RU2640896C1 - Automatic device for deploying and wrapping of bottomed antenna under water and under ice cover - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: radio engineering, communication.SUBSTANCE: claimed automatic device for deploying and wrapping bottomed antennas under water and under the ice cover, in which a body shape of the underwater device is proposed. It is in the form of a vertical disk that provides placement of coils with a long seismic streamer long and vertical stabilization of the underwater device. The device combines the functions of the power cable of the underwater device and the seismic streamers, which are coiled, where the coils are an element of the body of the underwater device. Also, systems of engines, propellers, valves, sensors, cable layer and electronics unit, providing automatic or controlled motion of the underwater device rounding the bottom profile at a given distance from it and deploying-wrapping of a seismic streamer to the seafloor in the underwater position. If there is an ice cover, the underwater device with a self-deploying seismic streamer can be submerged into water from the board of a carrying icebreaker into the ice hole it formed, after automatic or controlled deployment of the seismic streamer to the seafloor with subsequent registration and recording of seismic signals occurs. After registration and recording is complete, the seismic streamer is automatically wrapped and the device is lifted onto the board.EFFECT: ability for automatic deployment and wrapping of a long-bottomed antenna for seismic survey and seismo-acoustic monitoring of offshore hydrocarbon fields regardless of climatic conditions and ice conditions, and also effective obtaining of seismic survey data and seismo-acoustic monitoring in real-time.2 cl, 1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of marine seismic exploration of areas, including those covered with ice, and can be used in the search for minerals, to clarify the structure of hydrocarbon deposits on the sea shelf, including the Arctic shelf, and to increase the efficiency of the process of its development.

Typically, a seismic source and some seismic streamers towed behind a seismic vessel, or bottom antennas immersed on the seabed, are usually used in marine seismic exploration. All of these towed seismic streamers and bottom antennas have sensors that detect seismic energy, which is used to create images of geological structures under the seabed. For effective focusing of a seismic or bottom antenna of seismic energy, its aperture should be comparable with the depth of the studied geological structure (usually the first kilometers) and, therefore, be quite long.

In the Arctic seas and water bodies covered with ice, seismic exploration becomes much more difficult and expensive, and sometimes impossible, compared to performing open-water seismic exploration. Therefore, there is a need for technical means for marine seismic exploration in the presence of ice cover.

Known bottom cable antenna for monitoring seismic acoustic emission on the shelf, containing an underwater cable, hydrophone modules connected by an underwater cable at certain intervals between each other, surface collection and conversion equipment connected to one of the ends of the underwater cable, characterized in that it is equipped with an anchor latch secured at the opposite end of the submarine cable, with additional weights secured to the submarine cable between the respective hydrophone modules, and lavkovymi pendants attached to the underwater cable in the vicinity of the respective hydrophone modules while modules hydrophone formed as a pressure receiver (Russian Patent №2545365, IPC G01S 7/52, priority of 07.08.2013).

A disadvantage of the known device is the inability to install a bottom cable antenna under the ice cover.

Also known is a small-sized telecontrolled underwater vehicle containing a modular design frame, horizontal and vertical propulsion engines, durable airtight containers to accommodate the electronic part of the underwater vehicle, lights, surveillance and stationary cameras, depth and temperature sensors, pressure compensators, a buoyancy unit installed in the upper part an underwater vehicle, a manipulation module including a manipulator equipped with a scope and a sealed drive, the manipulator being mounted at the exit the bottom of the drive shaft, a surface control module including a control panel, a power source, a video information display unit, and a communication cable connecting the underwater device to the surface module, characterized in that a video camera is additionally mounted on the other end of the manipulator drive output shaft so that its axis the sight is constantly directed to the center of the grip of the manipulator, the underwater vehicle is equipped with a removable perforated container for collecting samples installed in the upper part of the underwater vehicle coaxially with its vertical axis, and the surveillance video camera is mounted by means of a bracket above the buoyancy unit in the diametrical plane of the underwater vehicle in its aft part (Russian Patent No. 2387570, IPC B63G 8/00, priority December 29, 2008).

The known device is not intended for the deployment (respectively, and coagulation) of the bottom cable antenna. The known device also cannot be used for this purpose, because it does not have the means to transport a long cable antenna, and with the help of a movable arm it is not possible to effectively deploy and collapse it.

The closest in technical essence and the achieved result (prototype) to the proposed device is a device for providing seismic profiling of the deep sea shelf by laying seismic streamers on the seabed using an underwater carrier and a method of installing this device on the seabed to ensure seismic profiling of the deep sea shelf by seismic laying on the seabed using an underwater carrier, which is delivered and installed at the operating point with the power of a multifunctional underwater station and is held in place by the anchor system, and the seismic strips of the device are laid on the seabed also using a multifunctional underwater station using stabilizers, the position of which at the end point is fixed using anchors installed by uninhabited underwater vehicles from a multifunctional underwater station (Russian Patent No. 2460096, IPC G01V 1/38, 06/25/2010).

The disadvantage of this method is the complex structure, consisting of at least a multifunctional underwater station, underwater media and uninhabited underwater vehicles. The use of a multifunctional underwater station in the presence of ice cover limits its area of application only to the deep-sea shelf, while the most promising hydrocarbon deposits are located on the shallow Arctic shelf. In addition, for seismic profiling of the deep sea shelf in the claimed device, it is necessary to connect two parts of the antenna into one system under water, which requires the presence of manipulators and a complex control system.

The noted drawbacks are absent in the automatic device for the deployment and coagulation of the bottom antenna under water and under the ice cover, which is the subject of the invention.

The technical result of the invention is the ability to automatically deploy and collapse an extended bottom antenna (seismic streamer) for seismic exploration and seismic monitoring of offshore hydrocarbon deposits, regardless of climatic conditions and ice conditions, as well as real-time acquisition of seismic data and seismic acoustic monitoring in real time.

The technical result is achieved due to the technical solutions developed by us, namely:

- selection of a special form of the underwater device case in the form of a vertical disk, which ensures the placement of a coil with a long seismic spit and the vertical stabilization of the underwater device;

- combining the functions of the power cable of the underwater device and the seismic cable, which is wound on a reel, which is an element of the body of the underwater device;

- the use of a system of engines, propulsors, valves, sensors, a cable layer and an electronics unit that provide automatic or controlled movement of the underwater device with the bottom profile enveloped at a predetermined distance from it and the deployment of the seismic scythe to the seabed in the underwater position.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing. The drawing shows: 1 - on-board equipment, 2 - digital cable seismic scythe, 3 - cable layer, 4 - control electronics unit, 5 - wheels, 6 - reel, 7 - metal case, 8 - movie camera, 9 - ultrasonic sonar, 10 - vertical mover, 11 - a cylinder with compressed air, 12 - floats, 13 - ballast capacity, 14 - positioning system, consisting of a gyroscope, compass, altimeter and pressure sensor, 15 - marching mover.

The immersion and ascent system consists of floats 12 and a ballast tank 13, a cylinder of compressed air 11 connected to a ballast tank controlled by a valve, and a vertical propulsor. Vertical stabilization of the underwater device is ensured by the structural separation of the center of mass and the center of displacement due to the placement of floats in the upper part of the module and heavy elements in its lower part. Variable buoyancy of the module is provided by changing the volume of the tank capacity of the immersion and ascent system using a valve system and the supply of air in the cylinder under pressure. Depth stabilization is carried out by a vertical mover. The movement control in the horizontal direction is carried out by the marching propulsion with a variable thrust vector due to its placement on the rotary device.

The control system for the automation of the underwater device consists of a positioning system 14 (gyroscope, compass, altimeter, pressure sensor), an ultrasonic sonar 9, a movie camera 8, a control system for vertical 10 and marching 15 propulsion (thrusters).

The control is carried out through the control electronics unit 4 in automatic or controlled mode by communicating with the on-board equipment 1 on board using a data channel integrated into the digital cable seismic scythe 2.

The device operates as follows. On board the carrier vessel, the device is connected through a seismic scythe to a power source and on-board equipment, then it is lowered overboard into the water (in the presence of ice cover, from the icebreaker to the wormwood formed by it). Further, due to the operation of the immersion-ascent system and the positioning system, the device lowers to a predetermined depth (a predetermined distance to the bottom). After that, the underwater device starts moving in a given direction according to the compass (in automatic or controlled mode) while the seismic scythe is laid out on the seabed due to the rotation of the coil 6, on which the digital cable seismic scythe 2 is wound, and the work of the cable layer 3. At the same time, the positioning system readings (gyroscope, compass, altimeter and pressure sensor) 14 are used to bypass possible obstacles and hold the underwater device at a given distance from the bottom. The length of the released seismic scythe is controlled by the number of revolutions of the coil. After the layout of the entire seismic scythe, the underwater device sinks to the bottom due to the release of air from the ballast tank. Next, the seismic streamer is included in the registration and recording of seismic acoustic signals. After the registration and recording of seismic acoustic signals is completed, the underwater device floats to a predetermined depth and begins to collapse the seismic cable due to the rotation of the coil and the work of the cable layer. March propulsion is not used. After folding the entire seismic streamer, the underwater device floats to the surface and rises aboard the vessel.

For the convenience of moving the device on the ship and on land, wheels 5 are provided in its design. With their help, the device can also be lowered into the water from an unequipped shore and raised back using a standard winch.

Claims (2)

1. An automatic device for the deployment and coagulation of the bottom antenna under water and under the ice cover, which is an underwater carrier device consisting of a metal body, a coil, a cable seismic cable, floats and a ballast tank, characterized in that a special shape of the body of the underwater device in in the form of a vertical disk, which provides for the placement of a coil with a long seismic spit and vertical stabilization of the underwater device due to the placement of floats in the upper part of the supply of the device and heavy elements in its lower part, the functions of the power cable of the underwater device and the seismic cable are combined, which is wound on a coil, which is an element of the device’s body, a system of motors, propulsors, valves, sensors, a cable layer and an electronics block is used to ensure automatic and controlled movement of the underwater devices with enveloping the bottom profile at a predetermined distance from it and deploying-collapsing seismic streamers to the seabed in underwater position. 2. The device according to p. 1, characterized in that the underwater device is equipped with wheels located in the lower part of the hull, for the convenience of moving the device on a ship, on land and for lowering the device into the water from an unequipped shore and returning it using a standard winch.

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