Information transmitting apparatus using tube body

• US 5,675,325 A
• Filed: 10/20/1995
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Japan National Oil Corp. (Government of Japan), Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimada, Takashi, Sakamoto, Takahiro, Taniguchi, Ryosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US08/546,128
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 367/82, 367/168, 340/854.4
• US Class Current: 340/854.4
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/04 operating with electromagnetism dynamo-electric motors with vibrating magnet, armature or coil system H02K33/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/16 through the drill string or casing , e.g. by torsional acoustic waves

Abstract

An information transmitting apparatus using a tube includes a magnetostrictive vibrator to generate a first elastic wave depending upon underground information, a resonance tube body resonating with the elastic wave to generate a second elastic wave having a natural frequency, and a drill string to propagate the second elastic wave, thereby permitting a long transmission distance.

Claims

1. An information transmitting apparatus using a drill string, said drill string including one or more interconnected tube bodies, comprising:

a detector disposed in the vicinity of a distal end of said drill string to detect underground information;

a magnetostriction generation control unit to output exciting current depending upon said underground information from said detector;

a subsurface magnetostrictive device having a magnetostrictive material to generate an elastic wave by magnetostriction, to generate a first elastic wave according to the exciting current from said magnetostriction generation control unit;

a resonance tube body mounted in the vicinity of the distal end of said drill string, to resonate with said elastic wave generated from said magnetostrictive device, and propagate a second elastic wave generated by the resonance vibration to the other end of said drill string; and

a sound wave receiver to receive said second elastic wave propagated through said drill string and having frequency inherent in said resonance tube body, and convert said second elastic wave into electric information so as to output the information;

wherein said magnetostrictive device is secured to a wall of said resonance tube body,

wherein said resonance tube body resonates at a natural cycle which is determined by a propagation velocity of said first elastic wave generated from said magnetostrictive device and an entire length of said resonance tube body.

2. An information transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magnetostriction generation control unit includes an exciting impulse current generating circuit to feed exciting impulse current to said magnetostrictive device, and applying said exciting impulse current having a more rapid rise than a distortion response velocity of said magnetostrictive device to said magnetostrictive device so as to generate impulse type distortion acceleration in said magnetostrictive device, thereby causing resonance of said resonance tube body according to said distortion acceleration.

3. An information transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a frequency of said exciting current fed to said magnetostrictive device is equalized with a natural frequency of said resonance tube body.

4. An information transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magnetostrictive device is disposed at an intermediate position of said resonance tube body so as to provide the maximum amplitude of vibration of said resonance tube body.

5. An information transmitting apparatus using a tube body according to claim 1, wherein said magnetostriction generation control unit includes an exciting impulse current generating circuit to feed exciting impulse current to said magnetostrictive device, and applying said exciting impulse current having a more rapid rise than distortion response velocity of said magnetostrictive device to said magnetostrictive device so as to generate impulse type distortion acceleration in said magnetostrictive device, thereby causing resonance of said resonance tube body according to said distortion acceleration.

6. An information transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magnetostrictive device is disposed at an intermediate position of said resonance tube body so as to provide the maximum amplitude of vibration of said resonance tube body.

7. An information transmitting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said magnetostrictive device is disposed at an intermediate position of said resonance tube body so as to provide the maximum amplitude of vibration of said resonance tube body.

8. An information transmitting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said magnetostrictive device is disposed at an intermediate position of said resonance tube body so as to provide the maximum amplitude of vibration of said resonance tube body.

9. An information transmitting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said magnetostrictive device is disposed at an intermediate position of said resonance tube body so as to provide the maximum amplitude of vibration of said resonance tube body.

10. An information transmitting apparatus using a drill string, said drill string including one or more interconnected tube bodies, comprising:

a detector disposed in the vicinity of a distal end of said drill string to detect underground information;

a magnetostriction generation control unit to output exciting current depending upon said underground information from said detector;

a magnetostrictive device having a magnetostrictive material to generate an elastic wave by magnetostriction, to generate a first elastic wave according to the exciting current from said magnetostriction generation control unit;

a resonance tube body mounted in the vicinity of the distal end of said drill string, to resonate with said elastic wave generated from said magnetostrictive device, and propagate a second elastic wave generated by the resonance vibration to the other end of said drill string; and

a sound wave receiver to receive said second elastic wave propagated through said drill string and having frequency inherent in said resonance tube body, and convert said second elastic wave into electric information so as to output the information;

wherein said exciting current fed to said magnetostrictive device is chosen to produce said second elastic wave in said resonance tube body to have a natural frequency f_c0 of said resonance tube body, thereby maximizing the transfer of said second elastic wave through said drill string,

wherein said resonance tube body resonates at a natural cycle which is determined by a propagation velocity of said first elastic wave generated from said magnetostrictive device and an entire length of said resonance tube body.