Atlantic Richfield Company

Melvin G Montgomery

Tom P Airhart

John E Kingman

Ronald B Livesay

A system and method for performing seismic prospecting and monitoring during drilling of a well are disclosed. The system generates energy, such as acoustic vibrations and electromagnetic energy, at a downhole location and imparts the same into the surrounding earth. The energy may be imparted by the drilling operation itself, or may be generated by a downhole apparatus. Downhole sensors are provided which sense the energy after it has passed through the earth surrounding the wellbore. The sensed energy is either communicated to the surface, or is communicated to a downhole computer for analysis, with the results of the analysis communicated to the surface. Due to the use of both downhole generation and sensing of the energy, high frequency energy may be used. As a result, the resolution of the resulting survey is improved over techniques which utilize surface detectors for energy traveling through the earth.

Method for executing an instruction where the memory locations for data,

A transducer and method for imparting vibrational signals to a structure are disclosed. In one embodiment, a set of piezoelectric disks are constructed in conjunction with a deformable housing to impart controlled distortions to the structure, such as to a well pipe string. Torsional forces are applied to the structure due to the orientation of the piezoelectric material relative to the electric field applied thereto. The piezoelectric material is placed in layers, with the polarization axis orthogonal to the direction of the electric field. Alternate layers are oriented in opposing directions, and alternating electrodes are connected together, so that each layer cooperates with the others to twist the housing in the same direction. To improve transmission, the apparatus can be tuned to a frequency determined by a spectrum analysis of the pipe string. A reactance mass may be connected to the transducer to increase the amplitude of the imparted vibrations, and also to allow tuning of the frequency of vibrations of the transducer.

Torsional force transducer and method of operation

A phase shift keyed telemetry system is disclosed, which is particularly adapted to demodulation of phase shift keyed signals where the medium of transmission is non-ideal, such that transitional cycles are present at each change of phase of the transmitted data. Demodulation is accomplished by comparison of the input signal to a reference signal generated from the input signal itself. The reference signal is generated by frequency dividing the input signal, preferably after full wave rectifying, by a multiple which is larger than the number of transitional cycles expected; the frequency divided signal is then multiplied in frequency to substantially match the frequency of the input signal. The use of the divider and multiplier removes the effects of transitional cycles of varying phase in generating the reference signal. A phase locked loop in the reference signal generating circuit also reduces the effects of frequency and phase shifting during the transitional cycles, as well as providing tolerance for missing cycles due to system noise.

Demodulation system for phase shift keyed modulated data transmission

A transducer and method for imparting vibrational signals to a structure are disclosed. The transducer according to one embodiment includes a set of piezoelectric disks placed within a deformable housing that has longitudinal slits with rounded terminations. Electrodes are placed adjacent to the piezoelectric disks in such a manner that an electrical signal causes the piezoelectric disks to expand and contract along the longitudinal axis of the transducer. The longitudinal slits in the housing allow its expansion in a direction substantially parallel to its longitudinal axis, while the rounded terminations reduce the tendency of the housing to crack as a result of use, enabling high frequency operation over extended periods of time. The housing is mounted within the hollow interior of a structure, such as to a well pipe string, in such a manner that the deformation of the housing as a result of the force applied by the piezoelectric elements transmit data along the structure by way of axial compressional vibrations.

Piezoelectric transducer for high speed data transmission and method of

A cryosonde for a logging tool wherein the refrigerant chamber for cooling the germanium crystal detector has an easily replaceable rupture means which will fail before the chamber, itself, will rupture.

Cryosonde for well logging tool

An improved strobe lamp holder is formed of a member with a semi-circular appearing, trough-like, reflective curved inner surface in the direction of the axis of the member. Covering the light emitting opening of the lamp is a light diffusing material. Covering the open ends of the trough-like curved surface is a light confining material. The holder is adapted for placement of a strobe bulb inside the trough-like curved surface, diffusive material and light confining ends is a strobe bulb. The improved strobe lamp holder is adapted to emit light rays in a predominantly rectangular pattern with the length of the rectangle oriented perpendicular to the axis of the reflecting curved surface. The improved strobe lamp holder is designed for use in centrifuge measurement of liquid production into or out of mineral cores. The improved holder confines, orients, condenses, uniforms and emits the light from a stobe bulb in a uniform, high intensity, rectangular pattern, thereby enabling measurements in a single flash with improved accuracy and resolution.

Growing community of inventors

Plano, TX, United States of America

Melvin G Montgomery