Abstract:
Techniques include receiving a design of an integrated computational element (ICE), the ICE design including specification of a substrate and a plurality of layers, their respective target thicknesses and complex refractive indices, complex refractive indices of adjacent layers being different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated in accordance with the ICE design being related to a characteristic of a sample; forming at least some of the plurality of layers of the ICE in accordance with the ICE design; performing at least two different types of in-situ measurements; predicting, using results of the at least two different types of in situ measurements, performance of the ICE relative to the ICE design; and adjusting the forming of the layers remaining to be formed, at least in part, by updating the ICE design based on the predicted performance.
Abstract:
An optical computing device includes an electromagnetic radiation source that emits electromagnetic radiation to optically interact with a substance and an integrated computational element (ICE) core. The ICE core includes a substrate, and a first plurality of thin films alternatingly deposited on the substrate with a second plurality of thin films via a thin film deposition process, wherein the first plurality of thin films is made of a high refractive index material and the second plurality of thin films is made of low refractive index material. A stress relief layer is deposited on the substrate via the thin film deposition process and interposes the substrate and a first layer of the first plurality of thin films. A detector is positioned to receive modified electromagnetic radiation that has optically interacted with the substance and the ICE core and generate an output signal indicative of the characteristic of the substance.
Abstract:
Conventional optical analysis tools containing an integrated computational element may have an operational profile that is too large for convenient use within confined locales. Optical analysis tools having a miniaturized operational profile can comprise: an electromagnetic radiation source that provides electromagnetic radiation to an optical train; and an optical computing device positioned within the optical train. The optical computing device comprises a planar array detector having at least two optical detection regions. At least one of the at least two optical detection regions has an integrated computational element disposed thereon. The planar array detector and the integrated computational element are in a fixed configuration with respect to one another.
Abstract:
An optical computing device uses a moveable assembly to simultaneously analytic and compensation signals to determine sample characteristics in real-time. In one embodiment, the moveable assembly is a rotating carousel including at least one optical element pair positioned thereon, where one of the optical elements forms an analytic channel, and the other forms the compensation channel. Alternatively, two carousels may be utilized, where one includes the analytic channel and the other includes the compensation channel. In another embodiment, a linear array having compensation and analytic channels may be utilized. During operation, electromagnetic radiation optically interacts with the sample to form sample-interacted light, which is directed toward the optical elements on the moveable assembly. The optical elements are positioned on the moveable assemblies such that the sample-interacted light optically interacts with both simultaneously, thereby providing compensation in parallel with the sample characteristic measurement.
Abstract:
A design of an integrated computational element (ICE) includes (1) specification of a substrate and multiple layers, their respective target thicknesses and refractive indices, refractive indices of adjacent layers being different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated based on the ICE design being related to a characteristic of a sample, and (2) identification of one or more critical layers of the ICE layers, an ICE layer being identified as a critical layer if potential variations of its thickness or refractive index due to expected fabrication variations cause ICE performance degradation that exceeds a threshold degradation, otherwise the ICE layer being identified as a non-critical layer. At least one critical layer of the ICE is formed using two or more forming steps to form respective two or more sub-layers of the critical layer, and at least one non-critical layer of the ICE is formed using a single forming step.
Abstract:
Systems and methods are disclosed for improving optical spectrum fidelity of an integrated computational element fabricated on a substrate. The integrated computational element is configured, upon completion, to process an optical spectrum representing a chemical constituent of a production fluid from a wellbore. The systems and methods measure in situ a thickness, a complex index of refraction, or both of a film formed during fabrication to generate a predicted optical spectrum. The predicted optical spectrum is compared to a target optical spectrum. Revisions to a design of the integrated computational element are conducted in situ to improve optical spectrum fidelity relative to the target optical spectrum. Other systems and methods are presented.
Abstract:
Techniques include receiving a design of an integrated computational element (ICE) including specification of a substrate and multiple layers, their respective target thicknesses and complex refractive indices, complex refractive indices of adjacent layers being different from each other, and a notional ICE fabricated based on the ICE design being related to a characteristic of a sample; forming at least some of the layers of a plurality of ICEs in accordance with the ICE design, where the ICEs' layers are moved along a direction of motion during the forming; measuring characteristics of probe-light that interacts with formed ICEs' layers such that the measured characteristics are spatially-resolved along a first direction orthogonal to the direction of motion; determining, based on the spatially-resolved characteristics, complex refractive indices and thicknesses of the formed ICE layers as a function of the ICEs' location along the first direction; adjusting the forming based on the determinations.
Abstract:
A device for fluid analysis including an integrated computational element (ICE), a sample cell that optically interacts the ICE with a sample to generate a computation light associated with a characteristic of the sample, and a fiber sensor that receives the computation light and converts the computation light into a heat, is provided. The fiber sensor is coupled with a detector through an optical link, and is configured to return a portion of probe light through the optical link to the detector based on the heat converted. A method for using the device for performing fluid analysis is provided. A system for fluid analysis including at least one device as above is also provided.
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:
Multi-characteristic detection is achieved by altering the light incidence angle of a single Integrated Computational Element (“ICE”) used in an optical computing device.