Modular Seismic Carrier for Subsea Cable Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for burying submarine cables at least 1.5 m below the seabed face challenges in achieving precise positioning and deep penetration due to susceptibility to currents and swell, with magnetic field measurements limited to 1.8 m depth and acoustic methods only capable of selective profile imaging, lacking centimeter precision and adequate seabed penetration.
Innovation Solution
A modular equipment carrier with a defined sensor frame, transverse signal receivers, and acoustic signal sources, enabling continuous 3D seismic surveying in rough seas, using seismic and acoustic signals in the kHz range for centimeter-resolution imaging up to 10 m depth, with a sea state-independent towed body and online data transmission for precise position control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If acoustic surveying methods are used for cable detection, then detection depth can reach up to 6 meters, but measurement precision and resolution are insufficient for centimeter-level accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor frame is divided into multiple individual seismic and acoustic signal receivers arranged in at least two rows oriented transversely to the towing direction. This segmentation allows each receiver to capture signals independently, enabling precise spatial localization and centimeter-level measurement accuracy while maintaining deep detection capability through the array configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional single-profile acoustic surveying to three-dimensional seismic surveying by arranging receivers in multiple transverse rows and using multiple signal sources. This dimensional expansion enables comprehensive 3D imaging of subsurface structures at depths up to 6 meters with centimeter-level precision through volumetric data acquisition.
2Area of stationary object
If equipment carriers are towed on the sea surface, then survey coverage can be achieved, but susceptibility to wave action and course deviations reduces measurement reliability
Solution Approach 1:
Motion sensors continuously monitor the position of the sensor frame in space, and an online control device receives this feedback to actively control and correct the position of the sensor frame. This feedback mechanism compensates for wave-induced movements and course deviations, maintaining measurement reliability despite surface towing conditions and enabling stable 3D surveying across wide survey areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic position control where the sensor frame's position is continuously adjusted in real-time based on motion sensor feedback. This dynamic adaptation allows the equipment carrier to maintain optimal sensor positioning despite wave action and current-induced drift, ensuring reliable measurements across the entire survey coverage area.
3Adaptability or versatility
If magnetic field measurements are used for cable detection, then detection can be performed for current-carrying cables, but detection depth is limited to approximately 1.8 meters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces magnetic field measurement methods with seismic and acoustic signal-based detection. This substitution enables detection at much greater depths (up to 6 meters) while maintaining versatility for detecting various subsurface structures including cables, archaeological features, and geological formations, overcoming the depth limitation of magnetic methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses seismic and acoustic signals in the kHz range with frequencies optimized for deep subsurface penetration. By changing the physical parameter of signal type from magnetic fields to acoustic/seismic waves, the detection depth extends from 1.8 meters to 6 meters while maintaining adaptability for diverse detection applications through frequency and source configuration adjustments.
4Measurement precision
If acoustic surveying is performed along intersecting profiles, then specific points can be mapped accurately, but continuous 3D imaging along the cable route cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The modular equipment carrier enables continuous 3D seismic surveying along the cable route through continuous towing while maintaining stable sensor positioning. Multiple transverse receiver rows and multiple signal sources work simultaneously to continuously acquire volumetric data, eliminating the need for discrete profile measurements and enabling uninterrupted 3D imaging along the entire cable path with consistent centimeter-level precision.
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
Enables continuous, high-resolution 3D imaging and accurate seabed penetration up to 10 m, allowing for reliable detection and tracking of submarine cables and other seabed structures, even in rough conditions, with improved resistance to course deviations and swell.
Implementation Method 1
seismic and acoustic signals in the kHz range for centimeter-resolution imaging up to 10 m depth
Implementation Method 2
seismic and acoustic signals in the kHz range for centimeter-resolution imaging up to 10 m depth
Implementation Method 3
online transmission of the position of the sensor frame in space measured by means of at least one motion sensor
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a seismic three-dimensional measurement method for small objects, submarine cables, other obstructions, archaeological structures, rocks, cliffs or small thickness deposit seams, massive sulphides in the sea bed, wherein a measurement device is equipped with a frame having at least one signal encoder and at least one signal receiver, the signals being in the range of >0 Hz to 20 kHz, is continually moved in or on the water above the sea bed to be analyzed, wherein the measured values from the individual receivers are transmitted to a mother ship in a non-summing manner, and the position of the sensor frame in space, measured based on at least one motion sensor, is transmitted. The invention furthermore relates to a sea swell independent towed body as an water-surface carrier of a device platform for the ultra-high resolution 3D measurement of small structures in the sea floor and a modular device carrier for the three-dimensional measurement of small objects, submarine cables, other obstructions, archaeological structures, rocks, cliffs, low thickness deposit seams, and/or massive sulphides in the sea bed.