INDUCTIVE POWER FOR SEISMIC SENSOR NODE

• US 20190067980A1
• Filed: 10/30/2018
• Published: 02/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PXGEO UK Ltd. (PXGEO Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Seabed Geosolutions BV (PXGEO Ltd.)
• Inventors: Isfeldt, Bjarne
• Granted Patent: US 10,879,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/162 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/186 Hydrophones
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/38 specially adapted for water-covered areas G01V1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and methods for inductively powering seismic sensor nodes are presented. An embodiment of an inductive battery includes a battery cell configured to store charge for use by an external device. The inductive battery may also include a first inductive element coupled to the battery cell, the first inductive element configured to receive current from the battery cell and emit a responsive magnetic field for powering an external device through inductance. In an embodiment the external device is a seismic sensor node.

Claims

1. An ocean bottom seismic node, comprising:

a housing that comprises one or more electronic components, wherein the one or more electronic components comprises at least one seismic sensor and a seismic data recorder;

an on-board inductive element coupled to the one or more electronic components; and

at least one inductive battery coupled to the housing.

2. The node of claim 1, wherein the at least one inductive battery is detachable from the housing.

3. The node of claim 1, wherein the at least one inductive battery is located external to the housing.

4. The node of claim 1, wherein the at least one inductive battery is located within a receptacle of the housing.

5. The node of claim 1, wherein the at least one inductive battery is locked within a receptacle of the housing.

6. The node of claim 1, wherein the at least one inductive battery is secured within a receptacle of the housing by screw threads.

7. The node of claim 1, wherein the at least one inductive battery is secured within a receptacle of the housing by one or more locking pins.

8. The node of claim 1, wherein the at least one inductive battery comprises

one or more battery cells;

and

a first inductive element coupled to the one or more battery cells and the on-board inductive element.

9. The node of claim 8, wherein the first inductive element comprises one or more coils or wire loops.

10. The node of claim 8, wherein the first inductive element is configured to receive current from the one or more battery cells and emit a responsive magnetic field for powering the seismic node through inductance.

11. The node of claim 8, wherein the at least one inductive battery comprises a second inductive element that is configured to receive power from an external device.

12. The node of claim 8, wherein the at least one inductive battery is configured to transmit data with the seismic node over the first inductive element.

13. The node of claim 1, wherein the at least one inductive battery comprises a data storage device.

14. The node of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of receptacles, wherein the at least one inductive battery comprises a plurality of inductive batteries, wherein at least one of the plurality of inductive batteries is secured within each of the plurality of receptacles.

15. A method for powering an ocean bottom seismic node, comprising:

inserting an inductive battery within a receptacle of an ocean bottom seismic node;

generating a current in the inductive battery; and

powering the seismic node through the current generated through the inductive battery.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising recording seismic data by the seismic node on the ocean bottom while the seismic node is powered by the inductive battery.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising locking the inductive battery within the receptacle.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising replacing the inductive battery with a charged inductive battery.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the inductive battery comprises a first inductive element, wherein the method further comprises

generating a current through the first inductive element;

and

powering the seismic node through the current generated through the first inductive element.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting data between the inductive battery and the seismic node through the first inductive element.