Acoustic housing for tubulars

• US 10,344,583 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2017
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Walker, Katie M., Smith, Thomas M., Wolf, Henry Alan, Burns, James S., Bragg, Timothy R., Disko, Mark M., Zhang, Yibing
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghulamali, Qutbuddin
• Application Number:
  US15/689,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20180066510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 367 82
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/017 Protecting measuring instruments
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/06 Measuring temperature or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/07 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/095 by detecting an acoustic anomalies, e.g. using mud-pressure pulses
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/107 using acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/16 through the drill string or casing , e.g. by torsional acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/00 Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/08 Obtaining fluid samples or testing fluids, in boreholes or wells

Abstract

Provided is an acoustic housing including a cover including a first perimeter defining an open cover portion, the cover having a cover length, and a cover height, and a body including a second perimeter defining an open body portion, wherein either the first or second or both perimeters are chamfered, configured to receive one or more electrical components and to sealingly engage with the first chamfered perimeter, the body having a body length, a body height, and an under-surface, and the body including an engagement portion projecting from the under-surface and having an engagement length, an engagement height, and an engagement surface configured to engage an outer surface of a tubular.

Claims

1. An acoustic housing, comprising:

a cover comprising a first perimeter defining an open cover portion, and having a cover length and a cover height; and

a body comprising;

a second perimeter defining an open body portion configured to receive one or more electrical components and to sealingly engage with the first perimeter, the body having a body length, a body height, and an under-surface, at least one of the first perimeter and the second perimeter comprising a first chamfered perimeter and a second chamfered perimeter, respectively; and

an engagement portion projecting from the under-surface and having an engagement length, an engagement height, and an engagement surface configured to engage an outer surface of a tubular.

2. The acoustic housing of claim 1, wherein the body includes a second chamfered perimeter and is configured to sealingly engage with an unchamfered perimeter of the cover.

3. The acoustic housing of claim 1, wherein the cover includes first chamfered perimeter that is configured to sealingly engage with an unchamfered perimeter of the body.

4. The acoustic housing of claim 1, wherein the body and the engagement portion are integral.

5. The acoustic housing of claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is a continuous engagement portion.

6. The acoustic housing of claim 5, wherein the continuous engagement portion comprises a single continuous engagement portion having an engagement length that is substantially equal to or less than the body length.

7. The acoustic housing of claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is a discontinuous engagement portion.

8. The acoustic housing of claim 7, wherein the discontinuous engagement portion comprises at least two non-contiguous segments.

9. The acoustic housing of claim 8, wherein the body and the engagement portion are integral.

10. The acoustic housing of claim 1, wherein the body and the engagement portion are integral.

11. The acoustic housing of claim 1, wherein the engagement portion comprises a V-configuration engagement surface comprising an obtuse angle, defining a lengthwise central groove traversing the engagement length.

12. The acoustic housing of claim 11, wherein the engagement portion has a V-shaped cross-section.

13. The acoustic housing of claim 11, wherein the V-configuration comprises an obtuse angle >

90□ and

<

180□

.

14. The acoustic housing of claim 11, wherein the obtuse angle is an angle of from 100°

to 175°

.

15. The acoustic housing of claim 11, further comprising a malleable sealant material provided in the central groove.

16. The acoustic housing of claim 15, wherein the malleable sealant material is configured to bridge at least a portion of a gap between the V-configuration engagement surface and the outer surface of the tubular when the acoustic housing is attached to the outer surface of the tubular.

17. The acoustic housing of claim 15, wherein the diameter is sufficient to bridge the gap.

18. The acoustic housing of claim 1, wherein the engagement surface comprises a radiused engagement surface.

19. The acoustic housing of claim 1, wherein the first perimeter includes a first chamfered perimeter and the second perimeter includes a second chamfered perimeter and the first chamfered perimeter and the second chamfered perimeter are configured such that upon engagement with each other, a perimeter space is defined therebetween the first chamfered perimeter and the second chamfered perimeter.

20. The acoustic housing of claim 1, further comprising one or more electrical components disposed in the open body portion.

21. The acoustic housing of claim 20, wherein the one or more electrical components comprise an independent power source, an electro-acoustic transducer, and a transceiver for at least one of receiving acoustic waves and transmitting acoustic waves.

22. The acoustic housing of claim 21, further comprising a sealant material provided in engagement with at least one of the first chamfered perimeter and the second chamfered perimeter to at least one of further seal the cover and the body together and adhesively secure the cover and the body together.

23. The acoustic housing of claim 22, wherein the malleable sealant material comprises at least one of metal wire and a metal alloy wire having a diameter.

24. The acoustic housing of claim 23, further comprising a shoulder defined by projection of the engagement surface beyond the second tab surface, and the shoulder provides clearance between the second tab surface and the outer surface of the tubular.

25. The acoustic housing of claim 24, where in the shoulder provides a clearance in the range of from 0.5 mils and 15 mils, inclusively, when the cover is assembled with the body.

26. The acoustic housing of claim 23, wherein each of the first lengthwise tab and the second lengthwise tab further comprise a terminal projection extending from the first tab surface at the terminal end.

27. The acoustic housing of claim 23, wherein the second tab surface comprises a V-configuration tab surface provided along the tab length.

28. The acoustic housing of claim 23, wherein the second tab surface comprises a radiused tab surface provided along the tab length.

29. The acoustic housing of claim 23, further comprising at least one clamp for attaching the acoustic housing to an outer surface of a tubular.

30. The acoustic housing of claim 29, wherein the at least one clamp comprises a first arcuate section;

a second arcuate section;

a hinge for pivotally connecting the first and second arcuate sections; and

a fastening mechanism for securing the first and second arcuate sections around an outer surface of a tubular.

31. The acoustic housing of claim 30, wherein the clamp is provided over the first tab surface between the terminal projection and a linear end of the body such that when the acoustic housing is attached to the outer wall of a tubular, the tab is disposed between an inner surface of the clamp and the outer surface of the tubular.

32. The acoustic housing of claim 1, further comprising a first lengthwise tab extending from a first linear end of the cover adjacent the open cover portion, and a second lengthwise tab extending from an opposing second linear end of the cover adjacent the open cover portion, each of the first and second lengthwise tabs having a tab length, a tab height less than the cover height, a terminal end, and a first tab surface and an opposing second tab surface.