Pressure compensated hydrophone

• US 7,082,079 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC (Weatherford International PLC)
• Original Assignee: Weatherford/Lamb Incorporated (Weatherford International PLC)
• Inventors: Woo, Daniel Ming Kwong
• Primary Examiner(s): PIHULIC, DANIEL T
• Application Number:
  US11/109,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20050195687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 367/167, 367/140, 367/149, 367/171, 367/172, 250/227.16, 250/227.14, 385/12, 385/13
• US Class Current: 367/149
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/44 Special adaptations for subaqueous use, e.g. for hydrophone

Abstract

A pressure compensated hydrophone for measuring dynamic pressures is disclosed. The hydrophone includes a compliant hollow mandrel with a single optical fiber coiled around at least a portion of the mandrel. The mandrel further includes at least one pressure relief valve for compensating for changes in hydrostatic pressure. The pressure relief valve includes a micro-hole, which allows hydrostatic pressures or low frequency pressure events to couple into the interior of the mandrel to provide compensation against such pressure. Higher frequencies pressure events of interest do not couple through the micro-hole and therefore only act only on the exterior of the mandrel, allowing for their detection. Because (quasi) hydrostatic events are compensated for, the mandrel may be made particularly compliant, rendering the singular fiber optic coil particularly sensitive to the detection of the higher frequency signals of interest.

Claims

1. A hydrophone assembly for detecting dynamic acoustics, comprising:

a mandrel with an inner cavity;

an optical fiber coiled around an outside surface of the mandrel; and

a micro-hole configured to provide fluid communication between an interior of the inner cavity and an exterior surrounding the mandrel, wherein a diameter of the micro-hole is such that pressure waves above three hertz are unable to pass through the micro-hole.

2. The hydrophone assembly of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the micro-hole ranges from about 0.001 to 0.1 inches.

3. The hydrophone assembly of claim 1, wherein the micro-hole forms part of a pressure relief valve.

4. The hydrophone assembly of claim 3, wherein the pressure relief valve is a one way valve.

5. The hydrophone assembly of claim 3, wherein the pressure relief valve is capable of maintaining a predetermined pressure differential between the interior and the exterior.

6. The hydrophone assembly of claim 1, wherein the mandrel comprises an oblique cylinder.

7. The hydrophone assembly of claim 1, further comprising a housing that contains the mandrel.

8. A system for detecting dynamic acoustics in a wellbore, comprising:

at least one hydrophone package assembly, comprising;

a mandrel with an inner cavity;

an optical fiber coiled around an outside surface of the mandrel to provide signals indicative of the dynamic acoustics based on a change in length of the optical fiber; and

a pressure relief valve configured to selectively provide fluid communication between an interior of the inner cavity and an exterior surrounding the mandrel;

a tubing that the at least one hydrophone package is secured thereto within the wellbore; and

an instrumentation unit connected to the at least one hydrophone package via a cable, wherein the instrumentation unit is configured to process the signals received from the cable.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising at least one clamp mechanism for securing the at least one hydrophone package to the tubing.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the instrumentation unit is located at a surface of the wellbore.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one hydrophone package comprises a plurality of hydrophone packages spaced over a length of the wellbore to provide a seismic array.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the pressure relief valve includes a micro-hole having a diameter such that pressure waves above three hertz are unable to pass through the micro-hole.

13. The hydrophone assembly of claim 11, wherein the pressure relief valve is capable of maintaining a predetermined pressure differential between the interior and the exterior.

14. A hydrophone assembly for detecting dynamic acoustics, comprising:

a mandrel with an inner cavity;

an optical fiber coiled around an outside surface of the mandrel;

an ascending pressure relief valve configured to selectively relieve pressure within an interior of the inner cavity; and

a descending pressure relief valve configured to selectively increase pressure within the interior of the inner cavity.

15. The hydrophone assembly of claim 14, wherein each of the pressure relief valves include a micro-hole having a diameter such that pressure waves above three hertz are unable to pass through the micro-hole.

16. The hydrophone assembly of claim 15, wherein the diameter of the micro-holes ranges from about 0.001 to 0.1 inches.

17. The hydrophone assembly of claim 14, wherein the pressure relief valves are one way valves.

18. The hydrophone assembly of claim 14, wherein the pressure relief valves are capable of maintaining a predetermined pressure differential between the interior and the exterior.

19. The hydrophone assembly of claim 14, wherein the mandrel comprises an oblique cylinder.

20. The hydrophone assembly of claim 14, further comprising a housing that contains the mandrel.