SEISMIC VIBRATOR DEVICE AND METHOD WITH ROTATION SENSOR

• US 20150063065A1
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Original Assignee: WesternGeco LLC
• Inventors: KRAGH, JULIAN EDWARD, BAGAINI, CLAUDIO
• Granted Patent: US 9,417,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/37
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/0475 for controlling "Ground Force"
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/135 by deforming or displacing surfaces of enclosures , e.g. by hydraulically driven vibroseis™
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49229 Prime mover or fluid pump making

Abstract

A seismic land vibrator, comprising a baseplate comprising a substantially flat, rigid member; at least one driven member that is connected with the baseplate and extends in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to baseplate; a rotation sensor that is coupled to the baseplate and adapted to provide a signal that is indicative of rotational movement of at least a portion of the baseplate.

Claims

1. A seismic land vibrator, comprising:

a baseplate being a substantially flat, rigid member having one side that is adapted for contact with the ground;

at least one driven member that is connected with the baseplate and extends in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the baseplate;

a rotation sensor that is coupled to the baseplate and adapted to provide a signal that is indicative of rotational movement of at least a portion of the baseplate.

2. The seismic land vibrator of claim 1, wherein the rotation senor comprises at least two single-axis particle motion sensors that are located at different locations with respect to the baseplate.

3. The seismic land vibrator of claim 1, wherein the rotation sensor comprises at least one MEMS sensor.

4. The seismic land vibrator of claim 3, wherein the MEMS sensor measures angular motion.

5. The seismic land vibrator of claim 1, wherein the rotation sensor comprises at least two multi-axis particle motion sensors that are rigidly coupled to the baseplate.

6. The seismic land vibrator of claim 5, wherein the two multi-axis particle motion sensors have at least one axis that is shared and collinear.

7. The seismic land vibrator of claim 6, wherein the rotation sensor calculates rotation based on a difference between particle motion detected by the two multi-axis particle motion sensors.

8. The seismic land vibrator of claim 1, wherein the seismic land vibrator is mounted to a truck.

9. The seismic land vibrator of claim 8, wherein the truck has wheels.

10. The seismic land vibrator of claim 8, wherein the rotation sensor is embedded in the baseplate.

11. The seismic land vibrator of claim 1, wherein the driven member is a piston.

12. The seismic land vibrator of claim 11, wherein the piston is connected to a hydraulic drive unit.

13. The seismic land vibrator of claim 12, comprising a reaction mass connected with the hydraulic drive unit.

14. A method of seismic surveying, comprising:

actuating a drive mechanism that applies force to a baseplate that impacts the ground, thereby creating a vibration signal that travels into the ground;

while the drive mechanism is actuating, making measurements of rotational movement of the baseplate by way of a rotation sensor that is coupled to the baseplate.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

recording the rotational measurements in a memory.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the rotation sensor in the baseplate.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising:

recording reverberations of the vibratory signals with seismic sensors that are located away from the baseplate.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

processing data developed from the reverberations and data developed from the rotational movement to determine underground features.

19. A method of modeling a land seismic vibrator, comprising:

measuring particle motion that is indicative of rotation of a baseplate of the land seismic vibrator, and

using the rotation measurement to model the movement of the baseplate.

20. The method of modeling a land seismic vibrator of claim 19, comprising using the modeled movement of the baseplate to model the vibrational signals that are imparted into the ground.

21. The method of modeling the land seismic vibrator of claim 20, comprising using the modeled movement of the baseplate and the modeled vibrational signals to process data that is indicative of the vibrational signals recorded and of the underlying formations in the ground.

22. A method of manufacturing a land seismic vibrator, comprising:

connecting a baseplate to a drive mechanism that is adapted to input vibratory forces to the baseplate;

connecting the baseplate to a stilt device that supports the baseplate at least partially by way of a flexible member connected between the stilt device and the baseplate;

connecting the stilt device to a vehicle that can drive from place to place, and has a raising and lowering device to raise and lower the stilt member; and

connecting at least one rotation sensor to the baseplate for measurement of rotational movement of the baseplate.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the rotation sensor is a MEMS sensor that measures angular movement.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the rotation sensor comprises two single-axis particle motion sensors that are rigidly coupled to the baseplate.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the rotation sensor comprises two multi-axis particle motion sensors that are rigidly coupled to the baseplate.

26. The method of claim 22, comprising embedding the rotation senor in the baseplate.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the embedding comprises entirely surrounding the rotation sensor with the baseplate.