Through tubing acoustic imaging
AssigneeBaker Hughes, A Ge Company, LLC
InventorsRoger Steinsiek, Douglas Patterson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An outer tubular is imaged by a pad assembly disposed within an inner tubular inserted within the outer tubular. The pad assembly is in contact with the inner tubular, and includes an acoustic pressure source, a backing mounted to a side of the acoustic pressure source, and an intervening layer between the acoustic pressure source and inner tubular. Signals generated by the pad assembly propagate radially outward from the inner tubular and reflect from the outer tubular. The generated and reflected signals travel through a medium between the inner and outer tubulars. An estimate of the distance between the inner and outer tubulars is based on the time from generation of the signal to when the reflected signal is sensed.
Claims17
A method of imaging in a wellbore comprising:
- providing a pad assembly for use with an inner tubular disposed in the wellbore, the pad assembly comprising an electroactive material and an intervening layer coupled with the electroactive material;
- inserting the pad assembly into the inner tubular;
- contacting the inner tubular with the intervening layer to form an acoustic transmitter that comprises a matching layer made up of the intervening layer and the inner tubular;
- generating a vibration with the acoustic transmitter to form a transmitted signal that propagates radially outward from the inner tubular, through a medium disposed in an annulus formed between the inner and outer tubulars, and into contact with the outer tubular;
- matching impedance of the electroactive material and the medium with the matching layer by adjusting a design of the intervening layer based on a given characteristic of the inner tubing;
- using the pad assembly to sense a reflected signal that is formed by the transmitted signal reflecting from an outer tubular in the wellbore and that circumscribe the inner tubular;
- and
- analyzing the reflected signal to obtain information about the outer tubular.
A method of imaging in a wellbore comprising:
- using an electroactive material to generate a signal within a wellbore inner tubular so that the signal projects radially from the inner tubular into a surrounding liquid medium, and reflects from an outer tubular that circumscribes the inner tubular to form a reflected signal;
- matching an impedance of the electroactive material to an impedance of the medium with a matching layer that comprises the inner tubular and an intervening layer coupled between the inner tubular and the electroactive material;
- maximizing transmission of the signal in the medium by adjusting a dimension of the intervening layer based on a given dimension of the inner tubing;
- sensing the reflected signal;
- and
- estimating information about the outer tubular based on a characteristic of the reflected signal.
A system for imaging in a wellbore comprising:
- an acoustic transducer that is selectively inserted into a tubular in the wellbore and that comprises,
- an electroactive material for generating a signal,
- a matching layer for matching impedance of the electroactive material to an impedance of a medium outside the tubular, the matching layer comprising;
- the tubular, and
- an intervening layer having an inner surface in contact with the electroactive material, an outer surface in contact with the tubular, and a thickness based on a given characteristics of the tubular, and
- a means for sensing the reflected signal;
- and
- a controller in communication with the acoustic transducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.