Patent attributes
A seismic air gun includes an operating chamber, a firing chamber, a port, and a longitudinally disposed cavity sized and shaped to accept a plurality of wires. A moveable shuttle includes a shuttle flange within the operating chamber at one end and a firing shuttle flange at the other end proximate the port and firing chamber. The return force urging the shuttle from the unloaded position to the loaded position is independent of the radial thickness of the shuttle and is directly proportionate to the difference between a first and a second radial cross-sectional thickness of the shuttle flange. As a result, the return force can be optimized without any resulting loss of structural integrity to the shuttle, thereby allowing the port to stay open longer and increasing the amplitude of the primary seismic wave. Seals allow the gun to operating without water lubrication.
