Automated drone delivery system

• Main Authors: McNelis, Liam, Eitschberger, Christian
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 06.09.2022
• Subjects: CONVEYING; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; MINING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; STORING; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING

A drone conveyance system and a wellhead receiver for deploying drones into a wellbore is described. The system includes a platform, a drone magazine, a platform receiver, a conveyance, and a wellhead receiver. The wellhead receiver prepares the drone to be inserted into the wellbore via the wellhead. Preparation of the drone may include adjusting the physical conditions surrounding the drone to approximate the physical conditions in the wellbore, which may be done with fluid inputs and outputs connected to a compartment of the wellhead receiver. Other preparation processes may also take place in the wellhead receiver, such as assuring the appropriate drone is being inserted, that the drone has been programmed appropriately, that safety devices have been deactivated and charging an onboard power supply of the drone.