Enhanced servovalve technology for seismic vibrators

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Geophysical Prospecting; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2478.1993.tb00564.x· OSTI ID:6281797

Reust, D K ^[1]

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1. Pelton Co., Inc., Ponca City, OK (United States)

The Pelton DR[trademark] Servovalve Enhancement causes the natural output of a vibrator to resemble the desired output more closely. This simplifies the control problem and reduces harmonic distortion. The traditional type of servovalve used on seismic vibrators is a flow-control servovalve. Flow is proportional to a vibrator's baseplate velocity, with respect to its reaction mass. The new servovalve control parameter is pressure rather than flow. The differential pressure applied to a vibrator's actuator piston, multiplied by the area of the piston, equals the force applied to the vibrator's baseplate structure. This may be defined as actuator force. There is a simpler and more linear relationship between actuator force and ground force than between actuator velocity and ground force. Thus, it is better for the servovalve to control pressure into the actuator rather than flow. A flow-control servovalve can be made to control pressure by sensing the differential pressure across a vibrator's actuator piston and applying it as a negative feedback around the servovalve main stage. This has been carried out and tested. The result is more accurate vibrator control and reduced harmonic distortion.

• OSTI ID: 6281797
• Journal Information: Geophysical Prospecting; (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Prospecting; (United States) Vol. 41:1; ISSN GPPRAR; ISSN 0016-8025
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
ACCURACY
CONTROL
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
DESIGN
EQUIPMENT
FLOW REGULATORS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PRESSURE CONTROL
SEISMIC SOURCES
SEISMIC SURVEYS
SEISMIC WAVES
SURVEYS
TESTING
VALVES