Oscillating Flared Streamers for Seismic Data Coverage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current marine seismic data acquisition methods using towed streamers suffer from under-sampling in the lateral direction due to wide spacing, leading to gaps in data coverage, especially in dynamic marine environments where environmental forces disrupt the uniform positioning of seismic receivers.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a serpentine and flared streamer configuration with steerable guidance devices, such as 'birds', that create an oscillating path for the streamers to sweep back and forth across a navigated path, ensuring more even sampling and reducing gaps in data coverage by randomizing receiver positions and adjusting spacing based on tensile forces and GPS data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If streamers are spaced widely apart to reduce cost and avoid equipment tangles, then equipment complexity and cost are reduced, but the wavefield detection becomes under-sampled in the lateral direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the streamer configuration adaptive rather than static. Birds with steerable elements dynamically adjust streamer positions in response to environmental forces, allowing the system to maintain optimal sampling density despite wide spacing and varying sea conditions. The birds actively respond to tensile forces and GPS data to modulate streamer paths, transforming a static under-sampled configuration into a dynamic adequately-sampled one.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of streamer position from fixed to variable. By using birds that can alter streamer lateral positions based on environmental conditions and navigation requirements, the system dynamically adjusts sampling parameters. This allows wide streamer spacing to be compensated by variable positioning, effectively increasing lateral sampling density without increasing the number of streamers.
2Stability of the object's composition
If streamers are maintained in fixed uniform positions to achieve uniform coverage, then coverage uniformity is improved, but environmental forces cause position variations that disrupt this uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of environmental forces into a beneficial one. Rather than resisting currents and winds that disrupt fixed positions, the system uses birds to actively respond to these forces, allowing streamers to naturally drift into positions that maintain or improve sampling coverage. The environmental disturbances that would normally degrade uniformity are harnessed to create adaptive position adjustments that preserve coverage quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control through birds that continuously monitor their environment and adjust streamer positions accordingly. GPS data and tensile force measurements provide feedback about streamer positions and environmental conditions, allowing the birds to modulate their steering in real-time to maintain desired spacing and coverage uniformity despite external disturbances.
3Ease of operation
If steering devices are added to control streamer positions, then position control capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing birds that autonomously respond to environmental conditions without requiring constant external control. The steerable elements on the birds automatically adjust streamer positions in response to tensile forces and GPS feedback, making the system self-regulating. This reduces the operational complexity despite adding steering capability, as the devices serve themselves by responding instinctively to physical cues rather than requiring complex external control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a seismic acquisition process where the streamers are intentionally directed to follow an oscillating sweep pattern behind a tow vessel to counteract the effect of the large gaps between the streamers while acquire a wide sweep of data through each pass over the survey area.