Combination motion and acoustic piezoelectric sensor apparatus and method of use therefor

• US 9,207,341 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seamap USA LLC
• Original Assignee: Solid Seismic, LLC
• Inventors: Pearce, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J
• Application Number:
  US13/295,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20120163119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 367/20, 367/153, 367/154
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0688 with foil-type piezoelectric elements, e.g. PVDF
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/201 Constructional details of seismic cables, e.g. streamers integrated optoseismic systems G01V1/226; line connectors in general H01R, transducer mountings in general G10K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/38 specially adapted for water-covered areas G01V1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making

Abstract

Sensors used in mapping strata beneath a marine body are described, such as used in a flexible towed array. A first sensor is a motion sensor including a conductive liquid in a chamber between a rigid tube and a piezoelectric motion film circumferentially wrapped about the tube. A second sensor is a traditional acoustic sensor or a novel acoustic sensor using a piezoelectric sensor mounted with a thin film separation layer of flexible microspheres on a rigid substrate. Additional non-acoustic sensors are optionally mounted on the rigid substrate for generation of output used to reduce noise observed by the acoustic sensors. Combinations of acoustic, non-acoustic, and motion sensors co-located in rigid streamer housing sections are provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a seismic streamer;

a housing section of said seismic streamer;

an acoustic sensor comprising;

a first and a second thin film piezopolymer;

a flexible microsphere loaded transfer adhesive wherein said microsphere loaded transfer adhesive proximately contacts said first thin film piezopolymer, a zone of non-microsphere loaded transfer adhesive proximately contacting said second thin film piezopolymer; and

a motion sensor, said acoustic sensor and said motion sensor co-located in said housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said streamer comprising:

a central longitudinal tube;

a flexible elastomer about said tube; and

a core electro-mechanical cable positioned inside said longitudinal tube.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, said motion sensor mounted at a first radial distance from a center of a section of said tube, said acoustic sensor mounted at a second radial distance from the center of said tube, said second radial distance greater than said first radial distance.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, said flexible elastomer comprising:

a concentration of glass microspheres, said glass microspheres comprising a density of less than about 0.6 g/cm.sup.3, said concentration of glass microspheres about inversely correlated with density of streamer elements.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, said motion sensor comprising:

a liquid metal contacting a piezoelectric film, said piezoelectric film electrically responsive to motion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, said motion sensor comprising:

a liquid metal configured to contact a gravitational bottom of a piezoelectric responsive polymer and to substantially not contact a gravitational top of said piezoelectric responsive polymer.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, said motion sensor comprising:

a piezoelectric sensor circumferentially mounted about said hollow tube between a radially inner hollow chamber and a radially outer hollow chamber; and

a liquid metal filling a portion of said radially inner hollow chamber, wherein motion transfers from said hollow tube through said liquid metal to an inner radial surface of said piezoelectric sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, said acoustic sensor comprising:

a flexible syntactic backed piezopolymer film.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said flexible microsphere loaded transfer adhesive is configured as a compressible gas chamber providing high sensitivity and near immunity to overburden pressure.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first thin film piezo polymer and said second thin film piezo polymer wrapped on a common rigid substrate.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, said common rigid substrate comprising an outer housing about said motion sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, said first thin film piezo polymer electrically linked to said second thin film piezo polymer.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a preprocessing system, said preprocessing system configured to passively remove a second signal originating in said second thin film piezo polymer from a first signal originating in said first thin film piezo polymer.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, said acoustic sensor and said motion sensor combining to provide dual output signals.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first zone of flexible microsphere loaded transfer adhesive proximately contacting a first zone of a piezoelectric sensor;

a second zone of non-microsphere loaded transfer adhesive proximately contacting a second zone of said piezoelectric sensor, wherein output from said second zone reduces noise of signal from said first zone.