Systems and methods of a marine geophysical damper system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10670748-B2
Application number	US-201715643767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2017
Priority date	Aug 18, 2016
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

Marine geophysical damper system. At least some of the example embodiments are methods of manufacturing a geophysical data product including obtaining geophysical data by a sensor streamer; and recording the geophysical data on a tangible computer-readable medium. The obtaining may include: towing a sensor streamer and a dilt buoy, the dilt buoy coupled to a proximal end of the sensor streamer by a line, the sensor streamer is submerged in a body of water and the dilt buoy is disposed at the surface the body of water; and during the towing measuring movement of the dilt buoy caused by surface wave action; and selectively damping relative movement between the dilt buoy and the sensor streamer, the relative movement caused by the surface wave action, and the selectively damping by a damper associated with the line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a geophysical data product, the method comprising:
obtaining geophysical data by a sensor streamer, the obtaining by:
a proximal end of the sensor streamer by a line, the sensor streamer submerged in a body of water and the dilt buoy disposed at the surface of the body of water; and during the towing
measuring movement of the dilt buoy caused by surface wave action; and
selectively damping relative movement between the dilt buoy and the sensor streamer by a damper system disposed within the dilt buoy, the relative movement caused by the surface wave action, and the selectively damping by a damper associated with the line; and

recording the geophysical data on a tangible computer-readable medium.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively damping further comprises:
implementing aggressive damping for vibrations above about 2 Hertz; and
implementing reduced damping for vibrations below about 1 Hertz, the reduced damping measured in relation to the aggressive damping.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively damping further comprises:
implementing aggressive damping for surface wave frequencies at and above 2 Hertz; and
implementing reduced damping for surface wave frequencies below 2 Hertz.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring surface wave action further comprises:
measuring acceleration of the dilt buoy by an accelerometer disposed on or within the dilt buoy; and
wherein selectively damping further comprises damping based on acceleration measured by the accelerometer.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
measuring acceleration of the sensor streamer by an accelerometer; and
wherein selectively damping further comprises damping based on acceleration measured by the accelerometer associated with the dilt buoy and the acceleration measured by the accelerometer associated with the proximal end of the sensor streamer.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein measuring acceleration of the sensor streamer further comprises measuring by an accelerometer disposed at the proximal end of the sensor streamer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring surface wave action further comprises:
measuring acceleration of the sensor streamer by an accelerometer disposed at the proximal end of the sensor streamer; and
wherein selectively damping further comprises damping based on acceleration measured by the accelerometer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively damping further comprises damping by way of a magneto-rheological damper.

9. A method of manufacturing a geophysical data product, the method comprising:
obtaining geophysical data by a sensor streamer, the obtaining by:
towing the sensor streamer and a dilt buoy, the dilt buoy coupled to a proximal end of the sensor streamer by a line, the sensor streamer submerged in a body of water and the dilt buoy disposed at the surface of the body of water; and during the towing
measuring acceleration of the dilt buoy by a first accelerometer disposed on or within the dilt buoy;
measuring acceleration of the sensor streamer by second accelerometer disposed on a suspended winch system within the dilt buoy;
selectively damping relative movement between the dilt buoy and the sensor streamer based on acceleration measured by the first and second accelerometers, the relative movement caused by the surface wave action, and the selectively damping by a damper associated with the line; and

recording the geophysical data on a tangible computer-readable medium.

10. A system comprising:
a tow vessel floating on a surface of a body of water;
a sensor streamer beneath the surface of the body of water;
a lead-in cable coupled between the sensor streamer and the tow vessel;
a buoy floating on the surface of the body of water, the buoy coupled to an end of the sensor streamer by a line;
a damper system associated with the line between the buoy and the end of the sensor streamer, the damper system is disposed within the buoy; and
the damper system configured to selectively damp vibrations of the buoy imparted to the sensor streamer.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the buoy is a dilt buoy coupled to a proximal end of the sensor streamer by the line.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the buoy is a tail buoy coupled to a distal end of the sensor streamer by the line.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the damper system is configured to implement aggressive damping for vibrations at and above between 2 Hertz, and the damper system is configured to reduce damping for vibrations below 2 Hertz.

14. The system of claim 10 :
wherein the damper system further comprises a first damper disposed within the buoy; and the system further comprises
a second damper disposed between the line and the end of the sensor streamer.

15. The system of claim 10 further comprising:
a first accelerometer disposed on or within the buoy;
wherein the damper system is configured to selectively damp vibrations based on acceleration measured by the first accelerometer.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:
a second accelerometer configured to measure acceleration of the sensor streamer;
wherein the damper system is configured to selectively damp vibrations based on acceleration measured by the first and second accelerometers.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the second accelerometer is disposed at at least one location selected from the group consisting of: at the end of the sensor streamer; and proximate to a winch system in the buoy.

18. The system of claim 10 further comprising:
an accelerometer configured to measure acceleration of the sensor streamer;
wherein the damper system is configured to selectively damp vibrations based on acceleration measured by the accelerometer.

19. The system of claim 10 wherein the damper system further comprises a magneto-rheological damper.

Assignees

• Pgs Geophysical As

Inventors

• Van Der Wal Anthony

Classifications

• B63B21/16

  using winches (winches per se B66D) · CPC title

• G01V2001/207

  Buoyancy · CPC title

• B63B22/00

  Buoys ({floating decoys, e.g. for waterfowl A01M31/06;} means for indicating the location of underwater objects B63C7/26; life-buoys, e.g. rings B63C9/08; {mountings of acoustic transducer in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys G10K11/006; electric cables supported on or from floats H02G9/12}) · CPC title

• B63B21/663

  Fairings · CPC title

• G01V1/201 Primary

  Constructional details of seismic cables, e.g. streamers (integrated optoseismic systems G01V1/226; line connectors in general H01R, transducer mountings in general G10K11/004) · CPC title