Experimental Study of Rock Drill-ability Anisotropy by Acoustic Velocity

Rock drill-ability anisotropy has significant effects on directional drilling and deviation control. Its evaluation is an important but difficult research subject. Definitions of drill-ability anisotropy and acoustic anisotropy of rock are given in this paper. The acoustic velocities and the drill-ability parameters of several rock samples from the Engineering Center for Chinese Continemal Scientific Drilling （CCSD） are respectively measured with the device for testing the rock drill-ability and the ultrasonic testing system in laboratory, so that their drill-ability anisotropy and acoustic anisotropy are respectively calculated and discussed in detail by using the experimental data. On the basis of these experimental results and calculations, correlations between drill-ability anisotropy and acoustic anisotropy of the rock samples are illustrated through regression analyses. Thus, a mathematical model developed may be used to evaluate the rock drill- ability anisotropy with the acoustic logging or seismic data to a certain extent.

Theoretical modeling of the effects of temperature and moisture content on the acoustic velocity of Pinus resinosa wood

To investigate the effects of temperature and moisture content(MC) on acoustic wave velocity(AWV)in wood,the relationships between wood temperature,MC,and AWV were theoretically analyzed.According to the theoretical propagation characteristics of the acoustic waves in the wood mixture and the differences in velocity among various media(including ice,water,pure wood or oven-dried wood),theoretical relationships of temperature,MC,and AWV were established,assuming that the samples in question were composed of a simple mixture of wood and water or of wood and ice.Using the theoretical model,the phase transition of AWV in green wood near the freezing point(as derived from previous experimental results) was plausibly described.By comparative analysis between theoretical and experimental models for American red pine(Pinus resinosa) samples,it was established that the theoretically predicted AWV values matched the experiment results when the temperature of the wood was below the freezing point of water,with an averageprediction error of 1.66%.The theoretically predicted AWV increased quickly in green wood as temperature decreased and changed suddenly near 0 °C,consistent with the experimental observations.The prediction error of the model was relatively large when the temperature of the wood was above the freezing point,probably due to an overestimation of the effect of the liquid water content on the acoustic velocity and the limited variables of the model.The high correlation between the predicted and measured acoustic velocity values in frozen wood samples revealed the mechanisms of temperature,MC,and water status and how these affected the wood(particularly its acoustic velocity below freezing point of water).This result also verified the reliability of a previous experimental model used to adjust for the effect of temperature during field testing of trees.

Detecting Pipeline Anomalies and Variations in Acoustic Velocity in Multiphase Flow Regimes Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

The use of hydrodynamic pressure wave generated from the action of a fast acting valve as well as acoustic reflectometry in the detection of anomalies like leaks, deposits and blockages in a pipe or fluid flow system in the context of the prevailing scientific theories in fluid flow is discussed. The focus of this paper is the application of the theories to more complex scenarios involving multi-phase fluid flow, specifically, two-phase and two-component fluid flow. The principal concern is the determination of acoustic velocity in a two-phase flow regime;which is problematic because it varies with mixture composition along multiphase flowlines. A technique for simulating flow regimes in the laboratory using stacked S-shaped pipes is presented as well as a discussion of the results from a computational fluid dynamics model.

Effects of Diagenesis on the Acoustic Velocity of the Triassic Oolitic Shoals in the Yudongzi Outcrop of Erlangmiao Area,Northwest Sichuan Basin

The oolitic shoals of the Triassic carbonate platform margin in the Yudongzi （鱼洞子） outcrop of Erlangmiao （二郎庙） area in the northwestern Sichuan （四川） basin present a scarce opportunity to quantitatively describe their diagenesis and its effects on the acoustic velocity. Using a detailed field geologic survey, profiles illustration of typical depositional system, and systematic testing, five types of diagenesis have been identified in the oolitic shoals： micritization, cementation, compaction and pressolution, dissolution, and dolomitisation. The cementation is composed of four subtypes （micrite cements, fibrous calcite cements, granular calcite cements, and blocky calcite cements）. The dissolution is formed from three subtypes （freshwater selective dissolution, burial non-selective dissolution, and burial selective dissolution）. The dolomitisation is composed of three subtypes （fine-crystalline dolomites, microcrystalline dolomites, and medium-crystalline dolomites）. In order to quantitatively describe the diagenetic fabric of oolitic shoals, the micritic grain content, calcite cement content, mean pore diameter, pore types, dolomite content, and dolomite types have been evaluated. Based on these data, the relationship between the acoustic velocity and diagenesis of oolitic shoals hasbeen established. The results show that the diagenetic fabric is linearly related with the acoustic velocity, and the general trend observed is as expected a decrease of velocity as the micritic grain content, mean pore diameter and dolomite content increase, or the sparite cement content decreases. This study will demonstrate that the transformation of diagenetic facies will probably make the petrophysicai properties ofEffects of Diagenesis on the Acoustic Velocity of the Triassic Oolitic Shoals in the Yudongzi Outcropthe oolitic shoals regularly changed. The reflection configuration of diagenetic facies in the oolitic shoals can be shown in the synthetic seismic model simulated according to the P-wave impedance and S-wave impedance.

Rock physics model for velocity–pressure relations and its application to shale pore pressure estimation

Acoustic wave velocity has been commonly utilized to predict subsurface geopressure using empirical relations.Acoustic wave velocity is, however, affected by many factors. To estimate pore pressure accurately, we here propose to use elastic rock physics models to understand and analyze quantitatively the various contributions from these different factors affecting wave velocity. We report a closed-form relationship between the frame flexibility factor(γ) in a rock physics model and differential pressure, which presents the major control of pressure on elastic properties such as bulk modulus and compressional wave velocity. For a gas-bearing shale with abundant micro-cracks and fractures, its bulk modulus is much lower at abnormally high pore pressure(high γ values) where thin cracks and flat pores are open than that at normal hydrostatic pressure(low γ values) where pores are more rounded on average. The developed relations between bulk modulus and differential pressure have been successfully applied to the Upper Ordovician Wufeng and Lower Silurian Longmaxi formations in the Dingshan area of the Sichuan Basin to map the three-dimensional spatial distribution of pore pressure in the shale, integrating core, log and seismic data. The estimated results agree well with field measurements. Pressure coefficient is positively correlated to gas content. The relations and methods reported here could be useful for hydrocarbon exploration, production, and drilling safety in both unconventional and conventional fields.

Development of in-situ Marine Sediment Geo-Acoustic Measurement System with Real-Time and Multi Frequencies (the Second Generation)

Compared with the laboratory acoustic measurement of sediment samples, the in-situ acoustic measurement in marine sediment is considered more accurate and rehable, because it covers all of the surrounding environment factors and avoids the disturbance during the course of sampling and transporting of sediment samples. A new multi-frequency in-situ geoacoustic measurement system （MFIS^AMS） has been developed. The system can provide acoustic vdocity （compressional wave） and attenuation profiles of the uppermost 4 - 8 m sediment in the seafloor. It consists of 8 channels with 12 frequencies （multi-frequencies） and 0.5 - 2 MHz sampling rates. The data collected can be transmiuted in real-time. Associated with inclinometer and altimeter, it can provide the data for depth emendation. Acoustic velocity and attenuation data have been obtained from two in-situ experiments conducted in the Hangzhou Bay.

Study of A Geo-Acoustic Model of Gas-Bearing Sediment and Its Application in Sediment with Low Acoustic Veloctiy

A new geo-acoustic model for gas-bearing sediment is proposed based on the work of Dvorkin and Prasad, and Biot theory. Only five geophysical parameters： sediment mineral composition, free gas saturation, tortuosity （also known as the structure factor）, permeability, and porosity, are considered in the model. A benefit of this model is that we need only five parameters instead of ten parameters in the Blot＇ s formulas for acoustic velocity and attenuation calculation. Here the model is demonstrated with the in-situ experimental data collected from the Hangzhou Bay, China. The results of this study suggest that free gas content in sediment is the most critical condition resulting in a low acoustic velocity （compressional wave）. The respective contributions of the other four parameters in the model are also discussed.

Reliability analysis of in-situ stress measurement using circumferential velocity anisotropy

In-situ stress measurement for deep reservoir formation is difficult in terms of security, reliability and technique. Acoustic velocity anisotropy test is a basic method for stress measurement of rock cores, which is based on the distribution of acoustic velocity in different directions around rock cores. The heterogeneity of core samples, such as fractures and gravel contained, can also lead to wave velocity anisotropy. Therefore, the corresponding reliability evaluation method is established to exclude some other anisotropy factors caused by non-tectonic stresses. In this paper, the reliability of testing results is evaluated from three aspects, i.e. phase difference, anisotropy index and waveform, to remove the factors caused by non-tectonic stresses.

Experiments on acoustic measurement of fractured rocks and application of acoustic logging data to evaluation of fractures

Fractures in oil and gas reservoirs have been the topic of many studies and have attracted reservoir research all over the world. Because of the complexities of the fractures, it is difficult to use fractured reservoir core samples to investigate true underground conditions. Due to the diversity of the fracture parameters, the simulation and evaluation of fractured rock in the laboratory setting is also difficult. Previous researchers have typically used a single material, such as resin, to simulate fractures. There has been a great deal of simplifying of the materials and conditions, which has led to disappointing results in application. In the present study, sandstone core samples were selected and sectioned to simulate fractures, and the changes of the compressional and shear waves were measured with the gradual increasing of the fracture width. The effects of the simulated fracture width on the acoustic wave velocity and amplitude were analyzed. Two variables were defined： H represents the amplitude attenuation ratio of the compressional and shear wave, and x represents the transit time difference value of the shear wave and compressional wave divided by the transit time of the compressional wave. The effect of fracture width on these two physical quantities was then analyzed. Finally, the methods of quantitative evaluation for fracture width with H and x were obtained. The experimental results showed that the rock fractures linearly reduced the velocity of the shear and compressional waves. The effect of twin fractures on thecompressional velocity was almost equal to that of a single fracture which had the same fracture width as the sum of the twin fractures. At the same time, the existence of fractures led to acoustic wave amplitude attenuations, and the compressional wave attenuation was two times greater than that of the shear wave. In this paper, a method was proposed to calculate the fracture width with x and H, then this was applied to the array acoustic imaging logging data.The application examples showed that the calculated fracture width could be compared with fractures on the electric imaging logs. These rules were applied in the well logs to effectively evaluate the fractures, under the case of no image logs, which had significance to prospecting and development of oil and gas in fractured reservoirs.

Improved prediction of shear wave velocity for clastic sedimentary rocks using hybrid model with core data

Accurate measurement of acoustic velocities of sedimentary rocks is essential for prediction of rock elastic constants and well failure analysis during drilling operations.Direct measurement by advanced logging tools such as dipole sonic imager is not always possible.For older wells,such data are not available in most cases.Therefore,it is an alternate way to develop a reliable correlation to estimate the shear wave velocity from existing log and/or core data.The objective of this research is to investigate the nature of dependency of different reservoir parameters on the shear wave velocity(VS) of clastic sedimentary rocks,and to identify the parameter/variable which shows the highest level of dependency.In the study,data-driven connectionist models are developed using machine learning approach of least square support vector machine(LSSVM).The coupled simulated annealing(CSA) approach is utilized to optimize the tuning and kernel parameters in the model development.The performance of the simulation-based model is evaluated using statistical parameters.It is found that the most dependency predictor variable is the compressional wave velocity,followed by the rock porosity,bulk density and shale volume in turn.A new correlation is developed to estimate VS,which captures the most influential parameters of sedimentary rocks.The new correlation is verified and compared with existing models using measured data of sandstone,and it exhibits a minimal error and high correlation coefficient(R^(2)-0.96).The hybridized LSSVM-CSA connectionist model development strategy can be applied for further analysis to predict rock mechanical properties.Additionally,the improved correlation of VS can be adopted to estimate rock elastic constants and conduct wellbore failure analysis for safe drilling and field development decisions,reducing the exploration costs.

Experimental study on parameter determination of fluid replacement equation for volcanic reservoirs

In this study,the parameters of Gassmann equation based on fluid replacement theory are studied by measuring the acoustic velocity during the evaporation process of volcanic rocks in Nanpu area.The experimental data show that with the decrease of porosity of tight volcanic rock,the acoustic velocity difference between dry and wet rock samples increases,which is conducive for the identification of gas bearing reservoirs with acoustic log data.The fluid bulk modulus distribution of volcanic rocks in the study area conforms to Brie model,and the value of empirical coefficient e is related to lithology.The experimental results show that there is a linear relationship between the P-wave transit time of dry and wet rock samples.Using porosity to calculate the acoustic transit time of saturated rock samples,and taking it into the experimental formula,we can get the P-wave transit time and bulk modulus of dry rock samples.According to the bulk modulus of mixed fluid,dry rock and rock matrix determined by experiments,the saturation of volcanic reservoir in Nanpu area is calculated by Gassmann equation,which is in good contrast with the conclusion of gas test.This study provides an experimental basis for quantitative evaluation of volcanic gas reservoirs using seismic and acoustic logging data.

Lateral-field-excitation properties of LiNbO_3 single crystal

LiNbO3 has been found attractive for lateral field excitation （LFE） applications due to its high piezoelectric coupling. In this paper, bulk acoustic wave propagation properties for LiNbO3 single crystal excited by a lateral electric field have been investigated using the extended Christoffel Bechmann method. It is found that the LFE piezoelectric coupling factor for c mode reaches its maximum value of 95.46% when ψ = 0° for both （yxl）-58° and （yxwl）±60°/58° LiNbO3. The acoustic wave phase velocity of c mode TSM （thickness shear mode） changes from 3456 m/s to 3983 m/s as a function of ψ. Here ψ represents the angle between the lateral electric field and the crystallographic X-axis in the substrate major surface. A 5 MHz LFE device of （yxl）-58° LiNbO3 with ψ = 0° was designed and tested in air. A major resonance peak was observed with the motional resistance as low as 17 Ω and the Q-factor value up to 10353. The test result is well in agreement with the theoretical analysis, and suggests that the LFE LiNbO3 device can be a good platform for high performance resonator or sensor applications.

Changes of the acoustic modal phase velocity,group velocity and interference distance in an eddy

Using the modal dispersion equation with the phase-integral approaches, and con-sidering an eddy (or water mass) as a sound channel disturbance, the effects of the undisturbed channel, cold-core eddy and warm-core eddy on the acoustic propagation characteristics are dis-cussed. According to the solutions of the dispersion equation, the relation between the modal Parameters (phase velocity, group velocity and interference distance) and the eddy intensity is obtained. When the plane wave (with an incident angle a) travels toward the center of a warm-core eddy (disturbed intensity BM ) 'double channel phenomenon' will take place in case of sin2 α < BM < 2(1 - cosα), and then the modal phase velocity and interference distance will have anomalous changes which are completely different from the case of the cold-core eddy.

Relating estimates of wood properties of birch to stem form, age and species

Birch has long suffered from a lack of active forest management,leading many researchers to use mate-rial without a detailed management history.Data collected from three birch(Betula pendula Roth,B.pubescens Ehrh.)sites in southern Sweden were analyzed using regression analysis to detect any trends or differences in wood proper-ties that could be explained by stand history,tree age and stem form.All sites were genetics trials established in the same way.Estimates of acoustic velocity(AV)from non-destructive testing(NDT)and predicted AV had a higher correlation if data was pooled across sites and other stem form factors were considered.A subsample of stems had radial profiles of X-ray wood density and ring width by year created,and wood density was related to ring number from the pith and ring width.It seemed likely that wood density was negatively related to ring width for both birch species.Linear models had slight improvements if site and species were included,but only the youngest site with trees at age 15 had both birch species.This paper indicated that NDT values need to be considered separately,and any predictive models will likely be improved if they are specific to the site and birch species measured.

Investigation of surface acoustic waves in laser shock peened metals

Laser shock peening is a well-known method for extending the fatigue life of metal components by introducing near-surface compressive residual stress. The surface acoustic waves （SAWs） are dispersive when the near-surface properties of materials are changed. So the near-surface properties （such as the thickness of hardened layers, elastic properties, residual stresses, etc.） can be analyzed by the phase velocity dispersion. To study the propagation of SAWs in metal samples after peening, a more reasonable experimental method of broadband excitation and reception is introduced. The ultrasonic signals are excited by laser and received by polyvinylindene fluoride （PVDF） transducer. The SAW signals in aluminum alloy materials with different impact times by laser shock peening are detected. Signal spectrum and phase velocity dispersion curves of SAWs are analyzed. Moreover, reasons for dispersion are discussed.

A study of computations for acoustic velocities of arbitrarily dipping layers

Through deriving expressions relating the dip-angle ( m) of the lower boundary of a layer to the acoustic velocity (υm) of the layer and other pre-determinable parameters, υm and m can be taken as simultaneously iterative variables while solving Shah 's equations . Consequently the previous method of computing υm and m presented by ZHANG S . is improved [1] , and the accuracy of solutions increased greatly.

A study of measuring acoustic velocities of thin and hard sea-bed layers

It has been known that the error of measuring acoustic veloicities of thin sediment layers by the well-known T2-X2 approach is usually untolerable, and that this approach is unavailable in the case where sea-bed is hard because no echo from any subsurface below sea-bottom can be received. Therefore applying the ray-parameter method to thin layers and the refraction method to hard layers need to be considered in an acoustic velocity measurement system composed of a sound source and a towed hydrophone streamer. Some problems of practical importance about the applications of the two methods, such as echo-data processing procedures and error estimations in measuring acoustic veloicities, are discussed, and the effectiveness of theoretical analyses has been verified through computer simulations.

VERTICAL VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION IN STEADY NON-UNIFORM AND UNSTEADY OPEN-CHANNEL FLOW

Based on the continuity equation, the distribution of vertical velocity in equilibrium steady non-uniform and unsteady open-channel flows were deduced theoretically. Then a recently developed Acoustic Doppler Velocity Profiler (ADVP) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology was used to measure instantaneously the flow profiles. From these measurements, the vertical velocity and the other flow parameters were obtained. Additional data measured using an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) at the Nanyang Technological University were also presented. The agreement between the theoretical distribution of vertical velocity and the measured data is reasonably good.

P-wave and S-wave response of coal rock containing gas-water with different saturation: an experimental perspective

The acoustic response of gas and/or water saturated coal rock is fundamental for establishing the correspondence between the physical properties of the coal reservoir and the characteristics of the well-logging response,which is the technology essential for the geophysical exploration of coalbed methane(CBM).This acoustic response depends on water(Sw)and gas(Sg)saturation among other factors.In this study,we performed acoustic tests on dry and different gas-water saturated coal samples with different degrees of metamorphism and deformation,collected from several coal mining areas in China.These tests enabled us to analyze the influence of coal type and gas-water saturation on the acoustic response of CBM formations.Our results show that the acoustic velocity of P-wave and S-wave(Vp and Vs,respectively),and the relative anisotropy of and Vs,increased with increasing vitrinite reflectance,density,Vp and Sw.WithSw increasing from 0 to 100%,the growth rate of the acoustic velocity decreased with increasing vitrinite reflectance.The Vp/Vs ratio of tectonic coal was generally higher than that of primary coal.The growth rate of the relative anisotropy in tectonic coal was markedly higher than that in primary coal.

Ultrasonic concentration measurement of citrus pectin aqueous solutions using PC and PLS regression

This work demonstrated the use of multivariate statistical techniques called principal component(PC)and partial least squares(PLS)to extract the acoustic features of citrus pectin water solution.The concentration of citrus pectin water solution was predicted by PC and PLS regression method using the spectra of ultrasound pulse echoes travelling through mixtures.The values of root mean square error of validation(RMSEV)were 0.0675 g/100 g and 0.0662 g/100 g for PC and PLS regression model,respectively.Since the response variable was taken into account,PLS regression model was more accurate than PC regression model.Also,a method for temperature compensation was proposed to correct the impact of temperature variation on analyzed data.The proposed methods for pectin concentration measurement are easily adaptable to similar applications using existing hardware.