Abstract: A method of monitoring a substance includes optically interacting at least one birefringent integrated computational element with at least the substance and a polarizer, thereby generating optically interacted light. The polarizer is being configured to generate at least x polarized light and y polarized light. The method includes receiving the optically interacted light with at least one detector. The method includes generating with the at least one detector output signals corresponding to at least two characteristics of the substance.

Abstract: A method controls fabrication of a multi-layered integrated computational element designed to have a target optical spectrum. A transfer function is generated relating a blue wavelength, shift between an as-annealed optical spectrum and an as-fabricated optical spectrum of a first integrated computational element at a standard temperature. Using the transfer function, an initial compensating red shift is incorporated into a second integrated computational element such that the as-annealed optical spectrum of the second integrated computational element matches the target optical spectrum.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of fabricating an integrated computational element for use in an optical computing device. One method includes providing a substrate that has a first surface and a second surface substantially opposite the first surface, depositing multiple optical thin films on the first and second surfaces of the substrate via a thin film deposition process, and thereby generating a multilayer film stack device, cleaving the substrate to produce at least two optical thin film stacks, and securing one or more of the at least two optical thin film stacks to a secondary optical element for use as an integrated computational element (ICE).

Abstract: A tool including a probe deployable within a wellbore and an optical analysis device coupled to the probe is provided. The optical analysis device includes a two-dimensional (2D) waveguide layer to transmit and to disperse an electromagnetic radiation according to wavelength and including detector elements disposed along an edge, each detector element providing a signal associated with a pre-determined wavelength portion of the electromagnetic radiation. The optical analysis device also includes a substrate layer electrically coupled to receive the signal from each of the detector elements and form a spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation with the processor. A method for using the tool in a wellbore application, a pipeline application, or a reservoir storage application is also provided.

Abstract: Fabry-Perot based optical computing devices and temperature sensors are disclosed for a number of applications including, for example, in-situ downhole fluid analysis and temperature detection.

Abstract: A multilayered film for performing spectroscopic measurements in a fluid are provided. The multilayered film includes a substrate; a porous layer adjacent to the substrate; and a reflective layer formed on the porous layer, wherein the porous layer selectively allows a component of a fluid to be optically measured when the multilayered film is immersed in the fluid. A sensor for spectroscopic measurements in crude oil samples including a multilayered film as above is also provided. A method of manufacturing a multilayered film for spectroscopic measurements in fluids as above is also provided.

Abstract: Disclosed are optical computing devices that employ birefringent optical elements configured for use in optical computing devices. One optical computing device includes a polarizer configured to generate at least x polarized light and y polarized light, a birefringent integrated computational element configured to optically interact with a substance and the polarizer, thereby generating optically interacted light, and at least one detector arranged to receive the optically interacted light and generate an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the substance.

Abstract: Multi-characteristic detection is achieved by altering the light incidence angle of a single Integrated Computational Element (“ICE”) used in an optical computing device.

Abstract: Detection sensitivity of optical computing devices may be improved by utilizing multiple integrated computational elements in combination with one another. Optical computing devices containing multiple integrated computational elements may comprise: two or more integrated computational elements that are identical to one another and optically interact sequentially with incident electromagnetic radiation, such that at least a portion of the photons from the incident electromagnetic radiation optically interacts with each integrated computational element; wherein the sequential optical interaction of the incident electromagnetic radiation with the two or more integrated computational elements increases a detection sensitivity of the optical computing device relative to that obtained when only one of the integrated computational elements is present; and a detector that receives the photons that have optically interacted with each integrated computational element.

Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring a characteristic of a fluid are provided. The system includes a plurality of waveguides embedded in a substrate, and an exposed surface of the substrate comprising a portion of a side surface of at least one of the plurality of waveguides. The system also includes a sensitized coating in the at least one of the plurality of waveguides. The exposed surface is curved in a direction perpendicular to a light propagation in the waveguide. A method of fabricating a system as above is also provided.

Abstract: A telemetry apparatus for use in a well can include multiple segments, the segments comprising at least one buoyancy control device, at least one telemetry device, and at least one articulation device that controls a relative orientation between adjacent ones of the segments. A method of communicating in a subterranean well can include installing at least one telemetry apparatus in the well, the telemetry apparatus comprising a telemetry device and a buoyancy control device, and the telemetry device communicating with another telemetry device at a remote location. A well system can include at least one telemetry apparatus disposed in a wellbore, the telemetry apparatus comprising multiple segments, the segments including at least one buoyancy control device and at least one telemetry device.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of fabricating an integrated computational element for use in an optical computing device. One method includes providing a substrate that has a first surface and a second surface substantially opposite the first surface, depositing multiple optical thin films on the first and second surfaces of the substrate via a thin film deposition process, and thereby generating a multilayer film stack device, cleaving the substrate to produce at least two optical thin film stacks, and securing one or more of the at least two optical thin film stacks to a secondary optical element for use as an integrated computational element (ICE).

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods that use a tunable laser during optical thin-film fabrication. One disclosed system includes a tunable laser capable of generating electromagnetic radiation, one or more thin-film devices arranged to receive the electromagnetic radiation, each thin-film device including one or more optical layers deposited on a corresponding substrate and configured to generate optically interacted radiation upon receiving the electromagnetic radiation, and an optical transducer arranged to receive the optically interacted radiation from each of the one or more thin-film devices and configured to generate output signals corresponding to the optically interacted radiation received from each of the one or more thin-film devices.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to sensors having reactive filter materials for detecting analytes in wellbores. The sensor includes at least one reactive filter material arranged in a flow line, wherein the reactive filter material sorbs an analyte in a wellbore fluid in the flow line; and at least one detector that detects a sorption signal specific to the analyte at at least a first location and a second location of the reactive filter material, wherein the first location is upstream in the flow line relative to the second location. The detector either (1) calculates a balanced measurement corresponding to the presence of the analyte in the wellbore or (2) relays the measurements to a signal processing unit to calculate a balanced measurement corresponding to the presence of the analyte in the wellbore.

Abstract: An optical device provided to interrogate a fluid sample. The optical device includes a light source configured to provide an light, an optical interface configured to allow the light to pass through to interact with the fluid sample, and a multi-scale ommatidial array (MO A) applied to the optical interface.

Abstract: A multilayered film and a method for performing spectroscopic measurements in a fluid are provided. The multilayered film includes a substrate; a porous layer adjacent to the substrate; and a reflective layer formed on the porous layer, wherein the porous layer selectively allows a component of a fluid to be optically measured when the multilayered film is immersed in the fluid. A sensor for spectroscopic measurements in crude oil samples including a multilayered film as above is also provided. A method of manufacturing a multilayered film for spectroscopic measurements in fluids as above is also provided.

Abstract: This disclosure relates generally to equipment utilized and operations performed in conjunction with a subterranean well and, in one example described below, more particularly provides for controlling the buoyancy in a monitoring apparatus disposed within the subterranean well. A monitoring apparatus for use in a well, the monitoring apparatus comprising: multiple segments interconnected to one another; a buoyancy control device disposed in at least one of the segments, wherein the buoyancy control device comprises: a reservoir comprising at least one chemical reactant for reacting to evolve a gas; and one or more ports configured to couple an interior volume of the buoyancy control device to an environment external to the buoyancy control device.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for configuring an integrated computational element (ICE) to measure a property of a sample of interest. The system includes an illumination source to provide a sample light which is reflected from or transmitted through a sample. A dispersive element disperses the sample light into wavelength portions. An intensity modulation device having an array of electronically controllable modulation elements is disclosed that forms a pattern which modulates the dispersed sample light. Collection optics focuses the modulated sample light on a detector, which generates a signal that correlates to a property of the sample. The electronically controllable modulation elements can be readily altered to conform to a different measurable property of a sample of interest as desired.

Abstract: Integrated computational elements having alternating layers of materials may be problematic to configure toward mimicking some regression vectors. Further, they sometimes may be inconvenient to use within highly confined locales. Integrated computational elements containing a quantum dot array may address these issues. Optical analysis tools with an integrated computational element can comprise: an electromagnetic radiation source that provides electromagnetic radiation to an optical pathway; an integrated computational element positioned within the optical pathway, the integrated computational element comprising a quantum dot array having a plurality of quantum dots disposed at a plurality of set array positions; and a detector that receives the electromagnetic radiation from the optical pathway after the electromagnetic radiation has optically interacted with a sample and the integrated computational element.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a distributed nondestructive inspection method for slickline cable structural defect detection transmits a light pulse along an optical waveguide in the slickline cable. A reflected light signal is 5 received from the optical waveguide in response to the light pulse. Defects can then be determined in the slickline cable based on variations in scattering intensity, phase shift, specific spectral signature, power spectral density, strain amplitude, and/or transmission loss of the reflected light signal as compared to the light pulse.