Remotely reconfigurable system for mapping subsurface geological anomalies
First Claim
1. A system for collecting resistivity data from a subsurface media comprising:
- a power distribution unit distributing an injection current, an operating power source and an operating ground to a set of serially interconnected voltage control units;
the power distribution unit further comprising a high voltage source, and a high voltage sink;
a reference electrode in contact with a geological surface, connected to the power distribution unit for defining a high voltage reference;
a current source connected to the power distribution unit;
a data collection unit connected to the power distribution unit;
an array of electrodes in contact with the geological surface, having at least three electrodes;
the set of serially interconnected voltage control units connected to the array of electrodes to form a serially ordered chain of electrodes;
the set of serially interconnected voltage control units in data communication with the power distribution unit,the set of serially interconnected voltage control units programmed to dispense the injection current into the array of electrodes in a predetermined pattern; and
the set of serially interconnected voltage control units including a means to measure a set of differential voltages between electrode pairs in the serially ordered chain of electrodes and to send a first signal to the power distribution unit related to measured differential voltages.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for detecting and transmitting geophysical data from a plurality of electrodes inserted into the soil utilizing a set of identical dynamically reconfigurable voltage control units located on each electrode and connected together by a communications and power cable. A test sequence is provided in each voltage control unit. Each voltage control unit records data measurements for transmission to a central data collector. Each voltage control unit incorporates and determines its positional relationship to other voltage control units by logging when the unit is attached to the electrode. Each voltage control unit I equipped with a magnetic switch for detecting when they are in contact with the electrode.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system for collecting resistivity data from a subsurface media comprising:
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a power distribution unit distributing an injection current, an operating power source and an operating ground to a set of serially interconnected voltage control units; the power distribution unit further comprising a high voltage source, and a high voltage sink; a reference electrode in contact with a geological surface, connected to the power distribution unit for defining a high voltage reference; a current source connected to the power distribution unit; a data collection unit connected to the power distribution unit; an array of electrodes in contact with the geological surface, having at least three electrodes; the set of serially interconnected voltage control units connected to the array of electrodes to form a serially ordered chain of electrodes; the set of serially interconnected voltage control units in data communication with the power distribution unit, the set of serially interconnected voltage control units programmed to dispense the injection current into the array of electrodes in a predetermined pattern; and the set of serially interconnected voltage control units including a means to measure a set of differential voltages between electrode pairs in the serially ordered chain of electrodes and to send a first signal to the power distribution unit related to measured differential voltages. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for collecting resistivity data from a subsurface media comprising:
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an array of electrodes in the subsurface media; a power distribution unit; a set of voltage control units, wherein each voltage control unit of the set of voltage control units is connected to at least two electrodes in the array of electrodes; a data collection unit in communication with the power distribution unit and the set of voltage control units; wherein; the power distribution unit is programmed to send a high voltage signal to the set of voltage control units; and each voltage control unit of the set of voltage control units is programmed to; retrieve a test table from a memory upon receipt of the high voltage signal; reconfigurably connect the array of electrodes to the high voltage signal in a predetermined permutation; take a differential voltage measurement from the at least two electrodes in the array of electrodes; and transmit the voltage measurement to a data collection unit. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of gathering resistivity data from a subsurface media with a system, the system comprising a power distribution unit for injecting current into the subsurface media, a data collection unit for gathering collecting resistivity data and a set of voltage control units each one attached to an electrode in an array of electrodes wherein the array of electrodes are grounded to subsurface media at geospatially distinct locations, the method comprising the steps of
providing the power distribution unit with the capability to measure the injected current; -
providing each voltage control unit with the programmable capability to measure differential voltage between geospatially distinct locations; providing each voltage control unit with the programmable capability to cause an attached electrode to do one of (a) source the injected current, (b) sink the injected current, and (c) neither source or sink the injected current. interconnecting the voltage control units in series using a wired connection suitable for communications, suitable for providing a low voltage power, suitable for providing high voltage current and suitable for interconnecting electrodes between voltage control units; providing the data collection unit with the capability for communicating with the power distribution unit and voltage control units; providing a set of test configurations wherein each test configuration defines the operations of each voltage control unit, the operations of the power distribution unit and further predefines the electrode pairs required for differential voltage measurements; for each test configuration in the set of test configurations repeating the steps of; communicating a test configuration to the set of voltage control units and the power distribution unit; conditionally repeating the further steps of; measuring a background differential voltage between each pair of electrodes as required by the test configuration; injecting current from a first electrode in the array of electrodes to the subsurface media and sinking current from the subsurface media into a second electrode in the array of electrodes; measuring differential voltages between all predefined electrode pairs according to the test configuration; injecting current from the second electrode to the subsurface media and sinking current from the subsurface media into the first electrode. measuring differential voltages between all predefined electrode pairs according to the test configuration; checking a predefined set of rules to determine if the conditional steps should be repeated again; reporting the measured differential voltages to the data collection unit; reporting the measured injection current to the data collection unit; and stopping the system from further measurements. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification