Underwater Streamer Coating System for Marine Growth Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Marine geophysical sensor cables experience increased drag resistance and reduced data quality due to marine growth, such as barnacles and algae, which interfere with the operation of seismic and electromagnetic surveying equipment.

Innovation Solution

An underwater application system that applies a streamer coating to prevent marine growth, using substances like animal wax, plant wax, or polyethylene wax, while the cables are submerged, combined with a cleaning unit to remove existing growth before coating application.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If streamers are left uncoated in water, then marine growth occurs on the streamer surface, but this increases drag resistance and reduces production speed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata qualityVSAvoidproduction speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The coating is applied to the streamer surface before deployment in water to prevent marine growth from attaching. This preliminary protective action eliminates the need for later cleaning operations, maintaining both data quality and production speed without compromise

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If streamers are left uncoated in water, then marine growth occurs on the streamer surface, but this increases noise in recorded data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata qualityVSAvoidnoise in recorded data

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The coating creates a preliminary protective barrier that actively prevents marine organisms from attaching to the streamer surface. This anti-fouling action counteracts the harmful effect of marine growth before it can occur, thereby preventing the generation of noise in recorded seismic or electromagnetic data

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Ease of manufacture

If streamers are coated underwater, then coating application is achieved in the operational environment, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoating applicationVSAvoidapplication system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The coating system is designed to be applied underwater through a relatively simple dispensing mechanism that leverages the natural operational environment. The system serves itself by using the water environment already present during streamer deployment, avoiding the need for complex pre-deployment coating facilities or post-deployment retrieval operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 streamer coating effectively prevents marine growth, reducing drag resistance and improving data quality by minimizing noise in recorded data, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of marine geophysical surveying equipment.

Implementation Method 1

The streamer coating can be applied to the streamer while the streamer is disposed underwater. The streamer coating may protect the streamer by preventing marine growth

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBiofouling prevention:

Data Source

PatentUS11780535B2Methods and systems for underwater application of streamer coating on geophysical streamers

Publication Date: 2023.10.10 PGS GEOPHYSICAL AS

AI summary

Embodiments relate generally to marine geophysical surveying. More particularly, embodiments relate to an underwater application system for application of a streamer coating to a surface of a streamer. An embodiment may comprise a marine geophysical survey system. The marine geophysical survey system may comprise a streamer and an underwater application system operable to apply a streamer coating to the streamer as the underwater application system travels axially along the streamer.