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US 10,024,990 B2Granted
Towed seismic node
AssigneeION Geophysical Corporation
InventorDale J. Lambert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A marine seismic sensor system includes a seismic node having at least one seismic sensor. The sensor is configured for sampling seismic energy when towed through a water column on a rope. The coupling can be adapted to modulate transmission of acceleration from the rope to the seismic node.
Claims21
A seismic apparatus comprising:
- a rope deployable in a water column and configured to be towed;
- one or more seismic nodes coupled to the rope, each of the seismic nodes comprising at least one seismic sensor configured for sampling seismic energy in the water column;
- and
- one or more tether members coupling the seismic nodes to the rope;
- wherein each of the seismic nodes is disposed in a hydrodynamic body providing horizontal and vertical profiles adapted to preferentially capture acoustic or seismic energy propagating in a vertical direction with respect to acoustic or seismic energy propagating in a horizontal direction.
2 more elements
A seismic apparatus comprising:
- a rope deployable in a water column and configured to be towed;
- one or more seismic nodes coupled to the rope, each of the seismic nodes comprising at least one seismic sensor configured for sampling seismic energy in the water column;
- one or more tether members coupling the seismic nodes to the rope, wherein the one or more tether members comprise elastic material selected for modulating one or more frequency components of acceleration of the seismic nodes relative to the rope;
- and
- an actuator configured to adjust a length of one or more of the tether members, wherein a natural frequency thereof is shifted with respect to the one or more frequency components of the acceleration.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a plurality of seismic nodes, each of the seismic nodes having at least one seismic sensor configured for sampling seismic energy;
- coupling each of the seismic nodes to a rope;
- deploying the rope into a water column, with the seismic nodes distributed along the rope;
- towing the seismic nodes through the water column, wherein the seismic nodes are deployed along the rope;
- and
- sampling the seismic energy in the water column with the seismic nodes;
- wherein the seismic nodes are coupled to the rope via one or more tether members;
- and
- wherein the nodes have different horizontal and vertical profiles with relatively greater horizontal surface area, the nodes selectively capturing acoustic energy propagating in a vertical direction through the water column, with respect to a horizontal direction.
6 more elements
A seismic sensor system comprising:
- a seismic node having at least one seismic sensor;
- and
- a coupling between the seismic node and a rope, wherein the coupling comprises an elastic coupling member adapted to modulate transmission of one or more frequency components of acceleration of the rope to the seismic node;
- wherein the at least one seismic sensor is configured for sampling seismic energy when the seismic node is towed by the rope;
- wherein the seismic node comprises a hydrodynamic body with different horizontal and vertical profiles configured to preferentially capture acoustic energy propagating in a vertical direction through the water column with respect to acoustic energy propagating in a corresponding horizontal direction.
2 more elements
A seismic sensor system comprising:
- a seismic node having at least one seismic sensor;
- and
- a coupling between the seismic node and a rope, wherein the coupling comprises an elastic coupling member adapted to modulate transmission of one or more frequency components of acceleration of the rope to the seismic node;
- wherein the at least one seismic sensor is configured for sampling seismic energy when the seismic node is towed by the rope;
- and
- an actuator configured to selectively adjust a length of the elastic coupling member, wherein a natural frequency thereof is shifted with respect to the one or more frequency components to reduce transmission of the acceleration to the seismic node.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.