US5222049A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electromechanical transducer for acoustic telemetry system
Assignee: National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC
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Filing: 1990-10-29
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Granted: 1993-06-22
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Expires: 2010-10-29
Abstract
Abstract An improved electromechanical transducer is provided for use in an acoustic telemetry system. The transducer of this invention comprises a stack of ferroelectric ceramic disks interleaved with a plurality of spaced electrodes which are used to electrically pole the ceramic disks. The ceramic stack is housed in a metal tubular drill collar segment. The electrodes are preferably alternatively connected to ground potential and driving potential. This alternating connection of electrodes to ground and driving potential subjects each disk to an equal electric field; and the direction of the field alternates to match the alternating direction of polarization of the ceramic disks. Preferably, a thin metal foil is sandwiched between electrodes to facilitate the electrical connection. Alternatively, a thicker metal spacer plate is selectively used in place of the metal foil in order to promote thermal cooling of the ceramic stack.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas S. Drumheller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 09:02
CPC Classifications
E; E21; E21B; E21B47/00; E21B47/12; E21B47/14; E21B47/16; B; B06; B06B; B06B1/00; B06B1/02; B06B1/06; B06B1/0607; B06B1/0611
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 45
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
An electromechanical transducer comprising: a tubular drill collar segment; a stack of ferroelectric ceramic disks housed in said drill collar segment; electrodes interleaved in said stack of disks, said electrodes being connected to ground potential and driving potential so as to electrically pole said disks and thereby induce or receive acoustic waves in said drill collar segment; wherein said drill collar segment includes: an annular jacket having an inner tube and an outer tube spaced from said inner tube, said stack of disks being disposed in the annulus of said annular jacket, said inner tube having a channel receptive to the flow of drilling fluid, whereby each of said disks is circumferentially disposed about said channel; and wherein said stack has opposed first and second ends and including: a first cylinder in said annulus abutting said first end of said stack; and a second cylinder in said annulus abutting said second end of said stack.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
155 words
An electromechanical transducer comprising: a tubular drill collar segment; a stack of ferroelectric ceramic disks housed in said drill collar segment; electrodes interleaved in said stack of disks, said electrodes being connected to ground potential and driving potential so as to electrically pole said disks and thereby induce or receive acoustic waves in said drill collar segment; wherein said drill collar segment includes: an annular jacket having an inner tube and an outer tube spaced from said inner tube, said stack of disks being disposed in the annulus of said annular jacket, said inner tube having a channel receptive to the flow of drilling fluid, whereby each of said disks is circumferentially disposed about said channel; and wherein said stack has opposed first and second ends and including: a first cylinder in said annulus abutting said first end of said stack; and a second cylinder in said annulus abutting said second end of said stack.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The transducer of claim 1 wherein: said electrodes are alternately connected to ground potential and driving potential.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The transducer of claim 2 wherein: each of said disks is subjected to an equal electric field and wherein the direction of said electric field alternates to match the alternating direction of polarization of said disks.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The transducer of claim 2 wherein: electrodes on adjacent disks which contact each other are equi-polar.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The transducer of claim 2 wherein: outermost electrodes and outermost disks in said stack are connected to ground potential.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The transducer of claim 1 including: a layer of metal foil disposed between at least two adjacent electrodes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The transducer of claim 1 including: a metal plate disposed between at least two adjacent electrodes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The transducer of claim 6 including: a metal plate disposed between at least two adjacent electrodes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The transducer of claim 1 including: electrically insulating material insulating said electrode connected to driving potential from said drill collar segment.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The transducer of claim 1 including: a metal plate disposed between two adjacent electrodes connected to ground potential, said metal plate being in thermal contact with said drill collar segment.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The transducer of claim 1 wherein: said electrodes are connected to ground potential and driving potential in series.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The transducer of claim 1 including: means for applying a net compression on said stack of disks.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The transducer of claim 1 including: key means for connecting said first and second cylinders to said annular jacket.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
The transducer of claim 1 wherein the dimensions of said first and second cylinders and said jacket are selected so as to apply a net compression to said stack of disks.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
The transducer of claim 1 including: an electrically insulating shell between an outermost surface of said stack and said annular jacket.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The transducer of claim 15 including: a gap defined between said shell and said stack; and anti-arcing material in said gap.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The transducer of claim 1 wherein: said annular jacket comprises a first metal having a first coefficient of thermal expansion; and said first and second cylinders comprise a second metal having a second coefficient of thermal expansion.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The transducer of claim 17 wherein: said cylinders have a preselected length for providing compensation for thermal expansion of said stack and said annular jacket.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The transducer of claim 17 wherein: said first metal comprises steel; and said second metal comprises brass.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
50 words
The transducer of claim 1 including: a first end cap threadably attached to a first end of said jacket; a second end cap threadably attached to a second end of said jacket; and said first end cap having a pin termination and said second end cap having a box termination.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
12 words
The transducer of claim 1 including: fourteen ceramic disks in said stack.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
12 words
The transducer of claim 1 including: two ceramic disks in said stack.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
13 words
The transducer of claim 1 wherein: said stack is configured as a transmitter.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
13 words
The transducer of claim 1 wherein: said stack is configured as a receiver.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
144 words
An electromechanical transducer comprising: a tubular drill collar segment; a stack of ferroelectric ceramic disks housed in said drill collar segment; electrodes interleaved in said stack of disks, said electrodes being connected to ground potential and driving potential so as to electrically pole said disks and thereby induce or receive acoustic waves in said drill collar segment; wherein said drill collar segment includes; an annular jacket having an inner tube and an outer tube spaced from said inner tube, said stack of disks being disposed in the annulus of said annular jacket, said inner tube having a channel receptive to the flow of drilling fluid, whereby each of said disks is circumferentially disposed about said channel; a thermally conductive spacer plate between at least two of said disks; a gap between said stack and said drill collar section; and cooling fluid in said gap.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
144 words
An electromechanical transducer comprising: a tubular drill collar segment; a stack of ferroelectric ceramic disks housed in said drill collar segment; electrodes interleaved in said stack of disks, said electrodes being connected to ground potential and driving potential so as to electrically pole said disks and thereby induce or receive acoustic waves in said drill collar segment; wherein said drill collar segment includes; an annular jacket having an inner tube and an outer tube spaced from said inner tube, said stack of disks being disposed in the annulus of said annular jacket, said inner tube having a channel receptive to the flow of drilling fluid, whereby each of said disks is circumferentially disposed about said channel; a thermally conductive spacer plate between at least two of said disks; a gap between said stack and said drill collar section; and cooling fluid in said gap.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
18 words
The transducer of claim 25 wherein: said spacer plate extends outwardly of said stack and into said gap.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
22 words
The transducer of claim 26 including: at least one flow hole through the perimeter of said spacer plate for maximizing fluid contact.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
11 words
The transducer of claim 25 including: anti-arcing material in said fluid.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
109 words
An electromechanical transducer comprising: a tubular drill collar segment including an annular jacket; a stack of ferroelectric ceramic disks housed in said drill collar segment, said stack having opposed first and second ends, said stack of disks being disposed in the annulus of said annular jacket; a first cylinder in said annulus abutting said first end of said stack; a second cylinder in said annulus abutting said second end of said stack; and electrodes interleaved in said stack of disks, said electrodes being connected to ground potential and driving potential so as to electrically pole said disks and thereby induce or receive acoustic waves in said drill collar segment.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
109 words
An electromechanical transducer comprising: a tubular drill collar segment including an annular jacket; a stack of ferroelectric ceramic disks housed in said drill collar segment, said stack having opposed first and second ends, said stack of disks being disposed in the annulus of said annular jacket; a first cylinder in said annulus abutting said first end of said stack; a second cylinder in said annulus abutting said second end of said stack; and electrodes interleaved in said stack of disks, said electrodes being connected to ground potential and driving potential so as to electrically pole said disks and thereby induce or receive acoustic waves in said drill collar segment.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
19 words
The transducer of claim 29 including: key means for connecting said first and second cylinders to said annular jacket.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
31 words
The transducer of claim 29 wherein the dimensions of said first and second cylinders and said jacket are selected so as to apply a net compression to said stack of disks.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
37 words
The transducer of claim 29 wherein: said annular jacket comprises a first metal having a first coefficient of thermal expansion; and said first and second cylinders comprise a second metal having a second coefficient of thermal expansion.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
25 words
The transducer of claim 32 wherein: said cylinders have a preselected length for providing compensation for thermal expansion of said stack and said annular jacket.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
17 words
The transducer of claim 32 wherein: said first metal comprises steel; and said second metal comprises brass.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
50 words
The transducer of claim 29 including: a first end cap threadably attached to a first end of said jacket; a second end cap threadably attached to a second end of said jacket; and said first end cap having a pin termination and said second end cap having a box termination.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
90 words
An electromechanical transducer comprising: a tubular drill collar having an annular jacket; a stack of ferroelectric ceramic disks housed in said drill collar segment; an electrically insulating shell between an outermost surface of said stack and an annular jacket; a gap defined between said shell and said stack; anti-arcing material in said gap; and electrodes interleaved in said stack of disks, said electrodes being connected to ground potential and driving potential so as to electrically pole said disks and thereby induce or receive acoustic waves in said drill collar segment.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
90 words
An electromechanical transducer comprising: a tubular drill collar having an annular jacket; a stack of ferroelectric ceramic disks housed in said drill collar segment; an electrically insulating shell between an outermost surface of said stack and an annular jacket; a gap defined between said shell and said stack; anti-arcing material in said gap; and electrodes interleaved in said stack of disks, said electrodes being connected to ground potential and driving potential so as to electrically pole said disks and thereby induce or receive acoustic waves in said drill collar segment.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
85 words
An electromechanical transducer comprising: a tubular drill collar segment; a stack of ferroelectric ceramic disks housed in said drill collar segment; a thermally conductive spacer plate between at least two of said disks; a gap between said stack and said drill collar section; cooling fluid in said gap; and electrodes interleaved in said stack of disks, said electrodes being connected to ground potential and driving potential so as to electrically pole said disks and thereby induce or receive acoustic waves in said drill collar segment.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
85 words
An electromechanical transducer comprising: a tubular drill collar segment; a stack of ferroelectric ceramic disks housed in said drill collar segment; a thermally conductive spacer plate between at least two of said disks; a gap between said stack and said drill collar section; cooling fluid in said gap; and electrodes interleaved in said stack of disks, said electrodes being connected to ground potential and driving potential so as to electrically pole said disks and thereby induce or receive acoustic waves in said drill collar segment.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
18 words
The transducer of claim 37 wherein: said spacer plate extends outwardly of said stack and into said gap.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
22 words
The transducer of claim 38 including: at least one flow hole through the perimeter of said spacer plate for maximizing fluid contact.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
11 words
The transducer of claim 37 including: anti-arcing material in said fluid.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-06-21 | 1996-12-21 | 1997-06-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-06-21 | 2000-12-21 | 2001-06-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-06-21 | 2004-12-21 | 2005-06-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |