Pipelined pulse-echo scheme for an acoustic image tool for use downhole

摘要

The present disclosure is related to apparatuses and methods for estimating borehole parameters using a plurality of reflections caused by a plurality of acoustic pulses. The reflections may overlap each other and/or the acoustic pulses. The methods may include estimating an envelope of the received acoustic signal at the at least one element of the array of transducers; and estimating at least one arrival time of at least one of the plurality of overlapping events from the envelope of the received acoustic signals, the arrival times being characteristic of the geometry of the borehole. The method may also include imaging the borehole wall. The apparatus may include an array of transducers on a rotatable transducer assembly with at least one element on the array configured to generate a plurality of acoustic pulses and receive reflections and a processor configured to perform the method.

主权项

1. An apparatus configured to estimate a geometry of a borehole penetrating an earth formation, the apparatus comprising:
a rotatable transducer assembly; an array of transducers on the rotatable transducer assembly, at least one element of the array configured to:
generate a sequence of pulses in the borehole, at least one of the sequence of pulses is generated such that reflections from the at least one sequence of pulses overlap with reflections from at least one other of the sequence of pulses, andreceive an acoustic signal comprising a plurality of overlapping events resulting from the generation of the sequence of pulses; and at least one processor configured to:
estimate an envelope of the received acoustic signal at the at least one element of the array of transducers; andestimate at least one arrival time of at least one of the plurality of overlapping events from the envelope of the received acoustic signals, the at least one arrival time being characteristic of the geometry of the borehole.