Real-Time Programmable ICE and Applications in Optical Measurements

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An optical system for the measurement of sample properties comprising:
 an illumination source to provide a sample light;   a dispersive element to disperse the sample light into wavelength portions;   an intensity modulation device comprising an array of modulation elements electronically controllable to provide a modulated sample light including a selected portion of the dispersed sample light;   a signal detector; and   collection optics to direct the modulated sample light to the detector.   
     
     
         2 . The optical system of  claim 1  wherein the modulation elements are electronically controllable to provide a complementary modulated sample light including a second selected portion of the dispersed sample light. 
     
     
         3 . The optical system of  claim 2  wherein a difference between a sample light pattern and a complementary sample light pattern is a linear regression vector associated with a measurable property of the sample. 
     
     
         4 . The optical system of  claim 2  wherein a ratio of a sample light pattern to a sum of the pattern and a complementary sample light pattern is a linear regression vector associated with a measurable property of the sample. 
     
     
         5 . The optical system of  claim 1  further comprising a processor circuit and a memory circuit, wherein at least one pattern is stored in the memory circuit. 
     
     
         6 . The optical system of  claim 1  wherein the array of modulation elements comprises at least one integrated computational element selected to measure a measurable property of the sample. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the signal detector is a split detector and comprises
 a first detector area; and 
 a second detector area. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the first detector area is one specific portion or combinatorial combination of quadrants in a quadrant detector, and the second detector area is a different quadrant or combinatorial combination of quadrants in the quadrant detector. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the first detector area is one specific portion or combinatorial combination of photosensitive elements in an array detector, and the second detector area is a different element or combinatorial combination of photosensitive elements in an array detector. 
     
     
         10 . A method for measuring sample properties comprising:
 providing an illumination light to a sample to yield a sample light;   dispersing the sample light according to wavelength;   forming a pattern associated with a measurable property of the sample;   modulating the intensity of the dispersed sample light according to the pattern;   detecting the modulated and dispersed sample light with a detector;   forming a first signal and a second signal provided by the detector; and   obtaining a value for the measurable property of the sample with the first signal and the second signal.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein forming a pattern comprises performing a linear regression analysis of the sample for the measurable property. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein forming a pattern comprises forming a first pattern and a second pattern such that for a given wavelength, a sum of a first intensity of light in the first pattern and a second intensity of light in the second pattern is the total intensity of the sample light in the given wavelength. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the first pattern comprises the first signal and the second pattern comprises the second signal. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein modulating the intensity of the dispersed sample light comprises controlling a two-dimensional (2D) array of modulating elements arranged so that a first dimension is a wavelength dispersion direction. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the 2D array of modulating elements comprises a plurality of movable mirrors in a micro-electromechanical element system (MEMs); and
 controlling the 2D array of modulating elements comprises providing an electronic signal to each of the movable mirrors. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein providing an electronic signal to each of the movable mirrors comprises:
 providing a first signal to a first portion of the movable mirrors in the 2D array along a second dimension; and
 providing a second signal to a second portion of the movable mirrors in the 2D array along the second dimension. 
 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the first portion and the second portion of the movable mirrors are associated with a regression vector for the measurable property of the sample. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein providing the first signal comprises directing the dispersed sample light to the detector; and
 providing the second signal comprises directing the dispersed sample light away from the detector. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein providing the first signal comprises providing a pulse-width modulated signal having a first duty cycle; and
 providing the second signal comprises providing a pulse-width modulated signal having a second duty cycle. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the first portion of the movable mirrors comprises all the mirrors along the second dimension of the 2D array. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sample is disposed within a wellbore and comprises a fluid disposed in the wellbore. 
     
     
         22 . A system for measurement of a sample property during hydrocarbon recovery operations, the system comprising:
 a structure deployed in a wellbore,   an illumination source to provide a sample light;   a dispersive element to disperse the sample light into wavelength portions;   an intensity modulation device comprising an array of modulation elements electronically controllable to provide a modulated sample light including a selected portion of the dispersed sample light; a signal detector; and collection optics to direct the modulated sample light to the detector, wherein one or more of the dispersive element, intensity modulation device, signal detector and collection optics are carried in the wellbore by the structure.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the structure is selected from the group consisting of a wireline, a slickline, coiled tubing or a drill string. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising at least two intensity modulation devices, wherein each intensity modulation device comprises a DLP mechanism. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the intensity modulation devices are arranged in series. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the intensity modulation devices are arranged in parallel.