APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE POSITION OF A IMMERED MARINE FLUTE AND TRAILERED BY AN EXPLORATION VESSEL

摘要

THE INVENTION CONCERNS A METHOD AND AN APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE POSITION OF A SUBMERSIBLE WATER FLUTE, TOWED BY AN EXPLORATION VESSEL. /P P A NETWORK OF AT LEAST THREE TRANSPONDERS 10, 12, 14, FIXED AT THE BOTTOM 16 OF THE SEA, RECEIVES AN ACOUSTIC CONTROL SIGNAL FROM A VESSEL 18 WHICH TOWS A FLUTE 20 CARRYING RECEIVERS 34. ON RECEPTION OF THIS SIGNAL, THE TRANSPONDERS 10, 12, 14 RETURN ACOUSTIC PULSES WITH CLEAR FREQUENCIES DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER, DEPENDING ON THE TRANSPONDERS, BOTH TO RECEIVERS 34 AND TO VESSEL 18. IT IS THUS POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE BY TRIANGULATION THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EACH HYDROPHONE 34 AND VESSEL 18. /P P FIELD OF APPLICATION: MARINE SEISMIC EXPLORATION.