Abstract:
A device for carrying out at least one of measuring or servicing operations in a well, with the device including a rod which is stiff against compression and elastic in flexure and a measuring instrument fastened to an end of the rod. The rod includes a core having a flattened cross sectional shape adapted to provide the rod with a high flexibility in flexure in a first plane, with respect to a flexure in a plane orthogonal to the first plane. At least one energy or information transfer line is incorporated or embedded during manufacturing the core which is made of a composite material. A sheath embedded in the core so as to provide the rod a substantially cylindrical outer shape. The device is applicable to be used in a well producing an oil effluent.
Abstract:
A sensitive towed optical fiber sensor array 50, wherein the fiber sensors (60A-60N) are connected in parallel, and the optical fiber cable (34) is paid out from the towing ship at a velocity about equal to but opposite to the velocity of the towing ship. The fiber sensors (60A-60N) are immune to electromagnetic interference, and the output of the sensors can be isolated readily to the parallel hookup of the sensors. Turbulence and acceleration noise is greatly reduced due to the manner in which the fiber cable (34) is paid out, and crosstalk between sensors is eliminated.
Abstract:
A low-frequency hydrophone for a sonar array comprises at least a lacunary ceramics element with open porosity saturated by a viscous fluid, on which metal electrodes have been deposited. This hydrophone forms a high-pass filter whose cutoff frequency is adjusted by modulating the area of the electrodes. The present invention may find particular application in towed linear arrays and passive sonars.
Abstract:
A hydrophone is provided for use with a hydrophone array enclosed in a streamer cable that is deployed in a body of water. The active transducer elements of the hydrophone are electrically isolated from the sealed metal case in which they are mounted. The signal input and output terminals are protected from short-circuiting due to water invasion of a faulty streamer cable jacket.
Abstract:
Longitudinal shocks and longitudinal emotional disturbances are reduced between members attached to opposite ends of a vibration isolation module. An elongate, essentially cylindrically shaped cord extends the length of the module and is fabricated from a compliant and dissipative material. At least one cord-like essentially nonextensible member is wound about the core in a helical fashion with at least one symmetrically located pitch reversal, and with attachment to the core at least at the ends and pitch reversal points. Longitudinal shocks and motional disturbances are translated by the essentially nonextensible cord-like member into torsional shear strains in the compliant core. The dissipative characteristics of the core material coupled with the nonlinear relationship between longitudinal and torsional strain produce a tensile shock absorber with both damping and a spring constant that increases with longitudinal strain. A flexible outer jacket covers the core and cord-like nonextensible members and help share the shocks and motional disturbances as well as containing a fill fluid that aids the core and jacket by viscously dissipating part of the shocks and motional disturbances, including a series of helical pitch reverses in the nonextensible cord-like member along a module's length and having annular spacers disposed between the core and jacket and located at nodes between successive pitch reversals helps assure the integrity of the module and presents a streamlined surface to reduce the problems associated with excessive flow noise.
Abstract:
A towed array of hydrophone modules employs bladders that are mounted to bulkheads at the ends of the hose sections. The bladders are configured and pressurized so that pressure waves produced by the oscillatory motion of the bulkhead are suppressed by the bladders thereby significantly diminishing noise due to the breathing waves.
Abstract:
A magnetic heading sensor alignment device for an acoustic towed line arrays described. It includes a generally cylindrical non-magnetic piece having a longitudinal opening along its central axis to accommodate the heading sensor. A plurality of longitudinal non-magnetic strips or springs are provided around the cylindrical piece by securing them at the ends of the cylindrical piece to form a cage. This provides a spring-like action when the alignment device including the heading sensor is inserted inside the hose of the towed line array and thus keep the heading sensor aligned during the deployment of the acoustic towed array.
Abstract:
A device for seismic exploration is in the form of a towed streamer. The streamer is easily managed, is very flexible and has a low weight so that it may be towed with moderate tractive forces. The streamer includes a cable with an inner core, one or more layers of insulated conductor pairs and an outer low-friction protective coating. Both the core and the outer low-friction protective layer are of an acoustically substantially inert material of low specific gravity. Seismic signals are obtained series connected gimbal-mounted geophones arranged in strings connected to the cable at positions spaced longitudinally thereof.
Abstract:
A plurality of sensor arrays are mounted in a streamer cable. The sensors within each array are distributed over an elongated two-dimensional vertical plane. The seismic streamer cable is so constructed that its vertical dimension is substantially greater than its width and the top portion is relatively more buoyant in the water than the bottom portion. Because of that configuration the streamer cable resists vertical strumming and, when the sensor arrays are used in the differential mode, there is no orientation uncertainty.
Abstract:
A sonar array connected to a data unit includes a substantial number of hydrophone units distributed along a small diameter cable having a substantial number of connecting wires, a center strength member and a tough polyurethane jacket. The hydrophone units each include a strong metal bracket bifurcated at each end and fastened to the strength member. A generally cylindrical hydrophone member is fastened to the bracket as is a circuit board including a preamplifier and the entire unit is sealed with paraxylene resin and then molded into a smooth generally cylindrical unit which is tapered at the ends and sealed to adjacent parts of the cable jacket. To minimize the cross-sectional area and the effects of cross currents, the cable is composed of a plurality of interconnected sections, each of which is of smaller cross-section and carries fewer conductors than the section next closer to the data unit. To assure that the array extends substantially vertically from the data unit, either a weight or a float is fastened to the cable at the end remote from the data unit.