Marine Geophysical Deflector Segmentation for Stability and Drag Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current marine geophysical deflectors face challenges in reducing towing resistance, improving course stability, and minimizing surface wave formation and noise during seismic surveys.
Innovation Solution
A marine geophysical deflector design featuring a float main body with deflector wings and distance floats arranged at a deviation angle, allowing the top float elements to cut the water surface like a submarine, reducing surface waves and noise, and providing modular components for easy maintenance and replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional fully submerged deflector is used, then course stability is improved, but towing resistance and surface wave formation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector is divided into multiple segments: a main body with deflector wings and separate top float elements. This segmentation allows the top floats to cut the water surface while the main body remains submerged, reducing towing resistance while maintaining stability through the submerged portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The top float elements are positioned to extend above the water surface, adding a vertical dimension to the deflector's interaction with water. This allows the upper portion to ride on the surface while the lower submerged portion maintains directional stability, reducing both wave formation and towing resistance.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional fully submerged deflector is used, then course stability is improved, but noise during passage through the sea increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the deflector into top float elements and a main body, the design allows the top elements to minimize surface disruption and the main body to operate quietly underwater, reducing overall noise while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Positioning top float elements above the water surface reduces the wetted surface area and minimizes surface wave generation, thereby reducing noise from surface interaction while the submerged main body maintains stable course.
3Stability of the object's composition
If distance floats are added beneath the main float, then course stability is further improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector is segmented into a main body and separate distance floats positioned beneath it. This segmentation allows the distance floats to be independently attached and adjusted, improving stability without requiring a completely redesigned complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The distance floats are positioned to provide dynamic stability support beneath the main float, allowing the structure to adapt to water conditions while maintaining a relatively simple overall design that can be adjusted as needed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design reduces towing resistance and noise, improves stability, and minimizes surface wave formation, while also simplifying maintenance and reducing the need for spare parts by allowing components to be easily swapped between port and starboard configurations.
Implementation Method 1
the streamlined top float elements (3) cut the water surface. This configuration makes the main body and the distance floats below run through the water much similar to how a submarine runs (except for the aslant longitudinal direction of the main body) which generally generates significantly reduced surface waves
Implementation Method 2
A first advantage of the invention is that the towing resistance relative to the achieved deflector force is reduced
Data Source
Figure 1a~1e
Figure 2a
Figure 2b~2f
AI summary
The invention is a marine geophysical deflector for towing seismic arrays, comprising: - a float main body (1) with one or more deflector wings (2) extending downwards into the sea, - one or more slender top float elements (3) arranged generally in a longitudinal direction on top of the main body (1). The number of said top float elements (3) may be two or mare. There may be arranged two or more distance floats (4) below the float main body (1) and an upper horizontal plate at the top of the one or more deflector wings (2).