Deployment system and accessories for wireless rehchargeable seismic sensors and recording nodes
AssigneeGeophysical Technology, Inc.
InventorsRichard A. Degner, Gary L. Scott, Robert E. Hanes, JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A geophysical sensor deployment apparatus designed to provide improved coupling between the sensor and the ground, includes a ram extendible through a ram guide. The guide has an opening for insertion of a geophysical sensor. The ram has a ground displacing bit at a movable end thereof. The ram and the guide are mounted to a frame. The mounting has a pivot and a plurality of angularly separated extension mechanisms disposed between the ram and guide and the frame whereby an elevation and an orientation of the ram and the guide are controllable by selective extension of each of the plurality of extension mechanisms.
Claims22
A geophysical sensor deployment apparatus, comprising:
- a ram extensible through a ram guide, the ram guide having an opening for insertion of a geophysical sensor, the ram having a ground displacing bit at a movable end thereof, the ground displacing bit comprising a same, non-zero exterior taper angle as an exterior taper angle of a ground contact portion of the geophysical sensor, the bit having dimensions smaller than the ground contact portion at corresponding longitudinal positions along each of the ground contact portion and the bit, the ground displacing bit having a substantially round and smooth exterior surface;
- and
- wherein the ram and the guide are mounted to a frame, the mounting having a pivot and a plurality of angularly separated extension mechanisms disposed between the ram and ram guide and the frame whereby an elevation and an orientation of the ram and the ram guide are controllable by selective extension of each of the plurality of extension mechanisms.
A method for deployment of a geophysical sensor, comprising:
- moving a ram having a ground penetrating bit at a movable end thereof to a selected geodetic position, the ground penetrating but having a substantially smooth, round exterior surface the ground displacing bit comprising a same, non-zero exterior taper angle as an exterior taper angle of a ground contact portion of the geophysical sensor, the bit having dimensions smaller than the ground contact portion at corresponding longitudinal positions along each of the ground contact portion and the bit;
- extending the ram and the ground penetrating bit to create a hole in a ground surface;
- retracting the ram;
- moving the geophysical sensor to a position beneath the ram;
- and
- extending the ram to urge the geophysical sensor into the hole. The method of claim 12 further comprising rotating the ground penetrating bit while extending or retracting the ram to create the hole.
The method of claim 14 further comprising adjusting the force applied to the ram such that the ram stops motion in a controlled manner.
The method of claim 16 wherein the selected orientation is vertical.
The method of claim 18 further comprising moving the ram to a plurality of predetermined geodetic positions and repeating the creating a hole moving the geophysical sensor beneath the ram and urging the geophysical sensor into the hole at each of the plurality of predetermined geodetic positions.
The method of claim 19 wherein the moving the ram comprises moving a vehicle to which the ram is coupled.
The method of claim 22 further comprising recording and displaying to an operator any one or more of a geodetic position of the sensor, an axial orientation of the sensor with respect to vertical a depth to which the sensor is deployed in the hole and a pressure used when inserting the sensor into the hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.