CFD modelling of thermal management in downhole tools

Hughes, Tom; Weerasinghe, Rohitha

Abstract

Investigation of oil and gas fields using vertical seismic profiling subjects the equipment used to extreme temperatures and pressures. As wells become deeper and
higher temperature, the need for effective thermal management in instrumentation and the demands placed on the downhole tool system increases. One approach to reduce the temperature of sensitive electronics is to use a thermoelectric cooler to reduce the temperature of the electronics within the tools. This work uses computational uid dynamics to model the temperature profile in a downhole tool when fitted with a commercially available thermoelectric cooling
module and a custom made module. High temperature properties of the module are estimated from simple laboratory experiments and applied to the computational
model to map the temperature field of the system. The simulation data is compared to experimental hot oil bath testing data and found to be in close agreement.

Citation

Hughes, T., & Weerasinghe, R. (2015, September). CFD modelling of thermal management in downhole tools. Paper presented at UKHTC 2015

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: UKHTC 2015
• Start Date: Sep 7, 2015
• End Date: Sep 8, 2015
• Acceptance Date: Aug 15, 2015
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: thermal management
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : UK HTC 2015