductors . Such construction preferably includes the previously described friction seal rings disposed within the housing and located between the female electrical contacts for coupling an exposed surface of the male connector as the male connector is inserted into the female connector, so as to eliminate debris. the exposed surface. The set of female electrical contacts preferably includes at least four of said contacts, with eight contacts being even better. The female electrical contact, in its final format, is manufactured from a single piece of material. The functions described above are combined, in various physical representations of the invention, as necessary to meet the needs of the particular application. According to another aspect of the invention, a female contact is provided for an electrical connector adapted to couple a male connector so as to form an electrical connection. The female contact has a circumferential ring that defines a central axis, and a cantilevered finger that extends, generally, axially from the ring. The do's has a main section that extends, usually axially inward, from the annulus, and a secondary section that extends, generally, radially outward, from the main section, to a distal end-oriented axially. Between the main and secondary sections there is a radially innermost contact surface forming a contact with an external surface of the male connector. According to another aspect of the invention, the method consists of making an electrical connection with a male connector of an instrument at the bottom of a well to establish a communication between the instrument and the surface of the well, including the following steps: (1 ) lowering the female connector of clause 1 into the well in an electric cable, and (2) coupling the female connector with the male connector to form an electrical contact. In some physical representations of the invention, the step of lowering the female connector to the bottom of the well includes pumping the female connector along the well with a circulating fluid. The female connector of the invention can provide greater reliability and repeatability of connection, avoiding - faults of the contact element that can occur when the ends of the contact finger engage in the male connector when the latter moves. The construction of the fingers of the connector may allow repeated use with less risk of permanent finger deformation and lack of resultant contact pressure. The connector - can be easily installed and is particularly suitable - for use in humid environments, such as those found in oil wells.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figures 1-5 illustrate in order the use of an electrical connector remotely coupled to a well-logging probe. Figures 6A-6C illustrate the construction of the "half of the connector used at the bottom of the CCCFP borehole" of Figure 1. Figure 6D is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6D-6D in Figure 6B. Figures 7A-7C illustrate the construction of the -middle corresponding to the cable of the connector CCCBD) of Figure 1. Figure 7D is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7D-7D in Figure 7B. Figure 8 shows an alternative arrangement of the upper end of the CCBD. Figure 9 illustrates a function of the cleaning cup in a pipe. Figure 9A shows a cleaning cup located - lo ¬ at the lower end of an instrument. Figure 10 is an enlarged and exploded view of the cleaning cup and related components. Figure 11 is an enlarged view of the set of female connectors of Figure 7B. Figure 12 is an exploded view, in perspective, of a subset of the set of female connectors of Figure 11. Figure 13 is an enlarged view of area 13 in Figure 11. Figure 14 is an enlarged view of the plural connector. ears of Figure 7B. Figure 15 is a view of the connector, as would be seen from position 15 in Figure 14.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED PHYSICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF THE INVENTION Referring first to Figures 1 through 5, the connection system at the bottom of the bore is suitable for use with survey probes with cable drilling -10 both in an untubed well and in a cased well 12, and is especially useful in situations where the well is deviated and / or the area to be registered (ie, zone 14) is at a considerable depth. In these Figu- - li ¬ The well 12 has a horizontal section 16 which must be registered in the area 14, and is lined with a pipe -18 extending from the surface of the well to the shoe of the casing 20. As shown in FIG. Figure 1, the log probes 10 are provided with a wet connection head at the bottom of the perforation CCCFP) 22 which is connected between an upper end of the logging probes and the drill pipe 24. As will be explained later , the CCFP 22 provides a male section of an electrical connection - at the bottom of the borehole to establish an electrical communication between the logging probes 10 and a mobile logging unit 26. During the first step of the logging procedure, the probes 10 and CCFP 22 are made-turned into the well 12 in connected sections of standard drilling pipe 24 until the probes 10 reach the upper end of the well section to be recessed. gistrada (that is, the upper part of zone 14). The drill pipe 24 is lowered using standard techniques and, while the drill pipe is not opened to allow fluid entry from the well, at regular intervals (ie, every 600 to 900 meters) the Drill pipe is filled with drilling fluid (ie, -loop). As shown in Figure 2, when the probes 10 have reached the top of zone 14, a wet connection head is pumped down (CC BD) 28 through the inner surface of the drill pipe into a cable electrical 30 that is unwound from the logging unit 26. The CCBD28 has a female connector that is attached to the male connector of the CCFP. A secondary side cable entry (ELSC) 32, where pre-cable 30 has been introduced to provide a cable outlet from the spliced drill pipe, is coupled to the upper end of the drill pipe 24, and a mud cover (ie, of a higher impulse of the sounding train or mud circulation system - of the transmission rod) is coupled on the ELSC32 to pump the mud, in a downward direction, through the internal surface of the drill pipe. For this purpose normal mud pumping equipment (not shown) is used. As will be described later, a cleaning cup built especially in the CCBD helps to develop a pressure force in the CCBD28, due to the mud flow down the drill pipe, to push the CCBD to the bottom of the well and attach it to the bottom of the well. CCFP22 to form a -electric connection. A special valve (described below) in the CCFP22 allows mudflow to flow from the drill pipe to the inner surface of the well. As shown in Figure 3, the CCBD28 is bo-drilled down the drill pipe -24 until it engages with the CCFP 22 to form an electrical connection between the log probes 10 and the logging unit 26. At this point, the mud flow can be stopped and the mud cover 34 can be removed from the top of the drill pipe. The diagnostic probes 10 can be activated to verify the operation of the system or to perform a preliminary sounding while they are lowered to the bottom of the well. As shown in Figure 4, the logging probes 10, CCFP22 and CCBD28 are lowered or pushed to the bottom of the well by the normal methods with the drill pipe, adding other drill pipe sections 24 as They are necessary. During this process, the ELSC32 remains coupled to the drill pipe, providing a lateral outlet for the cable 30. Above the ELSC32, the wire 30 rests on the outside of the drill pipe 24, avoiding having to pre-thread the cable 30 through any section of the drill pipe except for the ELSC32. The descent process is coordinated between the operator of the logging unit and the operator of the drill pipe to simultaneously lower the drill pipe and cable. At the bottom of the well, the sensing fingers or devices of the cushion 36 of the logging probe (if it has -they) are deployed, and the logging probes are removed by pushing them up the well to the top of the well. zone 14 while the sensing readings are recorded in the well's logging unit 26. As with the descent process, the rise of the logging probe is coordinated between the operator of the. Diagram unit and the drilling pipe operator in order to make the cable and drilling pipe ascend simultaneously. Referring to Figure 5, after completing the log, the power of the bottom of the hole is deactivated and the CCBD28 is decoupled from the CCFP22 and extracted from the well. The ELSC32 and CCBD28 are removed from the drill pipe and the rest of the pipe, including the CCFP and the logging probes are removed. Referring to Figures 6A to 6C, the CCFP22 contains two main subassemblies, the compensation cartridge of the bottom connector of the bore - (CCCP) 38 and the retention assembly of the wet connector of the bottom of the bore (CRCP) 40. The lower end 41 of the CCCP 38 is connected to the survey probes 10 (see Figure 1). The CRCP40 is the upper end of the CCFP22, and - it has an external housing 42 which is connected, at its lower end, to the CCFP38 in a threaded joint 44 (Figure 6B).

Attached to the inner surface of the CRCP42 housing with threaded fasteners 46 is a latching assembly-containing three cantilevered retaining fingers 48 extending radially inward and toward the CCCP to secure the CCBD28. Two axially spaced centralizers 50 are also secured around the inside of the housing of the CRCP42 in order to guide the lower end of the CCBD to couple it with the male connector set 52 of the CCCP. The CCCP38 contains the electrical and hydraulic components of the CCFP. It has an external housing 54 housed by means of a threaded joint 55 to a lower block 56 with internal threads 57 at its lower end for provisionally joining the CCFP to the diagnostic probes. At the upper end of the housing 54 is a threaded joint 58 which connects the housing 54 to a coupler 60. Split threaded shafts 62 in the seals 44, 55 and 58 allow the housing components of the CCFP 54, 60, 42 and -56 are coupled without rotating either end of the -CCFP. Block 56 contains an electrical connector with hermetic gun-64 for making the electrical connection of the FP FP with the diagnostic probes. One function of the CCCP38 is to provide exposed electrical contacts (in the form of a set of male connectors 52) which are electrically coupled to the diaphragm probes via the connector 64. This electrical coupling takes place through a multi-wire cable. 66 which extends upwards through a cable chamber -hermetic 68, to the individual contacts 102 of the connector assembly 52. The cable 66 extends upwardly through an oil tube 71, through the center of the CCFP. The chamber 68 is sealed by individual contact o-rings 70 in the set of connectors 52, -drive junctions 72 in the oil tube 71, gaskets 74 and 76 in the piston 77, and gaskets 78 in the block 56, and It is filled with an electrical insulating fluid, such as silicone oil. The pressure in the chamber 68 is maintained at approximately the pressure inside the perforation pipe 24 (Figure 1), near the top of the CCFP 22, by the pressure compensation system described - more fully below. A sludge piston assembly 80 (Figure 6B), consisting of a piston 82, a piston collar 84, a piston stop 86, joints 88 and sliding friction reducers 90, is deflected, upwardly, against the nut. piston restrictor 92, by a piston spring of the -104 piston. With the piston assembly of the sludge in the position shown, with the stop 86 against the nut 92, the piston 82-effectively blocks the fluid preventing it from moving between the circular crown of the well 96 (the area between the drill pipe and the inner surface of the well, see Figure 1) and the inside of the drill pipe (ie, the inner area 98) through three lateral ports 100 distributed around the diameter of the CCFP. When functioning, the mud piston assembly 80 remains in this position to block the ports until there is sufficient pressure in the inner area 98 in excess of the pressure in the circular crown of the well 96 (acting against the upper end). of the piston 82) to overcome the preload force of the spring 94 and move the mud piston assembly downward, compressing the spring 94 and exposing the ports -100. Once exposed, the ports 100 allow a normal frontal circulation of the sludge down the length of the drill pipe and out through the ports 100 into the well. Once the pump pressure is stopped, the mud piston spring 94 forces the sludge piston assembly 80 back to its port blocking position. By blocking the ports 100 in the housing of the CRCP42, in the absence of pumping pressure in the drilling pipe, the sludge piston assembly 80 - effectively prevents unwanted flow entry from the pozo into the drill pipe. This is especially useful when trying to avoid a burst of the borehole through the drill pipe, and that the waste transported by the mud from the bore interfere with the proper functioning of the coupling and electrical sections of the system. It also helps to prevent the return of fluid, where a sudden inrush of well fluids and the resulting upflow mudflow in the drill pipe can cause the CCFP and the CCBD to separate - prematurely. The male connector assembly 52 is composed of a series of nine contact rings 102, each of which is sealed by two seals 70 and separated by insulators 104. The interior of this assembly of contact and insulating rings is to the pressure of the chamber 68, while the exterior of this assembly is exposed to the pressure of the drill pipe. Let's say, the pressure -of the inner area 98). In order to maintain the structural integrity of this set of connectors, in addition to the reliability of the seals 70, it is important that the pressure difference across the set of connectors (i.e., the difference between the pressure in the chamber 68 and the pressure in area 98) is maintained at a low level. A large pressure difference (ie, greater than 100 psi) can cause junctions 70 to fail or, in extreme cases, the set of connectors to collapse. Even a minimal leak of conductive drilling mud from the electricity through the seals 70 -into the interior of the chamber 68, due in part to a large difference between the pressure of the drill pipe and the pressure in the chamber 68, can negatively affect the reliability of electrical systems. The pressure compensation system maintains the pressure difference across the. set of male connectors within a reasonable level, and deflects the pressure difference so that the pressure in chamber 68 is slightly higher (more than 50 and 100 psi) than the pressure in area 98. This "overcompensation" of the pressure in the chamber 68 causes any tendency to leakage to result in a leakage of non-conductive silicone oil from the chamber 68 to the area 98, rather than a flow of electrically conductive drilling muds to the chamber 68. A circular crown 106 around the oil tube 71, formed in part between the oil tube 71 and the mud shaft -108 concentrically surrounding the oil tube 71, transduces the pressure of the drilling mud from the area 98. , through the holes 110, to act against the upper side of the piston 77. The mud pressure is transferred through the piston 77, sealed by the seals 74 and -76, to the interior of the oil chamber 68. During the assembly of the CCC P, the chamber 68 is filled with an electrically insulating fluid, such as silicone oil, through a one-way oil fill check valve 112 (Figure 6D), such as a Lee check valve CKFA1876015A. To properly fill the oil chamber, a vacuum cleaner is first applied to the chamber through a purge port 114. With the vacuum cleaner applied, the oil is reintroduced into the bed 68 through the purge port 114. , This is repeated several times until the camera is completely filled. The vacuum cleaner is then removed, the port 114 is sealed with a stopper 116, and more oil is pumped into the chamber 68 through a check valve 112, extending a compensating spring 118, until an opening is opened. pressure limiting check valve 119 on the piston 77, indicating that the pressure in the chamber 68 has reached a desired level above the pressure in the chamber 98 (which, during the filling process, is generally found at atmospheric pressure.) When valve 119 indicates that the desired pressure has been reached (preferably from 50 to 100 psi)., typically), the oil fill tube is removed from the check valve of a direction 112, leaving the chamber 68 pressurized. The filling ports of the mud chamber 120, in the coupling 60, allow the circular crown of the mud 106 and the internal volume above the piston 77 to be pre-filled with a recommended lubricating fluid, such as motor oil, before the use in the field. The lubrication fluid typically remains in the CCFP (.pecifically in the ring gear 106 and the volume above the piston 77) during use in the well and is not easily displaced by the drilling mud, thereby simplifying the maintenance of the instruments. In addition to the lubrication fluid, the application of ample friction reducing material, such as LUBRIP-LATE TM, on all sliding contact surfaces is recommended. Referring to Figures 7A to 7C, the CCBD28-contains a set of female connectors 140 which is coupled to the set of male connectors 52 of the CCFP22 at the bottom-of the perforation. While lowering the CCBD to the bottom of the well, before coupling the CCFP, a sleeve 142 composed of an electrical insulating material is deflected to the lower end of the CCBD. A four-ring gasket 144 forms a seal against the outer diameter of the sleeve 142 to keep the well fluids out of the CCBD until the sleeve is displaced by the male-CCFP connector assembly. A projection with the conical bottom 146 helps to align the CCBD to couple it with the CCFP. When pushed into the CCFP by sufficient inertial loads or mud pressure, the lower end of the CCBD extends through the retaining fingers 48 of the CCFP (Figure 6A) until the retention fingers close to pressure behind a frangible retaining ring 148 in the CCBD. As soon as the retaining ring 148 is engaged by the retention fingers of the CCFP, it will resist - the decoupling of the CCFP and CCBD, that is, due to the movement of the drill pipe, vibration or fluid return. The retaining ring 148 can be selected from-among an assortment of rings with different maximum shear strengths, ie, from 1600 to 4000 pounds, -depending on anticipated field conditions) so that the CCBD can be released from the CCFP, after collecting data, simply pulling up the deployment cable until the retaining ring 148 opens and releases the CCBD. The CCBD has an outer housing 150 and a welded assembly for a cable clamp connected by a coupler 154 and appropriate threaded rings 156. Within the outer housing 150 is a subset of cable mandrels with an upper mandrel 158 and a lower mandrel 160. The grooves 162 in the upper mandrel and the holes 163 (Figure 7D) through the outer housing form a flow path open from the inside of the drill pipe to a mud chamber 164 within the sub-assembly of wire mandrels. The signal cables 165 of the female connector assembly 140 are directed between the outer housing 150 and the cable mandrel, along axial grooves on the external surface of the lower mandrel 160, through holes 166 in the upper mandrel 158, through the cavity for wires 168, and individually connected to the lower pins of the connector assembly 170. Like the CCFF, the CCBD has a pressure compensation system to equalize the pressure across the sleeve 142 while maintaining the electrical components surrounded by an electrical insulating fluid, such as silicone oil, until the sleeve is displaced. Inside the lower mandrel 160 there is an oil chamber 172, separated from the mud chamber 164 by a compensating piston 174 with a water seal 175. The piston 174 can move freely inside the lower mandrel 160., so that the pressure in the mud and oil chambers is substantially the same. Upper and lower springs 176 and 178 which lie within the mud and oil chambers 164 and 172, respectively, and deflect the sleeve 142 downwards. The oil chamber 172 communicates, by fluid, with the cavity of the cable 168 and by the routing grooves of cables in the lower mandrel 160 and cable holes 166 in the upper mandrel 158, sealed against the pressure of the drill pipe by joints 180 around the upper mandrel. Therefore, with the sleeve positioned as shown, the fluid in the drill pipe acts against the upper end of the compensating piston 174, which transfers the pressure to the oil chamber 172 and the upper end of the sleeve 174, balancing the pressure forces of the fluid in the sleeve. The filling ports 182 and 184, at the upper and lower ends of the oil-filled section of the CCBD, respectively, make it possible to fill the oil chamber 172 and cable cavity 168 after assembly. A safety valve 186 in the compensating piston allows the oil chamber to be pressurized in the assembly to a maximum of 100 psi above the pressure in the mud chamber 164 (ie atmospheric pressure during assembly). The upper end of the CCBD provides an electrical and mechanical connection with the sounding cable 30 (Figure 2) . The connector assembly 170 has nine electrically insulated pins, each with an insulated flexible connecting cable 188 for making electrical connections-with individual wires of the cable 30. A connector fastener 189 is screwed to the exposed end of the coupling 154 hold the connector in position. The specific construction of the connector assembly 170 is discussed in more detail below. To mount the upper end of the CCBD to the cable, the cable gland housing 152 is screwed-first onto the end of the cable, together with the split cable seal 190, sealing nut 192, and mandrels-of the upper and lower cleaning cups 194 and 196, respectively. A standard self-tensioning cable gland fastener 197 is placed around the end of the cable-to secure the end of the cable to the cable gland housing against an internal flange 198. The cable threads are connected to the flexible connection cables 188 of the cable assembly. connectors, the housing of the cable-holding sleeve 152 is connected to the coupling 154 with a threaded ring 156, and electrical insulating grease, such as silicone grease, is pumped through the lubrication holes 200 in the housing of the cable-gland. The cleaning cup -202, described in more detail below, is installed between the mandrels of the upper and lower cleaning cups 194 and 196 to restrict flow, through the drill pipe around the CCBD, and develop a force of pressure capable of moving the CCPE along the drill pipe and coupling the CCBD to the CCFP at the bottom of the drill hole. The mandrel of the upper cleaning cup 194 is threaded into the housing of the cable gland 152 to hold the cleaning cup 202 in place, and the sealing nut is tightened. Referring to Figure 8, an alternative arrangement for the upper end of the CCBD consists of two limb cups 202a and 202b, separated by a distance "L, to further restrict the flow around the CCBD. they will use light, low viscosity slurries to pump, for example, an extension of the cable gland housing 204 appropriately connects the mandrels to the two cleaning cups, and more than two cleaning cups can be used. 9, the cleaning cup -202 creates a flow restriction with the corresponding-pressure drop at point A, since the pressure is clear (ie, the pressure at point B) is greater than the downward pressure (ie, the pres- sure at point C), a net force develops in the cleaning cup to push the cup and its attached instrument down. As shown in Figure 9A, a cleaning cup (i.e., cleaning cup 202C) can be placed alternately-near the bottom of an instrument 206 to pull the instrument toward the bottom of a pipe or well. This arrangement can be particularly useful, for example, to -center the instrument in order to protect extended functions near its downward end or with large ratios of pipe / instrument diameters or small ratios-from diameter to instrument length. The radial space? The desired viscosity between the outer surface of the limb cup and the inner surface of the pipe is a function of several factors, including the viscosity of the fluid. We have observed that a radial space of approximately 0.127 cm per side (ie, a diametral space of 0.254-cm) is adequate for most drilling muds.

Referring to Figure 10, the cleaning cup 202 is injection molded using a resilient material such as VITON or other fluorocarbon elastomer, and has a slit 210 on one side to facilitate installation-and removal without the need to unhook the cable from the cable. instrumented. The conical sections 214 and 216 of the cleaning cup fit into the holes corresponding to the mandrels of the upper and lower cleaning cup 194 and 196., respectively, and have exterior surfaces inclined about 7 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cleaning cup. The length of the conical sections - helps hold the cleaning cup inside the holes in the housing. Also, six bolts 217 extend through the holes 218 in the cleaning cup, between the mandrels of the upper and lower cups, to retain the cleaning cup during use. Circular guides -219 stamped on a surface of the cleaning cup ayu allow the cup to be adjusted to different external diameters to adapt it to various sizes of pipe. Other resilient materials may be used for the lim-piece cup, although, ideally, the material of the cleaning cup must be able to withstand the severe abrasion that may occur along the walls of the pipe and the large variety of chemical substances that can be found in wells. Other non-resilient materials that may be useful are also soft metals, such as bronze or aluminum, or hard plastics, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (TEFLON) or acetal homopolymer resin (DELRIN ™). The non-resilient cleaning cups can be formed in two superimposed pieces to be installed on a pre-assembled instrument. Referring to Figure 11, the set of female connectors 140 of the CCBD has a series of female contacts 220 disposed about a common axis 222. The contacts have a linear spacing, d, corresponding to -the separations of the male contacts of the set of CCFP male connectors (Figure 6A) and a sliding seal -224. The contacts 220 and the friction sealing rings 224 are supported within a respective insulator 226. The stack of contacts, sealing and insulating sealing rings are fastened within an outer sleeve 228, between an end fastener 230 and an upper mandrel 232. Referring also to Figures 12 and 13, each contact 220 is made from a single piece of electrically conductive material, such as beryllium copper, and has a portion composed of a sleeve 234 with eight extendable fingers 236 (preferably six or more ). The contact 220 is preferably gold plated. Each of the fingers 236 is shaped to fold radially inwardly, in other words, to have, from the sleeve portion 234 to the distal end 237, a main section 238 that extends radially inwardly and a secondary section 240 extending radially outwardly, forming a radially innermost section 242 with a tactile length d of approximately 0.381 cm. In manufacturing the touch 220 of a single piece of material, the fingers 236, in their relaxed state as shown, have no residual bending stresses that tend to reduce their fatigue resistance. The inner diameter d. of the contact 220, as measured between the contact surfaces 242 of fingers-opposites, is slightly smaller than the external diameter of the male electrical contacts 102 of the CCFP (Figure 6A), so that the fingers 236 are pushed towards outside during the coupling with the male connector and provide a contact pressure between the contact surfaces 242 and the male contacts 102. The circumferential width of each finger is minimal at the contact surface 242. We have observed that at making the contact so that the length d of the contact surfaces 242 is approximately one quarter of the total length d. of the fingers, and the radial thickness, t, of the fingers is about -75 percent of the radial distance, r, between the inner surface of the sleeve portion 234 and the contact surfaces 242, results in a construction of contact that supports repeated couplings.

The friction seal rings 224 are preferably molded with a resilient fluorocarbon elastomer, such as VITON ™. The internal diameter d of the sealing rings 224 is also slightly smaller than the external diameter of the male contacts, so that the sealing rings tend to rub the residues on the surface of the male contacts during coupling. Preferably, the internal diameters d. and d_ of contacts and sealing rings are approximately equal. The friction sealing rings 224 are molded with an electrical insulating material to reduce the possibility of causing a short circuit between the contacts in the presence of conductive fluids of the electricity. The contact 220 has a soldered terminal 224 installed on one side of the portion of its sleeve 234 to electrically connect a cable 246. As shown in Figure 12, as the contact 220 is inserted in the insulator 226, the wire 246 is directed through an orifice 248 in the insulator. Alignment pins 250 in -other holes 248 in the insulator fit in the outer grooves 252 of the rubbing sealing ring 224 to align the sealing ring with the insulation. A notch 254 in friction sealing ring fits around the welded terminal 244. The insulators 226 and the friction sealing rings 224 are formed with enough holes 248 and grooves 252, respectively, to be able to direct all the wires 246 from each contact 220 on the female connector - to the upper end of the assembly to attach it to the assembly - of sealing rings 170 (Figure 7B). With the contact 220 inserted in the insulator 226, the distal ends 237. of the contact fingers rest within an axial groove 256 formed by an internal lip 258 of the insulator. The lip 258 protects the distal ends of the fingers so that they do not snag on the surfaces of the joint of male connectors when the CCBD of the -CCFP is decoupled. Referring to Figure 14, the connector set 170 of the CCBD has a connector frame molded -280 with an electrical insulating material, such as polyethylacetone, polyethyletherketone or polyarylethylketone. The frame 280 is designed to withstand a high static differential pressure of up to 15,000 psi, for example, through an O-ring in a groove of the water seal 281, and has holes with outlet 282 into which sp are inserted. electrical conductors 284 attached to lead wires 286. (Lead wires 286 form flexible connection cables 188 of Figure 7B). The stainless steel pins 17-4, plated in gold 284, are inserted in position until their lower flanges 288 rest against the lower part of counterbores 290 in the connector frame. To seal the separation surface between the connector frame and the lead wires, a cable seal 292 is molded in position, around the wires and the connector-frame after stripping the insulation on the individual lead wires to obtain Better adhesion to the sealing material. The shutter 292 will also have to withstand high differential pressures of up to 15,000 psi as those provided by the set of connectors. We have observed that some high temperature fluorocarbon elastomers, such as VITON ™ and KALREZ ™, give good results-to seal the wires 292. To form an arc-shaped barrier between the adjacent pins 284, and between the pins and the coupling. to 154 (FIG. 7B), on the face 294 of the connector frame 280, individual insulators 296 are molded in position around each of the pins 284 between its lower and upper flanges, 288 and 298, respectively. The insulators 296 extend outward, through the plane of the face 294 of the connector frame, about 0.3048 cm, and are preferably molded of a high temperature fluorocarbon elastomer such as VITON TM or KALREZ ™. The - isolators 296 offer protection against the formation of electric arcs that may occur along the face 294 of the connector frame if, for example, air-wet or liquid water is infiltrated in the cavity of cable 168 of the CCBD (Figure 7B). In addition to protecting against the formation of unwanted electric arcs, the insulators 296 also serve to prevent moisture from the connection from penetrating between the pins 284 and the lead wires 286 inside the connector frame during storage and transportation. Referring also to Figure 15, the frame of connector 280 has an external diameter d. of approximately 2,413 cm in order to fit within the small internal diameters of the instruments (up to a minimum of 1 inch, for example), typical of the instruments used in the bottom of the hole. The installed connector has a circular array of nine pins 284, each with the corresponding insulator 296 and lead wire 286.

Claims (10)

1. A female electrical connector adapted to be lowered into a well in an electric cable to connect it, remotely, to a male connector at the bottom of the drill-hole in order to establish an electrical communication -between the male connector and the surface of the well through the cable, and wherein said female electrical connector comprises the following: a housing with a coupling for securing the female electrical connector to the cable, said housing forming an internal surface with an open end for receiving the male connector; an electrical contact-female inside the housing, the female electrical contact being electrically communicated with the cable and comprising the following: a circumferential ring with a central axis; and, a cantilevered finger extending, generally axially from the ring, consisting of the finger of a main section extending generally radially inward from the ring, and a secondary section which is it extends, generally radially outwardly, -from the first position, towards a radially oriented distal end, with a more inner contact surface between the main and secondary sections; and, an insulator located between the housing and the female electrical contact so as to resist electrical conduction between the female electrical contact and the housing, and comprising the following: an outer cladding located between the circumferential ring of the female electrical contact and the internal surface of the accommodation; and, an inner lip axially superimposed on the distal end of the cantilever finger of the female electrical contact, and the lip being inter located not radially inward of the distal end of the cantilever finger to prevent the end of the finger from engaging with the finger. male connector when inserted into the female connector. The female connector of claim 1, further comprising a sealing ring located within the housing, between the open end of the housing and the female electrical contact, and arranged to accommodate an exposed surface of the male connector when The male connector is inserted into the female connector, so as to clean the debris from the exposed surface. 3. The female connector of claim 2, wherein the internal diameter of the sealing ring is approximately equal to the internal diameter of the female electrical contact, defined by the radially-innermost contact surface of the female electrical contact. The female connector of claim 1, wherein the connector further comprises a soldered terminal that electrically communicates with the circumferential ring and extends radially outwardly therefrom. The female connector of claim 4, wherein the isolator forms a longitudinal cable hole extending therethrough to direct the cable to the welded terminal. The female connector of claim 1, wherein the female electrical contact comprises at least six of the above-mentioned cantilevered fingers disposed around said circumferential ring. The female connector of claim 1, designed for use with a multi-conductor cable, the connector comprising a plurality of said female electrical contacts disposed concentrically along a common shaft, forming each of the electrical contacts We connect an electrical contact with a corresponding conductor -in the cable, located inside one of the above-mentioned insulators inside the housing, and being electrically isolated from the other contacts and electrical conductors-female. The female connector of claim 7, further comprising friction sealing rings disposed within the housing and located between the female electrical contacts so as to engage an exposed surface of the male connector as it is inserted into the connector. female tor, so as to clean the debris from the exposed surface. 9. The female connector of claim 8, wherein the internal diameters of the rubbed sealing rings are approximately equal to the internal diameters of the female electrical contacts, defined by the radi innermost contact surfaces of the female electrical contacts. 10. The female connector of claim 1, wherein the female electrical contact is formed by a process where a single piece of material is used to manufacture the final product.