RU2566599C1 - Hydrochemical bottom station for geologic monitoring of water areas - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: radio engineering, communication.

SUBSTANCE: bottom station includes a device housing (1) with an ellipsoidal shape placed at the bottom (2) of a water area and a repeater buoy (3) connected to said housing. The device housing (1) holds a microcomputer (9), modems (10, 11) for receiving and transmitting information via cable links (4) or a radio link, a power unit (12), a channel switch (13), an accumulator unit (14), a spectrophotometer (17), an electronics unit (24), a hydroacoustic module (28) for communication with a support ship and positioning at the bottom, as well as sensors for measuring conductivity (18), temperature (19), pressure (20), flow rate (21), pH (22), sound speed (23), a constant magnetic field magnetometer (26), a gamma-ray spectrometer (27), sensors for detecting carbon dioxide gas (29), oxygen (30), nitrogen (31), methane (32), a turbidity meter (33) and a microbe sensor (34). The electronics unit (24) includes broadband seismic signal detectors and a three-component digital seismograph (25). The device housing (1) is fitted in the lower part with a rubber boot (5) and is placed in a reinforced-concrete ballast (6). The reinforced-concrete ballast (6) is linked to the device housing (1) by a strap (7) and an electrochemical circuit breaker (8).

EFFECT: broader functional capabilities and high reliability of obtained data.

3 cl, 1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of research of physical phenomena occurring in the earth's crust, on its surface located at the bottom of the seas and oceans, and can be used to assess the possibility of the onset of adverse, including catastrophic, natural and man-made phenomena.

Bottom seismic stations are known (certificate for utility model RU No. 24890 [1], Deep-water bottom self-floating seismic station ADS-8 / Soloviev S.L., Kontar E.A., Dozorov T.A., Kovachev S.A. // Izvestiya AN SSSR, Physics of the Earth, 1988, No. 9, pp. 459-460 [2], Ocean Bottom Seismometer (OBS) Systems. Company Profile / Project Companies Kieler Umwelt und Meerestechnik GmbH (KUM), Signal-Elektronik und Nets Dienste GmbH ( SEND), April 2002, 11 p. [3], consisting of an underwater module and an airborne module.The underwater module is a sealed enclosure equipped with a bottom placement device inside which the regis equipment is placed sonar signals with corresponding filters, shapers, converters, information storage devices, synchronization circuit, power source and device for determining the orientation of the underwater module.

The main disadvantage of the known stations is the impossibility of a complete and adequate transmission of soil vibrations to signal measuring sensors mounted on a support tubular frame equipped with metal mechanisms for tilting and pressing to the ground, which in combination with the presence of the soil-metal boundary causes additional errors in the passage of acoustic signals and ultimately leads to a distortion of the measurement results.

In addition, the use of folding and pressing mechanisms to the ground is not effective enough due to their complexity, lack of control over their installation, which leads to the block of measuring sensors in the loose soil of the bottom and, as a result, to disruption of performance.

A marine autonomous bottom seismic station is also known (certificate for utility model RU No. 28778 [4]), in which the ballast anchor is made in the form of a concrete disk or a rectangular parallelepiped with a hemispherical recess for placement of the station body with its fastening by means of breakers, which allows for more tight distribution along the plane of contact of ballast with soil, as well as increase the contact area of ballast with the station body, which allows for a higher seismic transmission coefficient oscillations at the boundaries of soil-ballast and ballast - measuring sensors.

The disadvantage of this device is that when ballasting in the form of a concrete disk or a rectangular parallelepiped, in the presence of bottom currents, when placing the station on uneven ground, the adhesion of the station to the ground is loose, which leads to swaying of the station and the generation of acoustic noise in water due to turbulence around the station, as well as to the disruption of the seismic receivers, which are vector instruments and to ensure the normal operation of which it is necessary to know their orientation in space.

Similar disadvantages also have well-known underwater stations (IP Bashilov and others. Bottom geophysical observatories: design methods and applications / Scientific Instrumentation, 2008. T. 18. No. 2. P. 86-95 [5], patent RU No. 2276388 C1, 05/10/2006 [6], patent RU No. 2377606 C2, 12/27/2009 [7], Zubko Yu.N. et al. Modern bottom stations for seismic exploration and seismological monitoring / Scientific Instrument Engineering, 2003, v. 13, No. 4, pp. 70-82 [8], Modern bottom stations for seismic exploration and seismological monitoring / Zubko Yu.N., Levchenko DG, Ledenev VV, Paramonov A.A. // Nau Precision Instrumentation, 2003, volume 13, No. 4, pp. 70-82 [9]).

Also known are hydrochemical bottom stations or observatories (Geoecological monitoring of offshore oil and gas areas / Lobkovsky LI et al. M: Nauka, 2005, pp. 97-100 [10] - prototype), designed to record possible short-term precursors of earthquakes and for geological monitoring of water areas. One station includes sensors for measuring hydrochemical and hydrophysical parameters of the medium, a spectrum analyzer, micro-computers for controlling the station’s operation, data collection, processing and storage, modems for receiving and transmitting information via cable lines or radio channels, as well as auxiliary devices for setting searching and lifting the station aboard the ship.

In accordance with the program and commands from the shore, the microcomputer determines the frequency of polling sensors, writes information to memory, processes and compresses data according to specified algorithms, then the accumulated information is transmitted through a modem to the communication line.

The station consists of a main instrument housing located at the bottom on a tripod stand, a flooded buoy with a power source connected via a buirp to a ballast located at the bottom, a relay buoy connected by a cable to a float view, which is connected to a cable with a cable a flooded buoy, which is connected by cable to the main instrument case, equipped with a safety cable with cargo located at the bottom.

The main elements of the station are an acousto-optic spectrometer of the visible wavelength range 350-850 nm, temperature and conductivity sensors for sea water, sound velocity in water, flow rates, pressure, hydrogen ion concentration pH, Octagon-5 control computer (PC-486), power supply with power converter located in a flooded buoy. The station is controlled and data is transmitted to shore using a half-duplex radio communication channel (400 MHz, 2000 Baud). The station’s block diagram includes a coastal station, consisting of a transceiver, radio modem, control panel, shoreline modem, printer, power supply and remote control, a beacon, consisting of a transceiver, radio modem, power source, and filtering unit, a vessel equipped with a transceiver, radio modem, a power source and a filtering unit, and directly the station on which micro-computers with an RS232 interface are installed, a cable line modem, a power supply unit, a channel switch, a battery unit, a filtering sensor, a filter unit fractional spectrum analyzer, made in the form of a spectrophotometer, conductivity, temperature, pressure, current velocity, pH, sound velocity and electronic unit sensors.

All elements of the station are in a strong cylindrical case with spherical covers. Sensors and the tube of the spectrometer are mounted on the outside. The sturdy case is raised above the soft bottom to a height of 3 m on a tripod support. The flooded buoy is installed at a depth of 15 m with the help of a load and a cable. A broadcast buoy is located on the surface of the water and is connected to the submerged buoy and the bottom through a cable. Another well-known bottom station (observatory) [10] contains a three-component digital seismograph with recording frequencies of 0.03–40 Hz, an acousto-optic spectrometer of the visible wavelength range of 415–800 nm, measuring the speed and direction of currents, temperature and electrical conductivity of sea water, and the speed of sound in water , pressure, permanent magnetic field magnetometer, gamma spectrometer, sonar module for communication with the supply vessel and bottom positioning.

Structurally, the station consists of a common frame with a folding console. Modules of measuring instruments and a device for collecting and transmitting information are attached to the frame. A block of seismic receivers is fixed to the console. The modules are connected to sensors and a device for collecting information using cables. The magnetometric sensor is placed several meters above the observatory to exclude its influence.

The main disadvantages of the known stations are as follows.

The impossibility of a complete and adequate transmission of soil vibrations to signal measuring sensors mounted on a supporting tubular frame equipped with metal tilting and pressing mechanisms to the ground, which, combined with the presence of the soil-metal boundary, causes additional errors in the passage of acoustic signals and ultimately leads to distortion measurement results. The use of folding and pressing mechanisms to the ground is not effective enough due to their complexity, lack of control over their installation, which leads to the block of measuring sensors getting into the loose soil of the bottom and, as a result, to disruption of performance.

In the presence of near-bottom currents when the station is placed on uneven ground, the adhesion of the station to the ground is loose, which leads to rocking of the station and generation of acoustic noise in the water due to vortices around the station, as well as to disruption of the seismic receivers, which are vector instruments and to ensure normal whose work you need to know their orientation in space.

Another disadvantage of the known bottom station is the small spacing of the seismic receiver unit and the main body of the station (from 0.5 to 50 m), as well as poor flow around the frame by bottom currents, which can lead to significant vibrational interference.

Also, the limited composition of measuring instruments can be attributed to the shortcomings, which primarily relates to hydrochemical stations, which does not allow multidisciplinary monitoring both in water areas with offshore business facilities and in water areas adjacent to the zones of underwater hydrocarbon production.

The objective of the proposed technical solution is to expand the functionality of hydrochemical bottom stations and increase reliability when registering seismic signals at the bottom of the seas and oceans by eliminating the influence of negative phenomena.

The problem is solved due to the fact that in the hydrochemical bottom station or observatory for recording possible short-term precursors of earthquakes and for geological monitoring of water areas, consisting of a main instrument housing located at the bottom, a relay buoy connected to the main instrument housing and equipped with a microcomputer with RS232 interface for controlling the work of the station, collecting, processing and storing data, modems for receiving and transmitting information via cable lines or radio channel, block m of power, a channel switch, a battery pack, a filtration sensor, a filtration unit, a spectrum analyzer made in the form of a spectrophotometer, conductivity, temperature, pressure, flow velocity, pH, sound velocity, and an electronics unit including broadband seismic signal recorders connected to three-component digital seismograph, permanent magnetic field magnetometer, gamma spectrometer, sonar module for communication with the supply vessel and positioners At the bottom, the main instrument case is made of an ellipsoidal shape, which is equipped with a rubber cover in its lower part and placed in a reinforced concrete ballast, articulated with the body by means of slings and an electrochemical disconnector; in addition to the station, sensors for recording carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, methane are introduced, turbidity meter, microbial sensor, while a three-component digital seismograph is made with registration of seismic signals in the range of 0.1-500 Hz, and the reinforced concrete ballast in its lower part olnen in the form of piles arranged along the perimeter and the diagonals of the ballast.

The drawing shows a block diagram of a hydrochemical bottom station.

The hydrochemical bottom station or observatory for recording possible short-term earthquake precursors and for geological monitoring of water areas consists of a main instrument building 1 located at the bottom 2, a relay buoy 3 connected to the main instrument building 1 by a cable-rope 4.

The main instrument housing 1 is made in an ellipsoidal shape, which is provided with a rubber cover 5 in its lower part and placed in a reinforced concrete ballast 6, articulated with the housing 1 by means of slings 7 and an electrochemical disconnector 8. Inside the main instrument housing 1, microcomputers 9 with an RS232 interface are installed for control the work of the station, collect, process and store data, modems 10 and 11 for receiving and transmitting information over cable lines or radio channels, power supply 12, 13 channel switch, battery unit 14, sensor 15 filter phase filtering unit 16, a spectrum analyzer 17 made in the form of a spectrophotometer, conductivity sensors 18, temperature 19, pressure 20, flow rate 21, pH value 22, sound speed 23, electronics unit 24, including broadband seismic signal recorders connected to a three-component digital seismograph 25, magnetometer 26 of a constant magnetic field, gamma spectrometer 27, sonar module 28 for communication with the supply vessel and positioning at the bottom, sensors for recording carbon dioxide 29, oxygen 30, nitrogen 31, methane 32, turbidity meter 33, microbial sensor 34, hydro-acoustic communication channel modem 35 connected to the hydro-acoustic antenna 36. Auxiliary elements and units include mechanisms for launching the station to the bottom and raising it to the side of the vessel, as well as reflective elements for its search on the surface, after surfacing (not shown in the drawing).

Sensitive elements of the sensors are installed in the upper part of the main instrument housing 1.

The main instrument housing 1 can be made with a removable cover in the upper part of the housing or consist of two detachable hemispheres for installing measuring instruments and means of internal communications or for replacing batteries.

A three-component digital seismograph 25 is made with a recording band of seismic signals in the range of 0.01-500 Hz, which allows you to register signals, both due to deformation (subsidence) of the bottom in the range from 0.01 Hz (“creeping” earthquakes), and the formation of microcracks in solid bottom rocks up to 500 Hz, which is the case with intensive production of subsea hydrocarbons.

Reinforced concrete ballast 6 in its upper part has a niche 37, in which the station building 1 is placed, which mates with the ballast 6 by means of a rubber cover 5, which acts as a gasket and a shock absorber, under external influences on the station building 1.

In the lower part, reinforced concrete ballast 6 is made in the form of piles 38, placed around the perimeter and diagonals of the base, for reliable adhesion to silty and sandy soils.

A spectrum analyzer 17, made in the form of a spectrophotometer, conductivity sensors 18, temperature 19, pressure 20, current velocity 21, pH 22, sound velocity 23, electronics 24, including broadband recorders of seismic signals connected to a three-component digital seismograph 25, magnetometer 26 constant magnetic field, gamma spectrometer 27, sonar module 28 for communication with the supply vessel and positioning at the bottom, sensors for recording carbon dioxide 29, oxygen 30, nitrogen 31, methane 32. measured Turbidity target 33, a microbial sensor 34, a hydroacoustic communication channel modem 35 connected to a hydroacoustic antenna 36 and auxiliary elements and units including mechanisms for launching the station to the bottom and lifting it aboard the vessel, as well as reflective elements for its search on the surface, after its ascent, have industrial applications.

Before lowering to the bottom from the side of the vessel, the hull 1 of the station by means of slings 7 and an electrochemical disconnector 8 is articulated with reinforced concrete ballast 6 and lowered overboard. When the bottom is reached according to commands from the supply vessel or pre-established programs, the measuring sensors are launched into operation, by means of which the physical and chemical parameters are measured and recorded in the near-bottom water environment.

After the end of monitoring in this water area, on a command from the supplying vessel, the station is lifted to the surface. When this signal is supplied to the electrochemical disconnector 8, which opens the slings 7, releasing the ballast and the station floats to the surface for its further rise on board the vessel. After testing and replacing the batteries, the station can be carried out subsequent stationing of the station to the bottom.

The proposed technical solution can be used to assess the possibility of the onset of adverse, including catastrophic, natural and technological phenomena, including the seas and estuaries of the Arctic basin.

Information sources

1. Certificate for utility model RU No. 24890.

2. The deep-sea bottom self-floating seismic station LDS-8 / Soloviev SL, Kontar EA, Dozorov TA, Kovachev SA // Proceedings of the USSR Academy of Sciences Physics of the Earth, 1988, No. 9, p. 459-460.

3. Ocean Bottom Seismometer (OBS) Systems. Company Profile / Project Companies Kieler Umwelt und Meerestechnik GmbH (K.U.M.), Signal-Elektronik und Nets Dienste GmbH (SEND), April 2002, 11 p.

4. Certificate for utility model RU No. 28778.

5. Bashilov I.P. and other Bottom Geophysical Observatories: design methods and applications / Scientific Instrumentation, 2008, v. 18, No. 2, p. 86-95.

6. Patent RU No. 2276388 C1, 05/10/2006.

7. Patent RU No. 2377606 C2, 12/27/2009.

8. Zubko Yu.N. and other Modern bottom stations for seismic exploration and seismological monitoring / Scientific Instrumentation, 2003, t. 13, No. 4, p. 70-82.

9. Modern bottom stations for seismic exploration and seismological monitoring / Zubko Yu.N., Levchenko DG, Ledenev VV, Paramonov A.A. // Scientific Instrumentation, 2003, volume 13, No. 4, p. 70-82.

10. Geoecological monitoring of offshore oil and gas areas / Lobkovsky L.I. et al. M .: Nauka, 2005, p. 97-100.

Claims (3)

1. Hydrochemical bottom station for geological monitoring of water areas, consisting of a main instrument housing located at the bottom, a relay buoy connected to the main instrument housing and equipped with a microcomputer with RS232 interface for controlling the station, collecting, processing and storing data, modems for receiving and transmitting information via cable communication lines or a radio channel, a power supply unit, a channel switch, a battery pack, a spectrum analyzer made in the form of a spectrophotometer, conductivity sensors and, temperature, pressure, flow velocity, pH, sound velocity, an electronics unit that includes broadband recorders of seismic signals connected to a three-component digital seismograph, a constant magnetic field magnetometer, a gamma spectrometer, and an acoustic module for communication with the supply vessel and positioning on bottom, characterized in that the main instrument housing is made of an elliptical shape, in its lower part is equipped with a rubber cover and placed in a reinforced concrete ballast, with Le Nain with the housing by slings and electrochemical breaker further aid in the registration of carbon dioxide introduced station, oxygen, nitrogen, methane, Turbidity, microbial sensor. 2. Hydrochemical bottom station for geological monitoring of water areas under item 1, characterized in that the three-component digital seismograph is made with the registration of seismic signals in the range of 0.1-500 Hz. 3. Hydrochemical bottom station for geological monitoring of water areas under item 1, characterized in that the reinforced concrete ballast in its lower part is made in the form of piles located along the perimeter and diagonals of the ballast.