Experimental Measurement and Modeling Analysis of Cemented Casings Using Ultrasonic Circumferential Shear Horizontal Waves

Abstract

An alternative approach was proposed to detect the damage in cementing casing pipes by using circumferential guided wave detection technology. Firstly, the circumferential shear horizontal (C-SH) wave propagation problem of the steel pipe covered by semi-infinite cement was solved by the double polynomial expansion method (combining the Legendre polynomial expansion method and the Laguerre polynomial expansion method). Based on the typical application range corresponding to different polynomial types, theoretical modeling of wave behavior in the substrate and covering area is carried out separately. The dispersion equations of the C-SH wave in the cylindrical coordinate system can be derived based on the orthogonal completeness property. To verify the accuracy of the proposed method, a consistency analysis was conducted between the theoretical calculation results and available reference data. Meanwhile, a time domain simulation for cemented casings was established to confirm the feasibility of the proposed approach. Finally, the propagation characteristics of C-SH waves in cementing casing structures were experimentally analyzed, and the variation pattern of circumferential SH waves by cementation defects at different angles was also investigated. It provides a new research path for identifying typical defects in cementing casing.