Phased array cavity detection sonar device and detection method

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of sonar measurement cavity, and particularly provides a phased array measurement cavity sonar device and a detection method, which comprises an instrument body, a data acquisition short section used for emitting and receiving sound wave data, a rotating motor installed between the instrument body and the data acquisition short section and used for driving the data acquisition short section to rotate for measurement, and N acoustic transducers, wherein N is a positive integer, the N acoustic transducers are distributed in an array mode along the axial direction of the data acquisition short section, the N acoustic transducers emit directional sound waves in a phased array mode and receive reflected sound wave signals from the cavity interface, the distance between the acoustic transducers and the cavity section is measured, and a three-dimensional cavity diagram is synthesized according to the distance, the direction and the phased angle information measured by the acoustic transducers. The sonar device adopts phase control to control the radiation angle, thereby saving the device stable balance time, simplifying the mechanical structure and improving the measurement efficiency.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of sonar cavity measurement, in particular to a phased array sonar cavity measurement device and a detection method. BACKGROUND

[0002] In order to ensure seasonal peak shaving and safe and stable operation of the gas pipeline, according to the successful operation experience of long-distance pipelines at home and abroad for decades, a large underground gas storage with a capacity of 15% of the annual gas transmission needs to be built in the main gas consumption area.

[0003] Using the salt mining well cavity in the salt basin as a gas storage is a quick and economical shortcut, and the construction and design of the salt cave, the optimization of the storage space and the like need special sonar measurement equipment, such as using sonar measurement equipment to measure the cavity shape of the salt mining well, preliminary selection, stability evaluation, formulate technical scheme for wellbore repair and reconstruction, determine gas injection and halogen discharge parameters and on-site construction technical scheme, etc. At the same time, using sonar measurement technology to detect the shape and volume of the gas storage cavity in a timely and effective manner, timely detection of changes in the shape and volume of the cavity can successfully ensure the smooth and safe construction of the gas storage, and has a very broad development and application prospect.

[0004] One of the main problems of the current measurement sonar instrument is the complex structure, and the general measurement sonar instrument has two control ends of tilt measurement and horizontal rotation, and when the instrument is stable in the well, the single direction tilt measurement section brings challenges to the instrument stability system design, and also prolongs the measurement time; in addition, the transducer on the measurement instrument only has a single pointing, and needs to be continuously rotated to complete the cavity detection. When the cavity in the well is large, the measurement efficiency is very low. The research status at home and abroad shows that the cavity measurement sonar instrument is not perfect, and the problems of low detection efficiency and complex stability system need to be solved in the instrument design. SUMMARY

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the embodiment of the present application provides a phased array sonar cavity measurement device and a detection method, the sonar device of the present application uses phased array to control the radiation angle, not only saves the device stability balance time, simplifies the mechanical structure, but also improves the measurement efficiency, so that the present application has good application prospect in the field of sonar cavity measurement.

[0006] Therefore, the embodiment of the present application adopts the following technical scheme:

[0007] In a first aspect, the application provides a phased array cavity measuring sonar device, comprising an instrument body; a data acquisition section rotatably connected to one end of the instrument body, for transmitting and receiving acoustic wave data; a rotary motor installed between the instrument body and the data acquisition section, for driving the data acquisition section to rotate for measurement; and N acoustic transducers, N being a positive integer, which are arranged in an array along the axial direction of the data acquisition section, and which transmit directional acoustic waves in a phased array manner and receive reflected acoustic wave signals from the cavity interface, for measuring the distance of the acoustic transducers from the cavity interface, and synthesizing a three-dimensional cavity map according to the distance, orientation and phased angle information measured by the acoustic transducers.

[0008] In a second aspect, the application provides a cavity detection method, which uses the phased array cavity measuring sonar device described in any one of the above aspects, and comprises the following steps:

[0009] dividing a plurality of equidistant detection points along the height direction of the cavity;

[0010] adjusting the phased radiation angle of the data acquisition section according to the position of the detection point where the cavity measuring sonar device is located;

[0011] starting different transducer modules to excite acoustic waves according to the measurement medium, recording the orientation angle, phased radiation angle, excitation acoustic wave time and reflected echo arrival time of the cavity measuring sonar device, converting them into distances according to the speed of the medium, and rotating the data acquisition section to completely cover one round of measurement;

[0012] after completing the measurement of all detection points, synthesizing a three-dimensional cavity map according to the distance, orientation angle and phased angle information measured by the acoustic transducers.

[0013] The application designs a detection structure for the phased array cavity measuring sonar device, and uses phased control to control the radiation angle measurement, instead of the traditional mechanical control of the tilt motor, which significantly improves the measurement efficiency, saves the instrument stabilization time and simplifies the mechanical structure, and makes the application have a good application prospect in the field of cavity sonar measurement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the specific embodiments or prior art description. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the application, and those skilled in the art can also obtain other drawings according to these drawings without creative labor.

[0015] The various regions, shapes, and their relative sizes and positional relationships shown in the figure are merely illustrative and may deviate from reality due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0016] In the various figures, the same elements are represented by similar reference numerals. For clarity, the various parts in the figures are not drawn to scale, and certain features may be exaggerated or omitted to more clearly illustrate and explain this application.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the phased array cavity sonar device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the phased array cavity sonar device provided in the embodiments of this application performing cavity detection operations;

[0019] Figure 3 (a) is a schematic diagram of the phase-controlled transducer array in an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 3 (b) in the diagram is a comparison of the acoustic wave signals emitted by the six acoustic transducers;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the cavity detection method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0022] In the diagram, 1 is the instrument body; 2 is the data acquisition section; 3 is the rotary motor; 4 is the acoustic transducer; and 5 is the transducer module. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0025] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0026] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0027] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0028] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0029] To provide a more complete understanding of this application, the following embodiments are provided. These embodiments are used to specifically illustrate implementation schemes of this application and should not be construed in any way as limiting the scope of this application.

[0030] One of the main problems with measuring sonar instruments is their complex structure. Typical measuring sonar instruments have two control ends: tilt measurement and horizontal rotation. Furthermore, the transducers in existing instruments have only one orientation for the acquisition section. For curved interfaces at the top and bottom of the cavity, a tilt motor needs to be controlled to orient the transducer towards the top or bottom of the cavity before measurement. Once tilted, the instrument loses balance and swings back and forth, requiring stabilization time. In addition, the transducers on the measuring instrument only point in one direction, requiring continuous rotation to complete cavity detection. Therefore, the single-direction tilt measurement section poses a challenge to the instrument stabilization system design and prolongs the measurement time. This invention, however, uses a phase-controlled method to replace the mechanical tilting step, saving time, simplifying the mechanical structure, and improving efficiency.

[0031] Specifically, this application provides a phased array cavity sonar device, see reference. Figure 1 The cavity sonar device includes an instrument body 1, a data acquisition sub 2, a rotary motor 3, and an acoustic transducer 4 mounted on the data acquisition sub 2.

[0032] Continue reading Figure 1 The data acquisition section 2 is coaxially mounted at one end of the instrument body 1, and the data acquisition section 2 and the instrument body 1 are rotatably connected by a rotary motor 3. When the data acquisition section 2 rotates circumferentially relative to the instrument body 1, it can transmit and receive sound wave data to measure the shape of the cavity.

[0033] As a preferred option, in order to adapt to the detection environment inside the cavity, the data acquisition section 2 and the instrument body 1 are set as cylinders, that is, the data acquisition section 2 is a part of the instrument body 1 used to acquire acoustic data inside the cavity.

[0034] Additionally, it should be noted that, in order to facilitate the acquisition of all data inside the cavity, the rotary motor 3 is coaxially mounted between the data acquisition subsection 2 and the instrument body 1. The bottom of the rotary motor 3 is fixed to the end of the instrument body 1, and the output shaft of the rotary motor 3 is fixedly mounted at the end of the data acquisition subsection 2 facing the instrument body 1.

[0035] As a preferred embodiment of this invention, in order to enable the data acquisition section 2 and the instrument body 1 to form a stable whole, in some embodiments, the ends of the data acquisition section 2 and the instrument body 1 are connected to each other, and the rotary motor 3 is divided into two parts embedded in the data acquisition section 2 and the instrument body 1, thereby providing a power source for the rotation of the data acquisition section 2, and further reducing the impact of the rotation of the rotary motor 3 on the stability of the device.

[0036] It should be noted that the rotary motor 3 can drive the data acquisition sub 2 to rotate continuously from 0 to 360 degrees around the central axis of the instrument body 1, so that the acoustic transducer 4 on the data acquisition sub 2 can cover the entire circumferential space of the measurement position of its own cavity.

[0037] For example, the rotary motor 3 can be any one of a stepper motor, servo motor, torque motor, switched reluctance motor, or brushless DC motor. In this embodiment, in order to accurately control the rotation angle of the data acquisition section 2, the rotary motor 3 is preferably a stepper motor.

[0038] Continue reading Figure 1 The data acquisition section 2 is equipped with a transducer module 5, and an acoustic transducer 4 is installed on the transducer module 5. The transducer module 5 is also equipped with an acoustic signal preamplifier and acquisition circuit and a communication circuit for controlling the operation of the acoustic transducer 4. The signal preamplifier and acquisition circuit and the communication circuit are located near the acoustic transducer 4 and are combined with it to reduce electromechanical noise during the acquisition process.

[0039] Furthermore, it should be noted that in this embodiment, to accommodate different media types inside the cavity, two transducer modules 5 are provided. These two transducer modules 5 are arranged along the axial direction of the data acquisition subsection 2, and the only difference between the two transducer modules 5 is the applicable media of the acoustic transducers 4 mounted on them. Specifically, one transducer module 5 is suitable for fluid media detection, and the other transducer module 5 is suitable for gas media detection.

[0040] Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that the number of acoustic transducers 4 is set to N, where N is a positive integer. The two transducer modules 5 each have N acoustic transducers 4 equally distributed. That is, of the N acoustic transducers 4, N / 2 are used for measurements in liquids, and N / 2 are used for measurements in gases. The N / 2 acoustic transducers 4 are concentrated in an array along the length of the transducer module 5; therefore, the N / 2 acoustic transducers 4 on the same transducer module 5 are called a transducer array. During the measurement process, the transducer array suitable for the current medium can be determined based on the measurement results of the acoustic transducers 4.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the phased array cavity sonar device provided in the embodiments of this application performing cavity detection operations. (See attached diagram) Figure 2 During specific cavity detection, N acoustic transducers 4 emit directional sound waves in a phased array configuration and receive reflected sound wave signals from the cavity interface to measure the distance between the acoustic transducers 4 and the cavity interface. The phased array controls the sound wave radiation angle from -85 to 85 degrees, where 0 degrees is perpendicular to the phased array direction of the acoustic transducers 4.

[0042] When acoustic transducer 4 measures the distance between itself and the cavity, acoustic transducers 4 suitable for the same medium form a phased-array transmitter and receiver array, and the acoustic transducer array 4 is a self-excited and self-received measurement mode. The transducer array emits directional sound waves and records the azimuth angle θi of the instrument. Let the time for acoustic transducer 4 to emit the signal be T1, the time for receiving the echo signal be T2, and the sound velocity of the measured medium be v. Then the distance of acoustic transducer 4 from the cavity wall at this azimuth angle is: Li=(T2-T1)*v / 2.

[0043] It should be noted that the azimuth angle is the rotational azimuth information of the data acquisition section 2. Subsequently, a three-dimensional image of the cavity is synthesized based on the distance, azimuth, and phase control angle information measured by the acoustic transducer 4.

[0044] In some embodiments, the number N of acoustic transducers 4 ranges from 8 to 50. Of course, in one embodiment, the number N can also be 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, or 30, depending on the estimated shape and size of the cavity being measured. Preferably, in this embodiment, the number N is selected as 8. See also... Figure 1 Among them, T1, T2, T3 and T4 in acoustic transducer 4 are used for phased-array emission and reception of sound waves in fluid medium to measure cavity shape; T5, T6, T7 and T8 in acoustic transducer 4 are used for phased-array emission and reception of sound waves in gas medium to measure cavity shape.

[0045] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the spacing between adjacent acoustic transducers 4 is 1-3 cm, such as 1, 2, or 3 cm. More preferably, the spacing between adjacent acoustic transducers 4 is 2 cm, which facilitates the adjustment of the phase control angle and improves measurement accuracy.

[0046] Figure 3 (a) in the figure is a schematic diagram of the phased array transducer configuration according to an embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure (a). Figure 3 As shown in (a), when the radiation angle is controlled by directional acoustic waves emitted in a phased array, the angle range is -85 to 85 degrees, where 0 degrees is perpendicular to the transducer array direction. The delay time of acoustic wave emission from transducers at different positions in the transducer array is calculated based on the radiation angle. Six acoustic transducers 4 are arranged in a phased array with equal axial spacing of dx. One end is designated as the starting point, and acoustic transducers 4 are numbered a1. The initial emission time T1 is t0. When the radiation angle θ (0-85 degrees) is 45 degrees, the emission time of the adjacent transducer a2 is:

[0047] T2 = t0 + Δt = t0 + dx * tan(θ)

[0048] Similarly, the time for transducer Tn to emit sound waves is Tn = t0 + (n-1) * Δt, where Δt represents the time shift. When emitting sound wave signals, the transducer array emits sound waves at different time shifts, and when receiving sound wave signals, the transducer array signals are superimposed with corresponding time shifts.

[0049] Similarly, when the angle is between -85 and 0 degrees, simply reverse the starting point and take the absolute value of the angle.

[0050] Figure 3 (b) in the diagram is a comparative schematic of the sound wave signals emitted by the six acoustic transducers 4. It can be seen that by using phase control, the sound waves can be radiated at a set angle without the need for mechanical tilting. That is, the angle of the sound waves is controlled by the phase of the sound waves emitted by each element in the array acoustic transducers 4.

[0051] It should be noted that phase is the position of a sound wave at a specific moment in its cycle. It is a scale used to indicate whether the sound wave is at a crest, trough, or a point in between. It is a measure of the change in the waveform of a sound wave and is usually expressed in degrees (angles). It is also called phase angle.

[0052] Subsequently, the azimuth angle and phase control angle of the cavity sonar device, as well as the arrival time TT of the reflected echo, are recorded. Based on the measured sound velocity v, the distance between the transducer and the cavity under the azimuth and tilt conditions is obtained as Li = (TT - t0) * v / 2.

[0053] Figure 4 The flowchart of the cavity detection method provided in the embodiments of this application is shown below. Figure 4 When performing cavity detection operations based on the aforementioned cavity sonar device, the cavity detection method includes the following steps:

[0054] S401, Divide the cavity into multiple equally spaced detection points along its height direction.

[0055] S402. Adjust the phased radiation angle of the data acquisition sub according to the location of the detection point of the cavity sonar device.

[0056] Specifically, after dividing the cavity into multiple equally spaced detection points in step S401, the sonar device is lowered to the bottom of the cavity, and then gradually raised from the bottom to the top of the cavity to perform acoustic wave measurements. Further, the phased array controls the beam radiation to point in the direction of the instrument body's descent, and acoustic wave detection is performed during the descent process. The distance measured by the echo signal is used to determine whether the bottom of the cavity has been reached.

[0057] The specific adjustment method for the phased-controlled radiation angle range of -85 to 85 degrees is as follows: adjustment is made according to the amplitude of the reflected echo and the estimated shape of the cavity; for the approximately vertical cavity interface, the transducer array is phase-controlled to make the radiation beam perpendicular to the direction of the transducer array for acoustic wave detection; for the inclined cavity section, the radiation angle is adjusted according to parameters such as the amplitude of the reflected echo so that the direction of the excited sound wave can be directly facing the section of the cavity to be measured, so as to ensure accurate measurement of the inclined sections at the top and bottom of the cavity.

[0058] S403. Activate different transducer modules to excite sound waves according to the measurement medium, record the azimuth angle, phased radiation angle, excitation time of the sound wave, and arrival time of the reflected echo of the cavity sonar device, convert it into distance according to the sound velocity of the medium, and rotate the data acquisition section to make the measurement completely cover one circle.

[0059] It should be noted that during the enhancement process, the appropriate transducer array for the current medium is determined based on the sound velocity measurement results of the acoustic transducers.

[0060] Specifically, during measurement, the transducer array emits sound waves and receives the echo signal after a certain time. The waveforms are superimposed according to the phase control angle, and the time difference between transmission and reception is recorded and converted into distance according to the speed of sound in the medium.

[0061] The rotating motor controls the data acquisition section to rotate, enabling measurements from different directions to cover the entire circumferential space of the measurement location.

[0062] S404. After completing the measurement of all detection points, the distance, azimuth angle and phase control angle information measured by the acoustic transducer are used to synthesize a three-dimensional image of the cavity.

[0063] It should be noted that the cavity shape can be drawn in real time according to the measurement results during the measurement process, or it can be drawn uniformly after all depth measurements are completed. Finally, a three-dimensional representation of the cavity shape is obtained.

[0064] This invention, through the design of a novel detection structure for a cavity sonar device and the use of phase control to control the radiation angle measurement, replaces the traditional mechanical control method of tilting motors, significantly improving measurement efficiency, shortening operation time, and simplifying the stabilization and balancing system of traditional instruments. Thus, this invention, through the design of the sonar device structure, achieves the goal of improving detection efficiency without greatly increasing the complexity of instrument design, making it a promising application in the field of cavity measurement, such as underground gas storage facilities.

[0065] The positional relationships, quantity, structural shape, and dimensions of the various components of the cavity sonar device provided in this application are not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions implemented under the principles of this application are within the protection scope of this solution. Any one or more embodiments or illustrations in the specification, combined in a suitable manner, are within the protection scope of this solution.

[0066] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A phased array cavity sonar device, characterized in that, include: Instrument body (1); The data acquisition section (2) is rotatably connected to one end of the instrument body (1) for transmitting and receiving acoustic data; A rotary motor (3) is installed between the instrument body (1) and the data acquisition section (2) to drive the data acquisition section (2) to rotate for measurement; Acoustic transducers (4), N acoustic transducers (4) are provided, and the N acoustic transducers (4) are concentrated in an array along the axis of the data acquisition subsection (2). The N acoustic transducers (4) emit directional sound waves and receive reflected sound wave signals from the cavity interface in a phased array manner to measure the distance between the acoustic transducer (4) and the cavity cross section. Based on the distance, orientation and phased array angle information measured by the acoustic transducer (4), a three-dimensional image of the cavity is synthesized. The phased array controls the sound wave radiation angle in the range of -85 to 85 degrees, where 0 degrees is the direction perpendicular to the phased array of the acoustic transducer (4). The number of acoustic transducers (4) is N = 8, and the N acoustic transducers (4) are divided into two transducer modules (5) along the axial length of the data acquisition section (2). The number of acoustic transducers (4) in the two transducer modules (5) is N / 2 respectively. The two transducer modules (5) are respectively suitable for measuring liquid and gas media. The transducer modules (5) are also equipped with acoustic signal preamplifier and acquisition circuits and communication circuits for controlling the operation of acoustic transducers (4). The signal preamplifier and acquisition circuits and communication circuits are located near the acoustic transducers (4) and combined with them to reduce electromechanical noise during the acquisition process. Acoustic transducers (4) suitable for the same medium form a phased-array transmitter and receiver array. The transducer (4) array transmits directional acoustic signals and receives corresponding echo signals at the measurement depth. The acoustic transducer (4) array is a self-excited and self-received measurement mode. The spacing between adjacent acoustic transducers (4) is 2 cm.

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