Attenuation of microwave transmission in a diameter-variable drill string bore

Abstract: With the drill string hole being regarded as an ultra-long irregular lossy cylindrical waveguide, the optimal frequency point for microwave transmission was calculated according to the electromagnetic wave coupling theory, the attenuation law and efficient transmission distance of microwave channel were obtained and the microwave mode in the waveguide was analyzed. Furthermore, the channel model and signal attenuation model were established by the microwave transmission equivalent circuit method. The power attenuation coefficient per unit of length was proposed to simplify the analysis on effective transmission distance for the ultra-long drill string. The optimal frequency points of 139.7 mm (5.5 in) and 127 mm (5 in) API drill pipes are 2.04 GHz and 2.61 GHz, respectively, and there are several inner diameter varying sections and break points in the drill string hole along the axial direction. The microwave transmission suffers a lot of reflections. The channel impedance change is a key factor affecting the transmission quality. The lab and field tests reveal that the attenuation model established in this paper is accurate, and it is applicable to the design of microwave transmission measurement while drilling system. Key words: gas drilling, measure while drilling, microwave transmission, drill string bore, optimal frequency point, cylindrical waveguide, effective transmission distance