Method and apparatus for acoustic fluid analysis

• US 6,401,538 B1
• Filed: 09/06/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Han, Wei, Storm, Bruce H. Jr., Birchak, James Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, ROSE MARY
• Application Number:
  US09/655,545
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 73/617.5, 735/99, 73/240.3, 736/06, 73/645.3, 738/655, 73/190.3, 736/27, 73/280.1, 73/300.1, 73/300.3, 73/32.R, 73/32.A, 73/544.1, 73/614.5, 73/614.1, 73/614.9, 73/617.1, 736/02
• US Class Current: 73/599
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/107 using acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/00 Investigating characteristics of particles; Investigating permeability, pore-volume or surface-area of porous materials identification of microorganisms C12Q
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/024 Mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02818 Density, viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/103 one emitter, two or more receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/032 by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/223 Supports, positioning or alignment in fixed situation mounting transducers per se G10K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4472 Mathematical theories or simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 9/24 by observing the transmission of wave or particle radiation through the material

Abstract

A method is provided for analyzing suspended particulate and liquid medium in a fluid stream by transmitting acoustic signals into the fluid, detecting scattered acoustic energy, and determining a parameter related to the density and compressibility of the fluid. In one embodiment, the fluid analysis tool comprises two transmitting transducers intermittently emitting acoustic signals, and two receiving transducers being differently azimuthally positioned with respect to the transmitters. The ratio of the amplitude of scattered signals measured by the two receivers as a result of emission from the first and second transmitters are used to calculate the parameter. In another embodiment, a tool comprising one transmitter and at least three receivers with azimuthal angles in both forward and backward scattering regions with respect to the incident wave is disclosed. The scattering signal amplitudes normalized by the amplitude from one of the receivers is used to identify and monitor the system.

Claims

1. A tool for using acoustical scattering measurements to measure fluid, comprising:

a fluid container;

first and second transmitters positioned in said container;

first and second receivers positioned in said container, said receivers being differently azimuthally positioned with respect to said transmitters; and

a data processor for receiving signals from said receivers,

wherein said transmitters and said receivers are aligned such that a signal emitted by one of said first and second transmitters and scattered by the fluid under test is received by both the first and second receivers and the data processor uses the ratios of the signals from said first and second receivers to calculate a dimensionless parameter related to the density and compressibility of the fluid.

2. The tool according to claim 1 wherein the data processor uses the ratios of the signals from said first and second receivers to calculate a dimensionless parameter Γ

related to the density and compressibility of the fluid using the equation $\mathrm{\Gamma <br><br>}=\frac{\begin{array}{c}\left(\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_1-\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_2\right)·<br><br>\left(1+\mathrm{<br><br>}\right)\pm <br><br>\\ \sqrt{{\left(\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_1-\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_2\right)}^2·<br><br>{\left(1+\mathrm{<br><br>}\right)}^2+4·<br><br>{\left(1-\mathrm{<br><br>}\right)}^2·<br><br>\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_1·<br><br>\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_2}\end{array}}{2·<br><br>\left(1-\mathrm{<br><br>}\right)}$

where θ

₁ is the azimuthal position of the first receiver, where θ

₂ is the azimuthal position of the second receiver, and ζ

≡

(P_AD·

P_BC/P_AC·

P_BD)^½

where P_AC is the power amplitude of the signal received by said first receiver as result of the signal emitted by said first transmitter, P_AD is the power amplitude of the signal received by said second receiver as result of the signal emitted by said first transmitter, P_BC is the power amplitude of the signal received by said first receiver as result of the signal emitted by said second transmitter, and P_BD is the power amplitude of the signal received by said second receiver as result of the signal emitted by said second transmitter.

3. The tool according to claim 1 wherein the fluid container comprises a conduit.

4. The tool according to claim 1, further including a third transmitter positioned in said container and a third receiver positioned in said container, said first, second and third receivers being differently azimuthally positioned with respect to said transmitters.

5. A method for analyzing a fluid using acoustical scattering measurements, comprising:

(a) positioning the fluid in a container that includes first and second transmitters and first and second receivers positioned therein, said first and second receivers being differently azimuthally positioned with respect to said transmitters;

(b) transmitting a first signal from the first transmitter and receiving the first signal at the first and second receivers as P_AC and P_AD, respectively;

(c) transmitting a second signal from the second transmitter and receiving the second signal at the first and second receivers P_BC and P_BD, respectively; and

(d) using P_AC, P_AD, P_BC, and P_BD to calculate a dimensionless parameter Γ

that is related to the density and compressibility of the fluid.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the fluid container comprises a conduit, further including the steps of flowing the fluid through the conduit and repeating steps (a)-(d) intermittently.

7. The method according to claim 6, further including the step of tracking changes in Γ

over time.

8. The method according to claim 6, further including the step of tracking changes in Γ

and using the changes to detect changes in the nature of the fluid.

9. The method according to claim 5 wherein step (d) includes calculating Γ

using the equation;

$\mathrm{\Gamma <br><br>}=\frac{\begin{array}{c}\left(\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_1-\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_2\right)·<br><br>\left(1+\mathrm{<br><br>}\right)\pm <br><br>\\ \sqrt{{\left(\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_1-\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_2\right)}^2·<br><br>{\left(1+\mathrm{<br><br>}\right)}^2+4·<br><br>{\left(1-\mathrm{<br><br>}\right)}^2·<br><br>\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_1·<br><br>\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_2}\end{array}}{2·<br><br>\left(1-\mathrm{<br><br>}\right)}$

where θ

₁ is the azimuthal position of the first receiver, where θ

₂ is the azimuthal position of the second receiver, and ζ

≡

(P_AD·

P_BC/P_AC·

P_BD)^½

where P_AC is the power amplitude of the signal received by said first receiver as result of the signal emitted by said first transmitter, P_AD is the power amplitude of the signal received by said second receiver as result of the signal emitted by said first transmitter, P_BC is the power amplitude of the signal received by said first receiver as result of the signal emitted by said second transmitter, and P_BD is the power amplitude of the signal received by said second receiver as result of the signal emitted by said second transmitter.

10. The method according to claim 5 wherein the container farther includes a third transmitter and a third receiver positioned in said container, said first, second and third receivers being differently azimuthally positioned with respect to said transmitters.

11. A method for analyzing a fluid using acoustical scattering measurements, comprising:

(a) positioning the fluid in a container that includes a transmitter and at least first, second and third receivers positioned therein, said first, second and third receivers being each differently azimuthally positioned with respect to said transmitter at angles θ

₁, θ

₂, and θ

₃, respectively;

(b) transmitting a signal from the transmitter and receiving the signal at the first, second and third receivers as P₁, P₂, and P₃, respectively;

(c) normalizing the amplitude of the received signals P₁ and P₂ with respect to a reference received signal P₃; and

(d) using P₁, P₂, and P₃ according to the equation $\frac{P_i<br><br>\left({\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_i\right)}{P_3<br><br>\left({\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_{\mathrm{ref}}\right)}={\left[\frac{\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_i+B/A}{\mathrm{Cos}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\theta <br><br>}}_3+B/A}\right]}^2$

 

where P_i is alternately P₁ and P₂ to calculate the relative contributions of the density factor A and the compressibility factor B to the measured signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, further including fourth and fifth receivers azimuthally positioned with respect to said transmitters at angles θ

₄ and θ

₅, wherein θ

₄ and θ

₅ are different from θ

₁, θ

₂ and θ

₃.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein at least one receiver is positioned in each of the backward scattering region (π

/2<

θ

<

π

) and the forward scattering region (0<

θ

<

π

<

/2).

14. The method according to claim 11, further including using the angular scattering dependence to identify and monitor fluid systems.