Patent SG-11201408127Y-A (SG)
Title: Flow control system
Inventor: JUDGE ROBERT ARNOLD
IPC: E21B21/08
Filed: 2013-06-06
Abstract: (12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization International Bureau (43) International Publication Date 12 December 2013 (12.12.2013) WIPOIPCT (10) International Publication Number WO 2013/184866 A2 (51) International Patent Classification: G01V1/38 (2006.01) (21) International Application Number: PCT/US2013/044422 (22) International Filing Date: 6 June 2013 (06.06.2013) (25) Filing Language: English (26) Publication Language: English (30) Priority Data: 201210186922.7 7 June 2012 (07.06.2012) CN (71) Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY [US/US]; 1 River Road, Schenectady, NY 12345 (US). (72) Inventors: JUDGE, Robert, Arnold; General Electric Company Global Research, One Research Circle, Bldg. Kl-3a59, Niskayuna, NY 12309 (US). WOLFE, Chris­ topher, Edward; General Electric Company Global Re­ search, One Research Circle, Bldg. Kl-3a59, Niskayuna, NY 12309 (US). LIU, Fengsu; General Electric Company Global Research, One Research Circle, Bldg. Kl-3a59, Niskayuna, NY 12309 (US). LIU, Li; General Elctric Company Global Research, One Research Circle, Bldg. Kl-3a59, Niskayuna, NY 12309 (US). GHASRIPOOR, Farshad; General Electric Company Global Research, One Research Circle, Bldg. Kl-3a59, Niskayuna, NY 12302 (US). (74) Agents: DOMBROWSKI, Joanna, M. et al.; General Electric Company, Global Patent Operation, 2 Corporate Drive, Suite 648, Shelton, CT 06484 (US). (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of national protection available)'. AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KN, KP, KR, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of regional protection available)'. ARIPO (BW, GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, [Continued on next page] (54) Title: FLOW CONTROL SYSTEM 10 12 - CJ 00 •t 00 Fig.l (57) Abstract: A flow control system for drilling a well comprises a con­ duit defining a channel configured to accommodate a drill pipe and a flow of returning drilling fluid, a and an acoustic sensor array configured to de - tect a flow rate of the returning drilling fluid. The flow control system fur­ ther comprises flow a control device configured to control the flow rate of the returning drilling fluid and to be actuated in response to an event detec­ ted by the sensor array, the flow control device being proximate to the sensor array. i-H o CJ o & WO 2013/184866 A2 I lllll llllllll II llllll III lllll lllll III III III lllll lllll llll llll lllll lllll lllll lllllll llll llll UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). Declarations under Rule 4.17: — as to the applicant's entitlement to claim the priority of the earlier application (Rule 4.17(iii)) Published: — without international search report and to be republished upon receipt of that report (Rule 48.2(g)) — as to applicant's entitlement to apply for and be granted a patent (Rule 4.17(H))