POSITION CONTROLLER FOR A TOWED ARRAY

• US 20090211509A1
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ION Geophysical Corporation
• Original Assignee: Input/Output Incorporated
• Inventors: LaCour, Lloyd Joseph JR., Olivier, Andre W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,793,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 114/244
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/3826 dynamic steering, e.g. by paravanes or birds

Abstract

A position controller capable of controlling the depth or lateral position of a towed array. The position controller comprises a tubular fuselage from which a pair of wings may be extended over a range of sweep angles between fully open and stowed positions. In fully or partly open positions, two wings present a positive angle of attack relative to the axis of the fuselage. In the stowed position, the wings are fully retracted into a wing receptacle within the fuselage for unfettered passage into and out of a submarine on the array deployment and retrieval handling system.

Claims

1. Apparatus for positioning a towed underwater cable, the apparatus comprising:

an elongated body having an outer surface disposed about a longitudinal axis, the elongated body suitable for being connected axially in line with a towed underwater cable;

a first wing swingable outward from the elongated body through a first opening formed in the outer surface;

a second wing swingable outward from the elongated body through a second opening formed in the outer surface opposite the first opening;

each of the first and second wings extending from a root to a wing tip;

a first wing actuator disposed within the body and coupled to the root of the first wing to rotate the first wing on a first axis of rotation between a stowed position within the elongated body to operational positions wherein the wing tip is outside the elongated body and the span of the first wing defines a first sweep angle with the longitudinal axis of the elongated body;

a second wing actuator disposed within the body and coupled to the root of the second wing to rotate the second wing on a second axis of rotation between a stowed position within the elongated body to operational positions wherein the wing tip is outside the elongated body and the span of the second wing defines a second sweep angle with the longitudinal axis of the elongated body;

wherein the first and second sweep angles are independently adjustable by the first and second actuators.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first and second wings form a polyhedral wing system.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first and second wings each include first and second panels obliquely connected to form dihedral first and second wings.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first and second wings define a non-zero angle of attack with the longitudinal axis of the elongated body.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first and second axes of rotation coincide.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first and second wings are cambered.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first and second openings communicate with each other within the elongated body.

8. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first and second openings include first and second segments oblique to each other.

9. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first and second wings are in stacked relation within the elongated body when both are in the stowed position.

10. Apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a retractable stabilizing weight extendable outward of the elongated body.

11. Apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a roll sensor within the elongated body for sensing the roll of the elongated body about the longitudinal axis.

12. A position controller for a towed underwater cable, the position controller comprising:

a body having an outer surface and suitable for being connected in line with a towed underwater cable;

a first dihedral wing having a wing tip swingable outward from the body through a first slot formed in the outer surface;

a second dihedral wing having a wing tip swingable outward from the body through a second slot formed in the outer surface.

13. A position controller as in claim 12 wherein the first and second wings define a non-zero angle of attack.

14. A position controller as in claim 12 wherein the first and second wings are cambered.

15. A position controller as in claim 12 wherein the first and second wings are independently swingable through respective first and second sweep angles measured from a stowed position in which the first and second wings are parallel and completely within the body.

16. A position controller as in claim 15 wherein the first and second swing angles range from the stowed position at 0°

to a fully open position at 90°

.

17. A position controller as in claim 12 further comprising a first actuator swinging the first wing and a second actuator swinging the second wing.

18. A position controller for a towed underwater cable, the position controller comprising:

an elongated body suitable for being connected axially in line with a towed underwater cable and having an outer surface disposed about a longitudinal axis with first and second slots through the outer surface;

wherein the first and second slots each include a forward segment oblique to the longitudinal axis and a rearward segment oblique to the forward segment;

a first wing having a wing tip swingable outward from the elongated body through the first slot;

a second wing having a wing tip swingable outward from the elongated body through the second slot.

19. A position controller as in claim 18 wherein the first and second wings each include first and second panels obliquely connected to form dihedral first and second wings.

20. A position controller as in claim 18 wherein the first and second slots form a continuous passage through the elongated body.

21. Apparatus for positioning a towed underwater cable, the apparatus comprising:

an elongated body having an outer surface disposed about a longitudinal axis, the elongated body suitable for being connected axially in line with a towed underwater cable;

the outer surface being divided into a first half and a second half by a plane containing the longitudinal axis;

the elongated body forming a first opening in the first half of the outer surface and a second opening in the second half of the outer surface;

a first wing swingable outward from the elongated body through the first opening, the first wing extending from a wing root along an inner wing panel to an outer wing panel terminated in a distal wing tip;

a second wing swingable outward from the elongated body through the second opening, the second wing extending from a wing root along an inner wing panel to an outer wing panel terminated in a distal wing tip;

wherein the inner wing panels of the first and second wings have chords defining a non-zero angle of attack with the longitudinal axis of the elongated body.

22. Apparatus as in claim 21 wherein the inner panel of the first wing is in a non-coplanar relationship with the inner panel of the second wing.

23. Apparatus as in claim 21 wherein the first and second openings each include a forward segment oblique to the longitudinal axis and a rearward segment oblique to the forward segment.

24. Apparatus as in claim 23 wherein the first wing is retractable through the first opening with the forward segment receiving the inner panel and the rearward segment receiving the outer panel and wherein the second wing is retractable through the second opening with the forward segment receiving the inner panel and the rearward segment receiving the outer panel.

25. Apparatus for positioning a towed underwater cable, the apparatus comprising:

a body having an outer surface disposed about a longitudinal axis, the body suitable for being connected axially in line with a towed underwater cable;

the outer surface being divided into a first half and a second half by a plane containing the longitudinal axis;

the body forming a cavity in the interior of the body extending to a first opening in the first half of the outer surface a second opening in the second half of the outer surface;

a first wing swingable outward from the cavity through the first opening, the first wing having upper and lower airfoil surfaces;

a second wing swingable outward from the cavity through the second opening, the second wing having upper and lower airfoil surfaces;

wherein, in a stowed position, the first and second wings are stacked in the cavity with the upper airfoil surface of the second wing adjacent the lower airfoil surface of the first wing.

26. Apparatus as in claim 25 wherein the first and second wings are swingable outward of the body over sweep angles ranging from 0°

in the stowed position to 90°

in a fully extended position of the wings.

27. Apparatus as in claim 25 wherein the cavity has a forward segment oblique to the longitudinal axis and a rearward segment oblique to the forward segment.