Low-Vibration Collar Assembly for Marine Streamer Attachments
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing noise suppression hardware, such as radial vibration isolation modules, do not adequately mitigate the vibration noise introduced by ancillary devices attached to marine streamers, which contaminates seismic data and degrades the quality of signals recorded by sensors.
Innovation Solution
A low-vibration collar system that incorporates elastic isolation pads, a pre-loaded assembly, a suspension system, and a spatial filter of rotational motion to attenuate vibrations, reducing the impact of ancillary devices on seismic data acquisition systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If ancillary devices are clamped to the outsides of the streamers for positioning and navigation, then the streamer can be controlled and positioned accurately, but the movement of ancillary devices in water generates vibration that contaminates seismic signals
Solution Approach 1:
The collar acts as a mediator between the ancillary positioning device and the streamer. It allows the ancillary device to be securely attached for effective positioning and control while simultaneously isolating the streamer from vibrations generated by the ancillary device's movement in water. This enables maintenance of operational ease while reducing harmful vibrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibration isolation function is extracted from the traditional radial isolation module and relocated to the collar device at the ancillary device attachment point. This extraction allows the isolation mechanism to be positioned closer to the vibration source, enabling more effective suppression of vibration contamination while preserving the ancillary device's positioning functionality.
2Reliability
If traditional attachment systems are used for ancillary devices, then the devices can be securely attached to the streamer, but the attachment system itself and the ancillary device generate vibrations that interfere with seismic data quality
Solution Approach 1:
The collar serves as a vibration-isolating intermediary between the secure attachment mechanism and the streamer. The coupling mechanism within the collar provides reliable attachment of the ancillary device while the collar body structure absorbs and isolates vibrations, preventing them from being transmitted to the streamer and interfering with seismic data quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar provides beforehand cushioning by incorporating vibration isolation elements into the attachment system itself. This prior cushioning is built into the collar structure at the point of attachment, preventing vibrations from being generated or transmitted in the first place, rather than attempting to mitigate them after they reach the streamer.
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 low-vibration collar system significantly reduces the amplitude of vibrations transmitted from ancillary devices to the streamer, enhancing the quality of seismic data by minimizing noise interference and improving the accuracy of seismic data acquisition.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the available types of radial vibration isolation modules 109 may include a single stretch section with vibration attenuation that occurs due to a complex spring rate of the radial vibration isolation module 109
Implementation Method 2
The marine streamer may be designed to reduce hydrodynamic induced flow noise. For example, the marine seismic cable may be cylindrical.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A low-vibration collar system for vibration mitigation in a device towed in s water. The low-vibration collar system includes a clamp attached to a streamer towed underwater by a seismic vessel, the streamer comprising a plurality of sensors to record seismic data; a collar configured to be attached to the clamp a connecting mechanism located on the collar and configured to attach an ancillary device to the collar; and a vibration mitigation system configured to attenuate an amplitude of a vibration produced by the ancillary device. The vibration interferes with seismic data recorded by seismic sensors located on the streamer.