X-ray backscatter device for wellbore casing and pipeline inspection
AssigneeGas Technology Institute
InventorsDaniel Shedlock, Andrew Hammerschmidt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for inspection in situ of a wellbore casing and a pipeline from inside the wellbore or pipeline. The apparatus includes a penetrating radiation source such as x-rays, a rotatable beam collimator adapted to collimate the penetrating radiation source and produce at least one pencil radiation beam rotatable about the radiation source, an arcuate radiation detector suitable for detecting radiation scattered off a target, and a housing containing the radiation source, the rotatable beam collimator, and the radiation detector. The housing is provided with at least one exit point for exiting of the at least one pencil radiation beam from the housing.
Claims22
An apparatus for inspection in situ of a wellbore casing inside wall and a pipeline inside wall comprising:
- a radiation source having radiation penetration suitable for imaging a target selected from the group consisting of wellbore casings and pipelines;
- a rotatable beam collimator adapted to collimate said radiation source and produce a plurality of pencil radiation beams rotatable about said radiation source so as to enable said plurality of pencil radiation beams to sweep azimuthally along an interior surface of a hollow cylinder;
- a cylindrical radiation detector, segmented into a plurality of segments corresponding to said plurality of pencil radiation beams and rotatable together with said rotatable beam collimator, suitable for detecting radiation scattered off said target and offset laterally from said plurality of pencil radiation beams;
- and
- a housing containing said radiation source, said rotatable beam collimator, and said radiation detector and forming a plurality of exit points for exiting of said plurality of pencil radiation beams from said housing.
A radiation backscatter apparatus comprising:
- a cylindrical housing;
- a scanning head disposed within said cylindrical housing, said scanning head comprising a radiation source, a rotatable beam collimator adapted to collimate said radiation source and produce a plurality of pencil radiation beams rotatable about said radiation source, and a plurality of arcuate radiation detectors corresponding to said plurality of pencil radiation beams suitable for detecting radiation scattered off a target, said plurality of arcuate radiation detectors offset laterally from said plurality of pencil radiation beams;
- and
- a high-voltage generator, a power management and control module, and a cooling system disposed within said cylindrical housing and operably connected with said scanning head.
An apparatus for inspection in situ of a wellbore casing inside wall and a pipeline inside wall comprising:
- a penetrating radiation source;
- a rotatable beam collimator adapted to collimate said penetrating radiation source and produce a plurality of pencil radiation beams rotatable about said penetrating radiation source;
- a plurality of arcuate radiation detectors suitable for detecting radiation scattered off said target and offset laterally from said plurality of pencil radiation beams;
- and
- a housing containing said penetrating radiation source, said rotatable beam collimator, and said radiation detectors and forming a plurality of exit points for exiting of said plurality of pencil radiation beams from said housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.