Litton Systems, Inc.

Mobil Oil Corporation

Northrop Grumman Guidance and Electronics Company, Inc.

Gary Thomas Griffin

Eric Lee Goldner

Robert G Zachariadis

William G Keckler

Dennis P Bevan

Robert L Kaplan

Clifton B Bosley, Jr

William David Briggs

Dennis Patrick Bevan

A telemetry harness for a hydrophone array which carries and positions the signal carrying elements of the array for ready assembly and reconfiguration. An elongated fabric incorporates bare optical fibers as well as optical and electrical cables and tension-resistant strength members. The fiber is characterized by markings, fiber slackness and apertures at predetermined locations that assist an assembler in determining where to cut selected bare fibers for splicing. The harness is wrapped around a layer of open cell foam that surrounds the aligned and linked sensors of an array segment with the resultant locations of the various sensors in resultant registration with the appropriate overlying fibers of the harness.

Telemetry harness for towed fiber optic acoustic array

A sensor array cable and method of construction thereof utilizing a sensor/interlink assembly to facilitate the relatively easy and inexpensive installation of a sensor device in a cable that includes a strength member to provide tensile strength to the cable, optical fibers or wires for carrying electrical or optical energy to and from the sensor device, and a protective outer jacket. A portion of the protective outer jacket is removed allowing access to the inner strength member and optical fibers. A segment of the strength member is removed and an interlink/sensor assembly is installed in its place. The interlink serves to maintain the tensile strength of the cable. Optical fibers and/or electrical wires are connected to the sensor device for operation. The interlink/sensor assembly and associated optical fibers and electrical wires are then enclosed in an overmold which is sealed to the outer protective jacket.

Sensor array cable and fabrication method

An assembly module provides well-organized optical fiber component attachment features and convenient fiber routing areas for assembling and containing a fiber optic device such a telemetry module. The module comprises a first substrate having a first side and a second side. The first side includes a plurality of sidewalls and a recessed floor surface bounded by the sidewalls. Some of the sidewalls have a cavities formed therein. A plurality of channels extend from the ends of the cavities. A plurality of projections extend from the sidewalls over selected portions of the floor surface such that a lower edge of each projection is spaced apart from the floor surface. Optical fiber components (couplers, splices, etc.) may be mounted in the cavities, and optical fibers are routed to and from the optical fiber components on regions between the sidewalls and through the channels. The optical fibers are placed in the spaces between the projections and the floor surface to retain the optical fibers in selected positions. The assembly module provides for preasembled, pretested, mass produced, fiber optic coupler and excess fiber subassemblies and reduces the potential for component and fiber damage during manufacturing and allows for, but reduces the need for, the potential rework and repair associated with errors and failures during array assembly, thereby reducing manufacturing cost.

Fiber optic component assembly module

A hosewall terminating apparatus for a streamer section utilizing a load bearing flexible hosewall includes an inner sleeve having radially extending outward protrusions and an outer sleeve having radially extending inward protrusions. With the inner sleeve positioned within the outer sleeve, the radial distance between ends of these protrusions are spaced-apart to provide a gap for the position of the flexible hosewall of the streamer section. The hosewall of the streamer section is secured between these protrusions and the sleeve surfaces when the outer sleeve is reduced in diameter by swaging.

Termination apparatus for a marine streamer employing a flexible load

A spacer for a marine seismic streamer employs a compliant material that mechanically isolates the spacer from the hosewall and strain members of the streamer and also allows the flow of fill fluid therethrough so as to prevent pressure pulse build-up in such fluid during towing of the streamer along a line of exploration.

Growing community of inventors

Millican, TX, United States of America

Gary Thomas Griffin