MEMS-based transducers on a downhole tool
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- a downhole tool;
a plurality of microelectromechanical (MEM) transmitters disposed proximate an outer surface of the downhole tool for outputting one or more acoustic or ultrasonic signals toward a wellbore; and
a plurality of MEM receivers disposed proximate the outer surface of the downhole tool for receiving a portion of the one or more acoustic or ultrasonic signals reflected back from the wellbore;
wherein the plurality of MEM transmitters, the plurality of MEM receivers, or both are disposed in arrays, wherein the arrays are either;
circular arrays, each circular array being positioned at a different circumferential location around the downhole tool, wherein each circular array comprises a plurality of MEM transmitters and/or MEM receivers that are;
spaced from each other circumferentially around a center point of the circular array; and
each located equidistant from the center point of the circular array;
orrectangular arrays, each rectangular array being positioned at a different circumferential location around the downhole tool, wherein a space in a circumferential direction about the downhole tool between adjacent rectangular arrays is greater than a space in a circumferential direction between adjacent MEM transmitters and/or MEM receivers located in any one of the rectangular arrays.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for taking acoustic/ultrasonic wave measurements of a wellbore using a downhole tool equipped with microelectromechanical (MEM) transducers are provided. The MEM transducers may include a plurality of MEM transmitters (e.g., MEM speakers) and a plurality of separate MEM receivers (e.g., MEM microphones). These MEM transducers may be disposed in arrays proximate an outer surface of the downhole tool to collect acoustic/ultrasonic wave measurements of the full circumference of a wellbore. Due to their small size, large numbers of MEM transducers may be distributed radially around the downhole tool. Such an arrangement of sensors may enable the downhole tool to perform measurements of the entire wellbore without the downhole tool needing to be rotated, leading to an increased signal-to-noise ratio of the measurements.
17 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a downhole tool; a plurality of microelectromechanical (MEM) transmitters disposed proximate an outer surface of the downhole tool for outputting one or more acoustic or ultrasonic signals toward a wellbore; and a plurality of MEM receivers disposed proximate the outer surface of the downhole tool for receiving a portion of the one or more acoustic or ultrasonic signals reflected back from the wellbore; wherein the plurality of MEM transmitters, the plurality of MEM receivers, or both are disposed in arrays, wherein the arrays are either; circular arrays, each circular array being positioned at a different circumferential location around the downhole tool, wherein each circular array comprises a plurality of MEM transmitters and/or MEM receivers that are;
spaced from each other circumferentially around a center point of the circular array; and
each located equidistant from the center point of the circular array;
orrectangular arrays, each rectangular array being positioned at a different circumferential location around the downhole tool, wherein a space in a circumferential direction about the downhole tool between adjacent rectangular arrays is greater than a space in a circumferential direction between adjacent MEM transmitters and/or MEM receivers located in any one of the rectangular arrays. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 20)
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7. A method, comprising:
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outputting one or more acoustic or ultrasonic signals toward a wellbore via a plurality of microelectromechanical (MEM) transmitters disposed proximate an outer surface of a downhole tool; detecting at least a portion of the one or more acoustic or ultrasonic signals reflected back from the wellbore via a plurality of MEM receivers disposed proximate the outer surface of the downhole tool; processing the detected portion of the one or more acoustic or ultrasonic signals to determine a property of the wellbore via a processing component communicatively coupled to the plurality of MEM receivers; and generating a 3-dimensional map of the wellbore, a 3-dimensional map of a casing disposed within the wellbore, or a cement bond log of cement in an annulus between the casing and a formation, based on the property determined via the processing component; wherein the plurality of MEM transmitters, the plurality of MEM receivers, or both are disposed in arrays, wherein the arrays are either; circular arrays, each circular array being positioned at a different circumferential location around the downhole tool, wherein each circular array comprises a plurality of MEM transmitters and/or MEM receivers that are;
spaced from each other circumferentially around a center point of the circular array; and
each located equidistant from the center point of the circular array;
orrectangular arrays, each rectangular array being positioned at a different circumferential location around the downhole tool, wherein a space in a circumferential direction about the downhole tool between adjacent rectangular arrays is greater than a space in a circumferential direction between adjacent MEM transmitters and/or MEM receivers located in any one of the rectangular arrays. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system, comprising:
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a downhole tool; a plurality of microelectromechanical (MEM) transmitters disposed proximate an outer surface of the downhole tool for outputting one or more acoustic or ultrasonic signals toward a wellbore; a plurality of MEM receivers disposed proximate the outer surface of the downhole tool for receiving a portion of the one or more acoustic or ultrasonic signals reflected back from the wellbore, wherein the plurality of MEM transmitters and the plurality of MEM receivers are randomly interspersed amongst each other on the downhole tool; and a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of MEM transmitters and MEM receivers, wherein the controller controls a timing of the operation of the plurality of MEM transmitters and MEM receivers to collect multiple different downhole measurements using the same plurality of MEM transmitters and MEM receivers.
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Specification