Acoustic Isolater for a Downhole Tool
AssigneeGE Oil & Gas Logging Services, Inc.
InventorsJames David RATCLIFFE, Timothy Gill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A downhole tool for acoustically imaging a subterranean formation having a transmitter and receiver and which includes an acoustic isolator between the transmitter and receiver. The acoustic isolator includes attenuation elements with rounded ends and that are connected in series by compression fittings. The compression fittings include sleeves that threadingly engage lock nuts and compressively engage the rounded ends. The contact interfaces between the compression fittings extend along a curved path thereby limiting acoustic transmission along the series of attenuation elements.
Claims18
An acoustic tool for imaging in a subterranean wellbore comprising:
- a transmitter,
- a receiver;
- and
- an acoustic isolator disposed between the transmitter and receiver that comprises,
- an attenuation element having a rounded end,
- a compression element that couples with the rounded end and along a contact interface that defines a curved path.
An acoustic tool for imaging in a subterranean wellbore comprising:
- an acoustic transmitter;
- an acoustic receiver spaced axially away from the transmitter;
- an elongate attenuation element that is between the transmitter and receiver, and that comprises an end that is spherically shaped, and that is inserted into an open end of a sleeve;
- a communication path defined by a transmission of acoustic signals between the transmitter and receiver;
- a lock ring that contacts the end of the attenuation element;
- and
- a contact interface between the lock ring and the attenuation element that follows a curved route, is in the communication path, and that defines a reduction in cross sectional area of the communication path.
An acoustic tool for imaging in a subterranean wellbore comprising:
- a tool body;
- an acoustic transmitter coupled with the body;
- an acoustic receiver coupled with the body;
- an acoustic path along the body and between the transmitter and receiver;
- and
- a series of acoustic attenuation members that are in the acoustic path and that comprise a coupling between adjacent members having a curved interface and that defines a substantial decrease in a cross sectional area of the acoustic path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.