Abstract: A method for generating a stirring in a fluid microdrop, the volume of which is preferably greater than several tens of nanolitres, using an actuator device comprising a high-overtone bulk acoustic resonator HBAR having a quality factor Q of at least 100 in air and including a support which is substantially flat and coated with a layer of dielectric material. The HBAR resonator is associated with a modulatable electronic device capable of generating high-frequency waves. The method envisages depositing, on the support, a fluid microdrop, generating a sinusoidal electrical signal by controlling the modulatable electronic device at a chosen frequency, the frequency being between 100 MHz and 4 GHz, and transformation of the sinusoidal electrical signal having the chosen frequency into high-frequency acoustic waves (OA) by the HBAR resonator.

Abstract: A method for generating a stirring in a fluid microdrop, the volume of which is preferably greater than several tens of nanolitres, using an actuator device comprising a high-overtone bulk acoustic resonator HBAR having a quality factor Q of at least 100 in air and including a support which is substantially flat and coated with a layer of dielectric material. The HBAR resonator is associated with a modulatable electronic device capable of generating high-frequency waves. The method envisages depositing, on the support, a fluid microdrop, generating a sinusoidal electrical signal by controlling the modulatable electronic device at a chosen frequency, the frequency being between 100 MHz and 4 GHz, and transformation of the sinusoidal electrical signal having the chosen frequency into high-frequency acoustic waves (OA) by the HBAR resonator.

Abstract: Method for increasing the ability of at least one droplet to slide over a medium. An ultrasonic surface wave is generated in the medium with a sufficient amplitude to cause the droplet to deform in an inertio-capillary eigen-vibration mode, thus decreasing the attachment of the droplet to the medium, so as to make it easier for the droplet to move under the effect of an external force, the amplitude of the ultrasonic surface wave being insufficient to cause the droplet to deform asymmetrically to the point that it moves in the absence of the external force in the direction of propagation of the ultrasonic surface wave.

Abstract: Method for increasing the ability of at least one droplet to slide over a medium.

Abstract: An underwater support device and an installation method for initiating the buckling of a section of rigid underwater pipe (16) deployed on a seabed (14). The device has a longitudinal support (22) capable of being installed between the seabed and the section of rigid underwater pipe (16) in a transverse direction, in such a way as to be able to locally detach the section of rigid underwater pipe (16) from the seabed (14) and allow the rigid underwater pipe (16) to be moved relative to said longitudinal support (22) in the direction of the longitudinal support. The device also has a link member (36) to secure the rigid underwater pipe (16) and the longitudinal support (22) in such a way as to be able to install said longitudinal support (22) on the seabed (14) by deploying the section of rigid pipe (26) on the seabed (14).

Abstract: An underwater support device and an installation method for initiating the buckling of a section of rigid underwater pipe (16) deployed on a seabed (14). The device has a longitudinal support (22) capable of being installed between the seabed and the section of rigid underwater pipe (16) in a transverse direction, in such a way as to be able to locally detach the section of rigid underwater pipe (16) from the seabed (14) and allow the rigid underwater pipe (16) to be moved relative to said longitudinal support (22) in the direction of the longitudinal support. The device also has a link member (36) to secure the rigid underwater pipe (16) and the longitudinal support (22) in such a way as to be able to install said longitudinal support (22) on the seabed (14) by deploying the section of rigid pipe (26) on the seabed (14).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining ocean current using geophysical data acquisition means which are on board a ship, said ship towing at least one streamer which is equipped with at least one traction sensor and position measuring means. The invention is characterized in that it comprises the following steps, consisting in: collecting the measurements from said traction sensor, collecting the measurements from said position measuring means, repeatedly calculating a current vector that is representative of the real current by repeating the following operations using a given sampling time step: calculating simulated traction and streamer positioning data for numerous simulation input current vectors, comparing the simulated data to real measurements taken by said traction and position measuring means for each simulation input current vector. The invention also relates to a device used to carry out one such method.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining ocean current using geophysical data acqusition means which are on board a ship, said ship towing at least one streamer which is equipped with at least one traction sensor and position measuring means. The invention is characterised in that it comprises the following steps, consisting in: collecting the measurements from said traction sensor, collecting the measurements from said position measuring means, repeatedly calculating a current vector that is representative of the real current by repeating the following operations using a given sampling time step: calculating simulated traction and streamer positioning data for numerous simulation input current vectors, comparing the simulated data to real measurements taken by said traction and position measuring means for each simulation input current vector. The invention also relates to a device used to carry out one such method.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of simulating the positioning of a streamer towed by a ship (10) during an operation of acquiring geophysical data at sea, said acquisition operation making use of shots from at least one sound source (Sa), the method implementing a hydrodynamic model of the interaction between marine current, the path of the ship, and the streamer, the method being characterized in that it includes determining variations in the current over time and in space. The invention also relates to a method of assisting navigation for a seismic survey ship, and to a method of predicting coverage fraction by implementing such a simulation method.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of simulating the positioning of a streamer towed by a ship (10) during an operation of acquiring geophysical data at sea, said acquisition operation making use of shots from at least one sound source (Sa), the method implementing a hydrodynamic model of the interaction between marine current, the path of the ship, and the streamer, the method being characterized in that it includes determining variations in the current over time and in space. The invention also relates to a method of assisting navigation for a seismic survey ship, and to a method of predicting coverage fraction by implementing such a simulation method.

Abstract: A power distributor for microwave signals has n inputs and n outputs, n/2 coupler elements, four power distributor elements each having n/2 inputs and n/2 outputs. The inputs of the first and third distributor elements correspond to respective inputs of the distributor and the outputs of the second and fourth distributor elements correspond to respective outputs of the distributor. The outputs of the first distributor element are connected to respective first inputs of the couplers and the outputs of the third distributor element are connected to respective second inputs of the couplers. The inputs of the second distributor element are connected to respective first outputs of the couplers and the inputs of the fourth distributor element are connected to respective second outputs of the couplers.