A cavity sonar device and method

Abstract

This application relates to the field of cavity measurement in sonar, specifically providing a cavity measurement sonar device and method, comprising: an instrument body; a data acquisition sub; control boards mounted on the outer shell of the data acquisition sub, wherein M control boards are provided, M being a positive integer, and the M control boards are evenly spaced circumferentially around the data acquisition sub, and the control boards are rotatable radially to control the tilt angle of sound wave transmission and reception; an acoustic transducer; a hydraulic rod capable of telescoping relative to the data acquisition sub, controlling the control boards to open or close radially to the data acquisition sub, thereby controlling the orientation of the acoustic transducer; and a rotary motor for driving the data acquisition sub to rotate for measurement. The advantage of this application is that it reduces the complexity of the instrument's stabilization control system while improving measurement efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of sonar cavity measurement, and more particularly to a cavity measurement sonar device and method. Background Technology

[0002] To ensure seasonal peak shaving and safe and stable operation of gas pipelines, based on decades of successful operation experience of long-distance pipelines both domestically and internationally, it is necessary to construct large-scale underground gas storage facilities with a capacity accounting for 15% of the annual gas transmission volume in major natural gas consumption areas. The construction of these storage facilities will not only guarantee the safety of long-distance natural gas transmission and the stable gas supply to areas with high gas consumption, but also provide the country with sufficient natural gas reserves, thus possessing significant economic benefits and important strategic significance.

[0003] Utilizing salt well cavities within salt basins as gas storage facilities is a fast and economical shortcut. However, the construction and design of these salt caverns, as well as the optimization of storage space, require specialized sonar measurement equipment. This equipment can be used to measure the morphology of salt well cavities, conduct preliminary selection, evaluate stability, develop technical solutions for wellbore repair and reconstruction, determine gas injection and brine discharge parameters, and formulate on-site construction plans. Simultaneously, using sonar measurement technology to promptly and effectively detect changes in the shape and volume of gas storage cavities can ensure the smooth and safe construction of gas storage facilities, demonstrating extremely broad development and application prospects.

[0004] One of the main problems with current measuring sonar instruments is their complex structure. Typical measuring sonar instruments have two control ends: tilt measurement and horizontal rotation. However, when the instrument needs to be stable downhole, the single-direction tilt measurement section poses a challenge to the instrument's stabilization system design and prolongs the measurement time. Furthermore, the transducers on the measuring instruments only point in one direction, requiring continuous rotation to complete cavity detection. When the downhole cavity is large, the measurement efficiency is extremely low. Current research both domestically and internationally indicates that cavity-measuring sonar instruments are still imperfect, and challenges such as low detection efficiency and complex stabilization systems need to be addressed in instrument design. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, embodiments of this application provide a cavity sonar device and method, which improves measurement efficiency while reducing the complexity of the instrument stabilization control system.

[0006] Therefore, this application provides a cavity sonar device.

[0007] Specifically, it includes: an instrument body; a data acquisition sub, rotatably connected to one end of the instrument body for transmitting and receiving acoustic wave data; a control board, mounted on the outer shell of the data acquisition sub, wherein M control boards are provided, where M is a positive integer, and the M control boards are evenly spaced around the circumference of the data acquisition sub, and the control boards can rotate radially to control the tilt angle of acoustic wave transmission and reception; an acoustic transducer, mounted on the openable control board, for transmitting and receiving acoustic waves to measure the cavity shape; hydraulic rods, one at each end of the control board, which can extend and retract relative to the data acquisition sub, controlling the control board to open or retract radially to the data acquisition sub, thereby controlling the direction of the acoustic transducer; and a rotary motor, installed between the data acquisition sub and the instrument body, wherein the data acquisition sub can rotate circumferentially around its own axis under the drive of the rotary motor, for rotating the data acquisition sub for measurement.

[0008] Secondly, based on the aforementioned cavity sonar device, this application also provides a cavity detection method, comprising the following steps: dividing the cavity into multiple equally spaced detection points along its height direction; adjusting the tilt angle of the control plate according to the height position of the detection point where the cavity sonar device is located; simultaneously exciting sound waves with acoustic transducers in each direction, recording the azimuth angle and excitation time, recording the arrival time of the reflected wave with the receiving transducer, and finally converting it into distance based on the sound velocity of the medium; rotating the cavity sonar device so that the measurement of the control plate in different azimuth directions completely covers the entire circumferential space of the detection point; after completing the measurement of all detection points, performing three-dimensional reconstruction of the cavity shape based on the measured distance and angle.

[0009] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: by designing a novel detection structure for a cavity-measuring sonar device, and employing a circumferential hydraulic control plate to control the transducer tilt angle, it replaces the traditional method of using a motor for tilt measurement. The distribution of multiple circumferential directions ensures the overall balance of the instrument during measurement, simplifying the instrument's stabilization system. Furthermore, simultaneous measurement of multiple circumferential transducers improves measurement efficiency. These improvements make this invention highly promising for application in the field of cavity-measuring sonar. Attached Figure Description

[0010] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0011] 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.

[0012] 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.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cavity sonar device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cavity detection operation performed by the cavity sonar device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0015] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the cavity detection method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0016] In the diagram, 1 is the instrument body; 2 is the rotary motor; 3 is the data acquisition section; 4 is the control board; 5 is the acoustic transducer; 6 is the hydraulic rod; and 7 is the clearance groove. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] One of the main problems with existing measuring sonar instruments is their complex structure. Typical measuring sonar instruments have two control ends: tilt measurement and horizontal rotation. However, when the instrument is required to be stable downhole, the single-direction tilt measurement section poses a challenge to the design of the instrument stabilization system and prolongs the measurement time. In addition, the transducers on the measuring instruments only point in one direction, and the cavity detection can only be completed by continuous rotation measurement.

[0025] To address the aforementioned problems of existing measuring sonar instruments, this application provides a cavity measuring sonar device, see reference. Figure 1 The cavity sonar device is used to measure the current state of the cavity. Specifically, it includes: instrument body 1, rotary motor 2, data acquisition section 3, and M control boards 4 and acoustic transducers 5 set on the data acquisition section 3, where M is a positive integer.

[0026] Continue reading Figure 1 The data acquisition section 3 is coaxially mounted at one end of the instrument body 1, and the data acquisition section 3 is rotatably connected to the instrument body 1 through the rotary motor 2. When the data acquisition section 3 rotates circumferentially relative to the instrument body 1, it can transmit and receive sound wave data to measure the shape of the cavity.

[0027] To adapt to the testing environment inside the cavity under test, the data acquisition section 3 and the instrument body 1 are cylindrical, meaning that the data acquisition section 3 is a part of the instrument body 1 used to acquire acoustic data inside the cavity.

[0028] Additionally, it should be noted that, in order to facilitate obtaining accurate data inside the cavity, the rotary motor 2 is coaxially mounted between the data acquisition subsection 3 and the instrument body 1. The bottom of the rotary motor 2 is fixed to the end of the instrument body 1, while the output shaft of the rotary motor 2 is fixedly mounted to the end of the data acquisition subsection 3.

[0029] As a preferred embodiment of this invention, in order to enable the data acquisition section 3 and the instrument body 1 to form a stable whole, in some embodiments, the ends of the data acquisition section 3 and the instrument body 1 are connected to each other, and the rotary motor 2 is divided into two parts embedded in the data acquisition section 3 and the instrument body 1, providing a power source for the rotation of the data acquisition section 3, and further reducing the impact of the rotation of the rotary motor 2 on the stability of the device.

[0030] It should be noted that the rotary motor 2 can drive the data acquisition section 3 to rotate continuously from 0 to 360 degrees, so that the acoustic transducer 5 on the data acquisition section 3 can cover the entire circumferential space of the measurement position of its own cavity.

[0031] For example, the rotary motor 2 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 3, the rotary motor 2 is preferably a stepper motor.

[0032] Continue reading Figure 1The control board 4 is installed on the data acquisition section 3. Generally, the number M of control boards 4 is 2-8. Specifically, the number of control boards 4 can be set according to the stability of the device, such as 2, 4, 6, or 8. Preferably, in this embodiment, the number of control boards 4 is 4, arranged in an equally spaced array along the circumference of the data acquisition section 3 housing. This circumferential distribution ensures the overall balance of the instrument body 1 during measurement, simplifying the stabilization system of the instrument body 1.

[0033] Each control plate 4 is arranged along the length of the data acquisition section 3 housing, and a hydraulic rod 6 is hinged to each end of each control plate 4. A recessed groove 7, circular in shape, is formed on the circumferential housing of the data acquisition section 3 to accommodate the hydraulic rod 6. The size of the recessed groove 7 is larger than the size of the control plate 4. The end of the hydraulic rod 6 away from its hinge point with the control plate 4 is installed in the recessed groove 7. The hydraulic rod 6 can extend and retract into the recessed groove 7. When the hydraulic rod 6 extends or retracts relative to the data acquisition section 3, it can drive the control plate 4 to rotate radially in the data acquisition section 3, thereby controlling the tilt angle of sound wave transmission and reception.

[0034] Preferably, the angle between the control plate 4 and the data acquisition section 3 is set to 0 degrees when they are parallel. The hydraulic rod 6 extends and retracts to adjust the tilt angle of the control plate 4 within a range of -90 to 90 degrees, so that the control plate 4 can always be directly facing the side wall of the cavity under the control of the hydraulic rod 6, thereby improving measurement accuracy. In this embodiment, the method of using the hydraulic rod 6 in conjunction with the control plate 4 to control the tilt angle of the measuring transducer replaces the traditional method of using a motor for tilt measurement, further improving the overall balance of the instrument body 1 during measurement. This further simplifies the stabilization system of the instrument body 1.

[0035] In one embodiment, each control board 4 is equipped with multiple acoustic transducers 5. The number of acoustic transducers 5 is determined by the different media inside the cavity being measured. Since different media have different sound velocities, acoustic transducers 5 suitable for different media are needed so that, in actual measurement, only one or more of them can be excited according to the medium conditions. Preferably, in this embodiment, each control board 4 is equipped with two acoustic transducers 5, namely T1 and T2. It should be noted that the distance between the two acoustic transducers 5 is 5cm to reduce mutual interference between the two acoustic transducers 5 and improve measurement accuracy.

[0036] In one embodiment, an acoustic signal preamplifier and acquisition circuit, as well as a communication circuit, are mounted on the control board 4. These circuits are used in conjunction with the acoustic transducer 5 to control the transducer 5 for acoustic data acquisition and measurement. Preferably, the acoustic signal preamplifier and acquisition circuit, as well as the communication circuit, are located below and near the control board 4 to reduce electromechanical noise during the acquisition process.

[0037] For example, the measurement method of acoustic transducer 5 is either self-transmission and self-reception or one-to-one transmission and reception; for the self-transmission and self-reception or one-to-one transmission and reception measurement method, if the transmission time of the control board 4 at a certain azimuth i is T1, the reception time of the echo signal is T2, and the sound velocity of the measuring medium is v, then the distance between the azimuth angle instrument and the cavity wall is: Li=(T2-T1)*v / 2.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cavity detection operation performed by the cavity sonar device provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 The flowchart of the cavity detection method provided in this application embodiment is shown below. Figure 2 and Figure 3 When performing cavity detection using the aforementioned cavity sonar device, the cavity detection method includes the following steps:

[0039] S301, Multiple equally spaced detection points are divided along the height direction of the cavity.

[0040] S302. Adjust the tilt angle of control plate 4 according to the height position of the detection point where the cavity sonar device is located.

[0041] Specifically, after dividing the cavity into multiple equally spaced detection points in step S301, the sonar device is lowered to the bottom of the cavity, and the sonar device is gradually raised from the bottom to the top of the cavity to perform sound wave measurements. The tilt angle of the control board 4 is adjusted according to the amplitude of the reflected echo and the estimated shape of the cavity.

[0042] For example, when near or at the bottom of the cavity, adjust the angle of control plate 4 from -90 to 0 degrees; when near or at the top of the cavity, adjust the angle of control plate 4 from 0 to 90 degrees.

[0043] S303. Acoustic transducers 5 in each direction simultaneously excite sound waves, record the azimuth angle and excitation time, receive transducers record the arrival time of reflected waves, and finally convert them into distance based on the sound velocity of the medium. The rotating cavity sonar device makes the measurements of different azimuth control plates 4 completely cover the entire circumferential space of the detection point.

[0044] It should be noted that the azimuth angle is the rotational azimuth information of the data acquisition section 3. During measurement, after the acoustic transducer 5 excites the sound wave, it can receive the echo signal after a certain period of time using either its own (self-excitation and self-reception mode) or another acoustic transducer 5 (one transmitter and one receiver mode), and record the time difference between transmission and reception, converting it into distance according to the speed of sound in the medium.

[0045] For example, when the acoustic transducer 5 on the control board 4 is self-emitting and self-receiving, for each instrument detection point, the acoustic transducer 5 on each control board 4 in the circumferential direction is measured simultaneously, and the azimuth angle θi, the excitation time T1, and the arrival time T2 of the reflected echo are recorded for each control board 4. Based on the measured sound velocity v, the distance Li between the transducer and the cavity at that azimuth angle is obtained as Li = (T2-T1)*v / 2. The measurement results of all azimuth angles are obtained by rotation.

[0046] When the acoustic transducer 5 on the control board 4 has a one-transmitter-one-receiver structure, for each instrument detection point, the transmitting transducer on each control board 4 in the circumferential direction simultaneously excites sound waves and records the transmission time T1, while the receiving transducer records the arrival time T2 of the reflected echo in its respective direction. The azimuth angle θi of each control board 4 is recorded. Based on the measured sound velocity v, the distance Li between the transducer and the cavity is obtained as Li = (T2-T1)*v / 2. The measurement results of all azimuth angles are obtained by rotation.

[0047] In addition, it is worth mentioning that during the actual measurement process, for the vertical cavity interface, the control board 4 can directly perform acoustic wave detection without opening. For the inclined cavity section, the control board 4 adjusts the opening angle according to parameters such as the amplitude of the reflected echo to ensure accurate measurement of the inclined sections at the top and bottom of the cavity.

[0048] S304. After completing the measurement of all detection points, perform three-dimensional reconstruction of the cavity shape based on the measurement distance and angle.

[0049] 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.

[0050] This invention, through the design of a novel detection structure, employs a circumferential control board 4 to control the tilt angle of the measuring transducer, replacing the traditional method of using a motor for tilt measurement. The distribution of the transducer in multiple circumferential directions ensures the overall balance of the instrument during measurement, simplifying the instrument's stabilization system. Furthermore, simultaneous measurement by multiple transducers in the circumferential direction improves measurement efficiency. Thus, this invention, through a special design of the sonar device structure, achieves the goal of improving detection efficiency and simplifying the stabilization system without significantly increasing the complexity of the instrument design, making it a promising candidate for application in cavity measurement fields such as underground gas storage facilities.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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 cavity sonar device, characterized in that, include: Instrument body (1); The data acquisition section (3) is rotatably connected to one end of the instrument body (1) for transmitting and receiving acoustic data; A control board (4) is installed on the outer shell of the data acquisition section (3), and the control board (4) can rotate radially in the data acquisition section (3) to control the tilt angle of sound wave transmission and reception; there are 4 control boards (4), and the 4 control boards (4) are arranged in an array with equal spacing along the circumference of the outer shell of the data acquisition section (3); an acoustic signal preamplifier and acquisition circuit and a communication circuit are installed near the lower part of the control board (4) to reduce electromechanical noise during the acquisition process; An acoustic transducer (5) is installed on an openable control plate (4) to transmit and receive sound waves for cavity shape measurement; multiple acoustic transducers (5) are provided on the control plate (4), and multiple acoustic transducers (5) are used to adapt to the sound speed of different media, and the distance between adjacent acoustic transducers (5) is 5cm. Hydraulic rods (6) are respectively provided at both ends of the control plate (4). The hydraulic rods (6) can extend and retract relative to the data acquisition section (3), controlling the control plate (4) to open or close radially towards the data acquisition section (3), thereby controlling the direction of the acoustic transducer (5). The circumferential shell of the data acquisition section (3) is provided with an annular relief groove (7) for accommodating the installation of the hydraulic rods (6). The size of the relief groove (7) is larger than the size of the control plate (4). A rotary motor (2) is installed between the data acquisition section (3) and the instrument body (1). The data acquisition section (3) can rotate around its own axis under the drive of the rotary motor (2) to drive the data acquisition section (3) to rotate for measurement.

2. The cavity-measuring sonar device according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the control board (4) is parallel to the data acquisition section (3), the angle is 0 degrees, and the rotation angle of the control board (4) relative to the data acquisition section (3) is -90 to 90 degrees.

Images