Deployment and retrieval of seismic autonomous underwater vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016121983-A1
Application number	US-201514924555-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for the deployment of a plurality of autonomous underwater seismic vehicles (AUVs) on or near the seabed based on acoustic communications with an underwater vehicle, such as a remotely operated vehicle. In an embodiment, the underwater vehicle is lowered from a surface vessel along with a subsea station with a plurality of AUVs. The AUVs are configured to acoustically communicate with the underwater vehicle or a second surface vessel for deployment and retrieval operations. The underwater vehicle and/or second surface vessel is configured to instruct the AUVs to leave the subsea station or underwater vehicle and to travel to their intended seabed destination. The underwater vehicle and/or second surface vessel is also configured to selectively instruct the AUVs to leave the seabed and return to a seabed location and/or a subsea station for retrieval.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for the deployment of seismic nodes on or near the seabed, comprising
a plurality of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), wherein each AUV comprises one or more seismic sensors, a propulsion system, and a guidance system; a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), wherein the ROV comprises a guidance system configured to communicate with each of the plurality of AUVs and to guide each of the plurality of AUVs from a first subsea position to a second subsea position; and a surface vessel configured to communicate with the ROV.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a skid coupled to the ROV, wherein the skid is configured to carry a first plurality of the AUVs.

3 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising a subsea station coupled to the surface vessel, wherein the subsea station is configured to carry a second plurality of the AUVs, wherein the subsea station is configured to be lowered from the surface vessel to a subsea position.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the ROV is configured to couple with the subsea station to transfer a plurality of AUVs between the subsea station and the ROV.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ROV is configured to instruct each of the plurality of AUVs to launch from a subsea station and travel to a seabed location.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of AUVs is configured to determine its subsea position based on acoustic communications with the ROV.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of AUVs may be deployed from a first surface vessel while the ROV is coupled to a second surface vessel.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of AUVs has a different channel or code based on spread spectrum domain as to which it receives and sends communications.

9 . A method for the deployment of a plurality of seismic nodes on or near the seabed, comprising
positioning an underwater vehicle at a location proximate to the seabed, wherein the underwater vehicle comprises an acoustic guidance system and a propulsion system, positioning a first plurality of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in a subsea station, wherein each AUV comprises one or more seismic sensors, a propulsion system, and a guidance system; positioning the subsea station at a subsea position; and deploying the first plurality of AUVs at predetermined positions on the seabed based on communications provided by the underwater vehicle.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the underwater vehicle is a remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising transferring the first plurality of AUVs from the subsea station to the underwater vehicle.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising launching the first plurality of AUVs from the subsea station based on communications provided by the underwater vehicle.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising recovering one or more of the first plurality of AUVs from the seabed to a subsea position based on communications with the underwater vehicle.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising recovering one or more of the first plurality of AUVs from the seabed into a subsea station by a robotic arm on the underwater vehicle.

15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising
positioning a second plurality of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) near the seabed; and deploying the second plurality of AUVs at predetermined positions on the seabed based on communications with the underwater vehicle.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the positioning of the second plurality of AUVs comprises lowering a skid from a surface vessel, wherein the skid is coupled to the underwater vehicle, wherein the skid is configured to hold the second plurality of AUVs.

17 . A system for the deployment of seismic nodes on or near the seabed, comprising
a plurality of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), wherein each AUV comprises one or more seismic sensors, a propulsion system, and a guidance system; a subsea station coupled to a first surface vessel, wherein the subsea station is configured to carry a first plurality of the AUVs and be lowered from the first surface vessel to a subsea position, wherein the subsea station comprises a communications system configured to communicate with each of the plurality of AUVs; and a second surface vessel configured to communicate with each of the plurality of AUVs.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the subsea station is configured to position the plurality of AUVs from a first subsea position to a second subsea position.

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the second surface vessel is configured to position the plurality of AUVs from a first subsea position to a second subsea position.

20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the second surface vessel is configured to position each of the plurality of AUVs from a position proximate to the subsea station to a predetermined position on the seabed.

21 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising a first guidance system and a second guidance system, wherein the first guidance system is configured to launch one or more of the plurality of AUVs from the subsea station and the second guidance system is configured to guide one or more of the plurality of AUVs to one or more seabed locations.

22 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the second surface vessel is configured to instruct the plurality of AUVs to return to a subsea position for recovery.

23 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the subsea station comprises a plurality of pingers that is configured to emit signals to the plurality of AUVs, wherein each of the AUVs comprises a homing array that is configured to detect the transmitted signals during recovery to the subsea station.

24 . A method for the deployment of a plurality of seismic nodes on or near the seabed, comprising
positioning a first plurality of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in a subsea station on a first surface vessel, wherein each AUV comprises one or more seismic sensors, a propulsion system, and a guidance system; lowering the subsea station from the first surface vessel to a first subsea location; launching the first plurality of AUVs from the subsea station; and deploying each of the first plurality of AUVs at a predetermined position on the seabed.

25 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising guiding the first plurality of AUVs to one or more seabed locations based on communications provided by a second surface vessel.

26 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising guiding the first plurality of AUVs to one or more seabed locations based on communications provided by the subsea station.

27 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising launching the first plurality of AUVs from the subsea station based on communications provided by the subsea station.

28 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising launching the first plurality of AUVs from the subsea station based on communications provided by a second surface vessel.

29 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising launching the first plurality of AUVs from the subsea station based on communications provided by a first communications system and guiding the first plurality of AUVs to one or more seabed locations based on communications provided by a seco

Assignees

• Seabed Geosolutions Bv

Inventors

• Rokkan Arne Henning
• Valsvik Geir
• Isfeldt Bjarne
• Danre Jean-Baptiste

Classifications

• B63B1/107

  Semi-submersibles; Small waterline area multiple hull vessels and the like, e.g. SWATH · CPC title

• G01V1/3852

  to the seabed · CPC title

• B63G8/001 Primary

  Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations (self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42) · CPC title

• B63G2008/004

  autonomously operating · CPC title

• B63G2008/005

  remotely controlled · CPC title