Xiuming Wang

Characteristics of group velocities of backward waves in a hollow cylinder

It is known that modes in axially uniform waveguides exhibit backward-propagation characteristics for which group and phase velocities have opposite signs. For elastic plates, group velocities of backward Lamb waves depend only on Poissons ratio. This paper explores ways to achieve a large group velocity of a backward mode in hollow cylinders by changing the outer to inner radius ratio, in order that such a mode with strong backward-propagation characteristics may be used in acoustic logging tools. Dispersion spectra of guided waves in hollow cylinders of varying radii are numerically simulated to explore the existence of backward modes and to choose the clearly visible backward modes with high group velocities. Analyses of group velocity characteristics show that only a small number of low order backward modes are suitable for practical use, and the radius ratio to reach the highest group velocity corresponds to the accidental degeneracy of neighboring pure transverse and compressional modes at the wavenumber k = 0. It is also shown that large group velocities of backward waves are achievable in hollow cylinders made of commonly encountered materials, which may bring cost benefits when using acoustic devices which take advantage of backward-propagation effects.

Acoustic field in a cased well with a sectorial crossing channel

To study the possibility of detecting the crossing channel by using a traditional logging tool, acoustic field generated by a monopole source in a cased well with a crossing channel of various angles is simulated by 2.5-D finite difference method for the first time. Snapshots of normal stress and synthetic time-domain waveforms are displayed. The two-dimensional spectrum in wave-number and frequency domains is also calculated, where the influence of the channel is clearer than that in the waveforms. Numerical study demonstrated that a crossing channel can be detected and sized if its angle is greater than 30 degree, and larger offset and lower frequency source are favorable to detect and size the crossing channel.The present invention is related to a speech synthesizer which includes a sampled signal storing device storing therein a sampled signal and outputting the sampled signal in response to an input signal, and a speech signal synthesizing circuit electrically connected to the sampled signal storing device, receiving an operation signal, having the sampled signal outputted by the sampled signal storing device be repeatedly operated in response to the operation signal, and then outputting a speech synthesized signal, wherein a frequency of the operation signal is higher than that of the input signal to allow the sampled signal to be repeatedly operated during a single cycle of the input signal. The present invention proceeds a plurality of times of operation for each entry of data in the storing device so that the synthesizing performance of the present synthesizer can be improved without increasing the storage amount of the sampled signals.

Weighted-elastic-wave interferometric imaging of microseismic source location*

Knowledge of the locations of seismic sources is critical for microseismic monitoring. Time-window-based elastic wave interferometric imaging and weighted-elastic-wave (WEW) interferometric imaging are proposed and used to locate modeled microseismic sources. The proposed method improves the precision and eliminates artifacts in location profiles. Numerical experiments based on a horizontally layered isotropic medium have shown that the method offers the following advantages: It can deal with low-SNR microseismic data with velocity perturbations as well as relatively sparse receivers and still maintain relatively high precision despite the errors in the velocity model. Furthermore, it is more efficient than conventional traveltime inversion methods because interferometric imaging does not require traveltime picking. Numerical results using a 2D fault model have also suggested that the weighted-elastic-wave interferometric imaging can locate multiple sources with higher location precision than the time-reverse imaging method.

Studies on phase and group velocities from acoustic logging

It is still argued whether we measure phase or group velocities using acoustic logging tools. In this paper, three kinds of models are used to investigate this problem by theoretical analyses and numerical simulations. First, we use the plane-wave superposition model containing two plane waves with different velocities and able to change the values of phase velocity and group velocity. The numerical results show that whether phase velocity is higher or lower than group velocity, using the slowness-time coherence (STC) method we can only get phase velocities. Second, according to the results of the dispersion analysis and branch-cut integration, in a rigid boundary borehole model the results of dispersion curves and the waveforms of the first-order mode show that the velocities obtained by the STC method are phase velocities while group velocities obtained by arrival time picking. Finally, dipole logging in a slow formation model is investigated using dispersion analysis and real-axis integration. The results of dispersion curves and full wave trains show similar conclusions as the borehole model with rigid boundary conditions.

3D FINITE DIFFERENCE SIMULATIONS OF ACOUSTIC LOGS IN TILTED LAYERED POROUS FORMATIONS

A finite-difference algorithm is developed in the 3D cylindrical coordinate system. Synthetic waveforms excited by monopole and dipole acoustic sources are calculated for acoustic logging in a tilted layered formation composed of two poroelastic media. It is revealed that the existence of a tilted layer drives more acoustic energy out and therefore reduces the reflection back to the wellbore. Numerical results show that the amplitudes and the arrival times of the shear waves and flexural modes are influenced by the borehole inclination. The Stoneley modes, however, show little sensitivity to the orientation of the layer interface.

Simulation of 2.5-dimensional borehole acoustic waves with convolutional perfectly matched layer

A 2.5-dimensional method using the PDE package of the commercial finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics is developed to simulate wave propagation in a borehole. The computation is conducted in the frequency wave-number domain. A convolutional perfectly matched layer is implemented to eliminate the reflections from artificial truncation boundaries. Waveforms obtained in time domain are in good agreement with analytic solutions in a special model, which proves the validity of the method. A numerical modeling example is presented to illustrate the capabilities of the method. It is shown that this method can be used to solve a variety of non-axisymmetric borehole acoustic wave propagation problems.

Relative elastic interferometric imaging for microseismic source location

Combining a relative location method and seismic interferometric imaging, a relative elastic interferometric imaging method for microseismic source location is proposed. In the method, the information of a known event (the main event) is fully used to improve the location precision of the unknown events (the target events). First, the principles of both conventional and the relative interferometric imaging methods are analyzed. Traveltime differences from the position of the same potential event to different receivers are used in direct interferometric imaging, while relative interferometric imaging utilizes those of different events to the same receiver. Second, 2D and 3D numerical experiments demonstrate the feasibility of this newly proposed method in locating a single microseismic event. Envelopes of cross-correlation traces are utilized to eliminate the effects of changing polarities resulting from the source mechanism and receiver configuration. Finally, the location precision of the relative and conventional interferometric imaging methods are compared, and it indicates that the former hold both advantages of the relative method and interferometric imaging. Namely, it can adapt to comparatively high velocity error and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) microseismic data. Moreover, since there is no arrival time picking and fewer cross-correlograms are imaged, the method also significantly saves computational expense.

Phase Relation of Harmonics in Nonlinear Focused Ultrasound

The phase relation of harmonics in high-intensity focused ultrasound is investigated numerically and experimentally. The nonlinear Westervelt equation is solved to model nonlinear focused sound field by using the finite difference time domain method. Experimental waveforms are measured by a robust needle hydrophone. Then the relative phase quantity is introduced and obtained by using the zero-phase filter. The results show that the nth harmonic relative phase quantity is approximately (n — 1)π/3 at geometric center and increases along the axial direction. Moreover, the relative phase quantity decreases with the increase of source amplitude. This phase relation gives an explanation of some nonlinear phenomena such as the discrepancy of positive and negative pressure.

Generalized collar waves in acoustic logging while drilling

Tool waves, also named collar waves, propagating along the drill collars in acoustic logging while drilling (ALWD), strongly interfere with the needed P- and S-waves of a penetrated formation, which is a key issue in picking up formation P- and S-wave velocities. Previous studies on physical insulation for the collar waves designed on the collar between the source and the receiver sections did not bring to a satisfactory solution. In this paper, we investigate the propagation features of collar waves in different models. It is confirmed that there exists an indirect collar wave in the synthetic full waves due to the coupling between the drill collar and the borehole, even there is a perfect isolator between the source and the receiver. The direct collar waves propagating all along the tool and the indirect ones produced by echoes from the borehole wall are summarized as the generalized collar waves. Further analyses show that the indirect collar waves could be relatively strong in the full wave data. This is why the collar waves cannot be eliminated with satisfactory effect in many cases by designing the physical isolators carved on the tool.

Rough interfaces and ultrasonic imaging logging behind casing

Ultrasonic leaky Lamb waves are sensitive to defects and debonding in multilayer media. In this study, we use the finite-difference method to simulate the response of flexural waves in the presence of defects owing to casing corrosion and rough fluctuations at the cement-formation interface. The ultrasonic obliquely incidence could effectively stimulate the flexural waves. The defects owing to casing corrosion change the amplitude of the earlyarrival flexural wave, which gradually decrease with increasing defect thickness on the exterior walls and is the lowest when the defect length and wavelength were comparable. The scattering at the defects decreases the energy of flexural waves in the casing that leaks directly to fluids. For rough cement-formation interface, the early-arrival flexural waves do not change, whereas the late-arrival flexural waves have reduced amplitude owing to the scattering at rough interface.