A MEMS Accelerometer for Multicomponent Streamers

Seismic Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers were introduced 15 years ago and have since gained acceptance in land seismic and then seafloor surveys.

Using them in multicomponent towed-streamers introduces many new challenges. Multicomponent streamers require very dense single-sensor particle motion recording to adequately sample the vibration noise. This is needed to be able to sufficiently attenuate the vibration noise by digital filtering.

Since no commercial solution meeting the size, weight and power requirements existed, we developed a novel 3-axis MEMS accelerometer. A new force-feedback loop that combines forcing and detection in a switchless electronics solution was designed and implemented in a CMOS ASIC.

This ASIC is mounted together with three modified automotive MEMS elements in a lightweight multichip module small enough to be integrated in a solid streamer. With a power consumption lower than 7 mW per axis, we are able to power close to 20.000 3-axis sensors in a single streamer.

The 3-axis accelerometer has been in use since 2012, and we have never had to replace a streamer section due to MEMS accelerometer-related problems.