Projects

Ground Fault tolerant ESP sensors

Developed two new ground fault tolerant ESP sensors, with different power and communications systems but with the same basic market, making ESP sensors work with ground faults present on the ESP power cable. Several patents relating to ESP sensors and the technology. Started working on this problem in 1997 at Axon.

PCP monitoring gauge

Development, and installation of over 600 PCP monitoring systems. These were used in many locations notably in a large field in South America running the PCP's at twice their rated speed, producing near 20G of vibration continuously. The key to these was simple robust metalwork and simple elegant electronics, providing a robust and easy to use permanent down hole system

Precision pressure and temperature calibration systems

Developed and built more than 10 bespoke pressure and temperature systems for automatic calibration of oilfield pressure and temperature sensors. Written software, built bespoke interfaces and integrated measurement systems to provide high accuracy, fully automated calibration systems, for batch manufacturing mostly, but this could equally apply to maintenance of logging tools etc.

Computer controller workshop torque machine

This project was the development and manufacturing of a computer control system and all the associated measurement electronics and hydraulic controls for a Rotary Torque Machine. This unit measured applied torque and RPM or position, and controlled the breaking and make up of oil field pipe joints. over a hundred machines were made and mostly used by Baker Hughes and most still in operation today.

Apple Mac hard drive

This project was the design and development of the first hard drive for the Apple Macintosh, This involved creating a hard drive using the latest servo written sectoring system but making it look to the mac like a a hard sectored drive. Worked on this with the outstanding team at Rodime, and in particular Alec Stewart, who shares the patent with me.

The most successful projects I have been responsible for, either individually or as a key team member:

First car ignition system with HT modules (1983) on every spark plug – now commonplace
First hard drive for the Apple MAC (1985) . Sold at 6000 per week at its peak.
First 200C memory production logging tool (1991), run in the North Sea as a successful service for 4 years
First dual redundant, all metal sealed permanent downhole gauge (1992) – sold over 200 systems in the North Sea
First fully computer controlled workshop torque machine (1995), able to hold at target torque. Sold over 120 machines worldwide.
PCP monitoring sensor, sold over 900 systems worldwide (1997), able to operate at 175C with 20G continuous vibration.
First partially ground fault tolerant 175C ESP sensor (1999) – sold over 300 systems worldwide
World record 137 sensor fluid level sensor (1998), battery operated from a sea bed mounted acoustic linked logger. Sold 3 systems to North Sea. 150C operating, installed at 6500ft and in 1500ft of ocean.
First fully ground fault tolerant ESP sensor (2012), sold over 40 units, still in manufacture.

Other projects with mixed commercial success, or one off:

Hydrogen fuelled spark plugs, 2.5 inch disk drive, 3.5 inch disk drive, subsea data logger interface cards, pressure test systems, gas lift valve testers, data loggers, live tubing wireless down hole system, EM transmission wireless down hole system, acoustic wireless down hole system, electrical resonant fluid measurement, thermal fluid measurement, TDR based spatial fluid sensor, distributed flow and fluid sensor, wireless rod pump sensor using electrical downhole generator, ESP and PCP pump controllers, 3 axis vibration waveform capturing down hole sensors for ESP and PCP, linear motor driven pump, ground fault tolerant ESP sensor, predictive pump monitoring systems.