Acoustic interface device

• US 9,702,855 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: DiFoggio, Rocco, Han, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): SAINT SURIN, JACQUES M
• Application Number:
  US14/472,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20160061629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 73658
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/28 providing acoustic coupling , e.g. water impedance matching G10K11/02

Abstract

A system is provided including an acoustic interface device, configured for coupling to a transducer and to a specimen, the acoustic interface device comprising a material composition having a shear wave attenuation coefficient α_S of at least about 5 dB/cm when subjected to an acoustic signal at a frequency between about 200 to 500 kHz. The acoustic interface device may be formed of polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon®), a perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA), polycarbonate (Lexan®), or polyether ether ketone (PEEK). Methods of using the acoustic interface device with a transducer for ultrasonic measurement of a specimen are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an acoustic interface device, configured for coupling to a transducer and to a specimen, the acoustic interface device comprising a material composition having a shear wave attenuation coefficient α

_S of at least about 5 dB/cm when subjected to an acoustic signal at a frequency between about 200 to 500 kHz.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the material composition has a compressional wave velocity V_P of at most about 1600 m/s at a temperature between about 150 and 200 degrees Celsius and a pressure between about 20,000 to 35,000 psi.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the material composition has a shear wave velocity V_S of at most about 1110 m/s at a temperature between about 150 and 200 degrees Celsius and a pressure between about 20,000 to 35,000 psi.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the material composition has a compressional wave attenuation coefficient α

_C of at most about 6 dB/cm when subjected to an acoustic signal at a frequency between about 200 to 500 kHz.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a transducer coupled to the acoustic interface device, wherein the transducer is a piezoelectric transducer operable to generate an acoustic signal at least at a frequency between about 200 kHz and 500 kHz in response to an applied electric voltage.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a reflector,

wherein the acoustic interface device comprises a proximal end and a distal end,

wherein the acoustic interface device is coupled to the transducer at the proximal end, and the acoustic interface device is coupled to a specimen at the distal end, and

wherein the reflector is coupled to the specimen and disposed a fixed distance away from the distal end.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein

the acoustic interface device comprises a material from the group consisting of:

polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon®

), a perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA), polycarbonate (Lexan®

), and polyether ether ketone (PEEK).

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the acoustic interface device comprises a particle-filled polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon®

) composite.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a transducer coupled to the acoustic interface device, wherein the transducer is a piezoelectric transducer operable to generate an acoustic signal at least at a frequency between about 200 kHz and 500 kHz in response to an applied electric voltage.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a reflector,

wherein the acoustic interface device comprises a proximal end and a distal end,

wherein the acoustic interface device is coupled to the transducer at the proximal end, and the acoustic interface device is coupled to a specimen at the distal end, and

wherein the reflector is coupled to the specimen and disposed a fixed distance away from the distal end.

11. A method, comprising:

providing an acoustic interface device, coupled to a transducer;

coupling the acoustic interface device to a specimen;

by the transducer, generating a first acoustic signal, such that the generated first acoustic signal is transmitted to the acoustic interface device; and

receiving a second acoustic signal in response to the transmitted first acoustic signal,

wherein the acoustic interface device comprises a material composition having a shear wave attenuation coefficient α

_S of at least about 5 dB/cm when subjected to an acoustic signal at a frequency between about 200 to 500 kHz.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

coupling a reflector to the specimen at a fixed distance from the acoustic interface device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining an acoustic property of the specimen based on the received second acoustic signal.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the material composition of the acoustic interface device has at least one property from the group consisting of:

having a compressional wave velocity V_P of at most about 1600 m/s at a temperature between about 150 and 200 degrees Celsius and a pressure between about 20,000 to 35,000 psi;

having a shear wave velocity V_S of at most about 1110 m/s at a temperature between about 150 and 200 degrees Celsius and a pressure between about 20,000 to 35,000 psi; and

having a compressional wave attenuation coefficient α

_C of at most about 6 dB/cm when subjected to an acoustic signal at a frequency between about 200 to 500 kHz.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the specimen is a liquid.

16. The method of claim 11,

wherein the acoustic interface device comprises a material from the group consisting of:

polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon®

), a perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA), polycarbonate (Lexan®

), and polyether ether ketone (PEEK).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the acoustic interface device comprises a particle-filled polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon®

) composite.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

coupling a reflector to the specimen at a fixed distance from the acoustic interface device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining an acoustic property of the specimen based on the received second acoustic signal.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the specimen is a liquid.