Drill string incorporating an acoustic telemetry system employing one or more low frequency acoustic attenuators and an associated method of transmitting data

A drill string for transmitting data, comprising:

• a drill pipe capable of acoustically transmitting data;
• a downhole data transceiver coupled to said drill pipe, said downhole transceiver configured to acquire downhole information and transmit said acquired downhole information to said drill pipe as data;
• a first low frequency acoustic attenuator coupled to said drill pipe,
• wherein said drill pipe has first and second ends, said downhole data transceiver has first and second ends, said second end of said downhole data transceiver coupled to said first end of said drill pipe,
• wherein said first low frequency acoustic attenuator is coupled to said first end of said downhole data transceiver, and
• wherein said low frequency acoustic attenuator has first and second ends, said second end of said low frequency acoustic attenuator is coupled to said first end of said downhole transceiver,
• a surface transceiver coupled to said second end of said drill pipe, said surface transceiver configured to transmit data, received from said downhole transceiver via said drill pipe, to a surface device;
• and
• a second low frequency acoustic attenuator;
• said drill pipe further comprising:
• a first pipe section having first and second ends;
• and
• a second pipe section having first and second ends;
• said first end of said first pipe section coupled to said first low frequency attenuator and said second end of said first pipe section coupled to said second low frequency acoustic attenuator;
• and
• said first end of said second pipe section coupled to said second low frequency acoustic attenuator and said second end of said second pipe section coupled to said surface transceiver.

A drill string for transmitting data, comprising:

• a drill pipe capable of acoustically transmitting data;
• a downhole data transceiver coupled to said drill pipe, said downhole transceiver configured to acquire downhole information and transmit said acquired downhole information to said drill pipe as data;
• and
• a first low frequency acoustic attenuator coupled to said drill pipe,
• wherein said drill pipe has first and second ends, said downhole data transceiver has first and second ends, said second end of said downhole data transceiver coupled to said first end of said drill pipe,
• wherein said first low frequency acoustic attenuator is coupled to said second end of said drill pipe, and
• wherein said drill pipe functions as an acoustic transmission channel and said first low frequency attenuator functions as a surface noise isolator for said acoustic transmission channel.

A drill string for transmitting data, comprising:

• a drill pipe capable of acoustically transmitting data;
• a downhole data transceiver coupled to said drill pipe, said downhole transceiver configured to acciuire downhole information and transmit said acquired downhole information to said drill pipe as data;
• a first low frequency acoustic attenuator coupled to said drill pipe;
• a drill bit coupled to said first end of said downhole transceiver;
• and
• a second low frequency acoustic attenuator;
• wherein
• said first low frequency acoustic attenuator is coupled between said drill bit and said first end of said downhole data transceiver and said second low frequency acoustic attenuator is coupled to said second end of said drill pipe.

A drill string for transmitting data, comprising:

• a drill pipe capable of acoustically transmitting data;
• a downhole data transceiver coupled to said drill pipe, said downhole transceiver configured to accluire downhole information and transmit said acquired downhole information to said drill pipe as data;
• a first low frequency acoustic attenuator coupled to said drill pipe;
• a first pipe section having first and second ends;
• and
• a second pipe section having first and second ends;
• wherein
• said first low frequency acoustic attenuator is coupled between said second end of said first pipe section and said first end of said second pipe section.

A system for acquiring downhole information, comprising:

• a drill bit;
• a low frequency acoustic attenuator coupled to said drill bit;
• a downhole data transceiver coupled to said drill bit such that said low frequency acoustic attenuator is positioned between said downhole transceiver and said drill bit;
• a drill pipe coupled to said low frequency acoustic attenuator such that said downhole data transceiver is positioned between said drill pipe and said low frequency acoustic attenuator;
• a surface transceiver coupled to said downhole data transceiver such that said drill pipe forms an acoustical transmission channel between said downhole data transceiver and said surface transceiver;
• a remote data processing unit;
• and
• a communication link coupling said surface transceiver and said remote data processing unit;
• wherein
• said downhole data transceiver is configured to transmit acquired information to said acoustical transmission channel of said drill pipe as acoustic signals;
• said surface transceiver is configured to receive said data transmitted, by said downhole data transceiver via said acoustic transmission channel and convert said received data into a signal format suitable for transmission to said remote data processing unit via said communication link;
• and
• said remote data processing unit configured to process said information acquired by said downhole data transceiver.

A system for acquiring downhole information, comprising:

• a drill bit;
• a downhole data transceiver coupled to said drill bit;
• a drill pipe coupled to said drill bit such that said downhole data transceiver is positioned between said drill bit and said drill pipe;
• a surface transceiver coupled to said downhole data transceiver such that said drill pipe forms an acoustical transmission channel between said downhole data transceiver and said surface transceiver;
• a low frequency acoustic attenuator coupled to said drill pipe such that said surface transceiver is positioned between said drill pipe and said low frequency acoustic attenuator;
• a remote data processing unit;
• and
• a communication link coupling said surface transceiver and said remote data processing unit;
• wherein
• said downhole data transceiver is configured to acquire downhole information and transmit said acquired information to said acoustical transmission channel of said drill pipe as data;
• said surface transceiver is configured to receive said data acoustically transmitted, by said downhole data transceiver, via said acoustic transmission channel and convert said received data into a signal format suitable for transmission to said remote data processing unit via said communication link;
• and
• said remote data processing unit configured to process said downhole information acquired by said downhole data transceiver.

A system for acquiring downhole information, comprising:

• a drill bit;
• a downhole data transceiver coupled to said drill bit;
• a first section of drill pipe coupled to said drill bit such that said downhole data transceiver is positioned between said drill bit and said first section of drill pipe;
• a low frequency acoustic attenuator coupled to said downhole data transceiver such that said first section of drill pipe is positioned between said downhole data transceiver and said low frequency acoustic attenuator;
• a second section of drill pipe coupled to said first section of drill pipe said that said low frequency acoustic attenuator is positioned between said first section of drill pipe and said second section of drill pipe;
• a surface transceiver coupled to said low frequency acoustic attenuator such that said second section of drill pipe is positioned between said low frequency acoustic attenuator and said surface transceiver;
• a remote data processing unit;
• and
• a communication link coupling said surface transceiver and said remote data processing unit.

A method for transmitting downhole information at an enhanced data rate, comprising:

• providing an acoustic transmission channel for transmitting downhole information, said acoustic transmission channel including an acoustic receiver and an acoustic transmitter acoustically isolated from said acoustic receiver;
• said acoustic transmitter non-acoustically coupled to said acoustic receiver;
• transporting data from a downhole data transceiver to a surface transceiver via said acoustic transmission channel;
• said acoustic receiver non-acoustically transmitting data received thereby to said acoustic transmitter;
• and
• said second acoustic transmitter regenerating said data received by said acoustic receiver;
• wherein said acoustic isolation of said acoustic receiver from said acoustic transmitter enables said acoustic transmission channel to operate at enhanced data rates.