Patents by Inventor David R. Beard

David R. Beard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7126333
    Abstract: Estimates of ringing produced by short recovery pulse sequences (CPMG or modified CPMG) are used to improve the effects of ringing in a conventional CPMG or modified CPMG sequences. This is an effective method for removal of ringing when the ringing is varying over a time interval that would be spanned by a phase alternated pair of conventional sequences. By use of frequency dithering, ringing due to the excitation pulse and the refocusing pulses can be removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: David R. Beard, Daniel T. Georgi
  • Patent number: 6897651
    Abstract: The invention is a method of reducing the effects of non-formation signals in an NMR logging echo signal obtained within a borehole in an earth formation. The method obtains a non-formation signal by the application of at least an excitation pulse, and preferably also at least one refocusing pulse. The obtained signal is used to numerically construct a synthetic ringing signal sequence. The constructed signal can then be subtracted from an NMR echo signal to reduce the effects of ringing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Arcady Reiderman, David R. Beard, Zinovy B. Krugliak
  • Publication number: 20040232915
    Abstract: The invention is a method of reducing the effects of non-formation signals in an NMR logging echo signal obtained within a borehole in an earth formation. The method obtains a non-formation signal by the application of at least an excitation pulse, and preferably also at least one refocusing pulse. The obtained signal is used to numerically construct a synthetic ringing signal sequence. The constructed signal can then be subtracted from an NMR echo signal to reduce the effects of ringing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Arcady Reiderman, David R. Beard, Zinovy B. Krugliak
  • Patent number: 6580273
    Abstract: A side-looking NMR logging tool incorporates a permanent magnet arrangement having a magnetization direction oriented towards a side of the tool and a dipole RF antenna displaced towards the front of the tool. The magnet arrangement produces a shaped region of investigation in front of the tool wherein the magnetic field has a uniform field strength and the RF field has a uniform field strength in a direction orthogonal to the static field. The shaping of the static field is accomplished by the magnet arrangement comprising a plurality of magnets having parallel magnetization or by a single shaped magnet. The antenna arrangement includes a gapped core made of non-ferritic soft material for increasing the antenna efficiency. The magnet arrangement also reduces ringing in the core and the antenna. An optional RF shield is used to reduce NMR signals from borehole fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Arcady Reiderman, David R. Beard
  • Patent number: 6525535
    Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for performing NMR measurements in MWD effective for large and small boreholes. The invention uses a magnet assembly to produce a generally oval static magnetic field. The invention also employs an antenna assembly comprised of a primary and secondary antenna to deliver a sequence of RF magnetic pulses. For small holes, the antenna assembly operates to substantially match the iso-lines of the static magnetic field within the rock formation during a transmission pulse. For large holes, the invention works in a side-looking mode and the antenna assembly operates both to match the iso-lines of the static magnetic field within the rock formation and to diminish the magnetic field within the borehole during a transmission pulse. The secondary antenna can also be used as a receiver of spin echo signals, or optionally, to make adjustments to the received signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Arcady Reiderman, David R. Beard
  • Publication number: 20020140424
    Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for performing NMR measurements in MWD effective for large and small boreholes. The invention uses a magnet assembly to produce a generally oval static magnetic field. The invention also employs an antenna assembly comprised of a primary and secondary antenna to deliver a sequence of RF magnetic pulses. For small holes, the antenna assembly operates to substantially match the iso-lines of the static magnetic field within the rock formation during a transmission pulse. For large holes, the invention works in a side-looking mode and the antenna assembly operates both to match the iso-lines of the static magnetic field within the rock formation and to diminish the magnetic field within the borehole during a transmission pulse. The secondary antenna can also be used as a receiver of spin echo signals, or optionally, to make adjustments to the received signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Arcady Reiderman, David R. Beard
  • Patent number: 6452388
    Abstract: The present invention provides a novel use of a powdered high saturation flux density soft magnetic material as a NMR probe core material. The probe structural geometry facilitates the use of powdered material, which has a relatively low magnetic permeability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Arcady Reiderman, David R. Beard
  • Publication number: 20020125885
    Abstract: A side-looking NMR logging tool incorporates a permanent magnet arrangement having a magnetization direction oriented towards a side of the tool and a dipole RE antenna displaced towards the front of the tool. The magnet arrangement produces a shaped region of investigation in front of the tool wherein the magnetic field has a uniform field strength and the RF field has a uniform field strength in a direction orthogonal to the static field. The shaping of the static field is accomplished by the magnet arrangement comprising a plurality of magnets having parallel magnetization or by a single shaped magnet. The antenna arrangement includes a gapped core made of non-ferritic soft material for increasing the antenna efficiency. The magnet arrangement also reduces ringing in the core and the antenna. An optional RF shield is used to reduce NMR signals from borehole fluids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Applicant: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Arcady Reiderman, David R. Beard
  • Patent number: 6308136
    Abstract: An induction logging tool is used in an inclined borehole for determining properties of subsurface formations formation away from the borehole. Measurements are made at a plurality of transmitter-receiver (T-R) distances. After correction of the data for skin effects and optionally correcting for eddy currents within the borehole, the shallow measurements (those from short T-R spacing or from high frequency data) are inverted to give a model of the near borehole (invaded zone resistivity and diameter) and the resistivity of the formation outside the invaded zone. Using this model, a prediction is made of the data measured by the mid-level and deep sensors (long T-R spacings). A discrepancy between these predicted values and the actual measurements made by the midlevel and deep sensors is indicative of additional layer boundaries in the proximity of the wellbore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Leonty A. Tabarovsky, Michael Boris Rabinovich, David R. Beard
  • Patent number: 6049209
    Abstract: A method for enhancing the axial resolution of conductivity well log measurements of in earth formation zones radially distal from a wellbore. The method includes calculating differential axial resolution information present in measurements of the conductivity of a zone radially proximal to the wellbore by low pass filtering the proximal zone measurements so as to have the same axial resolution as the measurements of earth formations radially distal from the wellbore, and subtracting the low pass filtered measurements from the measurements of the proximal zone. The differential axial resolution information is projected to conductivity values which would obtain if the proximal zone conductivity were equal to the distal zone conductivity. The projection is calculated by determining a projection factor, which is related to a weighted average of a ratio of conductivity in the distal zone with respect to the conductivity in the proximal zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Western Atlas International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jiaqi Xiao, David R. Beard, Bill Harold Corley, Ingo M. Geldmacher
  • Patent number: 5862513
    Abstract: A method for producing synthetic tool responses for a well logging tool for an earth formation, the method including, in one aspect, generating wellbore logging data for a particular part of an earth formation with a wellbore logging system with a wellbore logging tool, the earth formation having at least one layer, producing an input earth model of the particular part of the earth formation based on the wellbore logging data, inputting the input earth model to a trained artificial neural network, e.g. resident in a computer, the computer with the trained artificial neural network processing the input earth model and producing synthetic tool responses for the wellbore logging tool for one point or for a plurality of points in the earth formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Western Atlas International, Inc.
    Inventors: Alberto G. Mezzatesta, Michael A. Jervis, David R. Beard, Kurt M. Strack, Leonty A. Tabarovsky
  • Patent number: 5841281
    Abstract: A method of determining the conductivity of earth formations penetrated by a wellbore. The method includes inserting an induction well logging instrument into the wellbore. The instrument includes a transmitter, a source of alternating current connected to the transmitter, and a receiver. The transmitter is energized with the alternating current, voltages induced in the receiver are recorded, and area enclosed with respect to a baseline, by voltage peaks present in the recorded voltages is determined. The enclosed area corresponds to the conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Western Atlas International, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Beard, Carlos A. Yanzig, Leonty A. Tabarovsky
  • Patent number: 5703772
    Abstract: A method of determining amplitude and phase response of a receiver amplifier in an induction well logging instrument including the steps of generating an oscillating current at least one frequency, energizing a transmitter coil instrument with the oscillating current, generating a first test signal having a known phase and amplitude relationship with respect to the oscillating current and a different frequency than any frequency in the oscillating current, amplifying and detecting voltages induced in a receiver coil corresponding to electrical properties of an earth formation, conducting a portion of the first test signal to the receiver amplifier causing the amplifier to generate a combined output including the first test signal and a signal resulting from the induced voltages, combining the oscillating current with the first test signal to form a combined test/reference signal, spectrally analyzing the combined test/reference signal and spectrally analyzing the combined output, and comparing spectral analys
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Western Atlas International, Inc.
    Inventor: David R. Beard
  • Patent number: 5666057
    Abstract: A method of correcting receiver signals in an induction well logging instrument for skin effect. The method includes determining a magnitude of signals induced in an induction receiver at each one of a plurality of different frequencies, determining a relationship of the magnitudes with respect to frequency, and determining a skin effect corrected conductivity by determining a value of the relationship which would obtain when the frequency is equal to zero. In a preferred embodiment, the step of determining the relationship includes calculating a best fit curve of the magnitudes with respect to the frequency, calculating the first derivative of the best fit curve with respect to the frequency, and calculating a correction for the signals at a selected frequency according to the relationship of the first derivative with respect to the frequency. The correction is applied to the signal at the selected frequency to calculate a skin effect corrected signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Western Atlas International, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Beard, Qiang Zhou
  • Patent number: 4854408
    Abstract: A tracked vehicle with a rearwardly extending ram (13) and an energizing means (14) for the ram, for assisting the vehicle in mounting precipitous objects. A preferred vehicle configuration uses only three, track direction changing rollers (6, 7, 8) so as to locate the center of gravity (16) of the vehicle as far forward as possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Assignee: The Secretary of State for Defence in her Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland
    Inventors: David R. Beard, Peter J. Gibson, Christopher B. Hinchey